Influence of oestrus synchronization on male reproductive success in the domestic cat (Felis catus L.)

Previous studies have predicted that the availability over time of females in oestrus influences the variance of male reproductive success in a given year. When females are spatially aggregated, they represent a potentially d efendable resource for each male when oestrus is asynchronous, and the most competitive males are expected to gain priority of access to receptive fem ales. When females breed synchronously, a single male, even when highly com petitive, is not able to prevent them from mating with other males. This hy pothesis was tested in a large multimale-multifemale group of domestic cats , Felis catus, which was monitored for three years. The results support the prediction that the variance in male reproductive success was four times g reater in years when females bred asynchronously, and dominant males sired the highest proportion of offspring. We conclude that the temporal availabi lity of mates plays a role in the adoption of reproductive tactics in the d omestic cat.