My cat Miezi, who is 2 years old, has just had 3 kittens: they are now 7 days old and are absolutely adooorable! BUT we live in a house and Miezi was used to going outdoors. She's meowing and clearly trying to get out again; she even managed to take a kitten outside two days ago. I caught her just as she was climbing a tree with it and I brought them back to their "nest". What should I do? Should I let her out? How can I be sure she'll come back to look after the little ones?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Translated from French
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To be honest, a cat doesn't "want" to have kittens; she's simply driven by instinct. In the animal kingdom, animals breed to ensure their species survives. Otherwise, they'd go extinct. However, a cat doesn't realise that, in reality, there are already far too many cats (most of whom end up in rescue centres, abandoned by the roadside, etc.). If she knew that, she wouldn't want any more—after all, why risk her health when the species is nowhere near extinction?
It’s easy to think that a female cat wants to have kittens, but that would only be true if we were certain she actually had the choice not to have them.
However, that’s just not the case; she is simply driven by her hormones and will end up having litter after litter.
Two litters every single year takes a massive toll on her health and life expectancy, as well as the health and survival of the kittens themselves. Are you really prepared to find kittens that are dead, abandoned, or even killed by their own mother because her instinct tells her she doesn't have the strength to raise them?
In just a few years, you’ll have dozens of kittens that you’ll need to find homes for, while there are already hundreds waiting in rescues and animal shelters after what is often a very rough start in life.
Getting a cat spayed isn't a minor thing, but it’s the common-sense choice when you look at the cat population as a whole.
Hi, I had this issue last night. Anyway, I picked her up and put her back with her kittens and it seems like she's gone back to them now. I'll be keeping a close eye on her. My question is: why does everyone insist on getting cats neutered? Maybe she wants to have more litters.
You’re really on the ball, aren't you? Glad to see it! This post is two years old!
Anyway, your philosophical musings aren't exactly short of common sense. It’s true that some humans would be well-advised not to have children, but there we go. As for cats, you see, there are benefits to having them neutered; it suits everyone: the owners who don't have to worry about finding homes—more or less successfully, I might add—for the kittens; the cats themselves, as certain medical risks are ruled out at the same time, and who—rest assured—don’t have the slightest clue about the trick we’ve played on them with the op; and the feline population as a whole because there are so, so many cats in rescues and that, you see, is a massive problem. Get your cats neutered.
Aside from that, it's true, it wasn't the original point, and some posters are very quick to start preaching. But it’s a real problem too.
Hi, I’ve got a cat who’s just had 4 lovely kittens, all fit and healthy. After a week my girl wanted to go out; we let her, but we kept an eye on her to make sure she stayed on the patio as she was born outdoors and spends all her time out there. She didn't wander off and always came back to feed her babies, so she’s been a great mum. Personally, I think if a cat is used to going outside, you shouldn't stop them. And @SEVY, if a private owner wants their cat to have a litter, that’s their right. Animals are just like humans—if nature gave them reproductive organs, it’s so they can use them. To be honest, there are some humans who shouldn't really be reproducing and yet they still do, but that’s a whole other debate. If you can’t give advice without judging someone, then you should refrain from leaving comments that might hurt people who are just asking a simple question. Otherwise, I don't really see the point of these forums.
