Feeling guilty for getting my cat neutered

[Sammy900]

Hey

Just wondering what other peoples views are and if I'm overthinking it or being unreasonable? I just want different opinions, experiences really so I can weigh up both sides....

Today our handsome boy cat went to the vets and was neutered and I've never felt so ethically uneasy and awful about making a decision for a pet. I feel like I've taken away his right to reproduce :(

Everyone keeps telling me it's for the best, he will be less likely to get into fights and be exposed to other illnesses from that, he won't spray around the house. We have two cats a boy and girl and they are brother and sister so it would be a whole load of wrongness later on ....

I just feel so uncomfortable about it, so much that I don't want anymore male pets now that I have to face this decision for. I love my pets and I suppose in some ways, further down the line of the argument it's unfair/restrictive to prevent anything from living a wild and free life.

I guess what I'm seeking is to weigh it all up and get my thoughts in the right frame and hopefully come to the conclusion that it WAS the best decision....any thoughts or experiences of a similar vein ? un-neutered pets that were a nightmare?

What does everyone else think?

I have four female cats at the moment who are all neutered. It didn't cross my mind for them not to be. All four were bred by people with your attitude. 2 of them were abandoned in a box as their mum had a huge litter and the person couldn't find homes for them all. I've also spent the last 25 years taking in stray cats, and have nursed many back from starvation and from the effects of abuse. All those strays were regular, non pedigree cats. If you breed from your cat, OP, you cannot control what happens to them once you have found new homes for them. Are you prepared for if your cat has a litter of 10? What would you do if you struggled to get anyone to take them? Keep them all? Give them to already struggling charities?

Their is a huge problem in this country with people breeding animals to the point where rescue centres are full with the aftermath. The streets around here are also full of stray cats, a few of us feed and keep an eye out for them. Honestly, OP, another litter will just be adding to this problem, because it's not just one litter. That litter may go on to have a litter, and the next one and the problems of abandoned and abuse animals multiplies.

Please get your girl done too.

If you were to allow her to have kittens, admit it would be for you, not her.

Exposing her to the risks others have mentioned and taking her babies away is far worse than getting her done. As her owner you can protect her from all that.

There are to many unwanted kittens in the world already.

Just out of curiosity are you a vegan? If not, there are perhaps other areas of your life you could look at if you are concerned about animal rights.

StrapOnSallyChasedMeDownTheAli

Thank you. To be honest this might be the argument against that sways me the most...

It's a wonder that anyone has a pet cat/kitten or any animal at all at all on here considering how cruel people feel the process is

If you think that cats should be left to nature to take its course then why keep them as pets? And why only one litter then neuter?Just turn them out onto the street and let nature take its course.As soon as a human takes on a pet animal, nature stops taking its course. If you can't grasp that then maybe you shouldn't have pets?

@Sammy900

StrapOnSallyChasedMeDownTheAli

Thank you. To be honest this might be the argument against that sways me the most...

It's a wonder that anyone has a pet cat/kitten or any animal at all at all on here considering how cruel people feel the process is

I don't feel that the process in NECESSARILY cruel but it certainly can be.

I take it those saying that it's immeasurably cruel to take kittens away from their mothers have never had a baby pet ...by those standards

There is an age at when all animals will start detaching themselves from their mothers, which I don't think is an issue when rehoming etc but there are many owners out there who have not a clue. A friend of mine couldn't understand why I was horrified after showing me her new kitten....who was 4 weeks old. I'm afraid my opinions of her have now changed, I wouldn't have that she could be so irresponsible, never mind the idiot that bred the poor thing.

*have thought that

@Sammy900

StrapOnSallyChasedMeDownTheAli

Thank you. To be honest this might be the argument against that sways me the most...

It's a wonder that anyone has a pet cat/kitten or any animal at all at all on here considering how cruel people feel the process is

That's why lots of us only have rescue cats.

We take the cats that are the result of twatty and irresponsible owners not taking responsibility.

While there are still cats in rescue centres there is no good reason to breed or buy cats/kittens privately.

@Sammy900

I take it those saying that it's immeasurably cruel to take kittens away from their mothers have never had a baby pet ...by those standards

All mine were kittens when I got them. They were all street cats. They would've been dead at least 6 years ago if I hadn't rescued them. I've never bought a kitten, or any other animal. I saved 6 lives, literally. AND GOT THEM ALL NEUTERED so the pattern wouldn't be repeated.

My boy was a stray for 4 years. The RSPCA picked him up with an infected bite from fighting and he would have died without their assistance.

They neutered him and he spent 4 months looking for a new home, struggling as he has FIV from the bite wound.

He’s lived with us for 6 months now and spends 3 hours each night sleeping on our laps, sleeps on our bed at night and sleeps on my partner’s desk during the day. We play with him for about an hour each day as he can’t go outside due to his FIV. He is always warm, fed and never goes out in the rain (which he hates!). He has a far better life now than he did fighting on the streets fathering numerous litters of kittens who may not have survived with too young mothers!

Agree with everything you've said @Brusca

And, unfortunately, there just isn't enough people who want cats/ dogs/ other animals, compared with the number of people breeding them. We won't suffer if we don't have pets but we see time and time again the amount of animals who are suffering due to abandonment, neglect, ignorance of their needs.

Animals fight and their mating behaviour can be dangerous and painful/traumatic....but is it my right to change that if I believe it to be wrong and play god ? - that to me is like saying.... nope they shouldn't ever procreate because I think it's going to be painful...again transferring human experiences about what is right or wrong onto animals

Women are designed to have children. We are animals just like cats.
Do you believe (like many people do) that young girls should be forced into sex and having children just because it’s ‘natural’?

You know that animal mating can be painful/traumatic.
You have a way to stop that pain/trauma.
Yet you’re questioning whether you should or not - I honestly can’t comprehend how someone who supposedly loves their pet would want them to go through, by their own admission, pain/trauma when it can be so easily avoided.

Also, if you have any concerns over the procedure for female cats. It's a relatively minor operation, I got mines back the same day with no complications.

It's perhaps worth you contacting the vet who did your Male and ask for their advice as if you do go ahead with any breeding your cat will need their care throughout, and the kittens afterwards. You need to factor in what would happen medically and financially if it all went wrong. Is your cats insured? Some policies don't cover for pregnancy. What if your cat needed an emergency c section? Can you afford the £000 bill and ongoing care costs?

@CounsellorTroi

My DB and SIL have never had their lab done, I think they were terrified of him getting fat. He’s 7 now and admittedly still slim and fit. He doesn’t seem to go around trying to hump humans but is a bit over boisterous and familiar with other dogs.

OP thanks for getting your cat done. We have so many cats shitting in our garden.

Dogs are really different to cats, for one thing dogs aren't allowed to free roam! With dogs there can also be issues with behaviour changes that can be related to castration.

It's much easier to ensure your dog doesn't wander about impregnating other dog's unlike a cat who is out and about.

That said I do think bitches should be speyed to reduce the risk of accidental litters and reduce the risk of associated health problems.

Male dogs it can be a bit more complicated due to the risk of increasing nervousness with castration.

Nice to hear happy endings for your rescue cats/kittens - thanks for sharing

I wouldn't ever want to be adding to the problem of neglected/abandoned abused cats or cruelly forcing a mother cat to part from her babies before they are old enough, ready and would provide the best care that I can....what happens in my house can be somewhat under my control and I could help by enforcing limitations...

What I can't do though is ensure that other people can provide the same care...and it's not just one litter its all the others that come from other people....I can't control that no...but then neither can people who formally breed pets - they don't know fully that they are going to all be going to good homes...what if they are just used to breed and breed and make money and have an awful time :(

Where does the responsibility lie there

WonderfulYou

Your wording is really strange...I wouldn't be "forcing" my cat (by not intervening I would be enabling her to do what comes naturally to her)....I think maybe you mean formal breeders?....

My question/dilemma is should I intervene and prevent my cat from going on to naturally develop a drive to reproduce (if enabled to she will want to go out and mate due to her natural cat urge to do so of her own accord - nothing to do with me)...and then eventually to have kittens. Or should I actively intervene and "force" her not to have that life option

Unfortunately some 'breeders' do just that. But there are plenty out there who have good, knowledgeable homes for the offspring before the parents have been introduced to each other. The responsibility is of every single pet owner to do the right thing. If you can't guarantee finding a good home for a litter, or can't afford to be lumbered with them because no one wants them, then the right thing to do is to get them neutered.

She went know the difference. Her life won't be any less fulfilling without having a litter. My oldest is 18Y.O and has had a very full and spoilt life for all of those years, having been neutered at 6months.

There’s no way I would allow any pet of mine to reproduce. When a friend first found my cat she was living a natural life, outside, fending for herself and pregnant at about 9 months old. She’d obviously been in a recent fight. She took every opportunity to run into my friend’s house and cozy up to him.

The day I moved her into my house she ran all over the house, surveyed it and then went behind the couch and sleep a long, deep sleep. It was clear that she felt safe for the first time in a long while.

Fortunately she only had 2 kittens so I was able to keep them all 3. It would have been very difficult for me to adopt them out not knowing what might happen to them.

This mama cat was given a few opportunities to go outside later - I would not have truly allowed her out but wanted to see if she missed it. She stood at the door and stared, then turned her back on the outside and went back well into the house. She does not miss being out there, she knows what it’s like to live “naturally” and chooses to live in a safe warm home where she is loved instead. She took good care of her kittens but I don’t think she’d class it as a missed experience had she never had them. They are good companions now for one another, but no way I’d purposely plan on a litter.

@AssassinatedBeauty

Your cat doesn't have a right to reproduce. You have a responsibility to prevent unwanted litters of kittens being born when there are already more than enough cats in the world.

If it helps, cats are not wild animals anymore, they are domesticated and habituated to humans. Nothing about your cat's life is like a wild animal's life.

Absolutely THIS!

@Sammy900

WonderfulYou

Your wording is really strange...I wouldn't be "forcing" my cat (by not intervening I would be enabling her to do what comes naturally to her)....I think maybe you mean formal breeders?....

My question/dilemma is should I intervene and prevent my cat from going on to naturally develop a drive to reproduce (if enabled to she will want to go out and mate due to her natural cat urge to do so of her own accord - nothing to do with me)...and then eventually to have kittens. Or should I actively intervene and "force" her not to have that life option

Sorry - I thought you said in the OP your cat was male? "Handsome boy"?

StrapOnSallyChasedMeDownTheAli

...and if we were to go down that road then I would absolutely take responsibility to find the best/suitable homes, ensure vets are involved, chipped, jabbed and insurance/money to provide the appropriate care and support....none of that was ever in question - people have assumed the worst outcome, probably due to horrible experiences of their own as shared above. That's O.k I asked for different views and experiences...

It's not about whether or not we can deal with the consequences (in my house - can't speak for others if kittens went to other homes I mean) rather I'm questioning my right to intervene and prevent reproduction on an ordinarily healthy animal with nothing wrong with them - that would otherwise go on to want to do so...

NataliaSerene

Thank you for sharing your story...aaah nice that they all got to stay together she sounds like she's loving life now :)