to let my cat have a litter of kittens?

[StartRight]

I am hoping for lots of YABU.

We have a 6 month old cat we bought from the local rescue centre. My children (and dh bizarrely) all want to let her have one litter of kittens before we get her neutered.
Even my mum when I ran it past her said it would be a 'wonderful experience' for the children.
We would give the kittens away to friends or the local pet shop.

I don't think it is a good idea. Aside from the obvious problem of too many unwanted cats in the world, I don't want the house overrun with cats and cat litter etc.

I feel like I am being mean, so am wavering hence this thread.

[Rikalaily]

Wish my three neutered cats would stop hunting, I've had mice (inc a half eaten one) on my path and kitchen floor. A large bird finished off on my kitchen windowsill (inc blood spatter up the window). But the worst was when my neighbours rabbit had babies, they were a few months old and having a lovely time in her garden nibbling the grass... My oldest cat who was 8 at the time (neutered at 16 weeks) carried one into my kitchen and killed it big cat style by crushing it's windpipe on the floor next to the fridge while I was cooking dinner.

[pooka]

My three cats (all neutered) are veritable psychopaths when it comes to hunting.

Granted, they're not especially good at it - but they give it a good go. Frogs, birds, massive wood pigeons. They've tried and sometimes failed but sometimes succeeded.

[apostropheuse]

Amber, I can assure you that having cats neutered/spayed does NOT stop them from hunting. Unfortunately

Both my girls hunt. One is much more successful than the other. She's affectionately known as The Serial Killer.

I can't wait for summer when they start going out more.

[TwllBach]

I got my cat from Cat Action Plus - it is a nationwide charity but in reality in my little town there is a man on his own, who has turned his downstairs into a fostering site. His house stinks but he does a brilliant job - when we got out cat she came with enough food for a week, something about insurance and she was neutered as a matter of course. There was a mandatory donation of £30 to cover the cost of the operation, but I upped it to £80.

She'd been found in a bag as a tiny kitten and when I took her she was about four months old. She'd been living in a pen all that time and it took ages for her to trust putting her little footpaws on grass! It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.

Also, she is a fantastic hunter, thank you very much.

I would never buy a cat/dog. Rescue centres all the way.

Well done OP!

pointless post I know, I just wanted to put my two penn'orth in

[countrykitten]

Amber is clearly a bit challenged on the old pet welfare thing - she knows nothing at all which is alarming since she seems to have a lot of cats. What a load of rubbish she has posted.

I have 4 at the moment. One who lives outside (his choice) and who is a savage hunter but who keeps down rats in the barns and three cats who stay indoors. One is a rescue mog so traumatised that she will only use two rooms of the house upstairs and the other two are pedigree rescues - a Siamese and a Ragdoll. Even well bred 'posh' cats find themselves unwanted and unloved. ALL of these cats are neutered and they get along rather well but we have enough room that they can be by themselves if they need to be.

People who breed animals without knowing what they are doing really depress me - they should perhaps go to a vets when they are gassing tiny unwanted kittens or putting down dogs thrown out by their owners for a new puppy. It's grim.

[OverlyYappy]

Amber I bred pedigree cats for a few years, you're talking shit!

Cat pill

You can get a pill for cats to stop the heat cycles but it's not a the bloody cat pill and it is only used to prevent pyometries (SP again cannot be arsed to google) I doubt a vet would give you it for domestic cat I found it hard enough for mine and they were all registered and through the GCCF

[StuntGirl]

Kit

[kitsmummy]

Did you get loads of GSCEs Amber? It's just that you seem really smart.

[JenaiMorris]

Poor oppressed cat :(




Glad your family have seen sense, StratRight :)

[RandallPinkFloyd]

That's great to hear StartRight, it's very refreshing to see an OP start a thread and take an actual interest in the replies. Restores my faith in MN a little bit!

Good for you

[OverlyYappy]

Oh sorry decision made!

[OverlyYappy]

No no no!!

Many things can go wrong, what if mum cat needs a c-section do you have a spare £700, what if the kittens have a problem, conjunctivitis x 6 kitten = £100+ (been there), then there is the whole animals in shelters and a cat should be 1 year old or more before having a litter, she is still a baby, get her done, she could develop pyometris (SP - infection due to heat cycles) another £££££.

Best all round to have her done!

[StartRight]

Well I have told the children - they are 9, 7 and 5 and they understand they don't want our cat to be put at risk.
This thread has certainly clarified my feelings so thanks for that.
I think we might get another cat from the shelter instead, so everyone will be happy.

Very funny ideas from some people about cat contraception. Made me smile!

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

Pah! vets! What do they know about animals?

[poachedeggs]

Yeah sure Amber, you don't need a vet to give their opinion, you're quite clearly an expert what with your case study of, uh, five cats.

I totally do this for the money. Which is a salary and independent of how many cats I manage to cruelly deny a shag each week

[RandallPinkFloyd]

Well I enjoyed it Jenai

[JenaiMorris]

God that sounds like a 9yo's 'My Pet' homework

[JenaiMorris]

Ours was kept in a carrier for most of her life. One of her brothers had deformed legs as a result of being kept in those conditions. They rescued 12 cats from the one owner.

When she came to us first, she was ever so timid and hid in her basket for weeks. We introduced her to the garden though and it was such a joy to watch. We were told she was 'about three' but she reverted to kittenhood (in a good way) :)

She likes to watch birds, but hadn't caught any thankfully.

[ComposHat]

several cats in their home are also causing welfare problems. Cats are not naturally content to share territory in close confines

That makes me feel better, our cat is a house cat (not through choice, we got her from a rescue centre and she had never been outside aged 8) and I was worried she might have been lonely and was missing out from not having feline company.

She does seem a happy, if demanding (typical tortoiseshell) little thing.

[gordyslovesheep]

My boy cat brings home voles and rats - and leave them in bit on the patio - he is lovely! He doesn't spray though thank god since he was done

Amber doesn;t even answer questions so no way is anyone going to change her mind - sadly the world if full or awful negligent animal owner who know best

I have 2 cats - they both has their own hidey places and don't have to mix - they do curl up together when I am not looking though

[ComposHat]

It is not true that spayed cats stop hunting.

I can confirm this, we used to come downstairs to a regular bird/mouse autopsy as performed by our neutered female cat.

[NotADragonOfSoup]

My dog enjoys exploring his sexuality. Usually with my leg

[GetOrf]

lol at cats exploring their sexuality.

It is not true that spayed cats stop hunting. Please tell that to the collection of mice, bats and songbirds hunted down by my (spayed) cats.

[seeker]

Oh, god- there are some weirdo animal people. I know someone who thinks that animals shouldn't be guide dogs because it's degrading to enslave them. I can well believe that there are people who think that domestic animals should be allowed to explore their sexuality. Sadly.

[dobby2001]

I am a firm beleiver in neutering of both male and female domestic animals, for all the reasons that are listed here already. Celia Hammond trust have some excellent info on facebook right now as to why you should do this, will see if I can find a link