Confused

[lozza90]

hi i need a little help my female kitten is around 6 month old and she has started acting a bit strange she has been really affectionate 1 min then the next she is wantin to be on here own abd if u disterb her she gets a bit nippy she has always been a lovin cat could she be having her first season help plz thanks in advance

[dandysmom]

It does sound as if she's having her first heat, it's about the right time. Is she rolling and calling? I'd keep her indoors, call the vet and make an appointment for spaying ASAP!!

[angieh]

I agree! Get her spayed ASAP. Much much kinder.

[farthing]

As said above, keep her in and away from un-neutered male cats or you will have kittens to deal with next. Getting her speyed is the best thing to do for her health too.

[lozza90]

thanks for your replies and she has been alot more vocal recently and i was thinking about having some litters from her whats your opinions

[angieh]

Please think very very seriously about this. There are so many cats and kittens in rescue centres, most of which are bursting and have no spare space. The cats and many of the kittens have little real hope of finding a loving, caring home. Anyone who allows their cat to breed just adds to the volume of unwanted animals who will suffer as a result.

Your cat will have a better and healthier future if you act in her best interest and have her spayed as soon as possible.

"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."

Source: http://www.[Sys edit: Links to pet forums not allowed]/neuter.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMzW3LIkNLA

[dandysmom]

Amen to that! We have all seen the problems caused by litters from non-breeders, and feel very strongly that no on should let her/his cat have a litter if it could have been prevented.

[farthing]

I think you will find most people on here are against random breeding, many of us have to pick up the pieces from un-neutered animals and unwanted litters.
Apart from the reasons given above- is she vaccinated- if not she could pass disease onto here kittens, has she been blood tested for FIV/Felv if not she will pass these viruses onto the kitten given them a certain death sentance.
Can you afford vet fees if anything goes wrong- she may need a cesearian, a kitten may die inside her, she may heamorrhage, she may get an infection, the kittens may be ill.
I have to admit it always amazes me when people decide to breed animals, and never consider the possibility of things going wrong. I work in a vet and believe me it happens much more often than people think.

[Velvet]

We got our 2nd kitten 3 weeks ago. Our boy is 6 months. As our 2nd kitten (female) is so close in age to Tim, we got him neutered sooner rather than later, its just not worth taking the risk of bringing new life into this world & having the huge responsibility of finding good homes for them

People are very fickle, when the baby stage wears off (or sometimes before it) they have absolutely no qualms about getting "rid". A puppy or kitten is just a commodity to them. The lucky ones end up in breed rescues/shelters, others end up in Pounds or thrown out into the streets to fend for themselves. It makes no difference if they are fullbred, when folk want rid no matter how much tbey paid initially, out the animal goes