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

[Soubriquet]

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.

Partly I feel like any animal should get the chance at being a mother. Its what nature had in mind and is a key drive for all creatures

A cat can have 3 litters a year.

A dog can have 2.

They don't go through menopause - this goes on all of their lives.

Nature doesn't always know best.

A cat I had years ago, we rescued her from a family that were basically going to dump her when they moved. Was a neighbour of my sisters.

We were assured she had been spayed. We booked to get her checked out at the vets later that week so didnt worry too much.

She hadnt been spayed. We are not sure to this day how she got out, doors and windows were all shut etc, but she found a way. She was on heat and got pg that first night.

What incensed me what the fact that they had lied. Why?! Kittens werent going to cost them anything if she had any! I can only think that they might have thought that we wouldnt take her if we had known she wasnt spayed. We would have, although in all honesty it would still have happened because as I say, we are still in the dark about how she got out, but at least we would have known it was a possibility.

I always think that when people say their cats and dogs want a chance to be a mother, they're just partially anthropomorphising to the extent that makes it easy to justify a litter of cute kittens/puppies.

Go the full way. What does having just one litter mean to a cat? It means having your babies taken away from you after they're ready for solids at six+ weeks for rehoming.

Personally if I had a choice between never having children or having one child to give up for adoption at six months, I'd choose no kids ever. I'm not saying that cats have the same emotional capacity as humans or that they continue to care for their kittens for the length of time humans do ours, but if you leave a mother cat to it, she doesn't kick them out at eight weeks on the dot either. Kittens gradually become more and more independent; it's a process.

So if you're going to anthropomorphise the biological instincts of animals and imply that they feel unfulfilled if they have never reproduced, go the full way and consider that being bred and never seeing your kittens again also sounds pretty unsatisfactory.

Or go the other way and acknowledge that cats and dogs don't go round thinking about their ticking biological clock and their favourite baby names and recover quickly when the young animals are rehomed after weaning.

But not this ridiculous halfway house where they instinctively want to have just one litter but don't mind the kittens/puppies disappearing. Be consistent

But not this ridiculous halfway house where they instinctively want to have just one litter but don't mind the kittens/puppies disappearing. Be consistent
Completely agree with this.

I remember feeling utterly enraged years ago hearing someone I thought I trusted telling me how she was going to breed her dogs.

Apparently the mother dog desperately wanted babies and I definitely thought at the time sure, she desperately wants babies but yet is totally fine with them disappearing never to be seen again at 8 weeks... 🤦🏻‍♀️

It’s not even that the puppies would have naturally been ejected either left to their own devices, dogs are social pack animals, the pups naturally may well have stayed with their mum!

And even cats aren’t entirely solitary, feral cats often form colonies including generations of female kittens.

Totally agree OP I’ve never found it difficult to keep cats indoors either.

It’s funny the difference in vets up and down the country. My two kittens were spayed and neutered at 4 months as they were brother and sister. Single tom was 5 months. All 3 from a local rescue that is swamped with kittens and abandoned cats. First twos mum was dumped by a farm heavily pregnant, my boys mum was feral living in a garden.

I have a 8mo Tom who's appointment was cancelled because of lockdown. He's had 4 serious injuries because of other feral Toms in this time. Vet happily takes cash for the injuries and repairs but neutering is not essential.....

I took my cat to be spayed and the vet told me afterwards she was pregnant and the kittens were close to being born. He left them on the side until they died I still feel awful about that and it was about 9 years ago.

@ToBBQorNotToBBQ

I took my cat to be spayed and the vet told me afterwards she was pregnant and the kittens were close to being born. He left them on the side until they died I still feel awful about that and it was about 9 years ago.

That feels wrong. I can see his logic, you wanted her spayed so no kittens and he made sure she didnt have any but I would have let her have the kittens and had her spayed afterwards. BUt in all honesty, I cant explain why......

My cat had a couple litters before we had her spayed. Mainly because I wanted my children to experience seeing the way baby animals grow - my dd was really into animals and caring for them, she now has a career with animals and this kind of experience was motivating for her.

Kittens all found nice homes but we’d have kept them otherwise. Mum cat is now 9yrs old!

My kitten was due to be spayed the week lockdown started. All "non essential" operations were cancelled at my vets practice. I know I could try and find a vet that will do it, but I've used the same vet for years for other pets and pay a monthly fee for flea/worming, vaccinations and vet approved food.

In the last 3 months she's gotten out twice, once because my DH opened a window too wide and once when I'd opened the door to put the bins out and she snuck past me. Luckily she's a flipping wimp and was mewing to be let in within a minute both times.

I have zero patience with people who do not get their dogs or cats neutered. As PP have said already if you can’t afford to have it done then you can’t afford the pet.

But not this ridiculous halfway house where they instinctively want to have just one litter but don't mind the kittens/puppies disappearing. Be consistent

Quite!

In fact IME it's the opposite.

I don't know about cats - all of my cats have been neutered as soon as the vet would do them, but in dogs it seems to bring out the mothering instinct in a bitch. One that has had a litter is more inclined to develop false pregnancies or "adopt" other animal babies, even if subsequently neutered. (My dad had working border collies and occasionally bred.)

@5plus3

I have a 8mo Tom who's appointment was cancelled because of lockdown. He's had 4 serious injuries because of other feral Toms in this time. Vet happily takes cash for the injuries and repairs but neutering is not essential.....

He's only getting because you're letting him out, presumably? Otherwise how else are feral toms getting anywhere near him?

If he hasn't been neutered he needs to be kept inside!

I can see his logic, you wanted her spayed so no kittens and he made sure she didnt have any but I would have let her have the kittens and had her spayed afterwards. BUt in all honesty, I cant explain why

I would have let them be born, too, if it was close to their birth time. Poor mother cat - full of "I'm going to have babies" hormones, and then suddenly that instinct (because it all have kicked in by then) frustrated.

Not impressed with a vet thaatcouldn't detect a cats heavily pregnant either.

My cat had a couple litters before we had her spayed. Mainly because I wanted my children to experience seeing the way baby animals grow

Oh - here it is - the "wonders of birth" excuse. Sorry - but it's absolute rubbish and totally self-indulgent! Your child likes animals so you put your cat through pregnancy and birth and parting with her babies soyour DD can watch them grow up.

So she's got a career with animals now - so what? She might have done that anyway, or found an equally fulfilling career in another field. I always consider this one of the worst excuses for breeding that anyone can come up with.

@ToBBQorNotToBBQ

I took my cat to be spayed and the vet told me afterwards she was pregnant and the kittens were close to being born. He left them on the side until they died I still feel awful about that and it was about 9 years ago.

That to me is a bit much.

I know of dogs who had abortions but the pups were in early foetal stage so it wasn’t so bad

Almost fully form babies ready for delivery, I would have let them be born.

However, if I knew my cat/dog had gotten out and had a bit of fun, I would seek the mismate jab which is like the morning after pill

Left them on the side? That breaks my heart :( could he not have kindly PTS rather than let them for of (thirst?)

I understand euthanising them but to just let them die slowly?

In theory I agree with you but not the time for that position. Our vet shut it’s doors for lockdown so couldn’t get her spayed. When we discovered she was escaping we rang and begged them to book her in but they said emergency only. Turns out that meant once she was pregnant. And I couldn’t bring myself to do that. So looks like we will be having a very unwanted litter soon.

My cat has had an accidental litter, a tom cat came in through the dog flap and I woke up to them at it under the bed

I was waiting for her to have a season before I had her done, my previous cat was an utter hussy so I knew when she had her season so kept her in and got her done afterwards, had no idea current cat was in season!

I kept two and the other four went to rescue friends of mine - and no I have never lived it down!

The excuses pale in significance to the figures...
Good news, vets are Open for neutering again now.

Our vet will only neuter under exceptional circumstances at the moment, so our 8 month old male remains intact for now. We will be getting him neutered as soon as it is allowed but he is currently stuck living the indoor life...poor soul.

YABU I had every intention of having mine spayed when they reached 1 year old during the warmer months, now cause of covid it looks like will be next spring as I would need to get public transport and am extremely high risk, so being very careful to keep them in however there is always the chance that they may escape before then.

We had ours booked to get done but got cancelled due to COVID-19. We have another cat that has access to come and go as she pleases, (already spayed) a dog and a young boy trying to the kitten in was just so hard with everyone coming and going in and out the back door. She has got caught (no sign of going into heat so much have been caught right at the start). Sometimes it is beyond your control!!

Oh and my husband was away overseas for 12 weeks so was trying to do it all some is impossible.

I think your being too hard. Yes I feel bad. Yes it wasn’t meant to happen. But I do t need anyone else making me feel bad for it too

We adopted a 10 week old Kitten last week. It is already neutered. No concern of unplanned kittens , or concern about getting it neutered.

@Topseyt my mum has a tom called Dolly. Also discovered when taken for spaying

in my life ive had 7 cats, 2 dogs, 6 rabbits, 4 guinea pigs, 8 hamsters, 4 mice.... (i really love pets!) all spayed or neutered and not one accidental breeding.

Although accidents do happen, a few months of being extra careful is enough to stop them getting out when they shouldnt. Especially kittens as they have zero outdoor skills so really shouldnt be out so young. Rescue centers wont rehome without being fixed - that includes puppies and kittens. If you cant afford to have them fixed then you cant really afford a pet (or get help from some where like the blue cross or rspca)

Other wise they end up like my old rescue cat - 6 months old, chucked out and on her second litter already :( because her old owners didnt bother. She would have spent her life on the streets and so would the 100s of babies she would have. My sister has taken in 4 stray toms that were causing hell in the neighbourhood beating up male cats (serious injuries like missing eyes!) screaming all night for females, loads of unwanted kittens. She's managed to round them up (usually after finding them collapsed and battered after a fight) and got them vet treatment and the snip. They have now moved in with her as they like the easy life!

Trap, neuter and release is the best for proper ferral cats as they can never be rehomed. But the best thing is to have your pets snipped - then there is no-one to make ferral populations! No males roaming, keeping the neighbours up all night, going missing for weeks, no females popping home with kittens...