how much work goes into breeding?

Hi. My one year old is in heat and she's driving me crazy. We're probably going to get her spayed but I was idly wondering how much trouble kittens are. I feel a bit cruel denying her the right to have babies even though I know spaying is the responsible thing to do.

Our hamsters recently had babies and what with the cannibalism and the fighting it was more stressful than fun. We can't afford to spend a lot of money at the vets either.

So I'd like to know how much work goes into kitten birthing and raising? I'm at home all day and I don't mind cleaning up pee and poo. I just don't know anything about it.

If you cant afford to spend a lot of money at the vet then don't let your cat have babies. You will have to get them their rounds of vaccinations and if something were to happen to the mother while delivering you will have to take her and the babies to the vet and that could be VERY expensive. Not to mention food and litter when they are older. Kittens are crazy too, they get into everything. I had fostered a litter and I kept them in a small room and they DISTROYED it. Even though they had plenty of toys and things to do.

Plus since you aren't a breeder and I am guessing the mother is just an average housecat, you do not know her background. There could be something genetically that she could pass to her babies and then when she has them, if they are sick, sometimes the mother will reject them. Then you have a few months worth of bottle feeding all the babies every TWO-FOUR hours all day and all night. You wil have no sleep and it will drive you crazy. Plus you can't just let her go mate with any old tomcat if you don't know anything about him. He could be diseased. You also couldn't let her mate with a registered breeder cat because she is just basically a mutt.

AND, you are not denying her of anything. Please please spay her and don't add to the overpopulation of cats. She will be so much happier if you do. If you would have done it before she went into her first heat, then it would have greatly reduced her chance of getting disease and cancer when she gets older. So do it ASAP, before she gets out and gets pregnant. She will do anything to get outside while in heat. If you let her outside when she is NOT in heat and she runs into a tomcat, they go into an induced heat and he WILL mate her. She can be seriously injured because some toms can be very rough.

And I know that you came on here for advice but the fact that you do not know anything about is the number one reason you should not let her have kittens. Breeders spend years and years researching the specific breeds they are interested in and learning their genetics. What you would be doing is called backyard breeding which is something we are all trying to put a stop to. A few people on here could not possibly teach you everything you need to know about breeding enough to go out and start on your own.

I don't know how it is in other countries but there may be low cost clinics around you. Search the internet or call an animal shelter near you and ask them if there are any. Also check the local papers in the pets section to see if any are advertised.

It is a lot of work to breed a cat. Breeding requires a lot of study and responsibility. All of which should be done before you have a queen. Breeding is not something to just jump into. Since you have a cat that is not a pedigree, please spay her. Especially since you do not currently have the money to afford a spay, affording kittens would be more expensive. Especially if something were to go wrong during the pregnancy and the cat needed a c-section. Or if the the kittens have health problems.

You're right. Sadly for her (maybe) she is probably a pedigree but uncertificated. We recently got her from someone else who said he got her from someone who was breeding pedigrees. We'll never know now so without documentation she might as well be an ordinary moggie.

I agree as well about over population. I see quite a lot of strays around here.

Good decision. And remember, even if you have the pedigree, that doesn't mean it is a breeding quality animal. I have the most gorgeous and kid friendly akita (dog), and she has papers, too. However, since her original owner bought her from a petshop, I know she is not breeding quality. Not to mention, I do not have the time or inclination to research a good stud, or the money to pay them stud fees!

While I love her dearly, and would have loved to have made some money on purebred pups, the wise decision is spay. (She is an old girl now, and has been spayed for years!)

Kittens are not a lot of work, IMHO, when everything goes well. If you would really enjoy helping to raise a litter, call your local rescue organizations, assuming they have them in Korea! They will be glad to have you foster a litter, and they generally cover the vet fees.

I have a pedigree Akita also, but male (neutered). He is a very pretty dog, senior now. He would not have been breeding quality since his ears did not stand up soon enough. I have to say it was adorable to see him run around with his floppy ears. They did stand up eventually it just took a few months longer than it should have.

But that is fine by our family, since breeding dogs is not something any of us has enough knowledge of breeding or the time.