My cat is acting strange

[RandomWiktor]

Heh, don't get the impression that the US lets us run around gunning down cats of course. Normally, it would be an animal cruelty offense. This is something states (like Wisconsin, that has some 114 cats per sq. mile) are considering as a control method (even though the TNR programs would really work if only more widespread), but it would require a liscence.
It sounds like the UK is in a better state so far as pet overpopulation goes, but I do have two UK friends who volunteer for a cat shelter, so there must be a problem to some degree in some places.
Still, the problem in the US is getting very out of hand; I believe we are at something close to 60 million feral cats. They're out-competing native predators, spreading diseases, and causing problems for wildlife. Not that I'm saying I'm all for shooting them, I'm just acknowledging that we def. have a problem.

 

[Bloo]

Am in the Surrey, England,UK.

Don't think we hunt cats here!

Is that Surrey, MARS, England, UK ??
No offence, but I live in Surrey too (yeah I know my profile says London, but I figure that it's more recognisable and I'm on the borders of greater London.
I know Surrey is fairly large, and I also know Surrey very well. Do you live in some hidden not-known to man village ? Mmmm, sorry to sound sarcastic but that’s a silly statement to make and say that you cannot get kittens for “love nor money”

 

[samseal]

Honestly,

Anyone would think I was the next Cruella de Ville(only with cats.)

All I can tell you is that where we are there are no kittens availible in shelters.
When we got our cat I rang all the local shelters and there were none.The only kittens in the area were for sale at £60 each(moggies).My boyfriend also checked other areas within a 40 mile radius and still none.

I understand and am sympathetic to people who feel that there are too many cats/kittens in shelters.It obviuosly varies from area to area.Indeed when I had cats lastime arpound 20 years ago they were 2 kittens froms the cats protection

I was not aware that there a Surrey on Mars and thats not where I live.I do not think it was a silly statement to say that you could not get kittens for love or money as I was referring to the shortage of kittens in our area.Both in shelters and through cat breeders.

Just another point, When my BF;s cat had kittens (4 of them) he received 100 phone calls enquiring about them.

 

[mm_simb]

That's nice but have you ever thought about your cats health? Cats who are not spayed are more prone to cancer as are un-neutered males. It seems like you care more about providing more kittens for people that want them than your cats health. Although I applaud you for not letting her out right now since she is way too young to have kittens and she would probably die doing so.

 

[samseal]

Right let me clear this up once and for all
Monkey is very well taken care of and is loved.I asked about her strange behaviuor as I was concerned.I am not familiar with the courting rituals of cats.

I object to your conclusion thatr I care more about providing kittens than the health of my own cat.If you read through the whole of this post you will see that once her behaviuor had been explained to me and the dangers pointed out.I responed by saying that I would keep her indoors.Furthermore I was happy to take the advice of people who offered it in a curteous way.

I feel as if I have been forced to defend a statement that I made that I would like her to have kittens.I took on board the advice about waiting.Yes I would like her to have kittens at a later date and I am offended that you assume that I would be irresponmsible about it.What do you think I would do abandon them, or throw them in a river to drown?


"Cats who are not spayed are more prone to cancer as are un-neutered males."
Fair enough .However this leads me to question how are we ever to get more cats if you believe that all cats should be rendered incapable of breeding to protect themselves against cancer.

If you attack people in this way when they come to you for advice (and then agree to take it) then people are going to stop asking for it.This will result in more animal neglect and cruelty.

Just as a matter of interest .do you drive a car?

And do yourself breed? because that too can cause problems for both yourself and your offspring

 

[mm_simb]

Just as a matter of interest .do you drive a car?

And do yourself breed? because that too can cause problems for both yourself and your offspring

Does that really have anything to do with cats. I have no idea what you meant there either. If you meant that if I drive a car when I'm pregnant it can cause problems well then I'd say I'm not pregnant

Maybe we should send all our strays that way...that would end the problem of having "no kittens" over there.

As for your cat's behavior, she is in heat. It will last a week to a few weeks and some cats do tend to spray when they're like that. She will also become an expert escape artist so you are going to have to keep a close eye on her because she will get out when you're not paying attention. As in, you open the door to leave and your cat runs out. I still don't think you should breed her as I am sure she is not even a pure bred cat but in the end its your decision.

 

[samseal]

Whether or not Monkey has kittens in the future is yet to be decided and I can assure you any decision will not be influenced by the any comments you have made.

Pure bred cats? What do we can have no more moggies, no more monngrel dogs?
Because as far as I undertsand it these aninmals are the most disease resistant and heallthy.

I am not starting a one man campaign to repopulate the UK with Kittens.

The reason I asked if you drove was because that causes more carcagenics to be introduced into the atmosphere than anything.I do find that people who take the moral high ground usually have some hypocracy about them.

I don't understand why a simple enquiry about my cats behaviuor has caused so many people to get on their soapboxes.It is apparant that the US has a much bigger problem with cats than we have in the UK.As always you assume that we follow suit with you and act like you.We don't as a rule!

 

[mm_simb]

Whether or not Monkey has kittens in the future is yet to be decided and I can assure you any decision will not be influenced by the any comments you have made.

Pure bred cats? What do we can have no more moggies, no more monngrel dogs?
Because as far as I undertsand it these aninmals are the most disease resistant and heallthy.

I am not starting a one man campaign to repopulate the UK with Kittens.

The reason I asked if you drove was because that causes more carcagenics to be introduced into the atmosphere than anything.I do find that people who take the moral high ground usually have some hypocracy about them.

I don't understand why a simple enquiry about my cats behaviuor has caused so many people to get on their soapboxes.It is apparant that the US has a much bigger problem with cats than we have in the UK.As always you assume that we follow suit with you and act like you.We don't as a rule!

Ok this will be my last comment on this since it's getting to be too off topic already.
I really dont care if my comments or anyone else's comments have influenced your decision at all. I was just telling you the facts. Whether or not you take those facts are learn from them is not my problem.
Actually, a lot of places would be better off without muts. Especially places with too many animals. I'm sure the U.S. is one of those places as I live in an area where there are dogs and cats running loose everything. This is turn influences what I think about breeding and about spaying/neutering.
I am sure you are not the only one that wants more kittens over there. It seems like more people in your area like their cats to roam free therefore those cats would populate since a lot of people think like you...they want their cat to at least have one litter.
What does driving a car have to do with the population of animals btw? Nothing. Yes, it harms the environment but does it lower the animal population? Does it higher it? No, I don't think so. I do have a hybrid btw...
Please don't bash the people in the U.S. How is it a rule not to act like us? Not everyone here thinks the same way.
Now I am off elsewhere. Good luck with your cat...

 

[RandomWiktor]

Samseal, people got on our soap boxes because it became readily apparently when you didn't know heat behavior that you probably also didn't know about breeding, the health benefits of spay/nueter, etc. so we were trying to offer you advice. I don't think anyone here has been exceptionally rude to you, rather you have been the one calling people smart arses, bashing US policy with snooty statements about how you "don't follow us as a rule," and so fourth. I thought perhaps I was being harsh on your last night, but now that I see how you've responded to everyone else, I get the impression you are merely offended easily.

And honestly, you were quite rude yourself. You didn't need to offer the comments you gave me about how I'm an immature smartass, nor did you need to ask Simb is she had a car; is that really relevant? I have a feeling you were suggesting she was too young to be offering advice, and you pulled the same with me by saying I had "youthful gusto," but I think this thread more or less proved that age really doesn't necesarrily mean more informed.

As for your comment about cats and dogs going extinct or what have you from spay and nueter... trust me, it will never happen. That is because we have breeders out there who specifically make sure cats and dogs stay on this planet, and they do it more responsibly (for the most part) then someone who lets their dog or cat roam. Furthermore, so many people do not sterilize their animals and let them roam that even without professional breeding, we would still have more than enough dogs and cats. Not just in the US; many developed and third world nations alike have an issue of pet over population. Many regions of precious England do as well, so I wouldn't get so uppity about how this is only a US problem.

We realize you probably will not listen to what was said here and let your cat breed with some random tom come her next heat cycle, though it would be lovely if you'd at least consider purchasing one to keep the disease factor out. Frankly, when you come to a forum, you have to expect people from all over the world with all different opinions to offer input. It would be advisable in the future to just ask your vet; they could have given you advice in a manner you may have found less "offensive."

At any rate, I'm done. Good luck with your cat. As I said, I'm sure a vet could offer some wonderful advice if you are considering breeding so far as nutrition, selecting a sire, neonatal care, etc. goes.

 

[samseal]

Did I at any point say that I was going to let her run around with any old Tom cat?

Did I not acknowledge the advice given and say that I was going to keep her inddors once I had established that this behaviuor was her "on heat"?

I apologise if I was not well versed with heat behaviuor, because no other cat I have ever owned has behaved this way

I do not apologise for calling you rude or for being offonded by the tone that a number of forum members have taken with me.As for asking her if she drove it was nothing to do with age it was more about enviroment as she has brought the subject of cancer.

For the record I am the sort of person who has once established facts takes them in to seriuos consideration when making decisions.References to your youth were not meant as an insult .I do remember what it is like to be young and idealistic.I also remember that sometimes youthful approach can cause offence. I am glad that you are going to be a vet you have the passion and obvious intelligence to be a good one.

I just regret that one simple question triggered such bad feelings, when the bottom line is that I was asking about my cats welfare.

It is clear that the situation is different in The US yes there are some problems in the UK , I am not nieve to think otherwise.

I think what really got me was the way I was accused of not thinking of my cats welfare when that was exactly what I was doing.

Just so you know Monkey is going to the vets on Thursday and she is driving me mad at the moment by mewing and wanting toi get out.

Lets put this to bed now and admit that we all got bit heated and that there were some major misunderstandings along the way

 

[Bloo]

A little bit of bed time reading for you.
http/www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/pyometra.html
As you are not familiar with a young female cat's behaviour when on heat, you might not know about Pyometras either. When mm_simb spoke of cancer, I can only think that Pyometra was meant. It has nothing to do with air pollution or carcenogenics introduced into the atmosphere.
I won't repeat everything this article can tell you (and many more if you wish to google it) however suffice to say it a very real and very nasty thing - more often than not only ever noticed when in a progressed state and way too late. As a vet nurse I've seen it many a time and seen animals die a nasty slow & painful death as a result of that. A risk you can take if you so wish for the sake of populating the nation with more kittens. You might say "well what about breeders" ? Well, breeders take their cats for very regular check ups and know what to potentially look out for.
Good luck.

 

[samseal]

A little bit of bed time reading for you.
http/www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/pyometra.html
As you are not familiar with a young female cat's behaviour when on heat, you might not know about Pyometras either. When mm_simb spoke of cancer, I can only think that Pyometra was meant. It has nothing to do with air pollution or carcenogenics introduced into the atmosphere.
I won't repeat everything this article can tell you (and many more if you wish to google it) however suffice to say it a very real and very nasty thing - more often than not only ever noticed when in a progressed state and way too late. As a vet nurse I've seen it many a time and seen animals die a nasty slow & painful death as a result of that. A risk you can take if you so wish for the sake of populating the nation with more kittens. You might say "well what about breeders" ? Well, breeders take their cats for very regular check ups and know what to potentially look out for.
Good luck.

A risk you can take if you so wish for the sake of populating the nation with more kittens

That was an unnecessary snipe.But thanks for the advice

Sam
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[morgan]

RandomViktor, glad you understood that I wasn't having a go! Over here we have a problem with badgers, some experts think they are passing TB to cattle. Where I live they are going to cull them. You certainly have a lot of cats over there. My parents had a half-wild cat once, she was really spiteful!

 

[RandomWiktor]

We have the same kind of issue over here - Brucellosis and Bison. However, I'm a bit peeved about it, because not only are there volunteers who would be willing to make sure the Bison stayed in Yellowstone, but there has never been a recorded case of Bison giving cattle Brucellosis. If anything, I'd be more concerned about cattle giving diseases to wildlife, seeing as our factory farms are a fertile breeding ground for diseases and zoonoses. :ighs:: I really, really miss the days of family farms.

And I agree, many previously feral cats can be pretty batty! Some are sweet, but it takes tons of rehabilitation. One of my "jobs" at the shelter was socializing the feral cats as I had great luck with it in my TNR program. I had good success, but some just don't convert over very well. I think my own cat Leo is a good example; he was only feral for about 6 months as a kitten, but he remains terrified of strangers and loud noises, has an amazing prey drive, and will become panicked and violent if he doesn't see food at all times. He really seems to think we're just going to starve him one day; its sad business. I hate seeing things like that, which is why I'm such a strong supporter of spay and nueter, perhaps to the extent of coming off too strongly with it.

Anyways guys, I think Sam has a pretty good idea now of the benefits of spay/nueter and how to breed responsibly, so if we do make any more comments, I think in all fairness we should just provide links so that we don't end up perpetuating an argument. Is that agreeable enough to both the involved posters and Sam? After all, the question has been answered, so I reckon anything else, (including this post, incidentally!) would be spamming.

 

[samseal]

Thanks Random!

Sam
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