Before anyone has a cow 
....
I don't breed cats! But our large city has many feral cats wandering around, and I have fostered/adopted/re homed 100+ pregnant cats!
There's the pregnancy, which lasts roughly nine weeks. The nesting is annoying sometimes because some cats pick the worst places to have the kittens...but it's really overall no different than any other nine weeks of having a cat...except she's rounder
Then the birth. Out of all my cats, roughly 6 of them have needed help during delivery. I can only think of four, but I'll say six to be on the safe side. They birth the kittens themselves, they clean the kittens themselves, they nurse the kittens themselves...I'm just there cheering them on!
Then, as the kittens grow up, of course it's a bit more complex. I always provide mamas & babies with what i call "the nursery", a large, warm room with 0 windows and only a small lamp for light.
Occasionally when mama's drinking or eating, I will check on the babies and make sure all is well. Otherwise it's really effortless.
Then as they get older, I socialize them with some of my friendlier cats. I also try to teach them manners, like not being on cupboards and such. They are weaned, litter box trained, and etc, all effortless on my part.
Then I find homes for them. And many people from 1+ years ago still email me regular updates on how their kittens are doing. They've all found loving homes, thanks to some effort on my part.
I will admit there are times it's stressful, but really it's all the mama's doing. Not mine.
So what's so bad about it!?
I know some will say it's bad because every kitten you give away is taking away the home of a kitten in a shelter.
But 80% of the people I adopt to say that either
~ they've been rejected from shelters, because they have another cat who isn't UTD on vacc., or because they have a 10 year old daughter(who's great with cats) that the shelter doesn't approve of!
or
~ they don't look in the shelters. Just in papers, on fliers, or on websites.
I know many cat-lovers who just don't go to shelters to get their cats.
So we've established that
~it's not a big, complicated thing. nature usually does it all herself.
~i'm not stealing from homes for shelter cats
~and i would like to add that it's the most beautiful, amazing experience, watching kittens be born...seeing them grow up...it's fascinating! I wouldn't trade that experience for any money.
Sorry i got a little ranty there. Anyways that being said, why is it wrong that someone breeds their cat?
I'm not trying to be mouthy or disrespectful. Everyone is entitled to their opinion! I embrace that! I wasn't intending to come across holier-than-thou in any way.
My opinion is just that - an opinion! I would like to know yours
sorry if i came across as rude!
but they don't add to the feral population, because they're all desexed asap, so they can't reproduce, and they all go to good homes. :S
....I don't breed cats! But our large city has many feral cats wandering around, and I have fostered/adopted/re homed 100+ pregnant cats!
There's the pregnancy, which lasts roughly nine weeks. The nesting is annoying sometimes because some cats pick the worst places to have the kittens...but it's really overall no different than any other nine weeks of having a cat...except she's rounder
Then the birth. Out of all my cats, roughly 6 of them have needed help during delivery. I can only think of four, but I'll say six to be on the safe side. They birth the kittens themselves, they clean the kittens themselves, they nurse the kittens themselves...I'm just there cheering them on!
Then, as the kittens grow up, of course it's a bit more complex. I always provide mamas & babies with what i call "the nursery", a large, warm room with 0 windows and only a small lamp for light.
Occasionally when mama's drinking or eating, I will check on the babies and make sure all is well. Otherwise it's really effortless.
Then as they get older, I socialize them with some of my friendlier cats. I also try to teach them manners, like not being on cupboards and such. They are weaned, litter box trained, and etc, all effortless on my part.
Then I find homes for them. And many people from 1+ years ago still email me regular updates on how their kittens are doing. They've all found loving homes, thanks to some effort on my part.
I will admit there are times it's stressful, but really it's all the mama's doing. Not mine.
So what's so bad about it!?
I know some will say it's bad because every kitten you give away is taking away the home of a kitten in a shelter.
But 80% of the people I adopt to say that either
~ they've been rejected from shelters, because they have another cat who isn't UTD on vacc., or because they have a 10 year old daughter(who's great with cats) that the shelter doesn't approve of!
or
~ they don't look in the shelters. Just in papers, on fliers, or on websites.
I know many cat-lovers who just don't go to shelters to get their cats.
So we've established that
~it's not a big, complicated thing. nature usually does it all herself.
~i'm not stealing from homes for shelter cats
~and i would like to add that it's the most beautiful, amazing experience, watching kittens be born...seeing them grow up...it's fascinating! I wouldn't trade that experience for any money.
Sorry i got a little ranty there. Anyways that being said, why is it wrong that someone breeds their cat?
I'm not trying to be mouthy or disrespectful. Everyone is entitled to their opinion! I embrace that! I wasn't intending to come across holier-than-thou in any way.
My opinion is just that - an opinion! I would like to know yours
sorry if i came across as rude!
but they don't add to the feral population, because they're all desexed asap, so they can't reproduce, and they all go to good homes. :S