A "humane" way of preventing cat's pregancies?

[rawlight]

Cerellia, as much as I disagree with most of your thinking, I *do* want to compliment you on all the research you are doing. It's obvious that you have taken this very seriously and your future pets will be better off for the knowledge you have.

As others here have said in different ways, for better or worse our domestication of cats and dogs has totally messed with their genetic pool. All those thousands of years ago when the first wolf walked into that village and was befriended by that human (or however the story goes!), it was all over for the wildness in the dogs to come after. By taking them into our homes and communities, we've bred out so much of their natural instincts. They can't really live on their own as they did way back when. I believe, in exchange for this sacrifice, we owe it to them to make them as happy and comfortable as possible.

Spaying and neutering is a *gift* to our animals in my opinion and to our society as well. I hope you will go to a vet, tell him or her your concerns about it and see what they have to say.

I do take your concerns seriously, but just want to tell you this little story: at the dog park last year, someone said their neighbor was very reluctant to neuter his dog. He projected his human feelings on him and felt it would emasculate his dog. He investigated some leads and found a vet who neutered dogs and gave them testicle implants. So now the neighbors are happy, the dog is happy and the man...feels a lot better about himself-lol

This just shows us how prevalent are our human projections on our animals! (and how we start new industries)!!

[buffalogal]

I happen to think that having cats spayed or neutered IS the only "humane" way of preventing cat's pregnancies!! They are only uncomfortable for a very short time during and after the surgery. Then they are free to enjoy a wonderful life without ever procreating!!! I volunteer with a wonderful TNR (trap, neuter, return) organization which has "fixed" thousands of feral cats, thereby preventing 10s or 100s of thousands of kittens, who would only end up like their parents.....continuously multiplying. It breaks my heart to see the many beautiful little kittens that are turned in to the SPCA to be euthanized especially in the springtime. How sad. When all it takes to prevent it is responsible OWNERS!! PLEEEEEEEASE HAVE YOUR CATS FIXED!!!

[Ilse W.]

The shelters here won't let you have an unaltered cat.

[Myca]

I've had lots and lots and lots of cats over the years. It is much more humane to spay them, than to watch how miserable they are in heat, locked up to keep the boys away. I don't think I have ever seen a more miserable animal. Save yourself and kitty some pain, go get it spayed.

[Broken Aquarian]

but how about if they can "get it" (obviously without the risk of getting pregnant, because they are sterilised)?

Cats don't have sex for fun or for pleasure. They breed because they have a hormonal instinct to do so. If you keep the testicles on the cat, but snip the tubes - they are still going to suffer the hormone surges that an intact cat does.

Same goes for the females - they will still go into heat, but they will not get pregnant. If they're still going into heat, that means they are also still having hormone surges - they are still miserable and they can still get cancer and stress related illnesses from it.

They are not happy, they aren't like people and don't let off steam - If you put a male in a room full of females in heat - he wouldn't stop trying to mate with them, because it's not about him being satisfied, it's about a natural instinct/drive. He can't control it and he can't stop it. It's not that he wants to do it, it's that he HAS to do it.

The human male sex drive has nothing on an animal in heat - the hormone/drive is so much stronger, you can't even compare the two.

I'd also like to point out that since your cats are not wild animals - they should not be hunting birds, rats, mice or moles -(unless they are in your home/small yard - not on distant property) those animals are food for the true wild animals - you are disrupting the natural food chain and putting a stress on your local ecosystem.
They are not wild, so they should not be eating the wild animals food source.

[SmilingRawDancer]

^^ I agree. And might I mention that sex is VERY PAINFUL for female cats. Google exactly what goes on. Lets just say spiky stuff on the male....

[Broken Aquarian]

Oh yeah, I forgot about that -
A Tom Cat has a barbed penis - it hurts the female to breed. When he withdraws, the barbs scrape/scratch the birth canal - this is why a lot of cats scream during mating.

It is definitely not fun for the female - it hurts, but she's driven to do it because of hormonal instinct/drive.

[Inca_faerie]

My baby is an 8 year old male main coone cat. He's indoor/outdoor and we got him nuetered when he was 6 months old i think. He has never been territorial with other cats or openly been aggressive or fought. He doesn't like confrontation and ignores or walks away from cats he doesn't like. He is the most loving, affectionate and attentive cat i've ever seen or had. He loves even being in the same room as me when he sleeps, or if im outside he'll sleep behind my lawn chair. Often he meows ar me once he's oustide for me to sit there with him. I had to have him declawed too for my last rental place, and it was so sad and i felt so sorry for him but he is truly happy and still mock scratches things occaisionally. And now i dont have to torture him and hold him by trying to clip his claws every week. I don't know, i know he didn't have a perfect life, but he sure is happy. I want to switch him to raw food next. :)

Veronica!! You have a maine coon?!? Aren't they the BEST!? I have a 6 month old black maine coon/himalayan and he is the sweetest little guy (he is a bit of a trouble maker though and he eats like a monster, he even likes fruits and veggies)

Cerellia, by not wanting to get your cat spayed because you don't want to take away it's "sexuality", you are bringing HUMAN stuff into this. Like others have said, dogs and cats don't feel the need for sexual gratification and the apperant urge to hump everything in sight like us ridiculous humans *monkey creatures * Honestly, humans gross me out sometimes (being as sex obsessed as we are) thank god most animals aren't like this, it's one of the reasons I respect them more.

Seriously, you wanna put your cat on birth control?? Now that would be cruel. I don't know what the effect of BC would be for cats but probably similar to how it is in humans causing depression, weight gain, weakened immune response.

You want your cats to be happy? Love them, cuddle them, feed them good nurtious food, play with them, do them a favor and leave your human stuff out of it and GET THEM FIXED. They will live longer happier healthier lives as a result. Maybe go to your local animal shelter and have a look at the poor beautiful animals having to spend their lives in cages (or be killed) as a result of some idiot not taking the proper care to spay/neauter their pets and if that won't motivate you to spay/neuter I don't know what will.

[SmilingRawDancer]

OMG I have a black maine coon too!!! He is THE BEST. He "trills" and coos all the time, and he is the best bug hunter - not to mention the prettiest guy around. You would think by looking at him that he'd have a deep, manly meow - not the case AT ALL. He sounds more girly then my 2 female cats combined haha

Oh, and he loves water. He plays in water and sinks all the time. Unfortunately he likes the toilet too.

And mine too eats ALL THE TIME. Avocadoes and popcorn are his favorites.

[ruffsongraw]

Cerelia,
please consider the above info that cats do not (nor do any other animals besides humnas) have recreational sex.
it is painful for them AS WELL AS the potential transmission of STD's and other unhealthy risks they would not be exposed to if alteres. beleive me, the first time your female cat is YOWLING all night and backing up into protruding objects you will wonder what you were thinking. she will NOT be happier being left intact. then you will have all manner of stray tom cats carousing outside your home, fighting, raping her, spraying everything they can (so smelly). also any male cat you have vasectemized wil do the same, fight with those other cats that the female heat scent will attract in droves.

lions and other wild cats come into heat ONCE a year (as do wolves and other wild canids). MAN has developed them into cycling TWICE a year. cats will stay in heat until bred usually and up to a week even if they are bred (they dont immed go out).

please do more research. you have to choose the lesser of 2 evils.

most shelters will not adopt out an un-sterilized animal (if of age, which is getting earlier and earlier!) and will require proof of sterilization later if they allow a younger cat to leave. some shelters can "re-possess" the adopted animal if not altered.

goodluck. loook for a good vet who uses Isofluorane (the safest gas anesthesia) and also Propoflo or other pain medication post-op. pricier to do it this way but easier on the cat.

i would advise you to visit un-altered cats of both genders and ask the pros and cons of the owners. since you cannot deprive a cat of something they dont naturally do (recreational sex) and since you also cannot "deprive" them of an activity they have never experienced anyhow (sex, if altered before those drives appear) then you are doing a disservice to the cats if they are allowed to pine and yearn to mate, exposing them to fights, disease, vaginal pain---etc. your neighbors will also be angry with yowling spraying cats being attracted to your yard...

jen