Author Topic: Two quick questions  (Read 2150 times)

Offline Fire Fox

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Re: Two quick questions
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2010, 18:54:59 PM »
 :welcome:

I can't see any way you are going to avoid one of your girls getting pregnant by their brother whilst they live under the same roof - professional breeders often have outdoor pens, but this is an expensive outlay as it's not legal unless you provide proper shelter and heating. Before that you will probably have increasing 'violence', spraying  :sick: , wailing girls in season, escape attempts. Are you certain none of your kittens are carriers of any diseases? Professional breeders will often carry out testing on their breeding stock.

Before breeding with your girls, please volunteer with a local rescue and see how many cats and kittens are up for homing and how many more the rescue has to turn away each week. In some areas healthy cats and kittens are being put to sleep as there is nowhere for them to go. :'( With the best will in the world it is impossible for you to be sure two litters of kittens will all find loving homes for the next twenty years, and I would be surprised if you can easily afford to have the lot of them vaccinated, neutered, treated for parasites and insured.

Sorry to be so blunt, I really had no idea the scale of the problem either until I joined Purrsinourhearts.  :-[ It's so bad that Belgium recently passed legislation to get ALL domestic cats that are not part of a registered breeding programme neutered!
:'( My beautiful Noah rescued 13/02/09, adopted 11/10/09, taken 11/02/11 :'( You deserved so much more.
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Offline Tan

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Re: Two quick questions
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2010, 10:15:25 AM »
Hi Danny

Great that you have asked this  ;D

Yeap i agree with the others that it's the start of sexual behaviour and will stop a little while after the lads have been "done"  :)

If with the girls you leave them unspayed and they are let out they can get preggers at a very early age (from 5-6 months) and very quickly so i def would think it would be sooner rather than when they are older that they would get pregnant.   
Just wanted to give ya a bit of info for females, so you can make a good decision for them and your family :)

Female cats - 'Shouldn't we let her have one litter?'

It is a complete myth that a female cat should be allowed to have one litter. There is no biological or psychological benefit to the cat whatsoever. If you allow your female cat to have a litter, and manage to find homes for the kittens, they have then used up homes that kittens sitting in a rescue centre could have had, which may then end up being destroyed.

Many female cats come into season, get chased far from their home by un-neutered males and end up completely lost, pregnant, and living on the streets. This is how feral cat colonies are formed. They struggle to survive, often hungry, and frequently becoming sick or injured.

Many stray, un-neutered males carry the FIV virus, and female cats are often infected if they are bitten during mating. Males often infect each other with FIV or feline leukaemia when fighting over a female.

A female cat should be neutered (spayed) at 5 - 6 months but can be neutered at any age. Neutering can be done earlier, provided the kitten is in good health, but you will need to be guided by your vet. To prevent unwanted litters, your kitten should be kept indoors until it is neutered. Even if your cat is to be kept as an 'indoor cat', it is kinder to neuter her, as she will still come into season, which is very frustrating for her and for you. Un-neuterd females are also more at risk of developing cystic ovaries and the potentially fatal pyometra.


Also here are some helpful hints and insites in to why it's so much better to have the girls Spayed too before they get preggers  :)



TOP 20 REASONS WHY TO SPAY YOUR CAT

1)You will help maintain the cat overpopulation low

Each year thousands of kittens are born. In order to understand the cat overpopulation, simply think that each unspayed cat may have up to 8 kittens 2-3 times a year. Some of these kittens will die from natural causes or accidents others will be brought to a rescue. Being so numerous unfortuantely a large percentage will end up Put to sleep.

2)Your cat will not have heat cycles again

A cat's heat cycle is not just a cycle. The hormones create major behavioral changes. If you hear a cat cry out in the middle of the night very likely it is a female in heat. Cat's in heat tend to be very vocal and clingy. They may simply drive an owner nuts. This will not occur any longer if your cat is spayed.

3)Your cat will live longer and healthier

Just the simple fact of having several litters a year may play a big role in reducing your cat's health and life expectancy.

4)No more tom cats around

Other than your cat meowing desperately looking for a mate, you will have to deal with the long line of Tom cats presenting to your door. Your female cat will not need to log on to E.Harmony to find a mate. Her cries and her urine smell are sufficient to make her the most popular gal in town.

5)No more roaming

Even female cats tend to escape when in heat and may not show up for a day or two. By spaying, your cat will be less likely to make it through the door looking for a mate.

6)Less risk of getting FIV/FELV

If your female cat goes in heat she may roam around the neighborhood and be an easier target of many serious diseases that may be caught by getting in contact with tom cats. There are various diseases that can be easily be caught by bites. Because tom cats give a "love bite" when they copulate, if the bite is given with too much passion it could transmit deadly disaeses such as FIV and FELV.

7) No venereal diseases

Even though not that common, cats may also get sexually transmitted diseases. Another good reason to spay!

8)Your cat will have a better disposition

With all the hormones out of the way, your cat will be much calmer and easier to deal with. Some cats even become sweeter and more cuddly.

9)Your cat will be less likely to hurt or get hurt by other cats

If you have ever watched the process of a cat's courtship, you will notice it is not a mellow process. Male cats will follow the female in heat and attempt to mate even with the use of force. The female cat may defend herself with teeth and claws if she is not ready. The whole process can turn out pretty ugly for both your cat and others cats fighting over for her. Not a nice sight indeed.

10)Lower chances of getting mammary cancer

Ideally, spaying before the first heat will dramatically lower the chances of getting mammary cancer. However, even spaying at a later time will contribute to lowering the chances.

11)Spaying reduces chances of tumors of the uterus and ovaries

With no more uterus and ovaries which are taken out during the spay procedure, of course the chances of getting tumors of these organs are close to none!

12)Spaying reduces the chances of infections of the uterus

Same here, with the uterus removed your cat will not be prone any longer to a dangerous life threatening uterine infection called Pyometra.

13) Spaying will save you money

Spaying is a one time surgery that will last a lifetime. It will save you money in the long run because unspayed cats are more prone to illnesses and caring for a litter may easily cost a lot more than the spay procedure itself.

14)Spaying will avoid birth complications

Birth is a natural event but the risk of complications are always there. Are you ready to take over the fiancial burden of having your cat seen on an emergency basis should a complication arise? Birth complications are not that rare and they can be fatal to both mom cat and kittens

15) No need to rehome kittens!

With rescues over full, it can turn out to be challenging finding a home for a litter of kittens. Of course, it would be terribly irresponsible to leave a boxfull of kittens in front of vet hospitals or shelters,yet it does happen quite often!

16) If your cat just mated or is in heat she can still be spayed

Ok, your cat went in heat, and you noticed it too late and she is already hanging out with a boyfriend. Good news is that you can still spay her and spare her from having kittens. However, there may be an extra charge for the spay procedure for cats in heat or pregnant.

17) No false pregnancies

Some cats that are not mated when in heat may resort to simulating a pregnancy. This behavior seems to increase as the cat ages. This annoying behavior is avoided with spaying.

18)Spaying is a relatively safe procedure

Spaying is a routine procedure, it has a high success rate with low percentages of complications. While it is true that as any surgery there are risks, the benefits highly outweigh the risks.

19) You can spay as early as four months!

It is a fact that small kittens recover more swiftly than older aged kittens. If you have a four month old kitty have her weighed, chances are she can already be spayed cutting recovery time in half!

20)You will set an example

Last but not least, by spaying, you will set an example for your community. You will educate and spread the voice of the many benefits of spaying. :)


Just a few bits of info for ya so you can decide whats best for you and your wonderful family  :)

Offline Rosella moggy

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Re: Two quick questions
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2010, 09:11:45 AM »
I think you'll find most on this site are with Dawn on this one Danny. 

You will see from top of the page that our reason for existing is to help UK Cat Rescues in whatever way we can.  We have quite a number of independant cat rescues who are members too.  You actually find us in the middle of our main fund raising drive of the year; the Christmas Auction which this year is raising funds for the cats cared for by Ron at LostCatsBrighton who does the most wonderful job and badly needs funding.

It is partly (even mainly) due to lack of neutering and spaying that Cat Rescues are bursting at the seams and things are very bad indeed atm with the current economic climate.  The feeling is that, if peeps would like to home a cat or kitten, there are plenty in rescues up and down the country that are desperately in need of good homes  :(.   In addition there are many health and behavioural benefits attached to neutering  so most people on this site will encourage you to have the girls spayed and boys neutered asap. 

All of our 7 are from rescues of one sort or another and were spayed and neutered asap and I've never had second thoughts about it.

BTW have you tried blowing on Mearse (short sharp blast) when he's biting Bella or otherwise misbehaving?  It is sexual behaviour though like Dawn says and difficult to stop altogether. 

Offline JackSpratt

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Re: Two quick questions
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2010, 09:05:28 AM »
Danny, you mean he's mounting her and scruffing her? It's not just dominance, he's starting to display sexual behaviour towards his littermate.

The simple answer is you can't stop him trying to breed with his sibling and unless you get her spayed and him neutered the situation is likely to get worse not better. All four of the cats are starting to develop the urge, they'll just be doing so at slightly differing rates.

Can I ask why you're wanting to breed your girls? Can you have a quick peep at the rescue and rehoming section? It might make you change your mind.

Better to be safe than sorry. If the cost is an issue, can I suggest calling the Cats Protection headquarters and getting vouchers to get the cats spayed and neutered at a reduced rate?

You might want to read this too....

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,4788.0.html




Carrie, Jack,Toby and Parsley ~ Love and miss you all always.x

Offline Dawn F

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Re: Two quick questions
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2010, 08:47:31 AM »
it is sexual behaviour, I don't really agree with moggie breeding so can't really advise

Offline The GFP

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Two quick questions
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2010, 00:11:43 AM »
Im sure they have been answered here but there is so much to look at id like to ask it now and get a quick ish answer

All 4 kittens are 3 months old and Merse the ginger male will bite the 2 females around the neck all the time and they end up squeeling and he is very rough with them

I would say its his way of showing he is the man as they are animals

But Bella now has 2 teeth holes on her neck and they have started to heal and the vet today said they are not infected but Merse wont stop doing it, with humans he is mr fluffy n nice and is very placid and will let you hold him upside down on hsi back in your arms and wont fight to get away unlike the other 3 but he is a right git to the girls

Will this get worse or will he stop as its been a month now and no signs of laying up

I caught him doing it today and put my finger under the fur to separate them and his mouth was clamped very tightly onto her fur and she was just whining and not struggling

Id like the 2 girls to have kittens when they are older next year so any advice on him biting them and the 2 girls not getting up the duff by their brothers?

This is why initially i only wanted 2 boys like last time 16 years ago
The German Flower Pot, although im neither German nor a flower pot.

 


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