Effect of method of collection on seminal characteristics of the domestic cat

Abstract

SUMMARY The effect of level of voltage and method of collection on seminal characteristics were studied in the domestic cat. A Latin square design was used to determine the effects of voltage (1, 2, 4, or 6 V) on seminal characteristics of electroejaculates for 8 cats (experiment 1). There was a significant effect of cat on the total volume ( P < 0.005), number of spermatozoa ( P < 0.05), pH ( P < 0.05), and osmolality ( P < 0.025). There was an effect of week for the pH ( P < 0.05) and osmolality ( P < 0.005) of semen. Voltage of stimulation affected the total volume ( P < 0.005), total number of spermatozoa ( P < 0.025), and osmolality ( P < 0.005) of semen. There were trends (P < 0.1) for an effect of cat and an effect of voltage on spermatozoal motility. Urine contamination was not observed in any of the electroejaculates. A 2, 2 × 2 Latin square design was used in experiment 2 to determine the effect of method of collection (artificial vagina or electroejaculation) on seminal characteristics for 4 cats. Electroejaculation was performed, using the 6-V electrical stimulus selected from experiment 1. There was a significant ( P < 0.025) effect of cat on the motility of the spermatozoa in the viability preparation and a trend ( P < 0.1) for an effect of cat on spermatozoal viability. Seminal samples, obtained using an artificial vagina, had a significantly ( P < 0.005) lower volume and pH, and tended ( P = 0.065) to have more spermatozoa as compared with that in semen collected by electroejaculation. The percentage of viable spermatozoa, unstained by eosin B, was positively correlated with spermatozoal motility in the motility preparation ( r = 0.91, P < 0.001) and with spermatozoal motility within the viability preparation ( r = 0.83, P < 0.001). Voltage of stimulation influences the characteristics of electroejaculates from the domestic cat. For 4 of the 6 seminal characteristics that were analyzed, the 6-V electrical stimulus produced a seminal sample that was comparable with that obtained, using an artificial vagina.