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.

If you're having some sort of weird feline maternal desire (because this is your urge not your cat's) why not foster a pregnant mum from rescue. You'll get the kitten experience and be doing a good deed instead of contributing to the problem.

Thank you all for the advice. I am going to call the vet this morning about my cat.

The idea of fostering a pregnant cat sounds like a good one. I don't know how a new cat would cope with my 2 DDs though.

I think the suggestion of fostering is an excellent idea for you OP. It'll help sort out those urges as well as do a good thing.

Just gets yours neutered asap.

Kittens are amazing (as are cats) but if you saw the harm you'd cause to them over the next 20 years you wouldn't do it.

They won't all have wonderful happy lives and YOU would be responsible for that for bringing them into the world when you don't have to.

Out of a litter of 6 you'd be lucky if one would survive to 15 years at the rate people mistreat animals. Getting rid of them when they're ill or their priorities change, moving to a busy road and failing to keep them in, not treating their illnesses as it's 'too expensive'.

I had my dog spayed yesterday. I didn't want to do it even though I had to as it's the right thing to do. The idea that someone might not love the puppies as much as I love her doesn't bear thinking about. There are so
many tales of domestic abuse on Mumsnet where the dog or cat is harmed by an abusive spouse to hurt their wife or children.

All animals deserve to be loved and looked after and prioritised by their owners. We can't guarantee that if we give them away.

Please don't do it

The children languishing in a care centre is something of a myth

I disagree with that Opheliacat.
Children are still housed in care-homes unless they can be placed with foster carers.
I've seen kids getting bounced between care home and foster carers and back again.

I do agree with you with regards to the lack of suitable foster carers.
Having younger children is not necessarily a disadvantage, it all depends on the needs of the foster child.

Adopters -
I disagree with this There are in fact more adopters than children needing to be adopted
I think it's more the case that adopters want babies or young children and will hold out for that.
The older ones, the teens, the ones with disabilities/learning needs or 'difficult' ones are the least popular.
They're the ones who end up in residential homes or longterm foster care and are taken off the adoption register.
I think it's more a manipulation of the statistics than an actual fact that there are not enough children needing adopting.

Anyway, we digress!
Cats!
Whoever said upthread that cats don't care about who they mate with - well you've not met my Momma cat

Whilst I agree with getting cats from rescue centres and getting them neutered/spayed (as I have always done), what would happen if everyone did this? Wouldn't that mean that eventually, there would be no cats left in the UK?
Genuine question, I'm not being goady.

hoolies

No MsHoolies, there would still be plenty of cats - feral colonies, breeders etc.

Well, yes MsHoolies if everyone got their cats neutered (and dogs etc) there would be virtually none left within about 20 years.

But I think it is the case that it's the sort of thing that will never happen and we'll probably never get to the stage of a shortage of unwanted kittens because of deliberate breeders and feral/semi feral populations, ie its never going to be something that 'everyone' does.

There's likely to be enough domestic and feral breeding to maintain the population.

It's like saying it's not in the likes of Slimming World or Weightwatchers interests to have people successully lose weight permanently, because they'd eventually run out of customers. The efforts they make are massively swamped by outside influences interested in getting people to over eat (fast food companies, supermarkets, restaurants and takeaways etc).

Ok, fair enough. Like I said all of the many cats I've had have come from rescue centres (or adopted us) and have all been 'done' ASAP. I was just wondering.

If people are wanting kittens over rescue cats then I imagine these may not be long term homes for them. I know someone who has bought 3 kittens in the last 7 years, they don't have any cats now....

Of course anyone can find a home for a kitten but no one can find a home for a cat.

Don't do it.

I honestly wish people like Heebie and the OP could've spent a few months with me when I was rescuing/tnr-ing/fostering/rehoming in the ME. It's emotionally scarred me. There are sights and incidents that I will never forget unfortunately.

This sort of thing really boils my piss 😡

STOP giving animals human emotions.

Your cat doesn't NEED a litter and neither do you. Your being completely selfish for your own gain.

Not only should you spend a day in a rescue centre where these 'much loved' cats end up because circumstances change or they have to move to a house which doesn't allow cats, or the cat doesn't like the new baby and is getting stressed, but maybe spend a day with a vet who has to put these beautiful, healthy animals to sleep because of attitudes like yours, maybe then you would think twice about it! 😡

Hmm. YABU but it's FAR more damaging to the planet to have a HUMAN BABY but we encourage that all the time. I'd rather somone had more cats and kittens than another child, frankly. We've lost perspective!

Ok, I've phoned the vet. The thing is, there were a lot of tom cats around a few days ago which is why I was thinking about it. I genuinely thought it wouldn't happen until next year because she'd been on heat but last time my 3 year old tom patrolled the garden and no other cats got in. And my cat didn't go out, apart from managing to get in the garden. And I checked with the vet, she wasn't pregnant.

This heat took me by surprise, and the garden was like Piccadilly Circus for a couple of days. I saw her with a tom but I don't know if she mated. But there are no toms now.

So on their advice I've booked her in to be spayed, but for 3 weeks time. They'll be able to tell whether she's pregnant then, and if she isn't they'll go ahead. Apparently she'll have to have the kittens if she is pregnant. In which case I'll do what I was planning to do, but with lots of advice.

Thank you for your advice, even from those who have used strong language; I know it's because you care about cats.

Oh dear. I have always had male cats, except for one female, and she had one litter before i had her spayed. I don't know, I actually felt it was cruel not to let her have the experience of being a mother, but perhaps I was projecting? I also felt it was cruel to have all the male cats spayed so they never had the chance to mate. I totally get that there are far too many cats in the world, but it also seems unnatural to deny them experiences they would naturally have had. On the other hand, i think it's easy to humanise animals.
i am very disapproving of seeing kittens ads however. I always think 'why did that irresponsible person not have their cat spayed?'. I understand where you are coming from, but probably it's best just to have your cat spayed.

I should add that caring for that litter of kittens was very hard work. Far harder than I would have imagined. I found them all good homes, but it isn't a cake walk. My mother used to let our cat have kittens and then have them all put down when I was child without even trying to find homes for them. So so cruel. I can never forgive her for that.

Will the vet not gravid spay OP? Why is there a 3 week wait? Can you not find another vet that can do it sooner?

Erm, the vet has advised you wrongly. And she doesn't "have" to have the kittens if she is pregnant.

As cute as kittens are the vet can do a spay abort. Personally, I would try another vet or contact your local Cats Protection who may know a vet who will do this.

YABVVVU

It doesn't matter that you've found homes for them to go to...what about the cats that already exist that could go to those homes?

We have a lot of kittens in our branch of Cats Protection at the moment...any kittens irresponsibly bred mean less homes available for cats who are already alive and living unwanted in pens.

...what you're teaching your DDs in this 'learning experience' is that you put your own desire to fawn over some kittens above being a responsible and socially conscious adult. Is that really what you want to teach them?

If you want to raise kittens foster a pregnant cat...we did this last year via Cats Protection.

@Mittens1969 So you were planning to get her caught by one of the local Toms? Do you not realise that these cats could be carrying FIV or a number of diseases?

@HeebieJeebies456

So let me get this right...your argument is that if humans who are unsuitable to be parents get to breed then this means animals should get to breed.

How is that in any way a logical argument?

Cats don't 'need' to have kittens!
rescues are packed to the brim!
We've had a houseful of peoples unwanted animals, my mil has 5 cats! All strays!
I hope she isn't pregnant, the world does not need more cats.
If people want a cat they can go adopt one.

Find another vet.

Also please bear in mind that kittens don't always get great homes just like adult cats. I have 4 rescues, 2 which I got when they were kittens.

One was taken onto a bus with the rest of her litter and dumped on there at around 6 weeks old.

My other cat was kicked out onto the street by a family at around 3-4 months old when they had become fed up of her.