Ask Me Help Desk - How can I control my cat when she is in heat?

Just out of curiosity but, have you ever thought some people do like cats and have rescued them out of the goodness of their hearts but can't afford to spay them?

have any of you considered that some people might have rescued the cat/s but can't afford to spay them?

This thread's old but I'll answer anyway.

Yeah, I've considered it. I'm a lot more open than some people around here about taking on a cat when you can only afford the very basic cheap food and litter box - cause I think a cat in a loving home is better off with some basic care than dead. (Keywords: loving home. Look again at original post.) Also, sometimes people have plenty of money when they get the animal and then lose a job or something. That kind of thing can happen all the time.

However, if you can't afford to spay a cat, don't get the cat. If you know you can afford it in a few months or so, that's probably OK, as long as you know what you're getting into, want to listen to the cat and make sure it doesn't get it. But if you simply can't afford it, don't get the cat!

Why? For one, because dealing with a cat in heat is no fun for the human and no fun for the cat. The cat wants out really, really, really badly, and cats are sneaky enough that she could end up getting out. And then getting pregnant. And then we have more cats when there's already too many. Are we going to spend the entire cat's life putting her through this? Are we going to spend it trying to keep her in every time she goes into heat? Probably never going to work out that way. This cat doesn't even have the same amount of control as a budding 16 year old male - and that ain't saying much.

So we're going to end up with a pregnant cat, with kittens, and more kittens to find homes for. So what was the point of taking a cat into your home when all you did was create more unwanted cats?? I don't consider this to be any "goodness of the heart"!

Oh, but you love cats and want one. That's nice - but your emotions aren't worth creating more homeless cats. And people want a lot of things that they can't or shouldn't have. "Want" does not make inappropriate behavior OK.

And I don't want to hear that you know people who will take the kittens. Great. If they want kittens, there's shelters full of them. If they take your 4, then 4 at the shelter get put to death cause they didn't get a home. So it still comes out the same in the end.

And if this cat you gave a home to happens to be male and you can't afford to fix it... well, that's not even a pet so let's not bother to go there.

And then let's add to that this particular poster... who is trying to "control" a cat in heat. If you're going to take on a cat and can't afford to spay, be prepared for its behavior and not have a hissy cause it's behaving as it naturally should, and want to dump it in cold water. Do you think this is somehow appropriate just cause they "want" a cat? Obviously they don't want the cat the way she is, right? Granted, I can understand the frustration - I know what that feels like. But to think you can "control" it?

It's always good to take on cats with no homes. But it's totally inappropriate to do it if you're going to just contribute to creating more cats, and inappropriate that you don't want to tolerate the cat the way she is.

Now, aren't you happy you asked? And I doubt you'll get any different answer from any of the regulars who hang out here, though some may have held their temper a little better. (Or maybe not.)

I took in a cat, knowing it would probably be several months before I was able to get her fixed. I also knew she was pregnant. I still have 4 of her 6 babies, and I still can't afford to get her fixed.

The difference is, I'm getting the two boys fixed, before getting the three girls fixed. Yes, that means mommy will keep going into heat, and the daughters will eventually follow suit. BUT, I'm being responsible and making sure none of my girls will have access to an unfixed male. It's next to impossible for a cat to sneak out of my house to get outside.

When my mommy-cat goes into heat I don't try to control her behavior or discipline her for it. I deal with the extra talking. I give her all the love and attention she wants. I pretty much just ignore all the posturing and rubbing against the carpet. The ONLY thing I discipline is peeing outside the litter box, and then it's only scolding and a spray bottle (the same discipline I use for all the cats when they do something bad).

So, am I an irresponsible pet owner for adopting a cat when I knew I couldn't get her fixed? Or am I a responsible pet owner for ensuring that my unfixed females have no access to a mature unfixed male? Or, is it some mixture of both?

Hheath, you took on a cat who was already pregnant, due to no fault on your part. You posted on here about the issue, discussing how old the kittens would have to be, and about adopting them with or without them being fixed, etc... because you didn't want them going to homes that wouldn't fix them. That is, you wanted the people who took them to not end up with more pregnant cats. And it was also discussed whether there were any programs where you could do some neutering for cheaper, etc. You've discussed that it will take some time, and I suspect some day you'll make your best effort to get mom fixed as well. I've never thought you were going to let her continue to go into heat for the rest of her whole life.

The real point being, you did know what you were taking on, and you got on here and discussed it, tried to be responsible, and have been making some effort at doing so. You didn't just take the cat with an "oh screw it all" attitude.

Trust me, if I thought there was something terrible about what you were doing, I would never have been talking to you about any of this, cause I generally don't have friendly discussions with people that I think are being irresponsible with their pets.

I'm actually quite surprised you even posted that. Do you actually disagree with me that if you can't have a cat fixed EVER that you shouldn't be taking one? I doubt it - you didn't want your kittens going to someone who wouldn't fix them.

Hhealth, what you are doing is fine! Your trying to do something logical (not like throwing your cat in water) I appreciate people who TRY and give there pets a good life, if there trying doesn't work, try something else. I understand males are A LOT cheaper to neuter than females, so I get where your coming from.

Quote:

Originally Posted by morgaine300

I'm actually quite surprised you even posted that. Do you actually disagree with me that if you can't have a cat fixed EVER that you shouldn't be taking one? I doubt it - you didn't want your kittens going to someone who wouldn't fix them.

I was more just trying to give a different perspective and situation. At the same time, I wanted to show that it's possible to have an unfixed female that goes into heat repeatedly, WITHOUT being cruel to her because her behavior is annoying.

I tend to be more understanding of people who don't have the money to get their pets fixed. I feel that as long as the pet is loved and taken care of, and kept away from other unfixed animals that may result in pregnancy, that getting it fixed can wait. Yes, it is uncomfortable and annoying for both pet and owner, but it's not an immediate health risk.

It's owners with pets who have obviously serious medical issues, and refuse to find a way to get them to a vet, that bother me. And owners who mistreat their pets, for ANY reason, that anger me. If their only crime is not having their pet fixed, then I see it as a relatively minor offense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Niko09

have any of you considered that some people might have rescued the cat/s but can't afford to spay them?

Concerning your comment about karma - yes, I believe in karma for people who get animals and don't properly care for them.

I wasn't yelling I was just pointing some words out! My bad if you thought otherwise

[QUOTE=Niko09 : they are properly taken care of
.[/QUOTE]

Here's my problem - and maybe this is the stuff of a discussion on another Board.

If a person can't afford Veterinary treatment, and that includes spaying/neutering, a pet is NOT properly taken care of.

It has nothing to do with being rich; it has everything to do with being responsible. I took a part-time job when my dog was sick and I was struggling to make ends meet following a divorce in order to pay his Vet bills. Extreme, perhaps, but he was my dog and he needed specialized care.

water doesn't help my situation. I'm going to get her spayed in the next few weeks. As far as the water's concerned, she's a Maine coone. Water fascinates her. And she has no problem jumping into running water. I sometimes have to throw her off the counter out of fear that she might step on a knife or poison herself with nasty water or eat something toxic when I'm washing the dishes because she has no problem sticking her head or a paw under the sink sometimes. I've been giving her baths since she was little so she's accustomed to it I guess. When I thought 'maybe a bath will put her heat on hold... ' no. she just had her bath like she always has, then ran around the house like a lunatic for awhile because her fur is what keeps her warm, and since it's wet, she plays on overdrive to stay warm and shakes water randomly around the house every now and then to dry a little, then about 3 hours later when she's dried off she'll start yowling again.

If you have a similar question please start your own thread. Do not piggyback on someone else's.

Also, please check dates before posting.

Thank you.

Thread closed.