What is the average number of kittens in a litter?

The average number of kittens in a litter ranges between three to five kittens. Depending on the age of the mother, called a queen, a litter may have one to eight or more kittens.

Young mothers usually have two to three kittens in a litter, while older mothers have larger litters. The health of the mother cat determines how many kittens will be in a litter. Poor nutrition and infections contribute to smaller litters. Some cat breeds naturally have smaller or larger litters. For example, Abyssinians tend to have around three kittens while Burmese cats average five kittens in a litter.