Hi everyone, I have a female cat who isn't officially mine yet, but I’m planning on adopting her. She’s 7 months old and for the past week, I’ve noticed her belly is looking quite round and her nipples are quite enlarged; I think she’s pregnant. My problem is that she’s actually booked in to be spayed in a fortnight, so now I’m facing a bit of a dilemma!
Either I let her have the litter, but I’m worried about the risks since it would be her first and she’s still so young.
Or, I go ahead with the spay anyway, which obviously means removing the kittens. But some people are telling me it’s not fair on her and that I’d be ending the kittens' lives for no reason.
What do you think is the best thing to do? Thanks 😉
Translated from French
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Indeed, a very young mother is at an increased risk of running into difficulties during labour (dystocia, which means the kittens are too big for her), as well as foetal malformations. Also, young mothers are generally more likely to struggle with looking after their kittens properly. You mentioned the risk of inbreeding. This really shouldn't be taken lightly, especially if you don't know whether the mother and father themselves were the result of inbred matings. There is a much higher risk of the kittens being born with deformities or being stillborn, and they are more prone to genetic defects. I won't get into the morality of whether or not to have her aborted (that’s entirely up to you). But do be aware of what having kittens actually involves. If we imagine she has four kittens, that means four lots of spaying or neutering, four times the food, four times the vet bills... On top of that, there's the work of raising the kittens and monitoring the mother during birth and nursing, which will take up a lot of your time and can be a real source of anxiety.
Ultimately, it seems like the best option would be an ovariohysterectomy (which involves removing the ovaries and the uterus containing the kittens). But only you can be the judge of that. Don't hesitate to ask your vet for their advice.
Hi Veromarlau,
I don’t have the answer to your question, but I think it might be better to start a new thread rather than bumping one from three years ago. You’ll have a much better chance of getting some replies that way.
Hi everyone, I’ve got a bit of a worry. My girl has been spayed, but I’ve noticed her nipples have got bigger. Do you think if she’d already been caught before the spay, she could still be pregnant despite having the op? Thanks!
Hi everyone, I’m just checking in with an update. My little Plume has been spayed; she was actually about to give birth. The vet told me it’s a good thing we had them removed though, as they were too big and in the wrong position! There were 4 kittens in total. She bounced back really quickly after the operation and is doing much better now! Thanks ;D
That's exactly what I was thinking. I’ve got an appointment on 26th April to get her spayed anyway! So, she’ll be getting spayed; I think it’s the best thing for her. Thanks for all your replies! :D
That’s what I thought, as I’m not sure if it’s her father or another relative! There’s a risk of deformities, so giving birth is going to be much riskier!
If she’s been mated by her father, that’s all the more reason not to let the litter be born. There’s far too much risk of birth defects... it’s no life for them....
I understand the situation with the 13-year-old girl better now. Taking the cats in isn't the problem for me; I'm happy to take responsibility for them since I have the space. The mother has just had four kittens; I’m going to keep them and have them all spayed and neutered, but I’m waiting five weeks to get her done too.
What’s more worrying is her age, and I suspect the father is her own father. I couldn’t get a slot at the vet any earlier, so the appointment is for 26th April! I’ve thought from the start that a pregnant spay was the best solution, but people were telling me I’d be killing kittens that could live. But if I don’t, she might die, so for me, it’s about saving her!
It will definitely be too many cats after a while. I don’t mind taking them in, especially as the mother is a stray—I’m thinking about adopting her too, though she is a bit of a wanderer. But I’ll take responsibility for the little one and the four new kittens; if no one wants them, I’ll keep them. I still think it's for the best for the little one to have the termination, though. Either way, I’m keeping the vet appointment. Thanks! 😉
Getting her spayed right now is the best way forward. It’s not exactly fun, but it’s less risky than a 7-month-old cat giving birth (it’s the equivalent of a 13-year-old girl being pregnant, you see...), not to mention that the kittens would just add to the very, very, veeeery long list of kittens waiting for their forever homes; there's no need to add more. It might seem a bit contradictory, but having her spayed now will actually save lives by giving kittens who are already born a chance to be rescued from the streets, taking up the spots that won’t be filled by yours. Cats don’t have a desire for motherhood, so don't stress about the psychological side of it.
Well done on such a responsible adoption, in any case! ;)
