Planning to Breed or Delay Neutering your cat?

We often hear that someone is planning or has been encouraged to let their cat have a litter prior to spaying or told to wait till a kitten is much older to spay as there are no other cats of the opposite sex in the home.

Delaying the neuter of a pet has health and behavioral consequences to your kitten. Some of these damaging changes are irreversible.

Breeding cats or dogs should never be considered a hobby it isn’t something that should be undertaken lightly.
It is a huge responsibility and should only be undertaken after much research thought and appropriate resources allocation.

Highly ethical Pedigree breeders get burnt out and close their catteries frequently, retiring whole catteries of quality pedigree cats. The idea to do this for economic gain or cute babies to play with should be far from your mind.

We hope this article will educate all on the challenges faced by kitten mills, inexperienced breeders, state allowed farms or byb and how this affects your kitten.

2 Week old kittens nursing from mum

Here is what you will need to understand before making the decision to delay the neuter or embark on breeding.
WinterForest takes measures to spay all our kittens from 5 months of age prior to rehoming. This has been carefully considered and discussed with our veterinarian.

Perhaps you have gotten an absolutely loving and gorgeous kitten and are tempted to have another that is just like him or her, or worried that you should wait till the kitten is older, a full fledged cat ( as their kitten faces tug at your heart strings ) for fear that you are causing them pain and that they are not able to take the pain of the procedure. Afterall there is no other cat of the opposite gender at home.

We are putting these 2 decisions together as accidental breeding/ missing pet and unwanted behaviours ( may eventually lead to rehoming and dumping) are linked to the delay in the neutering of your kitten.

If your kitten is not a pedigree or if you have not gotten breeding rights

Do not breed your cat

There are many kittens and cats in need of good homes in shelters and rescue organizations. There are also retired pedigree breeders looking for good furever homes.

A pedigree cat has documents accompanying them. Those that are rehomed with breeding rights are accompanied with a barrage of health test and checks as well as generations of screening. These tests are done throughout their breeding career and their offspring monitored and tracked for any manifestation of unwelcomed illness as some diseases are recessive and may skip generations. If you cat has not been screened. Do not breed it.

Various breeds and catteries have different measures to determine the acceptable age for breeding.
For example, most Maine coon catteries do not breed their cats until they have attained 2 years of age and have had 2 negative ultrasound screenings. The resources (space, mental health) of keeping a kitten intact for that period as well as health checks prior to breeding must be allocated.

This requires a mentor that intimately understands the breed to guide you as well as a supportive and experienced veterinarian.
A kitten with breeding rights usually costs 2.5 to 3.5 times the price of a pet. Many catteries will do a background check to ensure that you have the financial resources, space, animal husbandry knowledge, ethics and noncompete agreements prior to allowing you to have a kitten with breeding rights.

Catteries want to be sure that each individual active cat is contributing positively to the standards set out by their registries as well as their association with breeders.

All pedigree cats are rehomed with clauses where their catteries have first rights to rehoming any kitten entrusted to your care throughout the kitten’s life. They will always assist in the rehoming of your kitten and are a great resource on kitten health and behaviour.

This immense undertaking is not present for a backyard / hobbyist breeder/ farm. The lack of guidance and resources ( scientific studies , space and finance etc) has implications on kitten health and behaviour.

If you got a pure breed kitten. It is not a pedigree and should not be bred.
These kittens somewhat resemble the breed or are bred from pedigree cats that have not been given the OK for breeding. As a pawrent we all want our pets to be with us for as long as possible. Bringing in a kitten that may have a health condition and thus a short or painful life is irresponsible. Especially when the decision to breed them results in someone else paying both emotionally or financially due to a moment of whim.

Intact / Unneutered Kittens are frequently lost

The have a strong wonderlust to roam and have more pent up energy.
Many such kittens go missing, get run over by a motor vehicle or fall from heights.
Some end up being FIV / FELV positive and spread diseases as they attract and transmit illness to other cats in the area

Intact cats are intolerant and lash out at simple everyday things like grooming, feeding and petting. They require more space. They are also likely to destroy items especially those belonging to any male hooman in the home. This behaviour may not go away.
Females are at high risk of a life threatening condition that requires antibiotics and or immediate costly invasive life saving surgery.

If you are truly observant, you will realize that your kitten’s behaviour starts to change once it attains 5 months of age, and perhaps earlier in certain breeds. They are not ready for breeding but they start being very sensitive to scent and touch. These kittens refuse to share litter boxes or show their displeasure by soiling out of it. The behaviour may go away once spayed but may recur at any point. These minor events maybe frustrating to other family members that aren’t the kitten’s hooman and if not reversed may result in tension at home and the rehoming of your kitten.

An intact male requires a certain number of females for his health. Failing which testicular and surrounding organs are prone to cancer. If you have a kitten with undescended testicles, some vets will advise waiting till it is 8 months of age but not longer.
Undescended testicles frequently become cancerous and should not be left in.

Once a kitten is above 4 months old, they are ready to be neutered ( this may vary between breeds). It is accepted and always advised to not wait past 8 months. The misguided fear that neutering your kitten will kick start a change its behaviour is unfounded. Unsavory behavioural changes in a neutered kitten after 7 months old usually co-incides with the age it was weaned. ( watch out for our future articles on early weaning)

Once a male intact kittens reaches 6 to 8 monthsof age, he requires his own space and should not be introduced to another kitten till he is neutered. He starts to be agitated and will lash out at another kitten or human( especially visiting young children) sometimes to the extent where the relationship cannot be salvaged. There have been reported newspaper incidences where a kitten (fur buddy) or child required surgery and hospitalization after being attacked by an intact cat. The lashing out often comes suddenly and seemingly without provocation. Intervening at that point will be at great risk and bodily harm to an inexperienced pawrent.
When it comes to neuter and spay of cats. The benefits of neutering between 4 to 6 months far out weighs the cons.

It the kitten requires a delay in their neuter. He or she will requires their own space. Usually a room of minimum 2 M by 1.5M by 2M to themselves and yet have sufficient hooman company to remain sociable with mental stimulation to keep from excessive selfgrooming and destructive behaviour.

Not all male cats are suited to be kings despite passing all the health tests,. Many are neutered early and rehomed to enjoy a more fulfilling life as a cherished pet.

Female intact cats may start howling, pawing at doors to get out and spraying.

Driven slightly off kilter by hormones they will require certain medications to mediate their behaviour.

This will happen until she is bred and 3 weeks after she has had kittens.
No female should be breed before the age of 8 months and for certain breeds not before 18 months.

Expertise on how to maintain an intact queen during that period to prevent accidental breeding is imperative.

A queen may come into heat within 4 months of age and 3 weeks of birthing whilst she is feeding. They should not be bred during this period.

If you do not have the space to accommodate such behaviour. It is best not to delay the neuter of your kitten.

Many intact cats ( male or female) will stop eating when they sense a cat on heat is near or if they are experiencing a heat cycle. Each cycle lasts 2 weeks with a week’s rest before it restarts. This is why most intact cats are malnourished and emancipated, never reaching their full growth potential.

Educated breeders will have access to resources to prevent such instances. When not intervened, this frequent cycling in females puts them at a very high risk of infection and cancer. Cats are unlike dogs. Their cycles are not once every 6 months. A cat without proper intervention cycles every 3 weeks.

Sometimes the first 2 to 4 cycles that a young female experiences is mild and undiscernible as they do not bleed and their hormones are not full blown. Many owners are not even aware that their kitten is experiencing it. Once a kitten has had 2 heat cycles prior to spaying, the likelihood of mammary cancers are similar to an unspayed cat. It can be higher then experienced queens that have nursed young.

Studies have proven time and again that waiting for a heat cycle to spay a female cat is detrimental. If a kitten is not for breeding it is always best to spay prior to her 2nd heat cycle.

Contrary to beliefs, a kitten above 2kgs is safe to spay. All experienced vets are able to safely perform the procedure. Their small size equates to less stitches. In certain cases for boys, almost none at all. Male kittens should always be neutered before 8 months and females before 6 months. Earlier for breeds that have been known to start exhibiting signs earlier and this is best decided by the veterinarian that has worked frequently with your cattery.

Never underestimate the desire, drive and intelligence of an intact cat.

They will leap clear off 2M fences, squeeze through holes measuring no more than 1.5 inch by 3 inches and dash faster than then the flash when opportunity arises.

You need to be absolutely certain that your female cat is kept safe until she is ready and well socialized during this period so that she is emotionally happy and able to pass on social skills to her kittens.

Leaving an intact cat alone without the comforts and familiarity of a home can have undesirable effects on them and their off spring. This is why many Pedigree cat and dog breeders are against pet farms as it is essentially not starting off your kitten or puppy correctly. Attempting to remove the kittens young and leaving pet owners to attempt to socialize them in a home is far from ideal. We can’t all be the dog or cat whisperer.

Catteries send many kittens and adults to be neutered and spayed. They have cared for both retiring adults and watched various young kittens vs adults recover to know the difference. Rescuers will also attest to such observation that recovery is faster and less stressful on a younger kitten.
A week after you have neutered your kitten you would be thankful having done it and a month later you are rewarded with a calmer balanced kitten.

Embarking on breeding without a close relationship with your vet or financial resources may end badly. It is important to cater for the need for costly medications, surgical procedures and sometimes even loss of life.
If you are unable to make life and death decisions or deal with the death of your cat or its offspring, Do not breed your cat. It is not always a happy ending.

Inexperienced breeders without resources may end up breeding their queens too early or more frequently then advised. Way before their queens are ready or have recovered. This impacts not just the queen’s health but kitten quality as well. Miscarriages, premature kittens, rejected kittens, high kitten mortality and skeletal deformation in queens are just some consequences. Registries regulate the number of litters a queen may have that catteries must adhere to.

In nature, many mothers are exceedingly protective and will pick fights whilst pregnant or nursing. Sometimes mums reject kittens if they have been handled. This is why you should never be introduce cats to kittens prior to 12 weeks of age. It is coded in their dna that a mother maybe somewhere near and may spring out and cause grievous harm to them or reject the care of the kitten leaving it to starve and fade away.

Instinct drives them to hiss and attack young kittens to ensure the kittens keep a good distance. Thus avoiding being mistakenly mauled by their mother for being overtly curious towards their kittens.

An ethical and proper breeder is aware of such challenges having frequently introducing new members and retiring adults.

They always hold onto kittens till they are at least 14 weeks. Only when they are sufficiently mature for their vaccinations to have given them ample protection. They would have also been dewormed twice.

Often, people encounter cute cheap young kittens and find themselves unable to walk away, thinking that they are rescuing the kitten, only to experience behavioural and health issues much later.

Inexperienced/ hobbyist breeders do not have the resources to hold onto kittens for the extended length of time and feed misinformation on bonding and cite huge demand to force your hand. It shows a complete lack of care for the kitten’s well being and should send up alarms.

A pedigree cat at age 8 years is still in high demand as they are well cared for, healthy and well adjusted. They are easier to love and bond with compared to cat that was taken from their mothers too young and socialised by inexperienced care givers.
Most established catteries introduce new young adults into a cattery when they are a year old or older and these adults take to their new fur siblings and humans and homes. Some remaining in the cattery as cherished pets.

Birthing is a messy business.

Complications may occur and you must be ready for such consequences.

Some rescue organizations terminate early unwanted pregnancies as experience has shown them how unkind such pregnancies can be. Often leading to the death of the young mum or kittens.

After birth, caring for kittens from 8 weeks till they are ready for their furever homes is a responsibility that a breeder must be ready for.

This requires space, enrichment, proper nutrition, sufficient litter boxes and a round the clock pooper scooper.

Read our article on FIP to understand the impact the type of litter and litter boxes make.

Finally, you need to be able to allocate $350 a month per kitten excluding veterinary expenses and other care expenses. If you are planning on keeping all kittens, know that you may potentially have a large litter of 8 kittens including adults you are looking at a monthly expense of $350 X 10 which is close to $3,000! a month! The alternative is to have ready homes for your kittens and not giving them away to individuals that have not carefully thought through what it means to have a kitten in their lives.

This is why most catteries screen financial background before awarding breeding rights. They want to be absolutely certain that you are able to hold onto and care for the kittens you bring into this world. Catteries always prefer to work with show cat owners as they are aware of the resources required to keep a cat at tip top condition.

Catteries , farms or breeders do not have the benefit of donations or volunteers to defray expenses. Properly bred kittens are not rehomed at a low adoption fee. Rescue organisations are able to incorporate a low adoption fee is due to donations and subsidies, volunteers as well as zero resource allocation for mother’s pregnancy.

Aware of the above, high quality catteries scrutinize the individuals that they are willing to work with. They put in an immense effort and resource into their kittens and understand first hand the resources required for it. They will naturally prefer that the effort is appreciated and carried on by a like minded associate. It is the large resource allocation that is reflected in the price and quality of their kittens.

It is easy to misinterpret images of cattery owners in nice cars and homes and assume that it is the “high” price tags of kittens.
Breeders must have the appropriate resources to intervene when emergency veterinary attention is required, space for healthy cats and kittens, the right disposition in temperament, ability to deal with emergencies, an undying love for the breed, willingness to pursue knowledge and efforts to improve the breed. They cannot rely on luck and prayers that everything will turn out well.

If you are unable to allocate the proper financial resources, you should not breed your cat or defer its sterilization. Accidental breeding or escapes may occur and you may not have the financial or emotional preparedness for its consequences. Being unable to properly care for the cat or kittens financially simply puts a larger toll on mum as well as your own resources.
It is more prudent and responsible adopting a retired pedigree cat or getting another kitten from your registered breeder.

Finally, it may seem obvious. If your cat is not calm and loving or possesses the right temperament to be a companion. It should not be bred. Propagation of litters kittens that grow up to be fearful and aggressive cats leads to increase in abandonment and surrenders at already overwhelmed shelters.

Interesting read from the kitten lady on kitten crisis can be found here