Neutered Cats of Jazzmin Flower  

Zoe is very beautiful.

That's great your cats haven't had any kittens for the past 2 1/2 years.

I'm sorry, but what is half-neutered? And what is a low-estrous female?

And you mean he was neutered "only one month late" because he'd already mated? Because it is recommended that cats be spayed/neutered between four months and six months of age. Our vets recommend they be spayed/neutered as soon as their first baby teeth fall out, though early spay-neutering (as young as 7 weeks or when they weigh over 2 pounds) is safe, does not affect development, lowers the risk of some diseases, and is now a common practice. Winn Feline Foundation Report on Early Age Altering

Oh Zoe is so beautiful with different color eyes. All your kitties are wonderful.

Yes, spay and neuter....words to live by!

Good Grief!!! What in the world is a half-neuter? I have never in my life heard of a vet performing a half-neuter or even know of a vet that would do that, I am curious about this?? Why would any vet remove just one testicle, what is the purpose of that operation... Has anyone else ever heard of this type of procedure?

Your cat Zoe is such a gorgeous boy! I love odd-eyed white cats, just stunnig.

Pretty kitties. But I'm a bit lost here.. are you actually breeding moggies on purpose or did I understand something wrong? And I have to join the others who are wondering what 'half-neutered' is?

Wow you've got a lot of beautiful cats

How many cats do you have at the moment?

The terms "half neuter" and "low estrus " are unfamiliar to me. Could you explain them?

You live in California, but I'm wondering if you are from another country or culture? I wonder that because of some of the unusual things you say.

And that would partially explain why you don't know about the sea otters who live off the coast of California, and always have (refers to comment in another thread).


Robin

my vet would laugh me out of the place if i asked him to only half neuter my cat

Honestly, Jazzmin, I'm speechless.

You've complained in other threads about how members of this site have "boxed your ears" over the spaying/neutering issue.

But if you willingly let your males stud, you are intentionally "back yard" breeding mixed breed cats, and this is just unconscionable.

You say in the same breath that it's not to "your purpose," but to remove one testicle is your idea, "so the risk of making too many is greatly reduced."

ANY kittens intentionally bred of mixed breed cats is too many!
Further, the point of sterilizing is also to prevent unintentional breeding.

And "low estrous" females also need to be spayed!

There is no reason on earth why it should take "a few years" to get all of your cats sterilized.

You have many cats, but there are so many low-cost programs in your area, it shouldn't be a problem to get them all sterilized.

I actually spoke to my vet about this. He's of the opinion that unless it's done for a medical reason to a pure bred cat (in an intentional breeding program), it's unethical. He additionally said, "no vet in their right mind would do this."

TBH IMO i find ths member unethical if this is the process shes carrying out with her cats and telling people its a good thing to do

Jazzmin, l've moved your thread over because of the advice on your cats which l think is important after reading it. Please understand that no one is jumping on you, their trying to help you.

You may have already been shown this rule already, but here is a reminder of what you signed up for.

2. Please make sure to spay and neuter your cats. Unless you are a professional breeder and your cat is part of a professional breeding program, please educate yourself to the importance of spaying and neutering by the time your cat is 4-6 months old. If you take care of a feral colony, please make sure to do so responsibly by practicing TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) protocols within the colony. By spaying and neutering, you enhance a cat's quality of life and improve their longterm health. You are also proving your love for cats because in acting as a responsible pet owner/caregiver you are minimizing the problem of cat overpopulation.

The first thing in my mind was that this must be a bad joke..

But if the OP is not a troll, I don't think I can say anything which wouldn't be offensive one way or another (I lack the ability to sugar coat things 'cause my english sucks).
And half neutering..? Seriously? Why would you do something like that if you can do a proper neutering with the same effort (or probably easier)? I also have hard time believing that it would work because males do 'it' more than once to a female and you can't decide how many kittens you'll get whether the stud has one or two testicles (cryptorchid males for example). Well, some breeds tend to have smaller litters but with moggies you can't really tell.

Another thing: What are these cats tested for before they are let to breed or given to someone who will let them breed? Without knowing their lines way back, you can't possibly know much about their conditions. If you can't afford to spay and neuter but can afford to let them breed, I see an issue. Because to me that means it's very unlikely that you "could afford" to test them from everything (FeLV, FIV, bloodgroups, PKD, HCM, PRA, GM1/GM2 etc.)

Please do correct me if I've misunderstood the whole thing.

aside from the absurdity of half-neutering, that cat looks unhealthy. His fur is nappy, he is very skinny, to be honest, he looks like my leukemia cats do when they start to get sick and stop eating and grooming themselves.

To be honest, I'm speechless, I'm sorry but I will be incredibly honest, you seem to have a lot of cats who are "half nuetered" and to be honest I don't think you can care for them that much. You must have money to do this procedure and then get them fully neutered/spayed as I know here if I asked for a strange request like that from my vet it would be every expensive, if they would do it at all but I think they would not due to ethical reasons.
Please think of the implications and health/welfare of your cats and unless you are in a proper breeding programme then I don't understand this at all. I don't think that having one testicle is that much different to having two as sperm is not produced in the testicles.x

I've been following this thread wanting to find out what "half neuter" and "low estrus" are. Now that you've explained it, I would say that at the very least you need some serious education.

The number of kittens produced has no relationship to the number of testicles. There is a relationship to the number of times a cat is mated. It can and does happen that kittens in a single litter will have several different fathers. How are you preventing the intact males from mating with the females? Are they totally separated? Confined?

"Low estrus", as you describe it, is essentially meaningless. Cats can have silent heats, which means that while you may only observe them in heat twice a year, it could be happening much more frequently. In addition, a cat does not have to be in heat to become pregnant. Ovulation is stimulated by the physical act of mating, and intact males don't necessarily wait for a female to be in heat.

You mentioned the cats going to their new owners. Are you running a rescue and adopting out cats? Are you intentionally breeding your cats and selling the kittens? Are you prepared to take on the financial responsibility the first time one of those new owners comes back to you with, "You told me I would get only one or two kittens and my cat just had eight!"?

I am outraged by your response Jazzmin. I contacted two shelters, my trusted vet, and veterinarian specialist located in Chicago, IL. NONE of these practices would ever even consider removing one nesticle (as you say, it should be testicle) on a cat. This is outrageous and I am very concerned for the cats in your care. Part of my intellect tells me you are just on our site to create drama as this is not reality in the least and not in the best interest of cats. PERIOD. I have contacted some rescues in California that would be willing to assist you in any way with getting your cats fixed. We are all concerned for the cats here and I have to wonder if you are of sound mind to care for as many cats as you have and have the financial backing. This is most bizarre to me and now I want to reach out to you and assist you anyway I can, if only for the health of the cats.

Just asked a doctor to confirm if the number of testicles have any relation to the ability to reproduce. I got laughed at.
Yes, as others have mentioned, there is no corelation. Also for how long are you able to monitor your females to determine they are low estrus because by the time you determine that they may have had multiple litters.
I am new to cats but I am stunned at someone with the number of cats that you have (OP) can be so so ignorant. You must be really really wealthy to be able to provide the great care you portray you are providing to your kitties. I do not know your situation and I may be completely wrong, but from your posts and the pictures (where you can see the background of what I presume is your house) I cannot but feel sorry about the situation. There are just too many cats and too many ignorant people in this world to do justice to them. At times you have mentioned that your cats have been seized from you and I applaud the people who have done that. Again, we all here may be getting the wrong idea about you but through your posts you do not come across as someone who is very knowledgeable or responsible.

I saw this thread earlier today, but I purposely chose not to respond. I've read your other threads and, again, opted not to respond. Why? Well, there are a couple of different reasons.

#1 - I am not sure if you're being honest and straight-forward or if you're taking us all for a ride. Part of me wonders whether you're enjoying the attention you are receiving. After all, you're posting threads and information that is ludicrous by most any standard. And, you're choosing the grandstand this nonsense on a forum populated by dedicated animal lovers and advocates. If this is the case, I am disgusted. But, I'll post more on that in just a bit.

#2 - I haven't felt as though I could post because I haven't felt as though I had anything nice to say. And, I was raised to hold my tongue unless I had something positive to speak of. Of what I've read, I have NOTHING positive to say. And, that's sad. I try to see the good in people and, in situations where there is ignorance or naivety , I try to offer suggestions or snippets of my own personal experiences. But, I've read comment after comment of individuals posting advice, suggestions, or experience -- nothing anyone says seems to make a difference. In short, I see these threads as a waste of time and energy.

Now, for the main reason for my posting. I feel very, VERY strongly that the cats in your care need to be removed. I don't know whether you're a hoarder, a backyard breeder, plainly ignorant, or suffering from an emotional or mental illness. But, the care of your cats has been called into question. Not only by members here, but by the fact that you've posted such things on a public forum. The number of cats you have coupled with your attitude and the information you've shared has made me concerned greatly for their welfare. I work at a veterinary clinic and there is no such thing as half-neutered. If it is determined that a male has both testicles, but is cryptorchid, neutering is still done. In these cases, an abdominal incision is made. Half-neutering a pet is nonsense. And, no vet would consider such a practice. The illnesses your cats have suffered from are also very concerning. I do not believe testing is being done on these cats. Nor do I think they are getting any preventative care such as vaccinations, de-worming, or the like. To me, you sound like a hoarder. And, if that's not the case, your intent to breed is all the more disturbing. The pictures I've seen reveal cats with unkempt appearances and who are very thin. Your own posts have stated that you have cats with fur loss and other ailments. These cats should be seized and taken into custody by an animal welfare group or shelter. I can give you the benefit of the doubt, but I don't believe that you are in your right mind when it comes to the cats under your (questionable) care.

Everything I have read has made me want to do something, ANYTHING, to help these cats. The situation, as is, is disgusting. And, your behavior here can certainly be qualified as odd. It's like you see this as a game and we're all pawns for your entertainment. Well, not so. If you're serious about what you've shared and truly care for these cats, you will get honest -- not only with us, but with yourself. I find it hard to believe what you've written and, thus, I feel as though you're taking advantage of us all. It's inappropriate at best. My only hope is that this is a catalyst toward getting these cats out of a potentially dangerous environment and into a safe place where their needs can be met.

I'm not normally so blunt. But, nothing else, in my opinion, will get through to you. Please seek help...for both yourself...and for your cats. Perhaps I am "boxing your ears," but I'd rather have one less friend than see cats or other animals in danger.

I believe you are living by your own rules that are inherently dangerous to your cats. Your cats do not look healthy by any stretch of the imagination which leads me to believe that none of them are even half-neutered- they are just breeding randomly with you giving no thought to what they might be catching along the way. You probably are just the type of folk who "just love little kitties to death." And unfortunately probably have had many who have died that you won't admit to.

I feel sorry for your cats for having to deal with your world on your terms. They deserve to not have to deal with the stress of labor, the anxiety of mating and not being vaccinated would also have to deal with the disease and inbreeding this is causing.

Removing one testicle does absolutely nothing except put money in the pocket of whatever vet you've found who is actually willing to do this unorthodox procedure.

If you think that removing one testicle decreases the number of offspring the female can have, I'm a little concerned about your beliefs on human reproduction...

One male can make in one testicle in one day enough sperm to populate the world. . ."half-neutering" is the oddest thing I've ever heard of. It certainly won't make fewer kittens, it won't prevent objectionable male behaviors or odors, and there is no reason to take the risk of putting a cat under anesthetic if you aren't doing anything useful. Any vet who would take someone's money for that should lose his license.

Besides that, if your cats are going to new homes, they should be fully neutered anyway. This will make it more likely that their new owners will be happy with them and they'll stay in their new home (less chance of spraying), and there's no reason for their new owners (or anyone!) to be breeding moggies, accidentally or on purpose (even if they are good-looking). There are plenty of cats to go around already, we don't need more of them being created!

I can hardly object to people having a lot of cats (having 20 myself. . .), but I do firmly believe that they all need to spayed and neutered (fully!), have at least their kitten shots, be kept as flea-free as possible, fed a reasonably decent food, and be de-wormed on a regular basis, besides keeping a reasonable level of cleanliness. If that minimum of care cannot be maintained, then that means that person has too many cats to care for properly and something should be done to remove them from that home.

I have had several of my cats spayed/neutered at a low-cost clinic. They do fine work, and also do vaccinations and testing (not all clinics do all that but it's not rare). If I can find a low-cost clinic out here in the boonies, I'm sure you can find one in California. As stated before, the other CA members here can find a low-cost program for you if you're having trouble finding a suitable place.

If I hadn't been able to find a low-cost option, I would have kept the males and females separate and had one done at a time as I saved up the money---I probably could afford to do one a month. Slow progress is still progress! Even if money is tight, there's always something we could cut back on in order to save up for something.

It's great that you've managed to keep your females away from the males for so long, it's really not something that can be maintained long-term. Sooner or later a male will get to the females and father a few litters. Plus, if females cycle too long without breeding, they are almost certain to get pyo or another reproductive problem (even if they are "low-estrus". . .maybe more so. Low estrus isn't normal and could signal the beginnings of some health issues). Spaying them is for their own benefit.

I do have to agree that Foxtail doesn't look terribly healthy . Perhaps you can have your vet look him over. He seems to have a runny nose and his fur looks like he hasn't been grooming himself (many cats stop grooming when they're sick). He also seems to have a herpes infection in his eyes (which is very common, especially in multi-cat homes). . .l-lysine powder is very good for this. You can buy a nice big bottle of it from Amazon for less than $20. It's done wonders for my cats.

I counted 44! Is that all of them or do you have more than that who aren't neutered or spayed/low-estrus? I may catch up someday .

I find all of this DEEPLY disturbing... If I could somehow take this cats out of your home I would do it in a heartbeat!!! Sounds like to me you need more help then the cats do!!!

Your cats look like my leukemia positive ones who are about to die or be PTS.
Seriously, Attitude looked better than that when I had her put to sleep. Once they start looking like that is about the time I start considering their quality of life.

I hope you are full of it because if not then someone needs to take your cats because you have issues. I just hope whoever takes them is willing to deal with sick cats and ones who might be FeLV+ because I think that is what they are going to end up with.

Taryn