Research overview: sperm cryopreservation in felids

Freezing and storing sperm is the most established form of felid biobanking, enabling the preservation and transport of male genetics. This overview surveys methods for cryopreserving cat sperm, including the cryoprotectants, cooling protocols, and packaging used, and the proportion of sperm that survive freezing and thawing. It reviews species and individual variation in cryosurvival, the special challenges posed by teratospermic species such as the cheetah, and ongoing optimization of protocols. The review connects sperm freezing to artificial insemination and genome banking. Understanding sperm cryopreservation is central to felid reproductive technology, since banked sperm provide a durable, transportable source of genetics for assisted reproduction and the management of population-wide diversity.