• Semen collection and evaluation is a technique that can assist for breeding soundness examination (natural breeding followed by pregnancy diagnosis is the most practical procedure in cats).
• Semen collection in practice is of little use because collecting semen requires an artificial vagina or electro-ejaculation.
• For the diagnosis of prostatitis and for artificial insemination Artificial insemination procedures.

Uses

• To evaluate ability to achieve erection and ejaculation.
• To evaluate semen quality.
• To evaluate for breeding soundness.
• To diagnose the cause of infertility or subefertility.
• To obtain a sample to evaluate the prostate.
• Artificial insemination with fresh semen.
• To freeze semen.

Disadvantages

• In practice it is an arduous task to obtain a semen sample to measure effectively sperm numbers and evaluate morphology and motility.

Alternative techniques

• Semen for examination can be obtained by inserting a moistened cotton swab into the vagina of a queen immediately after mating.
• Male cats can be electro-ejaculated under general anesthesia General anesthesia: overview.
• Only about 20% of male cats can be trained to ejaculate into an artificial vagina made from a rubber pipette bulb and a small test tube - otherwise semen collection is very difficult.

Time required

Preparation

• All equipment should be warmed to body temperature.

Procedure

• 5-45 minutes. Competence in handling and temperament of cat should minimize time taken.