1. Mating: A male cat (tom) mates with a female cat (queen). The queen will be in "heat," which is a period of sexual receptivity. This is when she will be most likely to accept a mate.
2. Fertilization: During mating, the tomcat deposits sperm into the queen's reproductive system. If a sperm cell fertilizes an egg, pregnancy begins.
3. Pregnancy: A cat's pregnancy lasts about 63-67 days (approximately 9 weeks). During this time, the fertilized egg develops into a litter of kittens inside the queen's uterus.
4. Birth: The queen will give birth to a litter of kittens. The number of kittens in a litter can vary, but it's usually between 1 and 8.
5. Nursing: After birth, the queen will nurse her kittens, providing them with milk and nourishment.
Important to remember: Cats can become pregnant very young, often as young as four months old. It's important to keep cats indoors or to have them spayed or neutered to prevent unwanted pregnancies.