litter of kittens?

Question

i was just curious, i heard that it was better for a female cat to have one litter of kittens before being spayed. i already let her have a litter and i am planning on getting her spayed once the kittens are old enough but i was just wondering if it makes any difference if they have a litter or not? dont get me wrong, i was responcible about it, all the kittens had homes before they were even born, but i was just wondering if i was mislead with the whole concept.

Answer 1

i'm not sure about with cats but with dogs they get the most health benefits if spayed before their first heat. it reduces their chance og getting mammery cancer later in life because those pesky harmones didn't kick in yet. i would imagine it works the same with cats. again, not 100% positive but i believe you were misled.
oh, and were those kittens spayed and neutered? pet overpopulation is a horrible mess you know. millions die every year.

i found this, yes you were misled.
Cat Neutering & Cat Spaying
What is Spaying?

A spay (ovariohysterectomy) is the surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries from the abdomen of an animal.

What is the purpose of spaying?

The spay is the only foolproof method of birth control for female cats, and it is a permanent method.

Will spaying eliminate heat cycles?

Spayed animal no longer goes through heat cycles. Female cats normally come into heat several times a year. Spaying ends several problems associated with the heat cycle, including spraying urine and the necessity of confining females to prevent the approaches of persistent males. Spaying also prevents such irritations as a howling cat in heat.

Are there other good reasons for spaying?

The risk of mammary cancer is reduced if a cat is spayed before its first heat. Also spayed pets cannot develop pyometra, a serious uterine infection. Finally, difficult pregnancy and delivery in older cats or ill cats is prevented.


http://www.i-love-cats.com/Health/spay.htm

Answer 2

Yes, you were misled, horribly so. Though, many veterinarians differ on the age at which they recommend spay/neuter surgery be done, it's doubtful that you'd find one who believes that allowing a female cat to have a heat or a litter first is best.
In the shelter environment kittens are spayed or neutered as young as eight weeks (they must weigh a minimum of 2 pounds as well---and be healthy). The mortality rate of the young animals having surgery is no worse than those at 3-6 months. Shelters need to do the surgery so young so the animals can be adopted out and not have to live there until they're 6 months old. I would guess that most vets recommend waiting until they are 6 months old. Be aware however, that kittens as young as 6 months old have come into the shelter from the streets and are pregnant already. I've also seen mom cats nursing a litter of kittens and she was pregnant again. Be careful. Do not let the mom cat out of the house again until she has been spayed (if at all-ever).
Please insist that everyone who adopts one of the kittens gets them spayed/neutered. Follow up with them and if at 6 months old they haven't had it done then find a low cost spay neuter program to refer them to. It is important that people understand how bad the overpopulation of cats and kittens is. Hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals are euthanized every year in this country because people are remiss in getting their pets neutered. This is irresponsible pet ownership and costs a lot of money (yours and mine--tax dollars) every year. Just imagine where that money could be better spent than killing very adoptable animals every year. It's a shame. Now that you know you were misled, please educate the person that gave you that information, and don't stop there, tell anyone who will listen that doesn't already know. As an advocate of spay/neuter and responsible pet ownership I am glad to share this info with you, because I'm tired of talking about it with people who already know and are as outraged as I am.
Phew! Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now. But first I want applaud you for finding good homes for these kittens on your own rather than just dumping them at the shelter, which is already overrun.
Good luck to you.

Answer 3

you should have talked to a vet before you let your cat get pregnant.
and no you weren't responsible. a responsible owner would have talked to a vet before he would have let his cat get pregnant.
just know that:

One unspayed cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years.
over 5 millions cats and dogs are being put down each year. some of your cat kittens will be part of the statistic no matter how sure you are that they got a loving home.
Spaying eliminates the stress and discomfort that females endure during heat periods,
a cat chances of getting uterus cancer and infections are growing with each heat period and pregnancy.

cat's unlike human don't chose to be moms it's an instinct to them, they go into heat get pregnant give birth and six montes later it's another cycle.
please spay your cat as soon as possible.
and i advice you to ask the adopters to spay the cat at a vet you know and trust or at a local shelter. you can pay the vet at advance and ask of the adopters to show your a receipt that the kitten was spayed.

Answer 4

Yes you were misled. Best to do it before they ever have their first heat cycle. I have puppies and kittens done by the time they are 6-8 weeks depending on size. The homes yours went to could have saved that many from dying in your local shelter. Allowing your cat to have sex also risks it getting aids or leukemia. Please make sure the kittens get altered ASAP. It is hard to find vets to do prepubescent spay and neuters. They are more likely to do them for rescues and at a discount so contact one in your area for help to get this done. Most vets want them to be 3 lbs.

Answer 5

you are doing the right thing a female should be aloud to have one litter of kittens before she is spayed. I think it makes her a better pet and friend.

Answer 6

Mine were all fixed before they were old enough to reproduce. It was MY job to find homes for the products of my mom's "Kitten making machines" when I was growing up. One cat alone popped out over 100 kittens! I don't think that my cats suffered from being fixed that young.

Answer 7

many times, there is no longer plenty trailing neccessary. each and every cat i've got ever had took to the field on their very own....my adult males even "sprayed" interior the clutter field while they to that age (to my marvel and relief). merely make advantageous the kitten is conscious the place to discover the field....different than that, you ought to go away the kitten in a small room (like a bathing room, or an excellent cardboard field) for assorted classes of time with the clutter field untill they determine it out....different than that...in case you do catch it going to the bathing room, at present place it interior the clutter field. an mind-blowing form of the time, even kittens will scratch around the section they want to pass till now they pass, so hear for the scratching. solid success!

Answer 8

We never let our cat have kittens. She just died and was the sweetest cat I have ever met; she even took care of our old dogs puppies. We fixed her and then regretted not letting her have kittens. Did you know that fixing your cat adds years onto there live? That's a thing to think about!!!!!

Answer 9

my vet told me getting them spayed before they have any litters reduces the chance of breast cancer later on

Answer 10

it makes absolutely no difference