We hear a lot of excuses why people want to let a female cat have a litter or not spay at all.
Here are some of those excuses and why the facts to do support them:
“We want our children to experience the miracle of birth.”
According to Jane A Kelley of Paws and Effect: “While it’s noble and good to want your children to know how babies are born, you can do it without adding to the unwanted cat population. And sometimes things go wrong in a live delivery — which could be more traumatic than educational.
Videos can be great educational tools, and a recent Google search revealed almost 1,800 videos of kitten birth.”
If it’s important to you that your children see the real thing, arrange for your children to visit a sheep or cattle ranch during the birthing season or have another child yourself so they can be present at the birth! Well, of course we don't advocate that you have a baby so that your children can experience the "miracle of birth" for the same reason we don't support you let your cat have kittens for that reason!!!
“I want my cat to have a litter before she is spayed because she will be....”
There is no medical evidence to justify allowing an animal a litter before spaying. In fact spaying eliminates the possibility of developing cancers associated with reproductive organs and eliminates the high risk of the female contracting diseases such as feline leukemia and FIV (feline aids). Data has shown that spayed females have consistently longer life spans and are healthier throughout their lives. There has been no evidence to support the idea that having a litter makes a female more mellow or happier or whatever other excuse we hear.
“Cats will become an endangered species if you spay/neuter them all.”
Gee, we look forward to the day we have to start worrying about that!!! The number of cats euthanized in shelters numbers in the millions every year. It is estimated that only 1 in 10 cats born end up permanent homes as cared-for pets and that only 1 in 10 live beyond their first year of life. Another estimate is that there are 7 cats born for every human. All of this adds up to the fact that we are decades away, if ever, from even achieving zero population growth. Meanwhile, there are thousands of responsible cat breeders all over the world maintaining specific breeds.
“We want our children to experience the miracle of birth.”
According to Jane A Kelley of Paws and Effect: “While it’s noble and good to want your children to know how babies are born, you can do it without adding to the unwanted cat population. And sometimes things go wrong in a live delivery — which could be more traumatic than educational.
Videos can be great educational tools, and a recent Google search revealed almost 1,800 videos of kitten birth.”
If it’s important to you that your children see the real thing, arrange for your children to visit a sheep or cattle ranch during the birthing season or have another child yourself so they can be present at the birth! Well, of course we don't advocate that you have a baby so that your children can experience the "miracle of birth" for the same reason we don't support you let your cat have kittens for that reason!!!
“I want my cat to have a litter before she is spayed because she will be....”
There is no medical evidence to justify allowing an animal a litter before spaying. In fact spaying eliminates the possibility of developing cancers associated with reproductive organs and eliminates the high risk of the female contracting diseases such as feline leukemia and FIV (feline aids). Data has shown that spayed females have consistently longer life spans and are healthier throughout their lives. There has been no evidence to support the idea that having a litter makes a female more mellow or happier or whatever other excuse we hear.
“Cats will become an endangered species if you spay/neuter them all.”
Gee, we look forward to the day we have to start worrying about that!!! The number of cats euthanized in shelters numbers in the millions every year. It is estimated that only 1 in 10 cats born end up permanent homes as cared-for pets and that only 1 in 10 live beyond their first year of life. Another estimate is that there are 7 cats born for every human. All of this adds up to the fact that we are decades away, if ever, from even achieving zero population growth. Meanwhile, there are thousands of responsible cat breeders all over the world maintaining specific breeds.
