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

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 less than 0.005), number of spermatozoa (P less than 0.05), pH (P less than 0.05), and osmolality (P less than 0.025). There was an effect of week for the pH (P less than 0.05) and osmolality (P less than 0.005) of semen. Voltage of stimulation affected the total volume (P less than 0.005), total number of spermatozoa (P less than 0.025), and osmolality (P less than 0.005) of semen. There were trends (P less than 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 X 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 less than 0.025) effect of cat on the motility of the spermatozoa in the viability preparation and a trend (P less than 0.1) for an effect of cat on spermatozoal viability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)