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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Azena, as I’ve just explained, I don’t just dump my litters on the street, so I don’t see how I’m adding to the number of stray cats or how I’m failing to help animals in distress! What’s more, I won’t have you saying things like that; you don’t know me, so you have no idea what I actually do for stray animals! Getting stray cats neutered—I’m completely with you on that! But pets that have kittens which then go on to be rehomed are not strays!
I’m not living in some fairy tale; I’m fully aware of my actions, and I’m certainly not doing anything illegal. Besides, I’d like to point out that it’s not just cats dying of hunger on the streets or from FIV!
Dellys; you're right, 18 years old but 8 in his head. Even my eleven-year-old brother saved up all his pocket money to have his cat neutered (with my help) – proof that a kid can have more maturity.
Mind you, it’s true that if you let a female cat out she’ll very quickly lose interest in her kittens, so she’ll come back into heat soon enough and then it’s another litter all over again.......
Every kitten you give away is one more cat that won’t be adopted from a rescue centre or taken in off the streets. So, are you contributing to the cycle of feline misery? The answer is yes! And it’s people like you who are to blame!
A small fortune? If they don’t have the money, how are they going to pay for surgery if it’s needed? How will they pay for vet bills? For microchipping? Neutering? Or for a cattery while they’re on holiday?
They’ll just let them roam outside like they’ve got used to doing with you. Best case scenario, they’ll have litters that will increase the stray population by 10 per cent over five years; at worst, they’ll be run over by a car.
Plus, your cats are almost certainly infected with FIV, which they’re passing on left, right and centre to all the cats owned by irresponsible people like you!
"Mother cats will keep looking after their kittens as long as humans don't meddle too much! If owners get into the habit of looking after the little ones the moment the mum leaves the room, she'll see that someone else is taking over and will find other things to occupy her time!"
What a load of rubbish!
I always look after the kittens born at my place (and don't even try to compare yourself to me, my litters are planned, not accidents) and the mums never lose interest.
Azena, forget it, this Priscou doesn't give a toss about cats; her behaviour over the last 15 years proves that well enough.
She doesn't give a damn about the female cats going out, getting mated by any old tom, catching diseases and passing them on to the kittens.
She doesn't care if they get run over—it’s no big deal to her, she just keeps a kitten to replace the mother and so it goes on.
It shocks me, yes, but what really gets to me is that she isn't even ashamed and actually stands by it.
This is why I sometimes wish you needed a licence to keep a pet; it would certainly do a proper clear out...
