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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think kittens belong to mother's owner

71 replies

WalkingBlind · 16/05/2016 20:03

Without going into too much detail.... If a cat gets pregnant by a very specific (uncommon breed so noticeable) male cat while out at night (not my cat lol!) can the owners of the male cat hold any claim to the kittens if they're made aware of them?

Friend has spayed the mother now so no criticism needed but trying to help her with some dodgy neighbours and their unneutered tom.

OP posts:
stopfaffing · 16/05/2016 20:06

I would presume that if there is no agreement, then mother cat's owners own the kittens.

Mummyme1987 · 16/05/2016 20:08

Yep mothers owner owns them. Studding usually gets a fee not the kittens.

MiddleClassProblem · 16/05/2016 20:08

No unless they come to a private agreement. The kittens have the best chance to be raised with their mum for the first 8-12 weeks unless mum is not interested. Is it that they want some money for any sold? If so then they should help with the care costs prior

DartmoorDoughnut · 16/05/2016 20:09

Yanbu, if they want to make money by using him as a stud - poor sod - they should keep him in

NeedACleverNN · 16/05/2016 20:10

No the father has no claims.

The only time the owner can claim money is if they had arranged the breeding and claimed studding fee's otherwise the owner is entitled to fuck all

Mummyme1987 · 16/05/2016 20:10

If the tom is loose and unneutered and got a cat pregnant then it was a free studding service, unless some arrangement was made.

ReallyTired · 16/05/2016 20:12

Surely its like any illegitamete liason. The mother cat has parental responsiblity. Has there been any kitty DNA test to be 100% sure of the father? Maybe the owners of the tom should be paying toward's the queen cat vet bills or maintaince of the kittys. Cats are not known for monogomy so it is possible that not all the kittys have the same dad.

With rights come responsiblities. If they want their tom to have parental rights then the kitty CSA needs to chase the owners for maintaince.

Yes, I am being completely flippent.

WellErrr · 16/05/2016 20:12

No none whatsoever.

MrsTerryPratchett · 16/05/2016 20:13

Tom and Jerry Springer, ReallyTired?

Mummyme1987 · 16/05/2016 20:14

Jeremy Kyle for cats!

HermioneJeanGranger · 16/05/2016 20:14

The mother's owner owns them, unless they've been specifically bred and an agreement reached.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 16/05/2016 20:16

Yeah legally unless there's another agreement, mother cat owns them.

Also, female cats can be impregnated by more than one father per litter so there's no proof they are all his anyway.

TooShyShyHushHush · 16/05/2016 20:19

Jeez. Tom cat's owners will have your friend up on Jeremy Kityle next...

They have no claim and if I was your friend I would inform them that I'd given them away free to carefully vetted loving homes.

If they persist, she could agree and present them with vets bills for worming, de-fleaing and first sets of jabs asking her to go halves.

HermioneJeanGranger · 16/05/2016 20:19

MrsTerry Grin

Original poster
WalkingBlind · 16/05/2016 20:27

Tom cat is a huge fluffy breed (Norwegian or maine coon or something) and half the kittens look like that. There isn't any others in the area (quite rural not many houses around). Apparently they sell for more than twice what a standard kitten would so when boasted about on FB the neighbours had spotted them and wanted some of the profit or one of the kittens. My friend doesn't even want to sell them all and is more bothered about homes and getting them neutered than the money (thinking of taking one myself).

Really is kitty Jezza! Mum cat could have totally been a hussy due to the other half being short-haired or they could just take after mum. Strange question but they can't force a DNA can they?.... Some real JK stuff now haha Grin I did have a quick Google and seen them going for about £150 each rather than the usual £20-30 because people adore fluffy cats

OP posts:
sizeofalentil · 16/05/2016 20:32

Most litters have multiple fathers (cats are 'induced ovulators - so release an egg whenever they have sex, basically) so a little can have as many fathers as there are kittens! I think the average father-count is 3 or 4 per litter. So how would they even determine how much to pay the neighbours? No way to tell which kittens are his.

Also… If their Tom is unneutered chances are he's got some offspring living wild out there born to feral mothers. He might be the granddad, not the father.

I'd probably offer them a kitten as a good will gesture though if they were neighbours and wanted one out of love, rather than to breed it etc.

MsMims · 16/05/2016 20:44

I wouldn't offer them one when they're too irresponsible to get their existing cat neutered.

They shouldn't go for more than a standard kitten either, they are still just moggies without proper pedigrees, it's just some sellers get greedy and some mugs people pay it.

Original poster
WalkingBlind · 16/05/2016 20:45

I think their intention was to sell it if they didn't get any of the money Confused that's obviously an assumption but it did not seem like they were interested in offering a forever home, spoke about them like objects with a value. Plus they won't even get their own cat neutered (friend had thought her house cat would never get out and learned the hard way so wants all the kittens neutered)

OP posts:
Original poster
WalkingBlind · 16/05/2016 20:47

Xpost about neutering MsMims lol

Also going to tell her the info about different fathers and hopefully that will shut them up Grin

OP posts:
readingrainbow · 16/05/2016 20:50

Aw I bet they are gorgeous. And the neighbours can get stuffed. Grin

sepa · 16/05/2016 20:51

It will depend on the breed of the mum. Maincoon cats are expensive but that's only pure bread ones. If the mum is a moggy then they won't be worth as much!

What would be the problem with giving the neighbour one of the cats if she isn't selling them?

SaucyJack · 16/05/2016 20:53

Daddy cat soon to be seen climbing the roof of the nearest a Pets Corner dressed as superman in a Toms4Justice stunt.

AIBU to think kittens belong to mother's owner
facebookrecruit · 16/05/2016 20:54

If they wanted the kitten as a family pet id be inclined to let them have one which is likely to be sired by their Tom. But if they just want to sell it on for profit and are being grabby tell them to piss off - unless they are willing to contribute towards its upkeep for the length of time it is with its mother

Frusso · 16/05/2016 21:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
WalkingBlind · 16/05/2016 21:06

Sepa - They seem very irresponsible and it wasn't "oh we would love a kitten" it was more "If you won't give us half the profits can we have the fluffiest one, is it a girl?" (not exact quotes)

It was me that told her that sounded dodgy, like they wanted to get it for free but sell it for a high price or breed it Sad

OP posts: