Will cats breed with siblings?

Question
I have several young cats both male and female (brothers and sisters)and I would like to know if they will start breeding with each other.  

Answer
Well, you don't say how old they are or whether they are a specific breed, which would make it easier for me to give you a more accurate response. However, the basic answer is, yes, they probably will, because unlike humans, cats have no rules against incest and when it comes to breeding, they are completely at the mercy of their hormones. If a young female comes into season and her brother is old enough to figure this out and respond, you can be damn near certain that he will take advantage of the situation immediately.

Some breeds are more precocious than others. My Turkish Angora males have been known to sire litters at 5 months of age. I also once had a female kitten get herself "knocked up" when she was just 6 months old. I now separate males and females when the males hit 5 1/2 months. My Russian Blues, on the other hand, have no interest in sex until they are 8 months old or more, as a general rule. So the breed does make a big difference. With mixed breed cats I would THINK you are safe until 6 months of age but there are no guarantees where hormones are concerned.

If you don't have the money to get everyone spayed or neutered at the same time, do the males first. As soon as you can manage it. Neutering is usually cheaper than spaying and the males are quicker to recover. The females need abdominal surgery so they require a bit more care and attention after the operation.

Hope this helps!

iris