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Say, L.; Pontier, D.; Natoli, E.
High variation in multiple paternity of domestic cats (Felis catus L.) in relation to environmental conditions
1999 Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. (266): 2071-2074
Paternity was analysed in two domestic cat (_Felis catus_) populations differing in habitat structure (rural versus urban) and density (234 cats km2 versus 2091 cats km2). A total of 312 offspring, 76 mothers and 65 putative fathers were typed at nine microsatellite loci in the two populations. Our data showed a high rate of multiple paternity in the urban population (70-83% of litters with more than one), as most males were able to monopolize the entire litter. However, males reproduced as soon as they reached sexual maturity (i.e. ten months of age) in the urban population, whereas most males delayed reproduction to age three years in the rural population.
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