Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To hate the excuse “she got out before we could spay her”

282 replies

Soubriquet · 07/07/2020 13:21

With cats

It’s never, “we wanted one litter” “or we thought she would make a good mum” even though these are awful excuses its always “she got out before we could spay her and we didn’t know she was pregnant”

Someone I know, her cat has just had kittens. I haven’t said anything as it’s none of my business, but I know this would be her excuse

Seriously, spay your cats! They can get pregnant from 4 months of age. That isn’t fair to what is essentially a teenaged mum. Vets will spay from 4 months. No need to let her have a season unlike dogs

Neuter your toms. They will roam for miles fighting other males if left intact. They will stalk females and yowl for them.

OP posts:
wildchild554 · 08/07/2020 23:43

@thecatneuterer and it took months before he let me stroke him or handle him without clawing me.

thecatneuterer · 08/07/2020 23:49

@wildchild554 OK, so he probably was feral then. You did well to get him tame. It certainly can be done but, even with the most experienced people it usually doesn't succeed.

wildchild554 · 08/07/2020 23:52

@thecatneuterer it was hard but was definitely worth the effort though to give him a better life :)

Jullyria · 09/07/2020 03:17

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

LizzyA123 · 09/07/2020 08:56

Alsohuman

I too would be uncomfortable aborting an almost full term cat so I understand how you feel. Hope the Mum and her offspring (if old enough) are spayed now. There are vast numbers of unwanted kittens, puppies, and adult cats, dogs etc stuck in rescue kennels all over the country in need of a good home and being paid for by charity donations. Some dog rescues are breed specific too. Surely your friends that want dogs could adopt from one of those, take pressure off the system and give an unwanted pup/dog a home. If you want a companion for your little JR would you consider adopting a friend for her rather than letting her have pups? No worries about pregnancy complications and several weeks looking after multiple cute but naughty puppies.

LizzyA123 · 09/07/2020 09:02

PotholeParadise.

My thoughts too.

Iwanttobeagranny · 09/07/2020 09:29

My sister took a young cat in over lockdown (owner was moving and couldn’t take it 🤦🏼‍♀️) Sister was assured cat had never been outside. 4 weeks later my sister now has a cat and 5 kittens!

jentinquarantino20 · 09/07/2020 11:23

I don’t agree with being reckless about it but they do still need to breed or cats would stop eventually. Same with dogs, breeding for financial greed really riles me but I agree with wanting to keep blood lines going and breeding responsibly

thecatneuterer · 09/07/2020 12:09

@jentinquarantino20

I don’t agree with being reckless about it but they do still need to breed or cats would stop eventually. Same with dogs, breeding for financial greed really riles me but I agree with wanting to keep blood lines going and breeding responsibly
No they don't. There are so many strays and ferals (more than the total of 'owned' cats), all producing kittens, that there is no hope of cats dying out any time soon. If ever we got to a situation in the UK where things were properly under control (something which has only so far been achieved by Germany), then we could start bringing in some of the millions of unwanted kittens from abroad (which Germany now do).
vanillandhoney · 09/07/2020 12:16

@jentinquarantino20

I don’t agree with being reckless about it but they do still need to breed or cats would stop eventually. Same with dogs, breeding for financial greed really riles me but I agree with wanting to keep blood lines going and breeding responsibly
But that won't happen due to the large numbers of strays. Have you been abroad to Europe - Greece, Italy, Spain - all examples of countries with a huge stray/feral cat problem. That's what would happen in the UK if charities didn't practise trap/neuter/release.

I do agree there's obviously a huge difference between people breeding certain breeds and Jane down the road letting her moggy have a litter before getting her spayed, but at the end of the day, both are contributing to the huge number of cats that end up stuck in rescue because people would rather buy one instead.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 09/07/2020 12:26

She was so obsessed with sticking her bum in the air to get shagged
or trying to escape the house

And they CALL!

My God, do they call!!!

Screaming the place down day in, day out - dreadful!

SchadenfreudePersonified · 09/07/2020 12:28

Are you not concerned about the high risk of pyometra by delaying so much?

Pyometra is a huge risk for unfettered bitches, too, not just for cats.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 09/07/2020 12:36

breeding for financial greed really riles me

It's got worse in lockdown.

I've been keeping an eye on westie puppies (because I'd love another, even though I know I can't manage another dog - I just like to look at them - don't judge me!)

Prior to lockdown, a decently bred westie pup would cost you between £900 - £1,200. I was looking online last night - £3,000!

I looked at a few other breeds - cockers (my breed) have gone from about £600 to £2,000 - £3,000.

Jack russels and patterdales - two of the cheapest breeds about - now well over £1,000. Many of them £2,000- £3,000. I couldn't believe it!

No the wonder unscrupulous people breed irresponsibly and churn out puppies litter after litter. But if idiots weren't prepared to pay it, they wouldn't have a market and it would stop.

thecatneuterer · 09/07/2020 12:36

@SchadenfreudePersonified

Are you not concerned about the high risk of pyometra by delaying so much?

Pyometra is a huge risk for unfettered bitches, too, not just for cats.

I've dealt with so many cases of pyo recently it feels like an epidemic. None of the cats were old - most around 2 or 3 years.
SchadenfreudePersonified · 09/07/2020 12:38

*unneutered, not unfettered.

Bugger you, autocorrect Angry

SchadenfreudePersonified · 09/07/2020 12:39

It's a horrible condition, too catneuterer. And it can come on so suddenly that there may not even be time to get the to a vet.

Awful.

Wolfiefan · 09/07/2020 13:00

Can cats be like dogs too and get a closed pyo so you don’t see any outward sign? Bloody awful and scary condition. Sad

KisstheTeapot14 · 09/07/2020 13:03

God. 84 thousand extra kittens predicted due to Covid.

vanillandhoney · 09/07/2020 13:04

@Wolfiefan

Can cats be like dogs too and get a closed pyo so you don’t see any outward sign? Bloody awful and scary condition. Sad
I think so, yes.

Before I knew anything about it, my old female got pyometra and the only sign was a little bit of discharge around her bits. She was eating, drinking and using her litter tray just fine, but my ex noticed it, so we took her to the vets and she had surgery the next day. Luckily she was fine but it was still really scary.

I had no idea how dangerous it was to leave a cat un-neutered - she was an indoor cat and our male was neutered so we weren't worried about pregnancy. All my cats are neutered ASAP now!

Wolfiefan · 09/07/2020 13:13

We only have girl cats right now. But they are fast as lightning and right little nightmare torties. They were spayed ASAP. Grin

vanillandhoney · 09/07/2020 14:22

@Wolfiefan

We only have girl cats right now. But they are fast as lightning and right little nightmare torties. They were spayed ASAP. Grin
Love torties!

I only have one female at the moment, plus two males. The oldest male and the female are neutered, and the male kitten is being booked in next week! No way would I ever leave a cat of either sex un-neutered again.

StCharlotte · 09/07/2020 14:31

@Alsohuman

I have a young male kitten. He'll be inside until I can get him in for neutering, whether he wants to stay inside or not!

Where did you get him? Rescues neuter all their animals, don’t they?

No. We adopted our kittens at nine weeks - obviously not neutered. Our adopted Lab (maybe 2yo?) wasn't neutered either.
Thisdressneedspockets · 09/07/2020 14:39

So I've just phoned our usual vet. They can get our cat in for a pre- op check on 11th August, after which we must make an appointment at another branch 25 minutes drive away for the actual operation. Which could be done time in September.
It's madness

PotholeParadise · 09/07/2020 15:10

@KisstheTeapot14

God. 84 thousand extra kittens predicted due to Covid.
Flipping hell.
TheNoodlesIncident · 09/07/2020 15:17

@MereDintofPandiculation

Plus if you keep one of the kittens, you then get a mother and child pairing which in my experience is really lovely. Our mother hisses and growls almost every time she sees one of her daughters.
I took in a mother and kitten pair (was originally just to be the mother but the previous owner decided she didn't want the kitten after all). Was fine while kitten was younger but when she weaned, mother decided it was time kitten left and got her own territory. There was a lot of hissing, driving kitten away, preventing kitten from using litter tray, etc. Both cats thoroughly miserable and both suffering health problems as a result. I posted on here for help and had to give up mother to CPL. It broke my heart as I loved them both equally but for their sakes, one had to be rehomed.

I was told subsequently that it was very, very common for mothers to turn on their offspring and as likely as their living happily ever after.

(Incidentally DH accidentally let out mother cat before she had been spayed, fortunately she hadn't gone far and I was able to retrieve her with no harm done. It is really hard to keep in a determined cat!)