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AIBU?

to let my cat have a litter of kittens?

166 replies

StartRight · 12/02/2013 13:43

I am hoping for lots of YABU.

We have a 6 month old cat we bought from the local rescue centre. My children (and dh bizarrely) all want to let her have one litter of kittens before we get her neutered.
Even my mum when I ran it past her said it would be a 'wonderful experience' for the children.
We would give the kittens away to friends or the local pet shop.

I don't think it is a good idea. Aside from the obvious problem of too many unwanted cats in the world, I don't want the house overrun with cats and cat litter etc.

I feel like I am being mean, so am wavering hence this thread.

OP posts:
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Softlysoftly · 12/02/2013 13:45

They ABU say no

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Latara · 12/02/2013 13:46

YABU as there are too many unwanted cats in animal shelters.

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seeker · 12/02/2013 13:46

NO.

Get her spayed now. You are absolutely right.

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bonzo77 · 12/02/2013 13:47

YABU. Ridiculous idea. You knew that. Our cats never had kittens when we were kids. Did not miss out at all. When I was a teenager a friend's cat had kittens. I remember thinking how irresponsible it was.

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Marrow · 12/02/2013 13:49

Yes, YABU or rather they ABU. You did a great thing getting a rescue cat but please don't add to the problem by breeding your cat. You normally have to sign an agreement with rescue centres that you will get the animal neutered and not breed from it.

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Floralnomad · 12/02/2013 13:49

YABU unless you personally are going to keep all the kittens for their entire lives . As you got her from a rescue I would imagine that you signed something to say you would have her neutered ASAP. There are just too many cats looking for homes without feckless people breeding more , just for the experience.

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peeriebear · 12/02/2013 13:52

Nononononooooooooo. So many cats and kittens in rescues precisely because of this sort of thinking (from your family). My cat was neutered as soon as she was old enough and the thought of letting her have a litter first is kerrazy. YANBU, your family is BVU.

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Kewcumber · 12/02/2013 13:52

So if one litter before being neutered then they (well DH I suppose) are proposing that a barely adolescent cat goes through a pregnancy just so your children can say "Awwww" then you're going to take people away from rescue centres in order to get rid of 2-6 kittens that you don;t actually want.

Your Dh is being outrageously unreasonable.

In fact I'm surprised the local rescue didn't insist you had them neutered as part of the deal. I'm sure they would be horrified.

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TheCatIsEatingIt · 12/02/2013 13:53

Do pet shops buy kittens from randoms ordinary people rather than breeders?

YABU. You already know why; all the reasons in your OP. Get her spayed.

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StartRight · 12/02/2013 13:53

Thank you, fantastic responses.

I am ringing the vet today to make an appointment.

I did fill in a form at the shelter asking my opinion on lots of aspects of owning a cat (before we could even view the cats) but don't remember signing anything official. That is beside the point now anyway.
My resolve has been hardened.

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scrumpkin · 12/02/2013 13:54

Pet shop Shock

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valiumredhead · 12/02/2013 13:55

We did but only because we had owners lined up for each kitten.

Get her spayed, a house full of kittens can be really hard work.

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StuntGirl · 12/02/2013 13:55

They are being ridiculously unreasonable and irresponsible. You already got your cat from a rescue, why add 6 or so more to the numbers of animals they can barely look after as it is?

Get her neutered NOW. It's part of being a responsible pet owner, which is far more wonderful an experience than any litter of kittens.

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Dancergirl · 12/02/2013 13:55

Are most cats neutered as a matter of course? We have a CP cat who was of course neutered but I've never really thought about it before. How do they manage to maintain the population if most are neutered?

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PurpleRayne · 12/02/2013 13:55

You will probably find that the contract you signed with the rescue centre explicitly requires you to have the kitten neutered when old enough. So there's your get-out clause for the children.

I'm amazed that there are still any pet shops that take kittens (are you in the UK?)

You are not being mean to have your kitten neutered. It would however, be selfish, and cruel, to allow yourself to be pushed into an irresponsible decision not to have it neutered.

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StartRight · 12/02/2013 13:56

Why 'pet shop Shock?

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CelticPromise · 12/02/2013 13:56

They ABU.

We've just adopted a stray cat about seven or eight months old, she's being spayed today. She had been out and about before we got her, but the vet's advice was that even if she was in early pregnancy they would go ahead and spay because being young and small it would be risky for her to have kittens, and they would add to the unwanted cat problem.

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CartedOff · 12/02/2013 13:56

It would be extremely unreasonable. Deciding that the cat has to get pregnant and have kittens just for your family's temporary amusement isn't fair on it or the kittens that may very well end up without a home, or homed and then kicked out at a later point when people get sick of them (kittens are stressful, destructive and a pain in the ass, despite how cute they appear).

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lollilou · 12/02/2013 13:57

They abu. My sisters young cat had a litter and she could not look after them at all, all I want to say is that they did not survive. Let alone the amount of cats and kittens in animal shelters already.

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StuntGirl · 12/02/2013 13:58

I'm actually astounded that the rescue centre didn't have her neutered anyway. We're looking into getting a rescue dog and every single one of them comes neutered, to stop precisely this situation.

If I were you I'd book the appointment and do it without even telling your family beforehand. Someone needs to put this animal first for once in it's life, let that person be you.

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CelticPromise · 12/02/2013 14:00

Dancer there are plenty of cats out there maintaining the population! My new one is one of three kittens born to a stray mum, thankfully mum has now been adopted and will hopefully be spayed but plenty aren't, and they have litter after litter.

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Fairylea · 12/02/2013 14:00

No no no. Sorry but no.

You are right.

There are too many unwanted cats in this world.

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RandallPinkFloyd · 12/02/2013 14:00

Please have her neutered.

If your family really don't understand why then try and explain the bigger picture to them.

You let your cat have, say, 5 kittens.

In 6 months time those 5 kittens are allowed to have 5 kittens each.

6 months later those 25 cats are allowed 5 kittens each.

6 months later those 125 cats have 5 kittens each.

That's 635 kittens in a year and a half.

And that's presuming each kitten gets a responsible (by your family's standards) owner who only breeds from each cat once.

You've been to a rescue centre. Why would you purposely add to it?

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Theicingontop · 12/02/2013 14:03

You could take the children to see a local cat shelter to help them understand where you're coming from, depending on how old they are.

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Midori1999 · 12/02/2013 14:03

YWBVU.

For a start, you don't 'buy' a cat from a rescue centre (at least, not in the UK) and a rescue centre would be furious if you bred from a cat you got from them, you might even be breaking your contract with them and in most cases the cat remains the property of the rescue centre.

Then there is the fact that there are thousands of cats in rescue, without homes and being put to sleep due to lack of homes. Giving kittens away to friends or to pet shops who won't give a shiny shit where they sell them to and shouldn't even be allowed to sell animals, IMO, is not a thoughtful way to rehome them.

As for it being a 'wonderful' experience for your children, it might be if it all goes well, but if your cat dies of pyometra (serious womb infection which un neutered cats are very prone to) before she even gets pregnant, or if all the kittens die or get sick or if she dies during the pregnancy do birth, it won't be so wonderful, will it?

Please don't do this, it is thoughtless and potentially cruel. Please get your kitten neutered before she goes outside, she is far too young to have kittens.

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