Feline semen collection, freezing and insemination

Artificial insemination (A.I.) in the cat was first described more than 30 years ago when this animal was used as laboratory model for several human pathologies. Some of these conditions are associated with reproductive problems, so A.I. allowed to breed subjects carriers of pathologies. More recently the cat has been considered an important comparative model for assisted reproduction in endangered non-domestic felids and many researchers have focused their studies on the application to the cat of new technologies such as IVM, IVF, ICSI and cloning. In the last years cat breeders increased their interest for A.I. and sperm preservation, but, in spite of the new scientific acquisitions, these procedures are not routinely used by practitioners.