When discussing the topic of cat nipples, you might recall the movie “Meet the Fockers” and how Ben Stiller’s character described what it was like milking a cat. As hilarious as the scene is, there isn’t any way to milk a cat, and chances are the cat would give you some wounds to take home as a reminder. How many nipples can a cat have? Does it ever differ from cat to cat or breed to breed? Find out everything you’re dying to know about cat nipples here.
Why Do Cats Have Nipples?
Cats are mammals, and as we all learned in elementary school, all mammals (except the platypus and echidna) have nipples because all mammals produce milk to feed their young. You might ask yourself, “What about male mammals? Why do they have nipples?” It’s simple. All mammals, including cats, develop nipples and mammary glands in the womb before hormones finish the task and their gender is known.
Later, when the embryo’s reproductive organs begin to grow, the sex will be known. At that time, those who are female will develop hormones to develop their mammary glands into milk-producing nipples further. The males’ nipples remain “for looks.” Male mammal nipples will never produce milk.
The question of why male mammals have nipples has puzzled scientists for a long time. It would look strange if male humans did not have nipples, though they do not need them. A male or female mammal or cat can get breast cancer just like male humans can. It is vital to get your cat to the vet (male or female) if you notice them over-grooming the area or seeing redness, oozing, crust, swelling, or anything unusual.
Just as humans undergo radiation, chemotherapy, and surgeries to stop the growth of breast cancer, so do cats. Cats are predisposed to getting mammary cancer, which presents as a bump under the skin where your cat’s nipple is located. Unfortunately, this terrible cancer affects 1/3 of all cat cancer diagnoses. Getting your cat spayed before six months old will greatly improve the cat’s chance of not developing mammary cancer. So, if you do a self-check for breast cancer on yourself monthly, do so for your kitty, too. Mammary cancer in felines is aggressive and deadly.
Nursing cats can develop painful mastitis, like humans, which can cause nasty and very painful infections that require antibiotics. It is crucial to take your cat to the vet semi-annually or annually for a health check. The vet will check for things like lumps and bumps and will check your cat’s mammary glands. If you suspect something is wrong with your cat’s nipples, be sure to schedule an appointment immediately.
How Many Nipples Do Cats Have?
The answer may surprise you. Cats can have as many as 12 nipples, though most have between 4 – 8 nipples. Oddly enough, cats can have an odd number of nipples. This can happen with male or female cats. The need for the two rows of prominent pink nipples is so the mama cat can feed all her kittens simultaneously without anyone going hungry and shriveling away.
Sometimes cats have 12 kittens (not very often, fortunately) and may only have six nipples, but two are not producing milk. In times like that, a rescuer is needed to help out by bottle-feeding some of the kittens. With so many kittens nursing, mama cat will be thin and worn out quickly. Parenting isn’t easy!
Why Do Some Cats Have Very Prominent Nipples While Others Don’t?
If you see a young, stray cat with obvious nipples, there’s a good chance she has already had a litter or will soon. Like humans and other mammals, the milk comes in towards the end of the pregnancy. Nearing the end of pregnancy will significantly change a cat’s nipples, just as with other mammals. The nipples will get darker pink, be erect, and be larger than before. This is to help blind newborn kittens find it.
Sometimes, pregnant cats and humans do not have their milk come in, and that poses a serious complication in raising kittens. As humans, we can use another woman’s milk if she’s pumping and doesn’t need it all or bottle-feed our babies. Without help, a mama cat without milk may abandon her kittens, or they may die if help is not found.
Why Do Cats Have a Various Amount of Nipples?
Cats can have only a couple of nipples, or they can have many. A cat’s anatomy may differ from that of their parents or siblings. There is no rhyme or reason for this spectacle. Kittens from the same litter can all have different numbers of nipples. The number is not passed down from other generations and can not be guessed beforehand. A male cat could have 12 nipples, while a nursing cat might only have five. It doesn’t make sense, and there’s no need to try to make sense of it.
Do Not Try to Milk Your Cat
So there you have it, all of the information you never knew you needed about cat nipples. Where are the nipples? It is generally obvious on a pregnant or nursing cat since there tends not to be fur close around them, making them more obvious for hungry kitten mouths. They are located on the lower portion of their abdomens up to the ribcage area. It can be hard to see on a male cat since fur will cover them.
Your cat probably doesn’t want you searching their fur for nipples, and rest assured that if you feel a bump the size of a nipple anywhere else on the cat’s body, it isn’t a nipple and could be a growth that should be checked out. Make an appointment with your vet to check it out so you and your furry pal can relax.
