Male kittens trying to mate with mom and sister, need advice!

hauntedkat

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Last July we took in a homeless cat that had taken a liking to me. She seemed to be around 4 or 5 months when she first came around in May (2015) when my husband finally let me bring her in for good she about 8 months old. It was very clear to me that she was pregnant and on August 8th 2015 she gave birth to four kittens. One died after two weeks (she wouldn't feed on mom or bottle and was blind by the time she passed). So we now have two girls, (mom and sister) and two boys. Both boys are trying to mate with Mom and their sister. So I have a few questions; why do they mate with their own mother and sibling? Is it just instinct to breed? If mom did become pregnant before I realized what was happening (I keep them separated now) can it effect the health of the kittens (deformities, health issues and so on?) Mom's labor was hard on her with these kittens. She ran under my bed while the first one was half way out and she started jumping up and down, resulting in two broken legs on the kitten. He's perfect now though! The last thing I want is a tough labor for my baby ( that's her name) So my last question is, does anyone know of a clinic that will fix cats for a small donation or anything like that near Worcester MA? I live in a secluded area next to a beautiful small lake and would love for my cats to be able to run and play outside, not be stuck inside all the time. But I refuse to allow it until the are fixed. The girls could become pregnant and the boys could mate with other cats. We have strays in the area, which leads to more strays. We can't afford the cost of fixing all four right now. Our oldest was just accepted into a very expensive private school and we don't qualify for funding. We never intended on having four cats but I couldn't leave a pregnant cat to live in the street. Any advice will be appreciated. Again, I'm in the Worcester MA. area and need a clinic that will fix all four for a donation. Thank you so much for reading this whole thing!!!!!!
 

talkingpeanut

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Oh, yikes. Yes, cats do not discriminate against mating with mothers, sisters, etc. It is very likely that both of your females are pregnant. You are right that this poses serious risks for the babies, for both litters. Also a serious risk to the sister because she's young, and to the mom because she's already had a difficult labor and delivery.

I would highly recommend that you spay both females now and end the pregnancies, if they are pregnant. Two litters of kittens are far more expensive than a spay, especially if there are emergencies.

Call your local shelters and aspcas. They will have low cost options, but you need to act quickly.
 
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Willowy

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Even if you have to pay full price, 2 spays will be a lot cheaper than raising kittens! Even if you have to borrow the money, it would be a wise investment. You'll also want to neuter the males before they start spraying, usually around 8-9 months old. Removing the odor of tomcat spray is also expensive :eek:. Hopefully you'll be able to find a good low-cost option. But if not, it would be the wiser financial decision to have it done no matter what.

Yeah, cats don't have any problem with mating with close relatives. One female is as good as the next, as far as they're concerned. In "the wild", the dominant tomcat would chase all the young males off at a certain age, so that prevents some inbreeding. But a lot of feral populations end up with a fair amount of inbreeding anyway.
 
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