Spermatogenic Function in Cats

Abstract

Contents: There are limited data on feline sperm production. We exhausted epididymal spermatozoa (i.e. the number of ejaculated spermatozoa <5 × 106) by frequent semen collections using the artificial vagina method in five tomcats and determined the number of spermatozoa stored in the epididymis. We investigated the time (days) required for the number of epididymal spermatozoa to return to the pre-exhaustion level and determined the number of spermatozoa produced per day. After spermatozoa were exhausted by frequent semen collection, 6 or more days were required to return to the pre-exhaustion level. Based on the duration of resting (days) and total number of spermatozoa, the mean number of spermatozoa produced per day was 30 × 106. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.