So Many Cats!
Kittens, Kittens, Kittens! Non-stop kittens!
Everyone loves a cute kitten, however, each kitten grows into an adult cat that needs to be cared for and that is where the problem lies. According to the CatsCanada organization, in just five years, one female cat can be responsible for around 20,000 kittens! This is just one cat! It is impossible to keep up with the number of cats and kittens looking for homes and many end up becoming feral or wild, fending for themselves. Owned cats become the source of feral cats. The cycle continues with the feral cats and in a very short time, the community has a huge feral cat problem.
We had a community cat owner ask us, “What can I do to stop my cat from becoming pregnant if I can’t get her spayed?” It is a good question. Not only is it hard to find homes for all the kittens she produces, it is hard on your female cat to keep being pregnant and raising litters over and over again.The challenge is that female cats are usually in heat every two to three weeks and it lasts for five to six days each time! Male kittens are able to breed females around 8 – 12 months of age. Adult Tomcats are capable of breeding all year round. You can see why it becomes a very large problem very quickly!
The only way to 100% guarantee NO pregnancy (without spaying) is to raise female cats as in indoor only cat with NO male cats in the house. If she is raised as an indoor only cat she will be safer and will not be able to get pregnant. Many cats, when they go into heat (when they can be bred) try harder to get outside during that time. Even if you have a female cat that does go out, when you see these signs, try to keep her indoors until she can be spayed. Recognizing when your female cat is in heat (estrus) and being extra careful about NOT letting her out is important if you don’t want a pregnant cat. The signs are usually VERY obvious and mostly behavioural changes you will see:
- Being extra vocal
- Extremely affectionate with people, love to be petted
- Flagging her tail to one side or flicking her tail back and forth
- Rolling around and being restless
- Urinating more than usual
- Trying harder to get outside
Unfortunately, in some cases, a cat that is used to being outside and prefers going outside, is going to be persistent and get out while she is in heat and you will not be able to keep her from the male cats that are roaming (most people will not keep an un-neutered male cat indoors because that cat will be very determined to be outside and roaming when he matures). Having her indoors and away from the males is the only way. The easiest way to do this is raise her as a totally indoor cat right from being a kitten.
