Can Littermates Have Different Fathers?
At lunch today, one of my coworkers mentioned that he had heard that puppies and kittens in the same litter can have different fathers. We debated whether that is true, and I offered to try to find out. I did a quick search on dogster to see if you had already answered the question, but I didn’t see an entry from you in the search results (although it appears the question has been asked in some of the dogster mating forums, and that everyone says yes). So our question is: is it true that puppies and kittens in the same litter can have different fathers? If so, how is that possible biologically?
We also debated whether human fraternal twins can possibly have different fathers. I recalled that this question was asked by one of my schoolmates during my sex ed class in school, and that the sex ed teacher said yes but that it was very rare. When I told my coworkers this, they laughed in my face. What do you think? Is it possible?
Elizabeth
Washington, DC
Any female who mates with more than one male in rapid succession and then releases more than one egg can host babies with different fathers in her uterus simultaneously. It happens when one male’s sperm fertilizes one egg and another male’s sperm fertilizes a different egg. This is true for all mammals, including cats, dogs and humans.
Female cats are, shall we say, quite promiscuous. If given the chance, most female cats will mate with several males when they are in heat. Therefore it is quite common for feline littermates to have different fathers.
After dogs mate, they become “tied together” for several minutes. This is an evolutionary adaptation that prevents another male from immediately mating with the female. Canine littermates therefore are more likely to share a father. However, the evolutionary adaptation is far from perfect, and it is not uncommon for puppies in a litter to have different fathers.
Human reproduction is not taught in veterinary school. However, there is no reason why we, or any mammalian species, should be different.
Photo: Who’s your daddy?
You have questions. 
I thought human females only release one egg per month-and would therefore be unable to have two different fathers for one child. This could happen with human fraternal twins- but isn’t it just as likely that the sperm from one male could fertilize both eggs.
I’ve also heard that birds may also also have different fathers in a clutch of eggs. It was explained not as promiscuity, but to increase survival rates by introducing genetic variability.
Well sometimes two eggs could be released at the same time. So
Some responsible breeders have started AI’ing with multiple sires in an attempt to reduce the number of actual litters a female produces. Once born, all pups and parents are DNA’d to establish paternity and separate litter registrations are completed. The AKC has a section for “multiple-sire litter registration”.
i have question, hope this is the right area. My 7 month old jack russell was in heat and my sons jack russell got her. The vet says we have to wait about 45 days to find out. it’s been 3 weeks . My question is, does a female dog just being female have 4 to 6 small nipples if she is not pregnant? she seems to be getting a kind of bulge just behind her fron legs. What does a pregnant dog look like? what signs am i looking for?
Thanks Cheryl
i am one of 8 pups born to my mommy last july and we do have different daddies. i am a dapple but i have a couple siblings that are brindle, and red. my daddy was a dapple named merlin, another daddy was a brindle named percy, the reds are from both daddies who carried red too. oh and mommy was a red piebald.
We are both adopted puppies who came from “litters” that consisted of puppies that were totally unlike in color, coat, size and all aspects. Our vet says this is possibly due to having different daddies.
Mama suspects this may be the case with Samoa, but the puppies were SO different in Dubs group that she thinks they might have been totally different litters and maybe misrepresented to the Humane Society. Some looked like Pits, some like Aussies, some like Corgis. We are eventually going to have Dubs DNA test done, but are enjoying the speculation and watching her grow right now.
I didn’t realize this was possible until we adopted Lexie and Oreo, who were littermates, in 2003. No one believed us when we told them they were from the same litter. Lexie is tall and slender and primarily brown with a little black on her face, the vet says she’s a hound mix. Oreo was shorter and stockier, he was black and brown and his head and body were shaped like a Rottie.
Uh Oh….where’s Maury???
Our dog Fifi, just had six puppies. Fifi is a Bichon Frise (white) and Leo (male) is a minture poodle, he is blonde-apricot-caramal kind of colour, their all quite light coloured and both parents have curly hair, though a couple of puppies have straight hair at the moment….they are cute……..
this is very interesting as I have a female cat who just had a litter of kittens and yes her kittens are from two different males. Neither male are my own cat but she got out on a warmer winter day and I saw her with a few different males. when the kittens where born there were some that looked like one male ( a big black tom) and another male (black and white patched in color). She ended up having one black kitten that looks like the black male and 2 black and white kittens that looked like the other male as for the 4th kitten who knows because he is grey. My cat is pure black in color and it would seems as I have seen both males with her and the kittens that were born that she has two fathers to her littler
We took in a pregnant stray several years ago who had been living underneath my parents’ front porch with a huge black and white feral tom. An irresponsible neighbor’s little black tom was also hanging around at the time.
She gave birth to a litter of five- four boys, one girl. As adults, it is VERY apparent that three of the kittens were the product of the massive feral tom. A fourth is likely his, but looks so much like “mom”, it’s hard to tell for sure. Number five? He’s a good 2-5 pounds smaller than his siblings, with an entirely different build, coat, temperament, and mannerisms… and a couple quirks that scream “obnoxious neighbor’s cat”. He’s also the only one with a heart defect.
(A couple years later, we took in a feral cat who also appeared to be a product of the neighbor’s cat. Lo and behold, this cat has heart issues, too.)
So, yeah… it happens.
[...] while back I answered a question from a reader who wondered whether kittens from the same litter could have different fathers. The [...]
[...] while back I answered a question from a reader who wondered whether kittens from the same litter could have different fathers. The [...]
[...] while back I answered a question from a reader who wondered whether kittens from the same litter could have different fathers. The [...]
[...] while back I answered a question from a reader who wondered whether kittens from the same litter could have different fathers. The [...]