To Splay or Not to Splay...

I am just saying, if you want more animals, why not go to the shelter and get some there instead of bring more in? You see what I'm saying? Sure they would be wanted, but there are already animals that need to be wanted... If there are 10 animals in the shelter and your cat has 5 babies, that is still 10 unwanted animals and 5 wanted ones. If your cat has no babies, you could adopt 5 from the shelter and leave 5 unwanted, instead of 10. Yeah, that is the best way I can explain how I feel. Kind of confusing, but I know you get it

Lol, I get it like a dribbling emoticon? . Jokes aside, you are right =) Mia is the first pet I've had that wasn't from a shelter, and as soon as I'm out of this tiny place, I want to go and get some more, I know I don't need her to have babies to keep me happy or to have more pets, and I definitely wouldn't encourage it from a human, so I don't know what makes me want it from my baby girl (besides the aforementioned selfishness =P) I'll speak to dad and the vet in the next few weeks and get it sorted, then =)

I know it's selfish - I think it's the inner child in me saying "but I waaaaaaaaant them" in a whingey voice, if you know what I mean. And I though it was "spay" not "splay" after posting, I'm glad that I know now... (now that it's too late to change my d*cky error =P) I totally understand your point, but in this case, if I didn't get her sterilised (although I almost certainly will), they wouldn't be unwanted. I'll always be taking in other animals if and when I can - I have less animals now than any point in my life and it makes me sad not having that extended family. Thanks for your honest response, Molly =) Not that I would expect anything less.

=D Thank you - she is quite beautiful =) There are a lot of unwanted animals in the world, unfortunately, Mia is actually the first pet that I have had from young - all my others in the past have come from the pound/refuges or people who were moving away. =) Where I live, though, it's a pretty pet-friendly and family-oriented sort of place, so it's almost guaranteed (as much as possible), that any kittens she had would go to good homes and be wanted. If not, I would keep all that I could, cos I'm a sucker =P Windows aren't a problem, they all have thick fly-screens (the anti-robber ones), so even when the windows are open, no-one can get in or out, and as far as I know there aren't any cats within a block of our house (which is not to say, of course, that they don't come out at night). Thanks for your response, Ellie =D

Thanks for response. In that case it does sound that you would like her to have kittens so I would allow it in this instance as you have already done your bit in helping rehome many others. I would wait until she is well over a year before allowing so as she is still a kitten herself but after the litter then have her done. I don't suppose their heat is any different to womens periods in that respect so it is not going to harm for her to have these moments eh, chocolate won't help in this situ though LOL. Whatever decision you make Mia is a lovely girl and I am sure you'll enjoy many fun moments with her. Ellie :D

Now you have made me smile with the no teen pregancy bit I am pleased to hear that you are a responsible parent eh! I think with cats (though 100%) the only dangers are if they continue to have litter after litter which I know from this you will not allow. Ellie :D

Yeah, I definitely want her to be done young if she will be done at all, which is why I'm trying to get some advice and opinions now. =) All my former pets have been fixed, but I have also only ever had pets from refuges and the pound before, so that's basically a given =) Thanks for your response! =D Have a great day!

Yeah, see that's something I definitely don't want to happen. I don't want to make her miserable, and I don't want her to run away =( I think I've realised through more thought and the great responses so far that it's just that I want more animals, and not so much that I want Mia to go through heat and pregnancy =) I do think that the stray/unwanted animal population is a much smaller problem in Australia, though. =D Thanks for your response!

I don't have pressing reasons, I'm just selfish and want to have more beautiful kitties =P Probably not the best reason to keep her fertile, but as I said to Ellie above, where I live, almost everyone has or desires pets, so if she were to have kittens they would find homes, and I would probably keep one or two. But yeah, I am a supporter in people first opting for animals in refuges etc before new-borns in the pet stores - all my prior pets have been acquired in this way or from people moving away and unable to keep their animals for whatever reason. I still don't know, though... Do you know if it's bad for them to go through heat and never have a litter, if I didn't get her "done", but she also never bred? If it's not bad/uncomfortable/mean for them to go through that I still feel like I'd like to have the option... I think she'd be a good mum. lol. =)

I wasn't even aware that you could get contraceptives for animals - that's really a bit gross. I would never do that, even if they were perfectly safe - either you can have 'em or you can't in this case, I think. I'm glad you've got me thinking about the fact of other kittens and pets being available and all the unwanteds out there. I'm clucky over the idea of being a inter-special grandma one day, and forgetting that I can always take in a pre-existing/unwanted animal down the track =)

Having seen female cats go through heat, I don't think it can be that pleasant. They just can't settle, yowling & howling for nothing. Certainly some of the contraceptive solutions for cats aren't good for them. My vet tells me that the contraceptive pill for cats can cause tumours and a friend of mine's cat suffers from them which she blames on use of the pill. It just seems like allot of hassle and undue grief to me for the sake of some kittens, of which there are lots about already.

You know, I honestly don't even know why I put "going to a breeder" in my discussion. I had never thought or considered it, and it's not something I would do. If I want my cat to have kittens in the end, I'd rather get myself a male cat to have in the family as well, or perhaps introduce her to a friend's, but yeah. Not breeding. I confused and lost myself there =P I think I will end up getting her spayed (I can't believe I used the wrong word through my whole post ) and increase my animal family the way I always have in the past - shelters, refuges and friends. It is good to know that the only real thing to put up with during heat is the meowing (and the trying to escape =P), so thank you for letting me know what, as I'm in the same position, no cats in the area and she's purely indoor. Thank you so much for your response, and welcome to myLot - by the looks of things you'll get a lot out of this place =) It's nice to see new-comers getting into the spirit and giving a real response =) Have a great day!

Yeah, I don't think I can handle the agro, and I'm glad that at least 1 or 2 responses have answered that side of things instead of jumping down my throat and telling me that it's my fault that strays will die if my cat had kittens. =( Thank you for your response, Mickie, and have a great day! =D

*sigh* I am tired of American statistics. When I live in Australia and in a certain place where overpopulation and unwanted animals aren't a huge problem. If I could take in pets from over-seas and inter-state, then I would, but I can only do so much. As much as I am appreciative of everyone's comments, I just wanted personal opinions, you know? I am getting her spayed, through some further thought on my own and the in put of people here. I've experienced a friend's unpleasant "banshee" at that time of the month =P

You guys got your own flat! Oh Mia is your new cat - I asked who she was in another post. It didn't seem like too much of a stretch to think it was one of his younger siblings, because if she was there you'd know she was well cared for. How cool is that that you have your own flat. Super cool. Hmm traveling stove - the kind you can take on camping trips or one that goes off by itself every so often?

All is quite well =D It's great not being at his house, we have the flat all to ourselves with ickle Mia, with all our books and computers and his contraptions (Xbox and all that junk =P). And our quite pathetic electric travelling stove =P I definitely want a play-mate for her even now, but this place is far too small So uncool =P I don't think we have the same problem in Australia as in the States, by the sounds of things. Most people, at least in the area I live in, have indoor cats, and any out-doors are spayed/neutered to prevent the homeless problem. But yeah, any animals that are unclaimed after a certain amount of time (which I think depends on space) are put down We have a lot more dogs in our pounds and refuges here, I think - the similar problem to the cats being that people don't get their dogs done, and most can jump fences/escape somehow and end up mating. For the most part people seem to want pets, though... *hug*!

Our "own" flat in the sense that it's the "Granny Flat" out the back of my family home. My Grandma lived in here for the last 4 or so years of her life. We've redecorated it now, but it still feels like home, and like her =) Hehe, yeah, I can see the sibling connection. But fortunately not, I don't think I could handle younger siblings of my own (probably because I've never had them =P) Hopefully by mid-next year we'll be renting our own place, though, and then in 2 years time we should be out of this town It's about the size of a microwave, with two hot plates and a grill, and it takes about 20 minutes to heat up - and boy does the ENTIRE thing heat up =P

I wouldn't take in an animal off the street probably at all, and if I did, I would certainly not be doing so without having the appropriate check-ups, shots and procedures done. What I was saying was that I will continue to take in animals from refuges - the pound, where all of those such things are done when they arrive, if not by previous "owners". If she was not spayed I certainly wouldn't let her out, I won't even if she is - she's a house cat. =)

I wish I'd put it out there that I'm not from the USA, because we have nothing close to this sort of homeless issue in Australia, and certainly not any part of Australia that's close enough for me to help. I do plan on continuing to take in animals from the pound/refuges as I always have, but was toying with the idea of leaving Mia "whole" for if/when I get a male (I honestly don't know why I put "breeding" in the discussion, I would never want to have her "bred" ) But yes, I've taken the "high road" and will be getting her spayed shortly. Thanks for your response, have a great day =)

Thank you for the claification, in any event, you are allowing your cat to breed if you allow her out if she is not spayed. Please do not do rescue work if you are unable to keep your clowder healthy. When people in the USA take care of feral cats they capture them, take them to the vet for testing for diasease (there are several deadly diseases here in the USA), get them basic shots (rabies is rampant here), spay/neuter and then have the vet notch their ears. The little notch that is put on their ear is not hurtful but it identifes to another caregiver that the cat has been taken care of. If you continue to bring new cats into your clower (group), that are unhealthy or whole, you will have a zoo. In severn years, one female and one male cat that are not spayed or neutered can create 240 cats from the cats that they create and those that are created from the ones that they create etc. If your clowder expands and is not healthy someone will have to come in and put the whole group down. I hope this information helps

I'm answering discussions directly from my E-mail as I'm behind. Sounds to me like you're a responsible kitty caretaker.

I honestly don't know why I put having her bred/taking her to a breeder in my discussion - as I said to another responder, I would never want to do that, and she's certainly no pedigree. I think that my fingers got the better of my in that instance (and in the continual use of "splay" instead of "spay" ) But the possibility of getting a male in the future and them mating made me smile. It is a selfish reason though... I would like to stand up for myself as I have to a few other responders, though: If she had a litter, the would be no MORE unwanted animals by MY fault than there were to begin with. I will never stop taking in other animals from shelters and friends as long as I have the space and resources to give them all quality of life. Mia is actually the first animal I've ever had that wasn't from the RSPCA or from an acquaintance who could no longer keep pets - I got Mia from a friend whose girl had a litter. =) That out of the way, I do think I'll get her spayed, I realise that I can extend my animal family without her having to go through heats and pregnancy, and without my boyfriend and I going insane throughout the process =P Side note: Obviously they are two different instances, species and all that, but I can't help but read everyone's responses in two ways: 1) relating to cats 2) relating to human pregnancies, and boy would people not be saying the same things =P Thank you for your response, and have a great day =D

Yes, they do keep us company and extend our family. I'm never alone now that I have Mia =D I think I will indeed get her spayed and allow my animal family to grow by acquiring more animals from outside - shelters and friends, as I always have done in the past. I actually never used to be a cat person, and realised my love for them about 3 years ago, and Mia is my first cat ever. I'll always be a dog person, though, and as soon as I have the space, I look forward to having some hounds again. =) Thanks for your response!