To let my cat have kittens

[Mittens1969]

This is a more lighthearted thread than my two previous ones, but I'm fully expecting to be flamed by some posters on here, especially those who work in cat rescue centres.

I've had cats all through my life, I have 4 furry friends atm. I've finally given into temptation to let one of my cats, a 1 year old black and white female, to have one litter of kittens before having her spayed.

We used to let our cats have a couple of litters of kittens when I was growing up, and we never had any problems finding homes for them. I've never done this with cats since I've grown up, I've had a number of cats and I've always had them spayed/neutered.

But this time I couldn't resist. And I already know it won't be hard to find homes for the kittens and I intend to look after them for as long as necessary. I'll have 2 DDs who want to keep them of course.

So that's my AIBU basically. I would also be interested in suggestions from people who have done this.

Sigh.

It didn't cost any extra money? They all went to loving homes who neutered them and just happened not to go to rescue centres? They were litter trained from the womb?

Seeing seriously that isn't typical.

It is the situation in this area though, and has been for some years now. I was surprised when I found out, but there you are. Obviously, there might be loads of unwanted kittens where the OP lives, but not where I live.

Often people want kittens but there are so many gorgeous adult cats. It really upsets me. My cats were all adopted as adults. They are so loving and patient with the children.

I did actually get one of my cats from a rescue place and one kitten had turned up abandoned outside a friend's house, so I do understand about unwanted cats.

In this case, I actually do know of people wanting kittens so I know I'll be able to find homes for them. And I'll certainly be careful where they go.

I couldn't stand the thought of my cat being impregnated by a spiky penis. That noise uggh. No i think its totally unnecessary to let your cat get pregnant. I have a rescue cat. She is absolutely amazing with my 7 month old baby. When he crys she comes over and rubs her head on him to calm him.

Mittens what is stopping them going to a cat rescue centre?

Also when we had our last pregnant teenager (!) She had four kittens. All had homes at conception, none at weaning.

The cats too young for a litter, if those people want kittens tell them to go to a rescue.

I'm a bit surprised that you call yourself a cat lover. To be frank cats don't think like humans, they don't have an urge to have kittens, that's purely instinct. Even if you manage to find good homes now, how do you know that the kittens will have a secure future for life?
When the rescue centres are over run with homeless cats and kittens, very irresponsible to let your cat breed on purpose.
I have three rescue cats, one of these I rescued myself from an industrial estate, as soon as I could touch her, the first thing was down the vets to spay.
I think you are wrong, very wrong, and immuture in your thinking.

You've not offered one single reason why this would be a good idea.
Your cat doesn't want to have kittens. You'd be putting her at risk by doing this.

opheliacat

The money was absolutely negligible at this point in my life, I suppose it depends on your income.

There were three and they all went to friends who weren't planning on adopting until they met them, I had done a lot of canvassing when I realised she was pregnant. One was actually born with a condition and the owner took them to a specialist centre to get them neutered due to the risks. I understand that this part, in particular, makes me very lucky. I would have hated giving them to strangers. Knowing they are all doing well and didn't do another cat out of a home is what alleviated my guilt and made it into a positive experience.

I swear to god they all went in the litter trays from as soon as they were moving around. I read that mum may train them so maybe she did but I saw no evidence of this. From my internet research at the time it doesn't seem so anomalous. We used shoe box lids and, later, roller trays so cleaning them was much less hassle than doing the big cats trays. Of course, there were accidents but again they were so minimal as to not matter.

Also mum didn't seem to give a toss when they went. She was visibly sick of them at that point anyway.

Of course people want kittens, cute kittens will always find homes. Those kittens turn into cats though and who's to say they will still be wanted two, three years later? Seriously Gumtree is full of young cats. And who's to say the new owners will not take the same idiotic view as you and 'let' their cats reproduce ensuring the whole sorry cycle continues? Too many unwanted cats already exist.

@Mittens1969 Are you ignorant or just stupid? If you don't let your cat have kittens then these people wanting kittens can go to a rescue and get them. If you let your cat have a litter then you are adding to the number of cats needing homes.

When someone deliberately lets their cat have kittens and gives them to friends, it doesn't necessarily follow that the friends would have got a rescue cat otherwise. The kittens may not be displacing a rescue cat but may be going to homes that otherwise wouldn't be getting a cat.

For example, we intend to get a couple of guinea pigs in about 4 years. If a friend had baby guinea pigs available now then I might well change the plan and take a pair of those babies now. That doesn't mean that they are displacing the room in my life for rescue guinea pigs as I otherwise was going to wait quite a long time to get them from a rescue.

No I'm not stupid, it's why I haven't done it before. I have asked around so I know there will be homes for them. And then I will have her spayed.

I also think it will be fun for the DDs and a learning experience.

But I know this will not be seen as a good reason on mumsnet. But no, I'm certainly not ignorant or stupid.

Asking around for homes doesn't confirm they will all fall into place, people change their minds. If you want fun or a learning experience foster some kittens, you come across as ignorant seeing as your cat isn't fully grown and yet you want it to become pregnant.

If she dies or rejects the kittens are you prepared to step in with the regular feedings and helping the kittens with bowel movements?

QuackDuckQuack, that's exactly right. I wouldn't take on an adult cat from a rescue centre myself, much as I wanted to when I was child free. My rescue cat couldn't cope with children and she developed a stress related illness which she never recovered from. I had to have her put to sleep at 13 years old, which was devastating.

She had other health problems, which would have meant she would have been on medication for the rest of her life, and the stress wasn't going to go away; and the vet didn't think she could be rehomed successfully.

So 3 of my cats now are kittens from a friend's house. At least they are used to children.

SlothMama, yes I would be. I'm a SAHM, so I could do that. I would need advice on how to do it, but it would be something I would willingly do.

Sorry but you're a fucking idiot.

Don't let your cat get pregnant. Don't let her have kittens. There's enough cats in the world.

And I say that as someone who has just been through the experience. I didn't want my cat to have kittens. They're here now and I love them but it's not something I would have deliberately done.

Hell even the rabbit is spayed here!

I also think it will be fun for the DDs and a learning experience.

Will it still be fun if some/all of the kittens die? Or the mum? Or both?

If you do go ahead and have people clamouring for the kittens will you keep them until they're old enough to be neutered themselves before letting them go or just trust that the people taking them won't decide it would be a lovely, fun experience to let them breed once? A few years down the line how many descendants from your one litter will be strays or being PTS in rescues because they can't find homes?

Just because you can find homes for these specific kittens does not mean you are doing no harm. Every kitten you deliberately allow to be conceived will go to a home that might otherwise have adopted from a rescue centre. Even allowing that some people will happily taken in a kitten from a home like yours but wouldn't go to a rescue centre, that is still quite a lot of unadopted cats who fail to find a home directly because of your decision. Just because you don't know which cats you have harmed does not mean you didn't harm them.

But no, I'm certainly not ignorant or stupid.

But yes, yes you fucking are.

@Mittens1969 You've said you wouldn't take on an adult cat from a rescue but have taken on 3 kittens from a friend. Isn't this an argument to show that if people didn't just give kittens away then idiots wouldn't have them?

CrazyCatGal, no they weren't from the same litter. I took on the 2 younger ones because a friend of theirs had pulled out. Yes I know that proves the point. Having 4 cats wasn't actually planned tbh.