diff --git a/client/src/pages/BreedingCalendar.jsx b/client/src/pages/BreedingCalendar.jsx
index ccd33c0..e413033 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/BreedingCalendar.jsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/BreedingCalendar.jsx
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
 import { useEffect, useState, useCallback } from 'react'
 import {
   Heart, ChevronLeft, ChevronRight, Plus, X,
-  CalendarDays, FlaskConical, Baby, AlertCircle, CheckCircle2
+  CalendarDays, FlaskConical, Baby, AlertCircle, CheckCircle2, Activity
 } from 'lucide-react'
+import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
+import axios from 'axios'
 
 // ─── Date helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 const toISO = d => d.toISOString().split('T')[0]
 const addDays = (dateStr, n) => {
   const d = new Date(dateStr); d.setDate(d.getDate() + n); return toISO(d)
 }
-const fmt = str => str ? new Date(str + 'T00:00:00').toLocaleDateString('en-US', { month: 'short', day: 'numeric', year: 'numeric' }) : '—'
+const fmt = str => str ? new Date(str + 'T00:00:00').toLocaleDateString('en-US', { month: 'short', day: 'numeric', year: 'numeric' }) : '–'
 const today = toISO(new Date())
 
 // ─── Cycle window classifier ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -74,7 +76,7 @@ function StartCycleModal({ females, onClose, onSaved }) {
             <div className="form-group">
               <label className="label">Female Dog *</label>
               <select value={dogId} onChange={e => setDogId(e.target.value)} required>
-                <option value="">— Select Female —</option>
+                <option value="">– Select Female –</option>
                 {females.map(d => (
                   <option key={d.id} value={d.id}>
                     {d.name}{d.breed ? ` · ${d.breed}` : ''}
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ function StartCycleModal({ females, onClose, onSaved }) {
 }
 
 // ─── Cycle Detail Modal ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-function CycleDetailModal({ cycle, onClose, onDeleted }) {
+function CycleDetailModal({ cycle, onClose, onDeleted, onRecordLitter }) {
   const [suggestions, setSuggestions] = useState(null)
   const [breedingDate, setBreedingDate] = useState(cycle.breeding_date || '')
   const [savingBreed, setSavingBreed] = useState(false)
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ function CycleDetailModal({ cycle, onClose, onDeleted }) {
   }
 
   const whelp = suggestions?.whelping
+  const hasBreedingDate = !!(breedingDate && breedingDate === cycle.breeding_date)
 
   return (
     <div className="modal-overlay" onClick={e => e.target === e.currentTarget && onClose()}>
@@ -221,7 +224,7 @@ function CycleDetailModal({ cycle, onClose, onDeleted }) {
 
           {/* Whelping estimate */}
           {whelp && (
-            <div style={{ background: 'rgba(16,185,129,0.08)', border: '1px solid rgba(16,185,129,0.3)', borderRadius: 'var(--radius)', padding: '1rem' }}>
+            <div style={{ background: 'rgba(16,185,129,0.08)', border: '1px solid rgba(16,185,129,0.3)', borderRadius: 'var(--radius)', padding: '1rem', marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
               <h3 style={{ fontSize: '0.9375rem', marginBottom: '0.75rem', display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: '0.4rem', color: 'var(--success)' }}>
                 <Baby size={16} /> Whelping Estimate
               </h3>
@@ -235,6 +238,39 @@ function CycleDetailModal({ cycle, onClose, onDeleted }) {
               </div>
             </div>
           )}
+
+          {/* Record Litter CTA — shown when breeding date is saved */}
+          {hasBreedingDate && (
+            <div style={{
+              background: 'rgba(16,185,129,0.06)',
+              border: '1px dashed rgba(16,185,129,0.5)',
+              borderRadius: 'var(--radius)',
+              padding: '0.875rem 1rem',
+              display: 'flex',
+              alignItems: 'center',
+              justifyContent: 'space-between',
+              gap: '1rem',
+              flexWrap: 'wrap'
+            }}>
+              <div>
+                <div style={{ fontWeight: 600, fontSize: '0.9rem' }}>🐾 Ready to record the litter?</div>
+                <div style={{ fontSize: '0.8rem', color: 'var(--text-secondary)', marginTop: '0.2rem' }}>
+                  Breeding date logged on {fmt(cycle.breeding_date)}. Create a litter record to track puppies.
+                </div>
+              </div>
+              <button
+                className="btn btn-primary"
+                style={{ whiteSpace: 'nowrap', fontSize: '0.85rem' }}
+                onClick={() => {
+                  onClose()
+                  onRecordLitter(cycle)
+                }}
+              >
+                <Activity size={14} style={{ marginRight: '0.4rem' }} />
+                Record Litter
+              </button>
+            </div>
+          )}
         </div>
         <div className="modal-footer" style={{ justifyContent: 'space-between' }}>
           <button className="btn btn-danger" onClick={deleteCycle} disabled={deleting}>
@@ -265,6 +301,8 @@ export default function BreedingCalendar() {
   const [showStartModal, setShowStartModal] = useState(false)
   const [selectedCycle, setSelectedCycle] = useState(null)
   const [selectedDay, setSelectedDay] = useState(null)
+  const [pendingLitterCycle, setPendingLitterCycle] = useState(null)
+  const navigate = useNavigate()
 
   const load = useCallback(async () => {
     setLoading(true)
@@ -287,6 +325,23 @@ export default function BreedingCalendar() {
 
   useEffect(() => { load() }, [load])
 
+  // When user clicks Record Litter from cycle detail, create litter and navigate
+  const handleRecordLitter = useCallback(async (cycle) => {
+    try {
+      // We need sire_id — navigate to litters page with pre-filled dam
+      // Store cycle info in sessionStorage so LitterList can pre-fill
+      sessionStorage.setItem('prefillLitter', JSON.stringify({
+        dam_id: cycle.dog_id,
+        dam_name: cycle.dog_name,
+        breeding_date: cycle.breeding_date,
+        whelping_date: cycle.whelping_date || ''
+      }))
+      navigate('/litters')
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error(err)
+    }
+  }, [navigate])
+
   // ── Build calendar grid ──
   const firstDay = new Date(year, month, 1)
   const lastDay = new Date(year, month + 1, 0)
@@ -306,7 +361,6 @@ export default function BreedingCalendar() {
     else setMonth(m => m + 1)
   }
 
-  // Find cycles that overlap a given date
   function cyclesForDate(dateStr) {
     return cycles.filter(c => {
       const s = c.start_date
@@ -321,16 +375,12 @@ export default function BreedingCalendar() {
     if (dayCycles.length === 1) {
       setSelectedCycle(dayCycles[0])
     } else if (dayCycles.length > 1) {
-      // show first — could be upgraded to a picker
       setSelectedCycle(dayCycles[0])
     } else {
-      // Empty day click — open start modal with date pre-filled would be nice
-      // but we just open start modal; user picks date
       setShowStartModal(true)
     }
   }
 
-  // Active cycles (in current month or ongoing)
   const activeCycles = cycles.filter(c => {
     const s = c.start_date; if (!s) return false
     const end = c.end_date || addDays(s, 28)
@@ -394,7 +444,6 @@ export default function BreedingCalendar() {
               const dayCycles = dateStr ? cyclesForDate(dateStr) : []
               const isToday = dateStr === today
 
-              // Pick dominant window color for background
               let cellBg = 'transparent'
               let cellBorder = 'var(--border)'
               if (dayCycles.length > 0) {
@@ -522,6 +571,7 @@ export default function BreedingCalendar() {
           cycle={selectedCycle}
           onClose={() => setSelectedCycle(null)}
           onDeleted={() => { setSelectedCycle(null); load() }}
+          onRecordLitter={handleRecordLitter}
         />
       )}
     </div>