# What to do.. What to do...



## Binkalette (Nov 25, 2009)

I work for a humane society, and have fallen in love with one of the cats. She came in a while back with her two kittens who are ~3-4 months old now. A few weeks ago, we had suspicions that she may be pregnant again. We had the vet take a look at her and he didn't think she was pregnant. Well, she still seems to be getting larger around the middle, and I don't think it's fat. I brought her home a few days ago because pregnant cats are usually euthanized asap. I plan on having another vet take a look at her on Monday or Thursday this week to be sure. I am almost 100% sure she is though....

Now about the what to do.. I have really fallen for this cat. She is such an angel, and out of all the cats I have ever met, she is the cuddliest. She never stops purring. She ALWAYS wants to be next to you or on your lap, and will rub and purr and flex her little toes for an hour if you pet her that long. 

Most people are going to say "emergency spay!" and I almost agree... but I just don't feel right about it. I don't feel right about letting her bring 6-10 unwanted kittens into the world either, especially since I can't afford to spay/neuter them all, much less care for them until they are old enough to be (6 months). I would have to find homes for them on a spay/neuter contract, but that is not 100% and would possibly allow the cycle to continue. 

I don't feel right about aborting kittens either though. Especially not when she is so far along already... I honestly don't know what the right thing to do here is. Not to bring religion into it to start a debate or anything, but I am a Christian and try to do my best... I do know the bible says that man has the authority to decide things for animals, but I don't know if that applies to abortion... 

An Emergency spay would be easier.. there would be no kittens to make a mess, feed, vaccinate.. etc.. No kittens to have to find responsible homes for, no kittens to follow up with and make sure they are spay/neutered.. But that makes me feel like I would be having her spayed because I'm too lazy/cheap to take care of these things... 

Advice please.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Kind of a strange question to ask after you just posted this on another thread:



> Spay your cat. Other wise you will be contributing to the ENORMOUS number of un-wanted cats.
> 
> THIS YEAR from Jan 1 2010 to Sept 30 2010: We took in 626 cats. 15 of those were claimed by their owners. 126 were adopted... the remaining 485 were euthanized.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

*Great Point, Marie*

It's really up to you. I would just not mix religion into this. You should stick to what is best for mommy cat and what kind of life will the kittens realistically have. You work at a shelter, you know the answer already.


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## Binkalette (Nov 25, 2009)

That's what I'm saying.. I see the cats every day that are killed because nobody wants them and there are too many already. Both choices just make me sick. My husband is leaning towards emergency spay, so that's probably the route we will go. 

I just wish I could make the world different.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

You can ask the vet NOT to tell you if she was pregnant or not. atback

I do think it's great that you saved this cat from possibly being PTS simply because she might be pregnant.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

If you really care about this cat, you should have her spayed. Definitely not good for a cat to have another litter so soon after her last one; it is very draining physically and sometimes mentally, and often the kittens do not fare as well either. Do the cat a favor and relieve her of this burden.


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## Sol (Feb 20, 2003)

There's no easy way out. You'll have to decide which of the options that are the least bad. 

Either you spay and abort and feel bad about not letting the babies experience life or you let her have the kittens knowing you can't afford to spay/neuter them which no doubt makes them potential parents in the future.

You'll have to fight with yourself on this one.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Talk the talk...walk the walk.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I think being a Christian has everything to do with it. Spaying a pregnant cat is destroying life, and life is precious. But do spay/neuter! That's the answer, not killing.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Put your money where your mouth is.

Realistically, we need to face facts: 
We need to have complete awareness of the pet overpopulation issues. 
Know the shelter's percentages of animals that come through their doors.
... _and how they ultimately left those doors._ 
What we can afford to do. 
What we cannot afford to do. 
Finally, we need to be content with whatever we *can* do because the knowledge that what we did (_whatever we decided_) made a positive difference by preventing the same issues and problems we were faced with today, with this cat, from happening again. We need to know we broke that cycle, made that crucial difference, that positive step in the right direction for that animal. 
IMO, that is how I feel these decisions should be come to. Know your limitations, consider the cat and be satisfied with doing what you could with the resources available to you. Regarding 'resources' ... some may have more and some may have less but in the end *everything* is about making a difference for the cats.
No judgment from me.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Life is precious, yes...but we euthanize cats and dogs every day for no other reason than that we don't have enough homes and resources for them. You can't say that euthanization is a necessary, unavoidable evil but spay/abort is NOT okay. Bringing more kittens into the world is still bringing more kittens into a world where there aren't enough homes and shelter resources for them, and they have a good chance of dying a horrible death or getting euthanized soon after being born. For these reasons, I think that bringing one's religious and political views on human infant abortion into this equation is a complete logical fallacy. 

So your choice could be possible spay/abort now OR let kittens possibly grow up sitting in a cage before getting euthanized (or not getting spayed and having continual litters themselves). I personally am against human abortion, but I think you should spay/abort (if she is even pregnant--you don't know!). Bringing those kittens into the world--especially when you cannot afford to spay/neuter them all--and even if you find responsible homes for them--is still taking away homes and resources for the kittens that are ALREADY alive, which will result in taking life away from THOSE kittens. Why not encourage those responsible homes to adopt from the cats that are already at the shelter?

You know what the wise thing to do is. Please take this sweet cat to the vet asap.


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## Binkalette (Nov 25, 2009)

Dropping her off at the vet tomorrow morning. Thanks for all the advice, it really helps to know what other people think and would do in the same situation.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

Your decision, but I would personally opt for the emergency spay. Logically speaking, it makes more sense.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

She may just be gaining weight in a forever home. Spay

If she's pregnant and you'll be bringing kittens into the world to suffer. Spay.

This isn't theory. Don't beat yourself up. You know the right answer. Spay.


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## Binkalette (Nov 25, 2009)

I... I just said.. >_>


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

They're men. Sometimes it takes a few minutes....... atback


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

I completely agree with your decision, but I am a little more than curious at how she would have gotten pregnant again if she had been in a shelter situation. Was she around intact males?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I think she came into the shelter like that.


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## mimitabby (Apr 20, 2010)

Good luck!! you did the right thing!


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

marie73 said:


> They're men. Sometimes it takes a few minutes....... atback


If I've got an opinion you're gonna hear it. Especially in retrospect.


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## Rissa (Aug 1, 2010)

Just keep remembering that you are doing a very good thing for the mommy cat. You saved her from euthanasia and are providing her with a loving forever home. Now you've made another hard decision that is probably for the best for her. I'd say you're doing a fabulous job. atback


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

*I absolutely...*

second that!


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