|
CATTERY |
||
|
|
"Just one litter before we desex her" We have lost count of the number of times we have heard prospective kitten purchasers say this. I hope to pass on some real, truthful information regarding having that one litter. Firstly, depending on the breed, an undesexed female cat can come "on call" (into season) at a very young age. In some breeds, including Burmese, this may be as young as 3 months. Reputable breeders won't breed with any female cats until they are at least 11 or 12 months of age. A cat is still growing before this. Could you imagine a kitten having kittens? Being On Call (in season) Breeders are aware of the problems associated with females calling. Such as: female cats may spray to attract a male; females, especially the louder breeds, can howl throughout the day and night in search of a mate; being on call can cause undue stress; if not mated, repeated calls can cause serious internal problems for the girl; breeders can obtain veterinary assistance to ease the calls or stop them happening for only short periods of time. Matings Can you be assured that the male cat who mates your girl isn't carrying a disease or a serious genetic fault? During matings, the girl can be injured through bites and scratches which may become infected. If you are not a registered breeder yourself, you cannot expect to get a mating from a registered breeder. Pregnancy So you've mated the girl, or she's escaped the house and has been mated by a local stray tom cat, and she is pregnant. Are you aware of what to feed her? Do you know the signs of trouble during the pregnancy? Is the girl old enough to carry a litter to full term? Is the girl strong enough to carry the litter to full term? Do you know when the kittens are due so you can make plans? Do you know where the kittens will go when they are old enough? Birthing Kittens Kittens being born is not always a wonderful thing for kids to watch. There are a number of problems that can happen and may cause undue duress, not only to the girl, but to those young ones watching. The sight of the blood and other fluids can be distressing; kittens may be breach born which requires assistance; Kittens can be stillborn; Kittens may need assistance to take that first breath; Girls who haven't had a litter before may not know what to do; the cords may need to be cut; the kittens may need to be cleaned up; the mother may not have milk to feed the kittens; the mother may even reject the kittens. The mother may even need a caesarian-section to save her life or that of the kittens. Post birthing After going through all this stress and trauma, there is no guarantee that the girl will be the same as she was. She may become introverted, shy, aloof and, in some instances, anti-social towards humans and other cats alike. You must ask the question, Do you want your precious girl to go through all this with an unknown outcome? Do you know where the kittens will go or will they become another statistic in a shelter? Is it all worth it? Isn't the health and wellbeing of your precious female cat more important than a life-lesson for the kids that may go terribly wrong?
This is why we desex ALL of our kittens before they leave us. The only exceptions are those going to another, registered breeder.
|
|
