Conference misery::feline_v1

    Don't want to offend you but.....1 is 1 tomany! I don't remember
    a prior note from you on the subject but I figure if you were a
    breader you would know 1 is just as likely as max number so my 
    question is why isn't your cat spayed? What's the kitten look like,
    are you keeping it yourself, and have there been others before this?
    I can't pass you those pills since I'm about to take them for the
    migrain that's coming on thinking about overpopulation.

    Re .1
    
    Without knowing any of the particulars, I wouldn't have come on so
    strong.  I agree with spaying my females but not all people have the
    same beliefs.
    
    Re .0
    
    As to 1 kitten only.  My female cat that I had many years ago gave
    birth to only 1 kitten.  I thought for sure she was going to have more.
    He was healthy and big.  We named him Solo.  She was spayed after that
    so I don't know if she would have had more kittens in another litter.
    Is your female a purebred and has she been bred before??  Does the mom
    seem OK??  How old is she??
    
    Sandi, mom to Thunder, Lightning, DejaVu and Patches the Stray (all
    spayed females)
    
    

    
    
                                  Please
    
    Folks, before we have a repeat of last week, please think before you
    write.    Educating gently is much better than landing like a ton of
    kitty litter.
    
                                  Thank You                    

    Hi Shaz,
    
    How old is your kitty?  Sometimes a very young female having
    her first litter will only produce a small litter, which can
    be only one.  Topsy's mother may have had previous litters
    before having Topsy.
    
    If you need information on spaying, please feel free to ask.
    
    
    E.T.

    It is just as common to have a litter of one as it is to have a
    litter of four or five. 
    
    If you were breeding, you would know how many times she was bred
    and that might be an indicator.  If she were bred by a tom outside,
    on the sly, she may have only been bred a few times.  If this was
    her first season, she may not be ovulating normally yet.  If she
    is very young, it is best that she only had one, since kittens are
    a big drain on a female's system.
    
    Jo

    r .2,3 alas the electronic words can sound different than the spoken
    word, but I'm gentle in nature and respect the rights of people
    to do what they think best. My wording may have sounded like a cat
    scratch revealing my true opinion however the questions are just
    that and the owner may forgive me for being to cat curious about
    the blessed event as I scan other notes listings for cats in need
    of homes. Hope the new kitten has the best home of all!

    re:1
    
    Well for your information, we have five homes for the 1 kitten. I also
    seem to remember that when we tried to get hold of our two, we had
    a whole host of problems trying to locate kittens. However I do agree
    that we should now get her spayed.
    
    By the way I am located in the UK.
    
    Shaz

    Shaz,

	I know what you mean about looking a long time before you
	could find kittens, they are not that easy to find in the
	UK.

	When I was looking, I couldn't find any. As older strays are easier to
	find, that's what I have - two ginger ex-strays.  I wouldn't swap
	them for anything, but I wish I had them as kittens.

	Also, as most people prefer mogs to pure breds, they tend to be 
	in even shorter supply.
	
	I'm sure you're little kitten will have a wonderful home, it's a shame 
	you're going to have the mother spayed, why not let her have another 
	litter, so the other people can have their kitties, and are not left 
	dissapointed?

	Heather

    Remember - it IS a drain on the female.  Be intelligent about
    breeding please.  
    
    Things are so different in the US.  Too bad we can't send you
    some of our kittens.  I'm sure they'd have wonderful homes.
     Nancy DC

    RE:8
    
    Thanks for the support, I am sorry I asked now, I did'nt think I would
    incite this much bad feeling about kittens. As for another litter, we
    may just let her have one more. 
    
    By the way the kitten is a silver grey tabby moggy and is doing just
    fine.
    
    Shaz

    Re: .10

    Although I did not enter any of the previous replies, I am sorry if
    you were offended by any of them. I don't think they were intended 
    that way. Also, it's not that people here in the U.S. don't like 
    kittens -- far from it!

    I would like to try to explain where the "bad feeling" comes from. 
    You probably have no idea of the magnitude of the pet overpopulation 
    problem in the U.S.  Each year millions of animals, including adorable 
    little kittens, end up in shelters and are killed  because there are 
    no homes for them. Others end up in research labs suffering in ways I 
    don't even want to imagine. Then there are countless strays living 
    wild, living in the streets, barely surviving because they are 
    unwanted. They are starving, they are sick, they are lonely. 

    When I was growing up, my family -- like many others -- had a cat.
    In those days, people had A cat. Today, it is much more common to see
    multiple cat households -- I have five, four are former strays, and
    the fifth was given away by her people at age 12 because they didn't
    want her any more. Even though many people are willing to own more than 
    one cat, there are still not enough homes, let alone GOOD homes, let 
    alone PERMANENT GOOD HOMES.

    We who care about cats and other animals feel great pain when hearing 
    about more animals being born; we can only picture the sad fate of the 
    little ones. It is a reflex for many of us, when we see another "free 
    to good home" ad or hear "my cat just had kittens", to groan and say 
    "Oh, no!"  After so much groaning, we feel compelled to speak out. The 
    "bad feeling" comes out, but it is really the frustration and anger we 
    feel at this terrible waste of life. Sometimes the anger is so great
    that we do not stop to think how our words may sound and we, 
    unfortunately, offend and alienate people.


    It is indeed fortunate that the UK does not have a pet overpopulation
    like the U.S., although at one time the U.S. didn't have this problem,
    either. But why wait until there is a problem? Why not take action
    to prevent it? Before allowing your cat to have another litter, perhaps
    you might visit an animal shelter in the UK. Talk to the people there.
    Find out if there is a problem or a potential problem. What happens to 
    the cats who are turned in there? How long do they stay before a new
    home is found? Then do what you will with a clear conscience.

    Thanks for listening.

    Linda

    P.S. I'm glad to hear mother and baby are doing well!

    Linda -
      You have awonderful way with words.  Thanks for expressing that
    so elequently.
      Nancy DC

    re: 12  My thanks also - it's so hard to be objective.
    
    So many of us have a housefull of cats that are the product of
    other folks desire NOT to spay and neuter that it IS hard not
    to show negative feelings in our words.  It's a heartwrenching
    problem that, I'm afraid, will be with us for a long time.
    Education does help, but it takes a long time.  So many goodhearted
    folks in this file have done SO much work with ferrals and homeless
    cats that they should be awarded solid gold ltter pans and pooper
    scoopers!  I try to remember what I knew about spaying and neutering
    before I know what I know today.

    Thank you, Nancy. It's something I feel very strongly about.
    
    Hmmm, I wonder if there's any way we can change the quarantine
    laws so we can ship our homeless kitties to the UK? 
    
    Linda

    Moggy?  I take it this is U.K. slang for cat?  It's so cute!
    I also like it when a canine noter calls a dog a 'Woo!
                                    
    Congradulations to Mom & baby !!
                                    
    Re .11 - Nicely said!  Re .14 - Change the Quarantine laws, Hmmmmm
     maybe there might be something we can do.......
    
    L-

    Linda,
    I thought what you wrote was wonderful!  I am printing out a copy so I
    can hang it under the poster that says "Pick one....and kiss the others
    goodbye.", it has a basket full of cute kittens in it.  Sometimes these
    kinds of words fall on deaf ears and it becomes very frustrating trying
    to express these thoughts.  It makes you wonder how ignorant many
    people are.  I am trying to breed cats myself now and I always think
    about what I'm doing.  For me it isn't too hard, if a good enough home
    cant't be found, it's mine forever! If we have too many, then I guess,
    the breeding may stop or at least cut back, only produce enough for
    show or for people we know who want one.  Personally, I don't know what
    my limit could be!!
    Karen,Ruby, Stinky, Wing
      

    Moggy = Mutt-cat.  I really like that word :-)

	Mog, or moggy, or moggie are words used for cats that are not
	pure bred, If they were dogs, the word would be mongrel.

	To show you the problem of getting kittens in the UK, I had my name on
	the waiting list of 4 animal shelters for May, June, and July.
	I eventually managed to get a ginger moggy of 5.5 months, that
	had been found as a stray.

	If I'd held our for a younger kitten, I could still have been waiting 
	a year later. 

	In most cases Kittens just don't reach the shelters, you have to have 
	a friend who has a female cat that has not yet been spayed. As most
	people spay their females either initially, or after one litter, this
	is not easy.

	Heather

>	In most cases Kittens just don't reach the shelters, you have to have 
>	a friend who has a female cat that has not yet been spayed. As most
>	people spay their females either initially, or after one litter, this
>	is not easy.

Heather,

I WISH we had this problem here....it makes people appreciate their kittens
so much more.

    It's true, it can be difficult to get small kittens here (although I
    counted five separate adverts. for small kittens in our local village
    pet shop the other day).
    
    But ... there are any amount of older kittens/ adult cats needing
    homes.  These cats don't appear from nowhere fully grown.  How many
    people take tiny appealing kittens, and throw them out when they become
    big cats??  Just a thought - I'm not criticising anyone here.
    
    Helen  (who has just acquired Hodge, age 9 weeks, from a friend's
    litter.  Hodge, rapidly becoming known as The Thug, deserves a note of
    his own!)

>    How many
>    people take tiny appealing kittens, and throw them out when they become
>    big cats??  Just a thought - I'm not criticising anyone here.
 
	Yup, this does happen, I'm also not sure how many cats just loose
	themselves, and don't get back with their owner, especially younger
	cats.

	I'm sure the second of my two cats was in this last category, as he was
	roaming around the streets, he must have been out a while because of
	the fleas/earmites, and general condition of his coat. 
	The vet reckoned he was about 5 months old

	We did advertise in the area, but with no luck. Whether the owners
	had stopped looking because of the time-elapse, or whether he had 
	strayed too far from base I don't know.

	But there's no way I can resist giving a home to a stray ginger moggie 
	.............   

>    Helen  (who has just acquired Hodge, age 9 weeks, from a friend's
>    litter.  Hodge, rapidly becoming known as The Thug, deserves a note of
>    his own!)

	So, what sort of colouring is he, and how does he deserve the name
	The Thug at 9 weeks??????????????????

	Heather

    Black with white chest, feet, nose, and tail tip.  The Thug - he is
    totally fearless, and attacks everything in sight (people, the other
    two cats, the dog ...).
    
    Actually, he loves Brandy (the dog) best of anyone, and sleeps with him
    when he can, but most of the time he shows his affection by swinging
    from his ears (Brandy's a spaniel), chewing his tail, and launching
    ambushes from anywhere he can.  He particularly enjoys wrapping himself
    round one of Brandy's ankles (if dogs have ankles), and chewing his
    feet.
    
    Originally, Hodge was separated from Brandy when we weren't there to
    protect the kitten.  Hodge is now separated from Brandy to protect the
    dog.
    
    Helen.

>    Black with white chest, feet, nose, and tail tip.  The Thug - he is
>    totally fearless, and attacks everything in sight (people, the other
>    two cats, the dog ...).
    
Tuxedo cat!! Alright!  Welcome to Hodge - and my sympathies to poor 
Brandy.  When my gray tuxedo cat, Nick, was a young thug, he made my doberman
(also Brandy) totally miserable....well, not that miserable or she wouldn't
have kept coming back for more...but he did attack any time she was within
reach.

    Correction to my previous note.  Hodge went to the vet last night for
    his first innoculation.  He is actually she.  So Hodge has now become
    Prudence, Hodge being (in my view) a boy's name.
    
    However, all other comments still apply.  I'll tell Brandy you
    sympathise - he'll be grateful.  Seriously, he's incredibly good with
    the kitten - ignores her, and adopts a hangdog expression.

	No wonder she kept attacking - so confusing for her!   :-)


	Good luck with prudence, and sympathies to the dog!

	Heather