have a female kitten/cat that's about 2 years old now. me and the ex-gf are going to get a male kitten this weekend. any advice you guys can give? how will they interact? at what age will the male kitten want to bwn?, etc . . . my ex-gf feels that the female kitten deserves to have babies and doesn't want her to be lonely, etc . . . etc . . .

1/17/2006 11:16:40 PM

male kittens usually reach maturity around 4-5 months i believe

what are you planning to do with the kittens that the female "deserves" to have? because this sounds like an unplanned, irresponsible plan to me.

1/17/2006 11:43:00 PM

whoa you guys got back together?


i missed that thread

1/17/2006 11:43:43 PM

ex-gf... want to bwn? ... lonely... etc... etc...

1/17/2006 11:43:43 PM

I don't think it should be a matter of the female "deserving" to have babies. Yes, I treat my little pup like she's my own child, but that doesn't mean I should breed her simply because she's female or because I think she is "lonely". There are so many kittens (not to mention adults) on the streets, in the shelters, and being put down every day because people aren't adopting them. I personally would not suggest breeding the two...and only if both cats were of some champion bloodline would I even begin to think a breeding would be acceptable...but even then, again, what about the little ones that are already homeless?

If the two cats are going to be living together, that should be company enough. No need to bring babies into the equation.

1/18/2006 8:11:59 AM

I love Amsterdam718 (no homo)

1/18/2006 8:27:23 AM

yea, on the kitten issue.... most of the time you can't even keep the kittens after they have matured unless you want the mother to move on to a new house. Unless you have definite homes for the kittens before you have them, I wouldn't do it.
This is a time where I should post the justoneliter.com again... yes i know it shows dogs, but cats are even worse. "One female cat's cumulative offspring in ten years could total over 80 million" and shelters nationwide put down more than one cat/kitten per minute from April till september.
So, please think about that before you decide she needs to have kittens.

1/18/2006 8:47:27 AM

Quote :

"my ex-gf feels that the female kitten deserves to have babies and doesn't want her to be lonely"

Smack the crap out of her and take her to a kill shelter and show her what happens to kittens from people like her. Seriously, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard and if you let her do it you're crazy.

On a side note: it sounds like she's in training to become one of those crazy old cat ladies and I'd run while you still can.

[Edited on January 18, 2006 at 9:28 AM. Reason : meow]

1/18/2006 9:27:24 AM

^she apparently already dumped him...he just doesn't know how to end something.

and yes, there's no reason to make more unnecessary kittens. if multiple cats are desired, get a couple from the shelter and fix them. but cats don't always have to have company...many are just fine being sole cat of the house.

just don't kill these cats like you did that other one, dude.

1/18/2006 9:50:03 AM

did you never listen to the man?

Quote :

"Help control the pet population. Have your pets spay or neutered."

1/18/2006 9:50:50 AM

that's what the ex-gf wants. i'm totally against it actually. i think it's going to be a big mess, but i told her i'll go with her to pick out the male kitten. i was just being nice about it.

1/18/2006 10:25:40 AM

don't be nice... take her on a field trip... and go to wake county and orange county animal control... better yet, tell her that you think it'd be better to wait until the spring and then take her... she'll cry. I know I did the first time i went.... so many kittens and the cages say which ones will be put down soon (at least they use to)

1/18/2006 10:34:15 AM

Don't share a pet in your trainwreck of a relationship is first advice.

Second is just adopt one kitten from a shelter. Get both fixed because they can keep each other company. Cats don't NEED company, which is part of the reason why they make such great pets for college kids. Your ex needs more experience in regard to pets apparently if she doesn't know better than to have them fixed.

1/18/2006 10:36:58 AM

she wants to have the female fixed after she has babies.

1/18/2006 10:39:42 AM

I think she's trying to tell you something, b.

Better not hit that raw.

1/18/2006 10:48:05 AM

Does she have a screenname or email address? I know multitudes of people who would like to bitch-slap her for being a fucking moron. After the kittens are born you need to make sure she is the one who puts them down when they don't have a home. Of course if she doesn't she is going to be able to handle the bill of getting all the kittens their muliple shots, getting them fixed, and such, right?

1/18/2006 10:48:46 AM

^exactly.

Realize that if you get sucked into this without influencing her to not allow the female to have babies (I fostered a pregnant cat over the summer that had 8 of them btw. It took a while to find homes since I couldn't afford to get the first shots or anything to make them more desirable) you're probably going to be the first one she goes to for financial help, or you'll be the one suckered into keeping them or being responsible for finding homes for them, especially once they all grow up and aren't cute and cuddly anymore (if homes aren't found for them as kittens).

It cost me $400 for startup with my cat a few yrs ago, part of that being treatment for a scratched eye, and for a cat carrier + toys. But the rest was just the first two rounds of shots. I don't even know how much I spent on her vet bills overall.

Oh, and I'm sure you guys would love to be there to help the cat if she has too large of a litter by helping her deliver and cutting the cords, then cleaning up the blood and afterbirth, if she doesn't eat it first. Oh and then you can also deal with the possibility of not knowing there was that one last little kitten that she couldn't birth b/c she was too tired from the other labor, so she had to give up and let it die, and then chew it in half while she tried to get rid of it from her. Just hypothetical situations (this happened to me with the foster cat) that could happen if you don't have the money to just let the vet take care of her if there are complications, such as she being too small to deliver a large litter on her own.

1/18/2006 10:59:49 AM

believe me. i'm aware of all the concerns. she loves the cat and this is what she wants. i've tried i've said "NO!", etc . . . we don't live together anymore so this is basically all on her.

1/18/2006 11:16:49 AM

what the fuck did i tell you last night


don't talk to her for 6 months

1/18/2006 11:26:27 AM

Even if she does find homes for the kittens, then there's that many more kittens to be put down at shelters. Seriously, can you give us her contact info?

1/18/2006 11:34:54 AM

no, that's too impersonal. if it's some reading material just list where to find it and i'll inform her. i mean believe me i've told her how sucky it would be, but she seems to think she'll have no problem giving the kittens away.

1/18/2006 11:37:14 AM

if she's going to give the kittens away... how will this make the cat less lonely?

1/18/2006 11:51:26 AM

i guess she figures the male cat will be there . . . i know it's senseless, but hell whatever makes her happy, that and the fact I don't live there anymore is okay with me.

1/18/2006 11:57:38 AM

http://www.listnow.com/helpingpaws/articles/article_168.html

http://www.cathobbyist.com/articles/FeralOverpopulation.html

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/why_you_should_spay_or_neuter_your_pet.html

I'd say bombared her email with pictures of dying cats or cats being euthanized. And say "these kitties don't get a home because you bred more of them."

Don't forget to mention that there are more unwanted cats in the US than any other animal.

Is your girl blonde?

1/18/2006 3:16:14 PM

Quote :

"i know it's senseless, but hell whatever makes her happy, that and the fact I don't live there anymore is okay with me."

So you know that it's senseless, yet you're going to HELP her? Wow, first I was going to tell you to smack your ex-gf, now make sure to smack yourself, too, while you're at it.

If she's worried about her female cat being lonely, get it fixed and get another fixed cat. I have a male and a female cat (both fixed) and I can honestly say that neither of my cats are ever lonely, PLUS I don't have to worry about kittens popping up in the world.

People like your ex-gf (and you, for that matter, for taking the milk toast approach to the situation) shouldn't have animals if they're going to be careless fools when it comes to the well-being of the animal.

[/rant]

1/18/2006 3:34:53 PM

buy a boy cat that is already fixed... and then just act surprised that they aren't mating!

1/18/2006 3:41:54 PM

Quote :

"buy a boy cat that is already fixed... and then just act surprised that they aren't mating!"

I like this idea. she sounds stupid enough to believe it and you sound worthless enough to try it.

1/18/2006 5:37:57 PM

haha

1/18/2006 9:37:48 PM

^^ - hilarious, G.

1/18/2006 10:37:33 PM