PAWS AND REFLECT | The families of the animal kingdom

Progeny is a fundamental feature of life that we share with all species. Without new generations, all creatures would cease to exist. 

While pregnancy can be a very special time for a mother-to-be, not every life born into this world is delivered from a womb, just as not every mother becomes one by giving birth. Some offspring are born from eggs, such as reptiles, birds and insects. 

You may be surprised to learn that adoption is also present in the animal kingdom. There have been cases of animals caring for not only their biological offspring but also offspring of other species. 

This has been witnessed among numerous animals, such as the cat that adopted the baby squirrel into her litter, the tiger who took on care of orphan piglets when her own cubs died after being born prematurely and the Labrador that found an abandoned human baby and carried it home to nestle in with her litter (the infant was later discovered and rescued). 

Some types of fowl will also sneakily lay their eggs in other birds’ nests so that the unsuspecting “foster” parents will put in the work instead.

Big families

Some critters are more fecund than others, especially rabbits and cats. The gestation period for a rabbit is only for 30 days and usually produces four to 10 kits; a doe is capable of having 13 litters a year. 

Cats are also prolific breeders and are able to bear kittens from several different fathers in the same litter; a queen’s gestation is 56 to 71 days and produces three to nine kittens. Cats can have up to three litters yearly on average. 

The gestation period for a dog is 60 to 64 days, and female dogs can have five to 15 puppies in one litter. Typically, it is best to allow a female dog to be over age 2 before you consider breeding her, and it is recommended to allow a dog to only have one litter per year. 

If you are not interested in breeding your dog or cat, spaying is strongly recommended, as it can help to prevent mammary cancer or uterine infections later in life, as well as halt further reproduction. 

Unfortunately, due to the many animals that are not spayed or neutered, thousands of puppies and kittens are born every year and wind up in shelters. 

Elephants have the longest gestation period of any land animal, carrying their developing infant for 22 months in their womb. Elephants also give birth to babies weighing up to 230 pounds. 

The animal with the shortest gestation period is the opossum. While this marsupial can have up to nine joeys, their pregnancies only last 14 days, and the young are then carried inside their mother’s pouch for two to three months after birth to further develop.

Land-dwelling or water-residing creatures, such as turtles, lizards and snakes, lay their eggs in either soil or water. Due to the high risk of predators stealing the eggs, these amphibians and reptiles will lay a large number of eggs — sometimes as many as several hundred at one time — to increase continuance of the species. 

Birds will typically only lay two to three eggs and will stay with the eggs, keeping them warm until they hatch. The father provides nourishment to the mother as she cannot leave the nest. 

Insects will usually lay their eggs on the underside of plant leaves. Once the eggs hatch, they go through several life cycles, from pupae to larvae to adult.

The most intriguing case of pregnancy is the seahorse: While the female seahorse is the one who actually lays the eggs, she deposits them unfertilized into a pouch on her mate’s belly. He then fertilizes them and protects the eggs for several weeks, until the small fry hatch. This egg-filled pouch gives the male seahorse the appearance of a rounded pregnant belly. 

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An end note

I thought it fitting to compose this final column on babies and pregnancy, as my husband, Jason, and I are expecting our firstborn, a girl, in December. 

After much deliberation, my dog, Jasmyn, and I are retiring from Madison Park Veterinary Hospital at the start of August. 

Over the course of the last four years that Jasmyn and I have operated the front desk at Madison Park Veterinary Hospital, we have developed strong relationships with many of our clients and patients. 

During the nine years that I have worked in the veterinary field, I have shed innumerable tears over some of my favorite patients when they’ve crossed the Rainbow Bridge, shared in the jubilation of my clients when they brought in their newly adopted pet and received my fair share of puppy breath kisses and soft kitten cuddles. 

While I look forward to this next chapter in my life, I will genuinely miss working for Drs. Barry and Jenya Katz and my amazing co-workers and interacting with our meritorious clientele. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this column for the last three and a half years, and I am happy that so many people have liked reading it. 

I am always so thankful for the compliments and will truly miss writing “Paws and Reflect.”

MEGAN L. FOUCH was the office manager at the Madison Park Veterinary Hospital (www.madisonparkvet.com). To comment on this column, write to MPTimes@nwlink.com.