Cross Breeds

Do dogs and cats ever give birth to twins or triplets?

Public Comments

1. Nope. They lay only one egg at a time and protect it until it hatches.
2. Yes, my kittens are twins
3. NO! They have litters....singleton,2 ,3 or ten. Still a litter
4. This is interesting. Logically I'd say no. Each puppy is in an individual sac and as I've been in on many of the C.Sections my bitches have needed (secondary uterine inertia folks, not lack of ability to deliver big puppies - although most of my puppies arrived weighing around the 16 / 18 oz weight, ouch), I've never seen two puppies in one sac. Perhaps it can happen? Will watch answers here, from those who KNOW, with interest.
5. Yes, dogs can give birth to twins. A reputable breeder friend of mine's Rottweiler gave birth to twins. The pups shared the same placenta so were definitely twins. One was a lot smaller than the other but both pups thrived and they are now both titled show dogs.
6. i dont think so, they have mutiple puppys or kittens at a time but i dont think you would call them twins.
7. How are YOU defining "twins and triplets"? There are two fundamental definitions in use: • FRATERNAL twins, etc. Each individual has the same parents (well - usually. It IS possible for different fathers to fertilise different ova) but is the result of a separate egg being fertilised - 3 fraternal triplets in the womb means that 3 eggs were fertilised, by 3 different sperm, one sperm per ovum. Fraternal twins can look quite similar, but they can also look quite different (eg, one blonde, one brunette). And they can be of the same sex or of opposite sexes. But their DNA has differences, despite the pair or trio having the same parents. So a litter of kittens or pups are definitely fraternal twins, fraternal triplets, fraternal quadruplets, fraternal quintuplets, fraternal sextuplets, whatever • MIRROR twins, etc. All the individuals are the result of a single fertilised egg. At some stage during the multiplying process when 1 fertilised egg-cell divides by mitosis to becomes 2 joined cells, which become 4 cells, become 8 cells, become 16 cells,become 32 cells, and onwards) the embryo actually split completely in half so that instead of becoming, eg, a 32-cell embryo it became TWO separate 16-cell embryos. Although many people wrongly call them "identical twins" after they're born, they aren't - each twin is the exact mirror-image of the other and has the exact same DNA. And they MUST be of the same sex. So if mirror twin Dan is left handed, his mirror twin Dave must be right handed. The only physical differences will be those due to the environment (such as bruises left by the use of forceps during the delivery, and scars picked up by accidents as they go through life). Both will have very similar intelligence, but the way they think will diverge because each of them will have slightly different experiences and memories. The various "Siamese Twins" (actually, conjoined twins) you've heard of are the results of embryos that split ALMOST completely in half, but a few cells stayed connected, and so those mirror twins developed with that part of them shared. It is perfectly possible for one or both the mirror-embryos to divide yet again, resulting in mirror triplets or mirror quads. However, even mirror TWINS are rather rare - after 30 years of teaching, with sometimes 120 children passing through my lessons in one day, I can recall only 1 pair of genuine mirror twins (they wore different-coloured watch-straps, to help family, friends & teachers identify them - but enjoyed swapping watches to keep us confused). But there were a few fraternal twins. Although it is possible for a litter of pups or kittens to include a pair of mirror twins, (a) it is unlikely, and (b) we wouldn't recognise them as mirror twins unless we compared their DNA. See, when looking at cats & dogs, most people see only the colour-patterns in their coats. But those patterns are VERY variable, being dependent on more than JUST the DNA - scientists who have cloned livestock have found that some of the cloned offspring have spots here, some there, and some none, regardless of the markings on the parent they were cloned from. And do YOU notice whether your pet is left-footed or right-footed? Les P, owner of GSD_Friendly: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/GSD_Friendly "In GSDs" as of 1967
8. It's rare in dogs, but it does happen. The pups must share the same placenta. Usually folks can't tell or don't notice unless their dog has a c section.