One-time cat breeding. Is it possible?
September 18, 2017 9:15 AM Subscribe
My family is thinking of getting a cat. I would like my kids to have the experience of a cat birthing a litter and raising its kittens until it's time to give them away. This would be just one litter, and then we'd have the mother cat spayed. What is the best way of accomplishing this?
First off, I understand the problems of cat overpopulation. I have considered these and decided that it is not immoral to contribute one additional litter of cats to the world. My question is not "should I do this" but "how best to do this".
There are two issues I see: 1 -- getting a female cat that isn't spayed, and 2 -- breeding it with a male.
I understand that any cat I get from a shelter, pet store, etc will be spayed. So that means either finding someone local with a kitten, via Craigslist etc, or finding a cat breeder who is willing to sell me a unspayed female. Are there other options? What are the pros and cons of each of these?
In terms of breeding: this will be an indoor cat. I don't want to just throw it outside when it's in heat; that feels cruel, impractical, and dangerous. So how do I get it hooked up with a male? If the cat is not pure bred, could I still hire a male for stud services (if that's what it's called for cats)? If I have a pure bred cat, how do these mating arrangements generally work?
More broadly, if I want to take the pure bred route, what should I expect? I understand that breeders may be reluctant to part with a fertile female, or may want more money for it. How much more? Would it make any difference if I commit to only one litter, and offer to give them all the kittens (maybe except for one)?
Lastly, I would welcome recommendations for any breeds that make good family cats.
First off, I understand the problems of cat overpopulation. I have considered these and decided that it is not immoral to contribute one additional litter of cats to the world. My question is not "should I do this" but "how best to do this".
There are two issues I see: 1 -- getting a female cat that isn't spayed, and 2 -- breeding it with a male.
I understand that any cat I get from a shelter, pet store, etc will be spayed. So that means either finding someone local with a kitten, via Craigslist etc, or finding a cat breeder who is willing to sell me a unspayed female. Are there other options? What are the pros and cons of each of these?
In terms of breeding: this will be an indoor cat. I don't want to just throw it outside when it's in heat; that feels cruel, impractical, and dangerous. So how do I get it hooked up with a male? If the cat is not pure bred, could I still hire a male for stud services (if that's what it's called for cats)? If I have a pure bred cat, how do these mating arrangements generally work?
More broadly, if I want to take the pure bred route, what should I expect? I understand that breeders may be reluctant to part with a fertile female, or may want more money for it. How much more? Would it make any difference if I commit to only one litter, and offer to give them all the kittens (maybe except for one)?
Lastly, I would welcome recommendations for any breeds that make good family cats.
If the point is to give your kids the experience of watching a birth and having newborns, why not foster a pregnant mama cat? Most of the folks I know who have had newborns have gotten them that way, and there's always a need for fosters. That way you also have the support of the adoption agency in placing the kittens, and with anything else you need.
posted by restless_nomad at 9:18 AM on September 18, 2017 [225 favorites]
posted by restless_nomad at 9:18 AM on September 18, 2017 [225 favorites]
foster a pregnant mama cat?
This was going to be my suggestion. My mother did this (both once when I was a child and then again more recently). It's sort of fun to have a cat around the place, and then kittens but also to have the kittens taken care of by the foster organization and not have to worry about them. And you can get a feel for whether the foster cat fits in with you and your household. I would not go through all of the other logistics you are considering unless you really want, for some reason, to breed purebreds as an ongoing job which it does not sound like you want to do.
posted by jessamyn at 9:22 AM on September 18, 2017 [16 favorites]
This was going to be my suggestion. My mother did this (both once when I was a child and then again more recently). It's sort of fun to have a cat around the place, and then kittens but also to have the kittens taken care of by the foster organization and not have to worry about them. And you can get a feel for whether the foster cat fits in with you and your household. I would not go through all of the other logistics you are considering unless you really want, for some reason, to breed purebreds as an ongoing job which it does not sound like you want to do.
posted by jessamyn at 9:22 AM on September 18, 2017 [16 favorites]
I think the best way to do this is to foster a pregnant cat - there are lots of them and you won't have to worry about the getting-pregnant part. Most shelters and foster programs will want to place pregnant cats and brand-new litters with experienced caretakers, so if you're not there yet you could ask to volunteer with someone who's already fostering one - that way your kids could see the kittens grow without you having to constantly worry about them. Another advantage of fostering is that the shelter will help with any health issues that come up - and things do go wrong with tiny kittens.
Most breeders will not sell you a cat if they know you intend to breed it, and you should be wary of any who would. You could theoretically cheat around this by buying a kitten and just not spaying her, but I think you'd have a very difficult time finding cat stud services.
posted by Metroid Baby at 9:31 AM on September 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
Most breeders will not sell you a cat if they know you intend to breed it, and you should be wary of any who would. You could theoretically cheat around this by buying a kitten and just not spaying her, but I think you'd have a very difficult time finding cat stud services.
posted by Metroid Baby at 9:31 AM on September 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
This world does not need another deliberately-bred cat. Foster a pregnant cat. Your kids will get this experience and a lesson in altruistic stewardship, and hopefully a strong dedication to spay/neuter, instead of...forcing something to reproduce for their edification.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:34 AM on September 18, 2017 [73 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 9:34 AM on September 18, 2017 [73 favorites]
Definitely foster a pregnant mother cat. If you do it through an established fostering organization, there will probably be someone who will help you, give you advice, and then help get the kittens adopted.
Plus, these are kittens that likely would have been born already, so that will alleviate your ethics concerns.
posted by amtho at 9:35 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Plus, these are kittens that likely would have been born already, so that will alleviate your ethics concerns.
posted by amtho at 9:35 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
I'd agree with the suggestions to foster a pregnant cat. Rescues will pay for vet care, which can get expensive.
Please do not add to the overpopulation of cats by breeding cats just to give your child an experience. Have you given any thought to what you'd do with the kittens? They aren't as easy to adopt out as you think....would you keep all of them? If not, how would you adopt them out? Are you experienced in doing adoptions or home visits to assure the kittens will find good homes, or are you just going to hand them out to people? Free kittens can easily end up as bait for fighting dogs.
A breeder won't adopt to you if they know you're going to breed. Also, you have no breeding experience, and it's always possible things can go wrong, particularly with pure-bred cats. Not all births go smoothly.
Some local laws also apply to people who are breeding pets, because most of the country euthanizes hundreds of thousands of pets a year because they do not have homes.
posted by answergrape at 9:36 AM on September 18, 2017 [12 favorites]
Please do not add to the overpopulation of cats by breeding cats just to give your child an experience. Have you given any thought to what you'd do with the kittens? They aren't as easy to adopt out as you think....would you keep all of them? If not, how would you adopt them out? Are you experienced in doing adoptions or home visits to assure the kittens will find good homes, or are you just going to hand them out to people? Free kittens can easily end up as bait for fighting dogs.
A breeder won't adopt to you if they know you're going to breed. Also, you have no breeding experience, and it's always possible things can go wrong, particularly with pure-bred cats. Not all births go smoothly.
Some local laws also apply to people who are breeding pets, because most of the country euthanizes hundreds of thousands of pets a year because they do not have homes.
posted by answergrape at 9:36 AM on September 18, 2017 [12 favorites]
There are a lot of videos out there that show the miracle (and tragedy - there's often at least one stillborn kitten) of kitten birlths (eg tinykittens.com). Would those be an acceptable substitute?
posted by debgpi at 9:40 AM on September 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
posted by debgpi at 9:40 AM on September 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
This sounds like a bit off to me. Fostering a pregnant cat would be way less expensive and less time commitment. Cats live up to 20ish years, so it would be that long of a commitment for one cat, plus 6 or 7 or so kittens going into adulthood and living 20 or so years of you can't get them all placed. That experience outmaths the experience of watching a birthing/raising for a few months.
Also, you will have to be prepared for vet care, dealing with death (not all of them make it), etc.
Fostering would help with all that as the rescue/shelter can help guide you through all that.
It's the easiest way to go, and the added benefit of teaching your children about compassion and responsibility. It's a total win situation for you.
posted by Vaike at 9:41 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Also, you will have to be prepared for vet care, dealing with death (not all of them make it), etc.
Fostering would help with all that as the rescue/shelter can help guide you through all that.
It's the easiest way to go, and the added benefit of teaching your children about compassion and responsibility. It's a total win situation for you.
posted by Vaike at 9:41 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Here is the ASPCA's list of best practices for responsible pet breeding. The most important ones, in my opinion, are:
* Screens breeding stocks for heritable diseases; removes affected animals from breeding program
* Has working knowledge of genetics and generally avoid inbreeding
* Will take back any animal of their breeding, at any time and for any reason
Are you willing/able to have the cats you choose health screened? This is more comprehensive than a routine check at the vet's office, and typically requires hundreds or thousands of dollars of tests. Do you understand genetics? Can you say with confidence that you don't accidentally create kittens with debilitating conditions because of (for example) recessive genes their parents carried? Will you work hard to place any kitten(s) you don't keep with responsible homes, and accept the responsibility of taking those kittens/cat back, maybe even years later, if their owners can no longer care for them?
If you can't do those things and all the other things on the ASPCA list, don't breed cats. Irresponsible breeding is a terrible crime against domestic animals.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 9:42 AM on September 18, 2017 [15 favorites]
* Screens breeding stocks for heritable diseases; removes affected animals from breeding program
* Has working knowledge of genetics and generally avoid inbreeding
* Will take back any animal of their breeding, at any time and for any reason
Are you willing/able to have the cats you choose health screened? This is more comprehensive than a routine check at the vet's office, and typically requires hundreds or thousands of dollars of tests. Do you understand genetics? Can you say with confidence that you don't accidentally create kittens with debilitating conditions because of (for example) recessive genes their parents carried? Will you work hard to place any kitten(s) you don't keep with responsible homes, and accept the responsibility of taking those kittens/cat back, maybe even years later, if their owners can no longer care for them?
If you can't do those things and all the other things on the ASPCA list, don't breed cats. Irresponsible breeding is a terrible crime against domestic animals.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 9:42 AM on September 18, 2017 [15 favorites]
Also, this 7-part series explains all the nitty-gritty details that go into a litter of Corgis. Now of course Corgis =! cats, but many of the lessons from these posts will apply to cats as well as dogs.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 9:49 AM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by schroedingersgirl at 9:49 AM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Leave breeding to the pros. Plenty of pregnant cats to foster or adopt!
posted by kapers at 9:54 AM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by kapers at 9:54 AM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
Foster, foster, foster.
posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine at 9:55 AM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine at 9:55 AM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
Please foster an already-pregnant cat! There already is a shortage of homes for cats. I just a couple weeks ago rescued an anemic kitten who I found wandering in a friend of a friend's yard who probably would have starved (or died during Irma...) if I hadn't taken him in. Way too many little guys like him wandering the woods already. When you deliberately breed cats, it directly and unnecessarily adds to the number of cats who can't have homes because there is already a shortage. I just don't see what you'd get out of doing the breeding yourself when there are already heaps of pregnant cats.
posted by Gymnopedist at 10:00 AM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by Gymnopedist at 10:00 AM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
My understanding is there's a bunch of behavioral issues that go along with having an unfixed adult cat. And I'm told it's not unusual for some of those problems to persist after the cat is fixed, which is why a lot of folks recommend spaying/neutering cats before they've fully matured, to avoid the issue in the first place. I don't have any first-hand experience, having followed this advice with my own kitties, but I'm sure this varies a ton from cat to cat.
If you're hard-set on having a mama cat, then you can't avoid whatever problems persist post-surgery, but you can avoid having to live with a cat in heat before that, by fostering the pregnant mama, like everyone else is saying.
posted by aubilenon at 10:00 AM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
If you're hard-set on having a mama cat, then you can't avoid whatever problems persist post-surgery, but you can avoid having to live with a cat in heat before that, by fostering the pregnant mama, like everyone else is saying.
posted by aubilenon at 10:00 AM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Please foster a pregnant cat from a shelter. I bred cats as a hobby when I was a kid and I have nightmares about the number of people who bought a kitten and probably didn't spray/neuter it. One 'escape' is all it takes for a female unfixed cat to come home pregnant, and one 'escape' gives an un-neutered male far more opportunities to father Kittens. I am horrified that I contributed to this problem. Sure, we had folks sign a contract swearing that they'd fix the animal but we never checked. And I know folks will show the mother's registration papers when selling 'purebred' kittens that are definitely not purebred.
Teach your children about the importance of fixing cats, adopting kitties, and maybe keep the mom cat explaining to your kiddos that sometimes older cats have trouble finding families because so many people want a Kitten.
posted by bilabial at 10:19 AM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
Teach your children about the importance of fixing cats, adopting kitties, and maybe keep the mom cat explaining to your kiddos that sometimes older cats have trouble finding families because so many people want a Kitten.
posted by bilabial at 10:19 AM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Wow, thanks for all the quick responses. I had no idea that fostering pregnant cats was a thing. That sounds like exactly what I'm looking for.
I'd appreciate any links that people have with info on fostering pregnant cats. I live in Brookline, in the Boston area, if that makes a difference.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 10:20 AM on September 18, 2017 [21 favorites]
I'd appreciate any links that people have with info on fostering pregnant cats. I live in Brookline, in the Boston area, if that makes a difference.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 10:20 AM on September 18, 2017 [21 favorites]
I just don't see this working out in the "when it's time to give the cats away" part. Most responsible cat-wanters go to shelters, I think, for a cat that has been (pardon the pun) well-vetted, and to ease the load on the shelter. I think your odds of getting responsible caretakers for irresponsibly (sorry, but...) bred cats are very low.
Some homeschooled young people I know had a tiny business going for a while where they bred Siamese cats for fun and profit. They did not have problems sending Siamese cats off to homes, but it was also an invaluable economics lesson: their friends thought "Wow, $XXX a cat!" while they were thinking "Wow, $XXX in vet care!" This will not be a fun free kiddie activity. It could easily end up a horrible tragedy with a dead kitten or two or, worse, dead mama, and a lot of expensive vet care for even the healthiest litter. For cats that probably not very responsible people will take for free, not buy, from you. It sounds like an awfully expensive project -- especially for something that I as a kid would have been squicked out by and had no interest in witnessing.
posted by kmennie at 10:21 AM on September 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
Some homeschooled young people I know had a tiny business going for a while where they bred Siamese cats for fun and profit. They did not have problems sending Siamese cats off to homes, but it was also an invaluable economics lesson: their friends thought "Wow, $XXX a cat!" while they were thinking "Wow, $XXX in vet care!" This will not be a fun free kiddie activity. It could easily end up a horrible tragedy with a dead kitten or two or, worse, dead mama, and a lot of expensive vet care for even the healthiest litter. For cats that probably not very responsible people will take for free, not buy, from you. It sounds like an awfully expensive project -- especially for something that I as a kid would have been squicked out by and had no interest in witnessing.
posted by kmennie at 10:21 AM on September 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
You can go directly to almost any rescue or shelter and be very open about "we're interested in fostering a pregnant cat because my kids would love to socialize some newborn kittens, our schedule is flexible and our experience is ____, what do we need to do to be good foster candidates?" and someone will tell you. Homes are the best place for newborn kittens so most places really want suitable fosters, even if Boston has a much lower unwanted animal population than somewhere like LA (where you probably couldn't get half than sentence out without having already been handed a pregnant cat). This is an incomplete list that's just based on googling, but the MSPCA will take applications specifically earmarked for pregnant cats. The Animal Rescue League seems to have an open/ongoing application process. The Gifford Cat Shelter also calls out pregnant cats' needs specifically (and promises to guide you through the process). I'm sure there are more.
posted by mosst at 10:28 AM on September 18, 2017 [13 favorites]
posted by mosst at 10:28 AM on September 18, 2017 [13 favorites]
I'm normally a "too many unhomed kittens" person generally, but honestly, since I started watching kitten rescues online and since my friend last year took in a pregnant stray who got a gruesome and expensive (though very treatable) case of mastitis while nursing? I'd say foster, but actually further I'm going to suggest you seriously look into just showing your kids videos, not because of any moral issues but because complications with pregnancy and kittens can a) be sometimes very tragic, but b) with much greater frequency result in things like you being up every few hours all night, every night, for days or even weeks, bottle-feeding one or more babies. If you've got a schedule that can let you do that and cat-nap (hah) during the day to make up for it, go for it, just wanting to make sure you're taking into account that this can be pretty exhausting if you're trying to manage an ordinary schedule and kids and stuff on top of it. I've got a perfectly healthy 9-week-old kitten, just one of them, living in my house right now and I feel like I haven't gotten a full night's sleep in ages. I have no idea how people survive bottle-feeding, and you can't just ask somebody else to do it once you've committed to the process if there are complications.
My friend with the cat with mastitis was at the time working remotely with flexible hours and had several roommates who were willing to occasionally help and it was still pretty harrowing. Streams are amazing because you can turn them off and go to bed at night and trust someone else to hold down the fort until morning.
posted by Sequence at 10:29 AM on September 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
My friend with the cat with mastitis was at the time working remotely with flexible hours and had several roommates who were willing to occasionally help and it was still pretty harrowing. Streams are amazing because you can turn them off and go to bed at night and trust someone else to hold down the fort until morning.
posted by Sequence at 10:29 AM on September 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
An old online friend of mine has been doing and blogging litter fostering for many years, every litter lovingly documented. Lots to learn from her and I think she maintains a resources page/FAQ as well.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:48 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 10:48 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
I have no idea how people survive bottle-feeding,
I can speak to this a little. My friend's greyhound found a litter of kittens in their backyard and mama ended up not returning to the nest. So my friend, being a lovely human being, felt responsible for three teeny, tiny kittens. Their eyes were barely opened, so they were about 3-4 weeks old at that point. She let all her friends know that she would need homes for the kittens and I was lucky enough to see the facebook post. We committed to bringing one of them home as soon as the litter was a bit more socialized and ready to be separated.
My friend spent about a week and a half, with LOTS of support (twin teens at home, it was summer), bottle feeding three kittens. She was EXHAUSTED. She ended up asking us if we were comfortable taking our girl home early, since we had other animals in the house who could socialize her and we're very experienced cat owners, even though she wasn't weaned, because she was so busy with work and was just beat.
We brought our Finley home when she was 4-5 weeks old and still mostly bottle feeding. My husband works from home AND our two kids were home for the summer, or there would have been NO WAY we could have done this. They fed her throughout the day and I got up once per night until she could go overnight. She weaned herself (it's pretty cool how it happens, actually) completely in about 2-3 weeks.
It is SO MUCH WORK to bottle feed just ONE kitten. I can't imagine how hard it would be to have to bottle feed an entire litter.
Nthing watching videos. Or hooking up with someone who has a pregnant cat who would let your kids watch the process and help with socializing them. Honestly, I would be surprised if a rescue lets you foster a pregnant if you don't have any experience at all with cats (I'm assuming no because you didn't say you did; please disregard if that's not the case) as pets, let alone experience fostering a "typical" cat.
Oh, also. One more thing. When I was 9, my best friend's cat had a litter. We were very attached to the kittens, obviously, and one of them died. I literally still have dreams about it. It was incredibly traumatic for someone who loves animals (more than I love many people) and I wish I had never experienced it.
posted by cooker girl at 10:53 AM on September 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
I can speak to this a little. My friend's greyhound found a litter of kittens in their backyard and mama ended up not returning to the nest. So my friend, being a lovely human being, felt responsible for three teeny, tiny kittens. Their eyes were barely opened, so they were about 3-4 weeks old at that point. She let all her friends know that she would need homes for the kittens and I was lucky enough to see the facebook post. We committed to bringing one of them home as soon as the litter was a bit more socialized and ready to be separated.
My friend spent about a week and a half, with LOTS of support (twin teens at home, it was summer), bottle feeding three kittens. She was EXHAUSTED. She ended up asking us if we were comfortable taking our girl home early, since we had other animals in the house who could socialize her and we're very experienced cat owners, even though she wasn't weaned, because she was so busy with work and was just beat.
We brought our Finley home when she was 4-5 weeks old and still mostly bottle feeding. My husband works from home AND our two kids were home for the summer, or there would have been NO WAY we could have done this. They fed her throughout the day and I got up once per night until she could go overnight. She weaned herself (it's pretty cool how it happens, actually) completely in about 2-3 weeks.
It is SO MUCH WORK to bottle feed just ONE kitten. I can't imagine how hard it would be to have to bottle feed an entire litter.
Nthing watching videos. Or hooking up with someone who has a pregnant cat who would let your kids watch the process and help with socializing them. Honestly, I would be surprised if a rescue lets you foster a pregnant if you don't have any experience at all with cats (I'm assuming no because you didn't say you did; please disregard if that's not the case) as pets, let alone experience fostering a "typical" cat.
Oh, also. One more thing. When I was 9, my best friend's cat had a litter. We were very attached to the kittens, obviously, and one of them died. I literally still have dreams about it. It was incredibly traumatic for someone who loves animals (more than I love many people) and I wish I had never experienced it.
posted by cooker girl at 10:53 AM on September 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
I live in JP and have been fostering with Angell for seven years. (I have several years of fostering experience with other organizations as well and Angell really is an excellent one -- very helpful and communicative, provide all food, litter, necessities, etc.)
A pregnant mama cat is the one kind of cat I have not yet gotten to foster, but I have had a couple of offers (just didn't work out w/ schedule), so they do get them now and again.
They give you a checklist of types of fosters you'd be willing to take on, so you could just choose "only pregnant cats."* Of course, they might not have a pregnant cat for you for a while. They might have bottle babies or syringe-fed babies, or older kittens with minor medical conditions that just need medication and a cozy home for a couple weeks until they're well again, or a mama cat with tiny babies, or a broken-legged jackass who breaks all your lamps.**
Every single foster experience has been rewarding for me. I bet any foster kitten experience would also be rewarding for you and your kids, regardless of whether they got to witness a birth itself.
Feel free to memail if you have any questions.
* Fair warning, I imagine a less experienced foster-er would not be their first choice for a pregnant cat, given above mentions of how many things can go wrong.
** My current batch, for the record, are perfect angels.
posted by little cow make small moo at 11:04 AM on September 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
A pregnant mama cat is the one kind of cat I have not yet gotten to foster, but I have had a couple of offers (just didn't work out w/ schedule), so they do get them now and again.
They give you a checklist of types of fosters you'd be willing to take on, so you could just choose "only pregnant cats."* Of course, they might not have a pregnant cat for you for a while. They might have bottle babies or syringe-fed babies, or older kittens with minor medical conditions that just need medication and a cozy home for a couple weeks until they're well again, or a mama cat with tiny babies, or a broken-legged jackass who breaks all your lamps.**
Every single foster experience has been rewarding for me. I bet any foster kitten experience would also be rewarding for you and your kids, regardless of whether they got to witness a birth itself.
Feel free to memail if you have any questions.
* Fair warning, I imagine a less experienced foster-er would not be their first choice for a pregnant cat, given above mentions of how many things can go wrong.
** My current batch, for the record, are perfect angels.
posted by little cow make small moo at 11:04 AM on September 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
Call a local vet. They should be able to give you info on orgs that do fostering, I'd they don't do it themselves. Also the SPCA does fostering programs. Have fun! Fostering is the best :)
posted by ananci at 11:11 AM on September 18, 2017
posted by ananci at 11:11 AM on September 18, 2017
This is a little far away from Brookline, but I have heard good things about the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA. It's a bit of a drive, but especially if you have access to a car, it may not be a deal breaker for you. Information about their fostering program can be found here. (In their application, there is a place to say you are willing to foster pregnant kitties.)
I haven't interacted with them directly, but they were recommended to me by someone i know IRL when I was looking to adopt a cat last year. (The person who recommended them has done a lot of fostering through various rescue groups in the area, fwiw.) Although I ended up falling in love with a cat available through a different group, I remember noticing that they seem to have a lot of animals available for adoption, so it's worth checking into.
The group I ended up adopting from is Happy Tails Pet Rescue, which has one location in Somerville (and also in NH). I filled out an adoption application, someone got in touch with me, and they matched me up with this wonderful little guy. They are a smaller operation than the MSPCA or Northeast Animal Shelter, but I think they're a great group as well.
I can't really speak to whether or not it would be a good idea for your family to take this on, but I definitely agree with everyone above who says that if you do want to do this, fostering a pregnant kitty is the way to go, which it sounds like you are already on board with.
posted by litera scripta manet at 12:07 PM on September 18, 2017
I haven't interacted with them directly, but they were recommended to me by someone i know IRL when I was looking to adopt a cat last year. (The person who recommended them has done a lot of fostering through various rescue groups in the area, fwiw.) Although I ended up falling in love with a cat available through a different group, I remember noticing that they seem to have a lot of animals available for adoption, so it's worth checking into.
The group I ended up adopting from is Happy Tails Pet Rescue, which has one location in Somerville (and also in NH). I filled out an adoption application, someone got in touch with me, and they matched me up with this wonderful little guy. They are a smaller operation than the MSPCA or Northeast Animal Shelter, but I think they're a great group as well.
I can't really speak to whether or not it would be a good idea for your family to take this on, but I definitely agree with everyone above who says that if you do want to do this, fostering a pregnant kitty is the way to go, which it sounds like you are already on board with.
posted by litera scripta manet at 12:07 PM on September 18, 2017
Just to correct some misinformation above: For the record, it is absolutely not true that breeders of pure bred cas will not sell fertile females. They absolutely can and will, for a price.
posted by SaltySalticid at 12:18 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by SaltySalticid at 12:18 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
I took in a pregnant stray and I still have two a-hole 6 month old teenage cats from that litter right here with me now.
The experience was very sad, very expensive, a LOT of work and very stinky.
Mama had 5 babies. One died about 18 hours after birth. One died about a week later. One required several doses of antibiotics per day from birth to the time he was big and strong enough for the surgery that would save his life, at about 4 months. I think, all in all, it cost me about $3,000 even with all of the "discounts" the vets gave me for taking in the stray.
The early days are easy, with mama nursing around the clock. If you lose mama, you will be nursing kittens around the clock for weeks, or they will die. You will almost need someone nursing them constantly. You would need for someone to be with them almost at all times... I can't imagine the smallest could be left alone without nursing for more than a few minutes at a time... there are so many mouths and they have to be warm, too.
Once they get more mobile you will need to kitten proof the house. Despite mostly keeping them in one room and taping cardboard up everywhere to keep them out, they got all over the house, and they shit all over the house. There will be one whole day when you lose your absolute mind and try to de-stink and de-shit the house, and you will fail, and you will cry. Your house will smell horrible. My friend took in a litter and her NEIGHBOR complained about the smell. It is not pleasant, and she is a tidy housekeeper. I have three adults and professional cleaners and we could not keep up.
They will destroy all kinds of things. I have lost woodwork in my 100 year old home and two faces of my kitchen cabinets due to scratching. Oh and two walls, oh and the curtain they ate! So that probably puts another $2000 on the bill of what the kittens actually cost.
There are usually two adults home here all day. We are super interested in cats and we watch them closely.
The deaths of the kittens was really hard on me, but I also felt a little relieved that this kitten wouldn't be taking the home of another cat, and that would hopefully mean one less cat put down in our area. Of course it was brutal to watch them die, and to nurse the one that needed surgery and not being sure if he would make it.
It is a GIGANTIC amount of work, and your house will smell AWFUL for what feels like forever despite how much you clean. There will be kitten shit all over at some point. One or more, or maybe even the entire litter, could die or need extensive medical help. And of course, it's very expensive.
I am not sure you really know what you are getting into. It's dirty, it's very expensive, and it could have a lot of death and medical problems. This isn't a "fun kid project."
posted by littlewater at 1:11 PM on September 18, 2017 [25 favorites]
The experience was very sad, very expensive, a LOT of work and very stinky.
Mama had 5 babies. One died about 18 hours after birth. One died about a week later. One required several doses of antibiotics per day from birth to the time he was big and strong enough for the surgery that would save his life, at about 4 months. I think, all in all, it cost me about $3,000 even with all of the "discounts" the vets gave me for taking in the stray.
The early days are easy, with mama nursing around the clock. If you lose mama, you will be nursing kittens around the clock for weeks, or they will die. You will almost need someone nursing them constantly. You would need for someone to be with them almost at all times... I can't imagine the smallest could be left alone without nursing for more than a few minutes at a time... there are so many mouths and they have to be warm, too.
Once they get more mobile you will need to kitten proof the house. Despite mostly keeping them in one room and taping cardboard up everywhere to keep them out, they got all over the house, and they shit all over the house. There will be one whole day when you lose your absolute mind and try to de-stink and de-shit the house, and you will fail, and you will cry. Your house will smell horrible. My friend took in a litter and her NEIGHBOR complained about the smell. It is not pleasant, and she is a tidy housekeeper. I have three adults and professional cleaners and we could not keep up.
They will destroy all kinds of things. I have lost woodwork in my 100 year old home and two faces of my kitchen cabinets due to scratching. Oh and two walls, oh and the curtain they ate! So that probably puts another $2000 on the bill of what the kittens actually cost.
There are usually two adults home here all day. We are super interested in cats and we watch them closely.
The deaths of the kittens was really hard on me, but I also felt a little relieved that this kitten wouldn't be taking the home of another cat, and that would hopefully mean one less cat put down in our area. Of course it was brutal to watch them die, and to nurse the one that needed surgery and not being sure if he would make it.
It is a GIGANTIC amount of work, and your house will smell AWFUL for what feels like forever despite how much you clean. There will be kitten shit all over at some point. One or more, or maybe even the entire litter, could die or need extensive medical help. And of course, it's very expensive.
I am not sure you really know what you are getting into. It's dirty, it's very expensive, and it could have a lot of death and medical problems. This isn't a "fun kid project."
posted by littlewater at 1:11 PM on September 18, 2017 [25 favorites]
If you are determined to go ahead with this despite some of the stories above, I would strongly suggest following some kitten cams/fosterers for a while--Foster Dad John or Shelly at Tiny Kittens are the ones I check out from time to time--to get a sense of what kinds of challenges you'll be dealing with. I've learned a lot from them.
I remember about five litters of kittens from my childhood--my family weren't irresponsible pet owners, they just always took in pregnant strays (and we always got them spayed as soon as possible!) Of those five litters, only a couple were relatively trouble-free. One mother, it turned out, had FeLV, and we had to watch her kittens die one by one. I was seven, and it was harrowing. In another litter, the mother got out of the house somehow and took off before the kittens were weaned. I don't remember bottle feeding or particular stinkiness, but I was a little kid and most likely oblivious to a lot of the stress and trouble they created. It is not, as people have pointed out above, unusual for one or more kittens in a litter to die--although particularly experienced fosterers who are really tuned in to signs of distress can sometimes save them.
I'm not trying to discourage you from fostering, because the world needs more fosterers! But if you go that route, you might consider starting out with a mother who already has kittens who are a few weeks old and working your way to pregnant mamas from there.
posted by tiger tiger at 1:55 PM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
I remember about five litters of kittens from my childhood--my family weren't irresponsible pet owners, they just always took in pregnant strays (and we always got them spayed as soon as possible!) Of those five litters, only a couple were relatively trouble-free. One mother, it turned out, had FeLV, and we had to watch her kittens die one by one. I was seven, and it was harrowing. In another litter, the mother got out of the house somehow and took off before the kittens were weaned. I don't remember bottle feeding or particular stinkiness, but I was a little kid and most likely oblivious to a lot of the stress and trouble they created. It is not, as people have pointed out above, unusual for one or more kittens in a litter to die--although particularly experienced fosterers who are really tuned in to signs of distress can sometimes save them.
I'm not trying to discourage you from fostering, because the world needs more fosterers! But if you go that route, you might consider starting out with a mother who already has kittens who are a few weeks old and working your way to pregnant mamas from there.
posted by tiger tiger at 1:55 PM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Mod note: One comment deleted. OP is trying to get good resources on how to care for a pregnant cat and then mother-cat-and-kittens; please stick to constructive helpful answers rather than giving OP a piece of your mind.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 3:25 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 3:25 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Definitely nthing the "foster a pregnant cat" suggestion, over any of the alternatives, but I share many of the same concerns vs. making sure everyone involved understands the possible level of effort this could involve.
If the goal here is really less about the cats qua cats, than about giving your children some sort of experience that involves the cats, perhaps you could work through a volunteer org and find someone else who is fostering a cat and wouldn't mind the kids being involved? I don't think you'd get the mixed reactions you're getting if you approached it that way, and they might be glad for the help providing the kids have been sufficiently prepped and know a bit about what they're doing. I could see that being pretty good all around!
I've known several friends who have done pregnant-female or kitten fosters and while it's been amazing to go over and visit them and help out with the kittens for a day or even a weekend, I've always thought that it seemed like a crushing amount of work, both physical and emotional, whenever something didn't go perfectly right (and it seems to never go perfectly right). Definitely something to assist with first before taking it on and being solely responsible for, IMO.
And yeah, I'd think judiciously about the downside risk of this "experience" and make sure everyone knows what's involved; the litters my friends have fostered have always seemed to have at least one or two kittens who didn't make it (maybe this is related to medical issues the mother cats had, not sure what's considered typical, but the vets apparently didn't think it was that odd), and the time I ended up digging tiny kitten graves in the back garden bothered me more than I cared to admit, and I was at that point an adult who had seen a fair bit of pointless death. Suum cuique pulchrum est, though.
posted by Kadin2048 at 3:33 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
If the goal here is really less about the cats qua cats, than about giving your children some sort of experience that involves the cats, perhaps you could work through a volunteer org and find someone else who is fostering a cat and wouldn't mind the kids being involved? I don't think you'd get the mixed reactions you're getting if you approached it that way, and they might be glad for the help providing the kids have been sufficiently prepped and know a bit about what they're doing. I could see that being pretty good all around!
I've known several friends who have done pregnant-female or kitten fosters and while it's been amazing to go over and visit them and help out with the kittens for a day or even a weekend, I've always thought that it seemed like a crushing amount of work, both physical and emotional, whenever something didn't go perfectly right (and it seems to never go perfectly right). Definitely something to assist with first before taking it on and being solely responsible for, IMO.
And yeah, I'd think judiciously about the downside risk of this "experience" and make sure everyone knows what's involved; the litters my friends have fostered have always seemed to have at least one or two kittens who didn't make it (maybe this is related to medical issues the mother cats had, not sure what's considered typical, but the vets apparently didn't think it was that odd), and the time I ended up digging tiny kitten graves in the back garden bothered me more than I cared to admit, and I was at that point an adult who had seen a fair bit of pointless death. Suum cuique pulchrum est, though.
posted by Kadin2048 at 3:33 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
the litters my friends have fostered have always seemed to have at least one or two kittens who didn't make it (maybe this is related to medical issues the mother cats had, not sure what's considered typical, but the vets apparently didn't think it was that odd)
I grew up with lots of cats--as I said, my family always took in strays--so I thought I knew a lot about cats, but once I started watching the foster kitten cams, I realized just how little I knew. One thing I hadn't realized is that since a litter of kittens may be conceived at different times by different fathers, often the "runt" is one that is literally underdeveloped--the last one conceived. So, sometimes the organs of that kitten are simply not developed enough to survive. And then of course there is also simply the issue of congenital malformations. Some kittens are born with conditions that they can outgrow, but it takes an experienced fosterer to coax them through those vulnerable early weeks. So, even if the mother cat is perfectly healthy, the kittens may not be. Also, even if you have a mama cat, if one or more kittens is underweight, you'll need to do supplementary feedings.
On the other hand, the last pregnant stray my mom took in had four babies, no issue with the labor or any of the kittens, everyone is perfectly healthy. It's not impossible, but you just don't know, and you need to be prepared that it won't be like that.
Again, like I said, I really do encourage fostering! I've just been really surprised to learn from fosterers what a commitment it is.
posted by tiger tiger at 3:47 PM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
I grew up with lots of cats--as I said, my family always took in strays--so I thought I knew a lot about cats, but once I started watching the foster kitten cams, I realized just how little I knew. One thing I hadn't realized is that since a litter of kittens may be conceived at different times by different fathers, often the "runt" is one that is literally underdeveloped--the last one conceived. So, sometimes the organs of that kitten are simply not developed enough to survive. And then of course there is also simply the issue of congenital malformations. Some kittens are born with conditions that they can outgrow, but it takes an experienced fosterer to coax them through those vulnerable early weeks. So, even if the mother cat is perfectly healthy, the kittens may not be. Also, even if you have a mama cat, if one or more kittens is underweight, you'll need to do supplementary feedings.
On the other hand, the last pregnant stray my mom took in had four babies, no issue with the labor or any of the kittens, everyone is perfectly healthy. It's not impossible, but you just don't know, and you need to be prepared that it won't be like that.
Again, like I said, I really do encourage fostering! I've just been really surprised to learn from fosterers what a commitment it is.
posted by tiger tiger at 3:47 PM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Oh, the poop. The endless, runny, revolting, immersive, nauseating, factual fact of the seemingly infinite fount of kitten and digestively-challenged mother cat poo. Oh, yes, littlewater, you have reminded me. I'm still glad I did it, but it was not for the faint.
posted by amtho at 3:02 AM on September 19, 2017
posted by amtho at 3:02 AM on September 19, 2017
Seconding sequence - I've attended more than my fair share of kitten births, and while most of them went fine, the ones that ended up with deformed or stillborn kittens are pretty hard to forget. So is the one where I didn't intervene with bottle-feeding soon enough and all four kittens died within 24 hours of birth. I'm not saying the good ones weren't amazing; just be prepared to get the kids out of the room if things start to go badly.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 5:18 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 5:18 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
On Youtube, Kitten Lady and Kitten Academy are great resources. Kitten Lady's videos are pretty frank and eye-opening about the amount of work that can be involved in raising kittens. Kitten Academy has a webcam, puts up a half-hour video pretty much every day, and also posts archived footage of kitten births as their own videos (such as here).
The KA people (a very cute married couple) frequently foster a pregnant cat, see them through the birth, and home the mom and babies until they're all ready to adopt out. This would be good for general information's sake, or for leads on pregnant cats if you're in the Illinois area, or you might find that the birth videos on their own are enough of a taste of this experience.
posted by jessicapierce at 10:49 PM on September 19, 2017
The KA people (a very cute married couple) frequently foster a pregnant cat, see them through the birth, and home the mom and babies until they're all ready to adopt out. This would be good for general information's sake, or for leads on pregnant cats if you're in the Illinois area, or you might find that the birth videos on their own are enough of a taste of this experience.
posted by jessicapierce at 10:49 PM on September 19, 2017
Response by poster: Thank you all for the feedback. I appreciate that having a cat give birth and raising kittens isn't always as simple a thing as I remember it being from my own childhood. We'll research fostering and start slowly.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 8:41 AM on September 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 8:41 AM on September 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you want to increase the odds of it going well: be careful about getting a mother cat from a recently-discovered feral colony. Sometimes they can start out with one or two cats, then the descendants breed with each other and with the mother... you can get some difficult congenital conditions.
If it's an established colony where everybody's been TNR'd, but one new mom shows up, it's probably OK.
posted by amtho at 4:50 AM on September 21, 2017
If it's an established colony where everybody's been TNR'd, but one new mom shows up, it's probably OK.
posted by amtho at 4:50 AM on September 21, 2017
I'm so glad to read you're looking into other options than breeding yourself. Someone I know decided to breed their dog to let their children experience the miracle. The short version is that the dog and all 5 puppies died. It was a nightmare and hugely distressing for them all.
posted by intergalacticvelvet at 2:41 AM on September 22, 2017
posted by intergalacticvelvet at 2:41 AM on September 22, 2017
« Older Seeking superior subterranean sleeper sofa | How do you add special effects to a video? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
I would recommend a Maine Coon - they're great family cats, the more "doglike" of cats - and they are always in demand.
posted by corb at 9:18 AM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]