Q: Abort vs. carry to term?

[Grant Sachs]

Hey everyone!

My neighbor let my cat out and she got pregnant

I've fostered kittens before but they were already 6-8 weeks old which is obviously very different than raising newborns with the mom.

The vet has offered to spay her this Friday, which is 25 days after conception. She's already pinking up and had (what seems like) some spotting yesterday.

I'm conflicted about spay-aborting versus letting her take them to term. She's a healthy, 2 year old cat. I'm fairly certain I know the tomcat who is a very healthy looking orange tabby in the area. This is her first pregnancy (and last lol)

My main questions lie around: What is the risk level of carrying to term? What is the risk level of spaying that far along into the term? How much more (or less) work is it to raise kittens with the mom vs. five 6-8 week old kittens? How many kittens should I expect?

Trying to determine the right course of action here, thanks!!

 

[Sarthur2]

I think you should get her spayed. She’s not that far along. I’m against it when they are heavily pregnant but you’re not there yet.

As cute as kittens are, they are a lot of work and cost loads of money (food, litter, kitten formula, worming, vaccines, spay/neuter), and it takes effort to find good homes. You’d still need to spay your cat eventually, not to mention vet bills if mom needs a C-section or any kittens get sick or have problems.

There are so many kittens (with or without moms) who need fostering during kitten season, but the ultimate decision is up to you. Let us know what you decide!

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Back in the early 80s Abbey arrived in our back yard, heavily pregnant. We were in no position to keep her kittens (we already had two cats) nor the know how to care for them. Our vet aborted them and of course spayed her at the same time. We didn't like doing it but had no choice, and Abbey lived a long healthy life with us.

 

[Kflowers]

A good long time ago, we ended up with three pregnant cats. That was back when vets didn't think males could manage it before they were a year old. They did. We had hints - tom cats hanging around the doors, so we took them to the vet confirmed. Since we had very little money, and no friends who wanted kittens, we had all three spayed, and shortly after that the boys got fixed too. There didn't seem to be any problem with the spaying, they were up and running around as soon as they got home from the vet, no pain meds sent back with them. Everything normal. None of them grieved the loss of the kittens so it may have been too early for them to have connected. There were no problems from it.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

I have to agree with everything mentioned above. Kittens while absolutely adorable, require a lot of attention and they do cost a lot of money, amd there is a severe overpopulation of cats which is so unfortunate.
I would spay/abort she is still early enough in her pregnancy.

The next paragraph explains why I am pro spay abort as long as the mother cat isn't too far along

《《"First, aborting a cat’s pregnancy prevents more kittens from entering foster homes, shelters, and rescues that are already overcapacity. This gives cats already in the system more time to find their forever homes instead of being euthanized."》》

《《"Regardless of the arguments against spaying pregnant cats, the procedure is often successful and considered safe. The only difference from normal spaying surgeries is the presence of fetal kittens."》》

I got these two paragraphs from the site below

Can You Spay a Pregnant Cat? Vet-Reviewed Potential Risks | Hepper

Spaying a pregnant cat may seem wrong but there are some advantages when it comes to feral cats. Find out the pros and cons of spaying a pregnant cat here...

www.hepper.com

 

[mani]

This article lists all the complications that can arise from pregnancy. I do think spaying outweighs the potential for these occurring.

How To Save Your Cat From These 16 Life-Threatening Pregnancy Risks - TheCatSite

Discover the 16 pregnancy risks for cats and how to prevent them. Spaying your cat can save her life and ensure a healthy, happy pet.

thecatsite.com

Then there's bringing kittens into a world where there are so many, and all the work and expense that they entail.

 

[iPappy]

I personally would examine my finances, my lifestyle, and if I feel I could find good homes for them. I'd ask the vet to do an x-ray and see how many kittens they see. And take it from there.

 

[Willowy]

I'd ask the vet to do an x-ray and see how many kittens they see. And take it from there.

Kittens can't be seen on x-ray until 42 days gestation.

Yeah at this point I'd spay/abort. If she were further along I'd say let her have them but she's still early.

You can foster a litter if you have a hankering for raising kittens.

 

[emocatowner]

I went through something similar, was reluctant to spay abort, momma ended up needing an emergency c-section in the middle of the night, only one kitten survived, momma wanted nothing to do with him, we bottle fed him for 2 weeks, he was thriving, but then he suddenly died. I had a thread on here a few months ago as this was happening.

Still, I will try to paint an objective picture here, for you to make an informed decision:

There are indeed more risks with spay-aborting compared to just spaying, the incision will need to be bigger, there is a higher chance of a bleed happening, etc. But as long as you take her to a good clinic, the risk is minimal. Bonus if you find one with a blood bank, it could help if you draw the one in a million unlucky straw. It might cost a bit more than a simple spay, but it'll be relatively cheap.

There can be many complications with pregnancy. The main questions to ask yourself are whether you are in a position to give her the care she might need, if these complications arise.

First of all, will you be able to monitor her before pregnancy? Ideally, you'd do an ultrasound to ensure the kittens are developing ok, and work closely with a vet during this process. Is your kitty willing to put up with it? My gal is semi-feral, so the vet said the risk of stressing her out to run these tests is too big, and giving her a sedative could harm the kittens. Is your cat the kind of friendly cat that can sit for 20 mins to get an ultrasound without a sedative?

Then, will you be able to monitor her during labor? Cats often give birth in the middle of the night. Most of the time, you go to sleep and wake up to kittens! Sometimes, you go to sleep and wake up to a dead cat. Are you willing and able to potentially stay up with her to monitor her when it's close to the due date, so you can potentially rush her to the hospital? Do you have time to read about the signs to look out for, when to call a vet etc?

If something bad does happen, can you afford to pay for an emergency c-section? That stuff is crazy expensive, think thousands of $

If momma takes care of them, it isn't much work, make sure she's ok, weigh the kittens a couple times a day to make sure they're ok, etc. But if momma ends up rejecting the kittens, or not producing enough milk, are you willing and able to feed the kittens every 2 hours, including at night? Do you have time to read up on how to care for a neonate? It's an extremely rewarding experience, I loved every second of it, and I signed up to foster because of my little guy, but it is very time consuming, stressful, and the mortality rate is crazy high, even if you do everything right.

Finally, what are the plans with the kittens? Can you afford to get them all neutered and vaccinated? How is the shelter situation in your area, is there a good chance you will find a home for them, or might you get stuck with them long-term? First time moms usually only have 2-3 kittens, but there can be more, the record is 19 kittens.

I asked myself all these questions beforehand. I was able to afford emergencies and getting all the kittens neutered and vaccinated. Me and my bf work from home and we took turns sleeping so someone would be up to keep an eye on her at all times, and later on to care for the kitten. And we ended up with a very expensive bill and no kittens. For a few hours, I thought I might lose my gal too. Was it worth it? Should I have spay aborted? In the end, I gave 2 weeks of love to the most amazing kitten ever, and it inspired me to foster, so I don't regret a thing, though I think if I ever end up in a similar situation, I'll spay abort.

 

[sventicles]

I personally would examine my finances, my lifestyle, and if I feel I could find good homes for them. I'd ask the vet to do an x-ray and see how many kittens they see. And take it from there.

Please do not ask for unnecessary X-rays. If you are thinking of having the kittens, you're just giving them a huge dose of radiation. Radiation has a cumulative effect that can end in grisly cancer.

Your vet can palpate and get a good estimate on how many kittens are in the litter.

I am NOT on the side of "aborting" 25 day old kitten fetuses. They absolutely will feel pain and suffer. You are essentially paying the vet to euthanize them for you. I don't think euthanization is inherently wrong, but it wouldn't be my choice in this situation.

People like to talk about how many cats aren't homed, but your cats are different. People do not have healthy pet quality animals simply having kittens like they used to, and the cities were not completely inundated with family pets fifty years ago, despite what hysterical people from "rescues" try to charge you $300 for an eleven month old "kitten" will scream at you.

Do spay your cat as soon as possible after the litter, but also try to enjoy it. It's pretty magical. Her litter will almost certainly be small, and I doubt you will have issues giving them away. If nothing else, please spay your cat to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer in the future. Don't forget to post pics.

 

[Norachan]

People like to talk about how many cats aren't homed, but your cats are different. People do not have healthy pet quality animals simply having kittens like they used to, and the cities were not completely inundated with family pets fifty years ago, despite what hysterical people from "rescues" try to charge you $300 for an eleven month old "kitten" will scream at you.

Yet unfortunately many rescues are completely inundated with unwanted cats and kittens. The numbers have been slowly declining, but there are still around 1.4 million cats euthanized in the US every year, which is more than 40% of those taken in by shelters.

Statistics - National Kitten Coalition.

Kittens under 12 months of age do stand a better chance of being adopted than older cats, but when shelters take in the annual glut of unwanted kittens every year they often have to euthanise older cats who are already in the shelter in order to make room for the new ones.

What's more, the $300 that animal rescues require as a rehoming fee is completely reasonable. Rescues have to meet the costs of feeding all the animals in their care while they wait for someone to adopt them. They have to pay the medical costs of treating sick animals that are brought in before they can be put up for adoption. They need to have the animals blood tested, vaccinated, spayed and neutered. None of this is cheap, $300 barely covers the costs of caring for a kitten while it is in a shelter and making sure it's ready to go to a new home. Charging a rehoming fee also goes some way to ensuring that the new care givers are serious about adopting a pet for life, and not just taking home a free kitten on a whim.

I doubt you will have issues giving them away

One should never "give away" a cat or kitten. It's extremely irresponsible.

"Kittens To Good Homes" - How To Find A Good Forever Home For Your Kittens - TheCatSite

 

[IndyJones]

Yet unfortunately many rescues are completely inundated with unwanted cats and kittens. The numbers have been slowly declining, but there are still around 1.4 million cats euthanized in the US every year, which is more than 40% of those taken in by shelters.

Statistics - National Kitten Coalition.

Kittens under 12 months of age do stand a better chance of being adopted than older cats, but when shelters take in the annual glut of unwanted kittens every year they often have to euthanise older cats who are already in the shelter in order to make room for the new ones.

What's more, the $300 that animal rescues require as a rehoming fee is completely reasonable. Rescues have to meet the costs of feeding all the animals in their care while they wait for someone to adopt them. They have to pay the medical costs of treating sick animals that are brought in before they can be put up for adoption. They need to have the animals blood tested, vaccinated, spayed and neutered. None of this is cheap, $300 barely covers the costs of caring for a kitten while it is in a shelter and making sure it's ready to go to a new home. Charging a rehoming fee also goes some way to ensuring that the new care givers are serious about adopting a pet for life, and not just taking home a free kitten on a whim.



One should never "give away" a cat or kitten. It's extremely irresponsible.

"Kittens To Good Homes" - How To Find A Good Forever Home For Your Kittens - TheCatSite

I completly agree, cats are not humans, they frequently loose litters in the wild without feeling anything (except the call of nature again).

It is a viscious cycle and a single unaltered female amd her offsprong can produce over 400 000 offspring in her lifetime.

And yes never give away kittens unless you know the person (relitive etc) some peoplle seek out the adds to sell kittens off to labs for experimenting on. Or worse.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

What's more, the $300 that animal rescues require as a rehoming fee is completely reasonable. Rescues have to meet the costs of feeding all the animals in their care while they wait for someone to adopt them. They have to pay the medical costs of treating sick animals that are brought in before they can be put up for adoption. They need to have the animals blood tested, vaccinated, spayed and neutered. None of this is cheap, $300 barely covers the costs of caring for a kitten while it is in a shelter and making sure it's ready to go to a new home. Charging a rehoming fee also goes some way to ensuring that the new care givers are serious about adopting a pet for life, and not just taking home a free kitten on a whim.

Holy moley guacamole.. 300 is a little bit.. I understand 100% why it would be that much though everything you mentioned makes everything add up, and it adds up quick.
I guess I got lucky where we live our local shelter tests for felv and fiv, vaccinate and deworm them and spay neuter.. and it was 68$ to bring Gabby home with everything included.
So we got our girl home. Then the next day we went back and donated 100 and we had also gotten a list of things they needed and went to the store got them food and puppy pads, and litter that we also dropped off.. we wanted to help them out as much as we could. All together the donations wound up being around 500 which is nothing even then because it goes so fast.. I volunteer there at least once a week just trying to help.. But it will never be enough
The shelters are completely overrun and it is sad..

 

[silent meowlook]

All the rescues in my area are full. So full that the Humane society has been releasing cats back to where they were picked up from. Animal control is full as well and only taking injured, which they put to sleep. This is tame stray cats. The feral numbers are much worse. People have been finding newborns everywhere, and in poor shape.

With the shelters and animal-control and rescues full, people regime their cats for free on Craigslist and Facebook.

There was a horrible thing that happened and I won’t go into details because I read the news piece and was never the same. Anyway the cats were all obtained from ads for free cats on Facebook and Craigslist. Two were obtained from the humane society. So much for screening.

There are fates so much worse than death. You never know what happens to all the unwanted cats. The overpopulation problem is just as bad as it ever was.

Ask yourself if you can financially afford for your cat to have kittens and then pay for the kittens vaccines and kitten care and spay and neuter them. Also ask yourself if you are situated to be able to home up to ten kittens as kittens and as adults when they grow up. If not, where will they go?

If it was me, I would have her spayed and aborted. I would feel bad about it but not as bad as I would adding additional kittens into an already flooded population.

 

[Kflowers]

If you say you are going to keep the kittens because you can, then for every litter you keep, that many cats that you could have adopted are put to sleep in the shelters. There is no way to avoid that many being put to sleep. All you can do when you abort and spay is limit the amount of suffering for them.

 

[Sarthur2]

Hello, Grant Sachs — what did you decide to do? We are here to support you regardless!

 

[Grant Sachs]

Hello, Grant Sachs — what did you decide to do? We are here to support you regardless!

Hi everyone,

yesterday, I took poppy in and asked the vet about it. He said the likelihood of any complications was pretty low and told me that it was completely up to me.

I was really stressed out about it and ended up letting them spay her because I panicked which I immediately regretted after walking out the door.

I have been depressed ever since and I feel terrible about it.

anyways, the surgery went well and there were to be 3 kittens. Very manageable. I am having trouble shaking my sadness.

thanks for all the advice everyone

 

[IndyJones]

Don't feel sad, now 3 cats in shelters will find forever homes insted of living in a cage. You saved lives in doing this.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

I was literally typing the same thing IndyJones said.

Grant Sachs how is your Poppy doing since her spay?
If you need anything we are all here for you. You have a huge support system here to lean on if you need to.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

I agree with IndyJones and heatherwillard0614 . There are so, so many cats and kittens in shelters or abandoned. You've maybe given some a chance of a decent life. of course you're sad and regretful - that's normal. I felt the same after aborting Abbey's pregnancy all those years ago. But I really do think it's for the best. I hope Poppy's recovering well from her surgery.