Keeping un-altered Queens together

[Lanae]

Is it a bad idea to keep unaltered queens in the same area with no fences in between them? Obliviously studs need individual enclosures (no way would I let my stud roam the neighborhood.) I am interested in learning more about raising cats, chocolate himi's to be exact.

[WhisperingWind56]

I can't answer for all cats, but my sister had several queens (Manx) who hung out together with no "arguments", and they evern defended each other's kittens when the toms came to close. Guess it depends on the individual cats, though.

[yingying]

I'm not sure about what "area" you mean, but in general, queens should have free roam of your house, unless they are nursing baby, then you can refine her and the babies to one room. So if by "area" you mean your house except where your stud is, then for sure you can have all your queens together. But if you are thinking of a enclosure (which IMO is not right), then you need a large one to keep more than one cat together.

[catloverami]

My queens were given house freedom during the day but never went outside. They all got along well together and there were rarely any spats. At night they all retired to a cattery room (that had sofa and chairs). When a queen came in heat, she was confined in a caged area of the cattery room, because I didn't want her spraying in the house. If I wanted her to be bred the stud cat was put in the caged area with her for breeding several times a day for a few days, until she refused him. This way the owner knows exactly who bred who (if there's more than one stud). I never kept more than one stud at a time, and he had his own special room. I couldn't give him house freedom as he sprayed, but was fortunate that most didn't spray in his own room--only had one really bad sprayer. The stud got to have the company of older kittens after they were weaned, and some of my spayed females. He also got groomed every day, and in good weather was walked on a leash outside once a day. A male kitten that was kept with intention of using for stud, had the same house privileges and stayed with the females in the cattery room at night. When he got close to breeding age, he was allowed to witness the stud breeding so he would know what he had to do, and how to do it.

[spotty cats]

Depends on the girls, most are fine as kittens but once they grow up some may not tolerate other entires around so need to be separate.

Most breeders have at least one girl who will 'kill' other entires.

Over here boys are kept out in the cattery, girls are usually in the house, cattery or access to outdoor enclosures.

[catloverami]

Perhaps it depends on the breed, but when I bred Manx, never had a girl or queen who would kill another "entires" (did you mean entries?), nor any kittens of another queen. They were all interested in each other's kittens and would sometimes want to be together with another queen who had kittened at the same time, so they would get into a big box altogether. Kittens would often alternate on which queen they would nurse. The queens enjoyed sharing the mothering.

[spotty cats]

Originally Posted by catloverami

Perhaps it depends on the breed, but when I bred Manx, never had a girl or queen who would kill another "entires" (did you mean entries?).

I meant as I said Entire...intact, unaltered, a breeding cat. It's not all entires that don't get along, as I said there is sometimes a girl or two who will fight and far better to keep them apart than suffer injuries.

Originally Posted by catloverami

They were all interested in each other's kittens and would sometimes want to be together with another queen who had kittened at the same time, so they would get into a big box altogether

Many do this if having litters due around the same time, but once again it's not for all girls.

[LadyVictorian]

Originally Posted by catloverami

Perhaps it depends on the breed, but when I bred Manx, never had a girl or queen who would kill another "entires" (did you mean entries?), nor any kittens of another queen. They were all interested in each other's kittens and would sometimes want to be together with another queen who had kittened at the same time, so they would get into a big box altogether. Kittens would often alternate on which queen they would nurse. The queens enjoyed sharing the mothering.

OMG too funny when my grandmother bred manx they did that too. They would just put all the kittens together and the moms would trade on and off the duties. It was nice because the babies had constant care and a good milk supply and grew up nice and healthy. I miss when my grandmother breed manx but she stopped because she is getting older and can't keep up with the work load. It's sort of sad her cats were always so beautiful.

[kwarendorf]

I'm not a breeder, but I do know that Franklin (on the left in my avatar) was nursed by a Queen who was not his mother. The mother couldn't nurse for some reason and the other queen (now Franny on the right in my avatar ) stepped right in.

[yingying]

Originally Posted by kwarendorf

I'm not a breeder, but I do know that Franklin (on the left in my avatar) was nursed by a Queen who was not his mother. The mother couldn't nurse for some reason and the other queen (now Franny on the right in my avatar ) stepped right in.

I think my Metoo's breeder mentioned to me that she usually breed two queens at the same time, so that if one queen cannot nurse for whatever reason, the kitten can still get milk from the other queen