(Untitled)

[ursulav]

Just got back from a cat-trapping trip with Kevin--he's part of a local cat rescue that feeds and traps ferals, fixes them, and either finds homes (if possible) or releases them. It's mostly the latter these days--as usual, the supply of cats vastly outstrips demand. Since he was trapping in an area that involved fence hopping, it's much easier

Comments

[briar_witch]

I think everyone should spay/neuter their pets. What I hate is hearing someone justify not spaying/neutering their animal because "It stays inside" or "It's a male, I don't have to worry about that". :(

[aineotter]

"It's a male" means essentially "I'm a surrogate deadbeat dad"
Grrr...

[briar_witch]

That's right. Total abdication of responsibility.

[silverblue]

Indeed. And 'I don't care if my cat gets FIV or abscesses'.

[sarkat]

In my experience, neutering a cat does not prevent him from getting in fights.

(I say 'him' because all the cats I've had problems with getting in fights have been boys.)

[kevinbunny]

Well, to be fair, an unspayed female cat is still very likely to find a willing stray cat that hasn't had some bald guy with gastric distress after it. While snipping the males does make it a bit more difficult, getting the females fixed is really the 100% sure way of preventing litters.

That being said, our young male has stopped getting in fights, which is probably a good thing, as he's a *big* thing, and still growing. It was upsetting the other neighborhod cats who had painstakingly carved out and held their little bits of territory for years only to have the feline equivalent of Andre the Giant come over and steal their gooshyfood.

[briar_witch]

"While snipping the males does make it a bit more difficult, getting the females fixed is really the 100% sure way of preventing litters."
Only for the particular females who have been fixed. In the meantime, the male can go out and impregnate any and all females who have not yet been fixed.

[lilgoala]

Working at a petstore as I do, the excuse that drives me bonkers is "It's good for the female to have a litter or two before you spay her!"

[trialia]

I don't like to see that used as an excuse not to spay. That said, my youngest cat managed to get pregnant before we could afford to have her spayed and had a litter, and she's been a great deal calmer ever since, so I wonder.

[bevam]

Since she was young when she had the litter, it's just as likely that age mellowed her out. Most cats are on the spastic side of things until the hit 1 or 2 years old.

[trialia]

True. She was about 15 months when she caught. But she still is pretty mad. Very cute, but psychotic. *points to picture* The look in those eyes. *G* I love her anyway.

[a_starstar]

OHMIGODADORABLE

[trialia]

Isn't she just? :D Her name's Lil (short for Lily, Lillith, Lillias or Liathano, depending on which family member you ask :D) and she was seven when that picture was taken, she's nine now. She's always been little, though she has quite a tummy on her now despite being very active!

[trialia]

Yeah, but if you remember, Mum called her Lily, Dad calls her Lillith and I call her Lillias, you were the only one who chose Liathano for her... despite the fact that we all end up calling her Lil more than anything else! *grin* Oh, and I get to see her this weekend :D Barbara said she's going down to Emma's kid's christening and she'll give me a lift. ^___^;