I've come to the right place

I tried getting advice at a forum I go to for a different reason. We have an off topic "coffee chat" where we mostly talk, and are good friends. I go there for cat advice and the only advice I get is "get her spayed! ASAP!" I find it offensive and condescending because it is my choice. I don't find my cat in heat, or having kittens a burden. So long as I am responsible and take care of their best interests. Which I do.

So hurray! I will be happy here to talk about my extended cat family. I got Spooky back in February. She was 6 months old. She's the absolute most wonderful cat. Very placid, unique qualities, and established personality.

She had two kittens in september. I fell in love with them before they were born. When they were inside her I would come home from work and Spooky would jump in to my lap and I would put my hand on her side and feel the little things squirming around. She had the kittens between my split shift at work, between 12 and 4pm. (I was a little late for my evening shift, just to make sure the birth went okay). Luckily, even though my boyfriend pretended not to care through the entire ordeal, when I called that night for a ride home I asked how Spook was doing, and he admitted to have been ogling the cats since I left.

We kept both of them, Eleanor is a black tabby (like her grandmother) and Annabelle is an olive tabby (like her suspected daddy).

I'll keep you apprised on the new kittens hopefully arriving soon.

I tried getting advice at a forum I go to for a different reason. We have an off topic "coffee chat" where we mostly talk, and are good friends. I go there for cat advice and the only advice I get is "get her spayed! ASAP!" I find it offensive and condescending because it is my choice. I don't find my cat in heat, or having kittens a burden. So long as I am responsible and take care of their best interests. Which I do.

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Lor...welcome.....however, I do want to make you aware that here on the cat site, we do advocate spaying of non-pedigreed cats. So we will certainly help you with this recent pregnancy, but we will recommend that you have your cat spayed once this litter is weaned:

As a general rule, TCS is primarily concerned with cat welfare. Because of our strong committment to responsible cat care and treatment, we do promote and strongly encourage a pro-spay/neuter policy here. Unless you are an experienced, responsible, ethical breeder of pedigreed cats, we do not advocate breeding.

We certainly welcome the chance to get to know your extended family.

Katie

Welcome to TCS! I think you'll find that we are a very warm and close group of people.

I assume your cat is able to conceive kittens because she is allowed outside. While that may seem like a very good and certainly idyllic idea, I would strongly reccommend that your babies be kept inside only. Responsible guardians can and have been more than able to create a stimulating and exciting environment inside the home using toys, high climbing surfaces, window perches, hidey holes, etc. I would just hate to hear about another TCS cat being mangled, maimed or poisoned because they ventured into danger! These dangers include (but are certainly not limited to) cars, natural predators, stray/wild dogs, poisons of various sorts, and generally malicious people. In large metropolitian areas, pet theft for bunching and dog fight baiting are also on the rise.

As far as spaying, we certainly advocate that. Again, it is in the best interest of the cat. Heat cycles are not only difficult for you (even though you deal with them) but they are horribly maddening for the cat. Professional breeders are able to very specifically control and monitor these things, so unless you are or are under the tutelage of a professional breeder, I would move to spare your cat from not only the heat cycles, but also the very real danger of pyometria and ovarian and mammery cancers, which are sadly on the rise in the feline populace.

Hi welcome to TCS!

Hi & welcome to TCS Katie & Allie have definitely voiced the overwhelming opinion of this site. Like Katie said, this site is devoted to cat welfare first and foremost. It isn't meant to be a criticism, it is what has been proven to be best for the cats.

That being said, I hope you stay around & get to know everyone!

Hola y bienvenido a TCS!..
(Translate: Hi and Welcome to TCS!!!... ..)

See you on the forums!

I feel so silly for getting off on the wrong foot here. I have just been to so many cat places that wouldn't answer my question. They would just lecture me on the importance of spaying my cats. Which I understand. But with all these girls now, it got really expensive. There is a shelter in the annapolis valley (I am from nova scotia), that does it for a really good price and it was the plan to drive up there in this summer when the weather got nice, drop the kitties off (because they would all be old enough by then) and spend a couple days with my aunt and uncle who live up that way.

Here, I got lectured, but at the same time my question wasn't disregarged right away. I got some good answers.

Originally Posted by LorEye

I feel so silly for getting off on the wrong foot here. I have just been to so many cat places that wouldn't answer my question. They would just lecture me on the importance of spaying my cats. Which I understand. But with all these girls now, it got really expensive. There is a shelter in the annapolis valley (I am from nova scotia), that does it for a really good price and it was the plan to drive up there in this summer when the weather got nice, drop the kitties off (because they would all be old enough by then) and spend a couple days with my aunt and uncle who live up that way.

Here, I got lectured, but at the same time my question wasn't disregarged right away. I got some good answers.

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Lor....I completely understand how expensive spaying can be...and let me say, I commend you for neutering your males so as to not get any other cats pregnant. If there is anything we can do as far as suggestions go to find a low cost spay clinic, let us know. I'm not sure how many other posters from your neck of the woods we have here...but sometimes, other cat owners know of inexpensive spay clinics or vets who give a deep discount. The right forum to ask about that would be the SOS forum.

Right now...I would plan to keep all the females indoors only and away from any intact males until they have been (here comes that word again) spayed or you have taken them to a place where they can get the surgery done. Again, if you need suggestions on how to keep these cats happy but seperated indoors, we can help you there as well.

Katie

Everyone else has said what I would about the spay / indoor cat thing so I won't lecture, but as much as we may say spay them, we won't complain about lots and lots of kitten pics

Hello

and welcome to TCS!!!

Welcome to the site!

Welcome to the insanity!

Happy headbuts and warm welcome licks from KittenKiya's Clan.

everything has been said already so I will just say - Welcome to TheCatSite

Hi there

we're so happy to welcome you and your kitties to TCS. I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay with us - we're one great big family and you'll find loads of friends here. If I can help at all while you're finding your way around TCS just click on my username and send me a Personal Message - I'll do what I can to answer your questions

Everything on the spaying issue has already been said - I hope that you stick around and continue to be a part of our family.

Welcome to TCS

Hi there I am a newcomer as well - nice to have plenty of folks to talk cat with!!!

Dear LorEye and Family:

Welcome (again) and I won't reiterate what posters have already said by way of explaining why we advocate spay/neuter; but we welcome you and hope you will enjoy it here, on this site which is dedicated first and foremost to the love of cats!

Hi and welcome to TCS!