# Information about Pregnant Cats - Information collection



## Tanya1989 (Dec 4, 2009)

As mentioned on the other thread:
Lets work collectively to gather information in a nice healthy debate, I can "play" at the part of the clueless person (I'm good at that  )

My First Question (keep it on topic- there will be lots more questions):

What makes a cat suitable to be bred from?


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2011)

> What makes a cat suitable to be bred from?


Depending on the breed. I should think similar to dogs health is vital and there are health tests for certain breeds of cat. So these should be done before entering a breeding program with said cat.

The cat should be of good size, an overly small/sicky cat could encounter problems.

Others would be able to answer better, not sure if cat showing is as important as is in dogs.


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## classixuk (Jun 6, 2009)

Tanya1989 said:


> As mentioned on the other thread:
> Lets work collectively to gather information in a nice healthy debate, I can "play" at the part of the clueless person (I'm good at that  )
> 
> My First Question (keep it on topic- there will be lots more questions):
> ...


I can play clueless too. Not too difficult. 

*"I think my cat is pregnant, she is fat around the belly. When will the kittens arrive?"*
Some top-down reference photos of the changing shape of the queen during her pregnancy, as well as examples of behavioural changes at each stage would be helpful here. The owner is unlikely to know the exact date of the mating (based on previous threads). I know you guys will recommend a vet's visit, but for the enquiring mind at 1AM this at least gets them started.

*"She looks less than X weeks pregnant, so what's next?"*
List options here such as spay with benefits and pregnancy with cautions.

*"She looks like the last picture, does that mean the kittens will be coming soon?"*
Now begins the shopping list of things to do...e.g. Vets informed and emergency number to hand, nesting area ready, food ready, etc.

*"Help. One of the kittens isn't moving or breathing"*
How to resuscitate a kitten and what to do with the kitten if this does not work.

*"Help. 2 of the kittens have gone missing EDIT 3 now, 1 more has gone since I did this post! ".*
Explanation of what is happening and how they can make the nesting area feel more secure for the queen.

*"How many boys and how many girls?"*
How to sex a kitten.
*
"Which food will they need?"*
Give a clear choice here (a supermarket brand for the uninitiated, and an alternative food that can be purchased in a quality pet-shop).

Will that do for starters? I think the above questions are all good examples of things that a pregnant cat owner might need answering.


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## Tanya1989 (Dec 4, 2009)

*How can you diagnose pregnancy?*
Can you scan a cat? Is there a blood test? Is there a pee on a stick type thing? When is the best time to scan? Is palpation an option? Is there a risk in a singleton litter?

*Should I change my cats food when pregnant?*

*What are the risks of going over due date?*
What is I don't know the due date? When should I worry? When should a vet intervene?


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

to see if a cat is pregnant, look her her nipples, normally very pale and tiny (literally cant see tiny!) if she is in kitten (pregnant) they will be very large and pink! They 'pink up' from 3 weeks pregnant, so if it is a accidental litter, neutering can still take place, possible up to alot later (ask the vet though)

vets can feel kittens from 3weeks gone, bones go softer around 5-6weeks of age so then harder to feel!!

Scans can be done, cant rem weeks gone amount though, prob 3weeks?

*****

Feed Good quality food cats each up to 4times as much when in kitten, free feeding constant supply whenever she wants Never let her be hungry, kitten meat & kitten biscuits are advice for extra nutritants, but if you feed adult meat & kitten biscuits for example that should be finem, just make sure they are good quality, add extra food to her diet, chicken berast, fish, quality meat pouches hi life etc

*****

They give birth around 60-70 days, with the 'average' at 63-65, so its obviously best/vital to know when she was mated, always call the vet if worried before taking her down, as the trip can stress her, so call them and give them details, they will say whether she needs to go in or not...

(please edit as needed Im not really with it, wroite this quite quickly!)


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## classixuk (Jun 6, 2009)

Tanya1989 said:


> *How can you diagnose pregnancy?*
> Can you scan a cat? Is there a blood test? Is there a pee on a stick type thing? When is the best time to scan? Is palpation an option? Is there a risk in a singleton litter?
> 
> *Should I change my cats food when pregnant?*
> ...


*"I read in another post about palpation or something. What is that and will my cat need it done?"*


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

classixuk said:


> *"I read in another post about palpation or something. What is that and will my cat need it done?"*


can do, but its normally quite obvious by the nipples! and they normall start to show around 5weeks to 6 weeks gone!


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## Myanimalmadhouse (Mar 6, 2011)

Palpation of the Cat's Abdomen

Your veterinarian may be able to feel fetuses by palpating (feel by gently pressing) your queen's abdomen, usually around the 17th-20th day of pregnancy.


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## Tanya1989 (Dec 4, 2009)

Myanimalmadhouse said:


> Palpation of the Cat's Abdomen
> 
> Your veterinarian may be able to feel fetuses by palpating (feel by gently pressing) your queen's abdomen, usually around the 17th-20th day of pregnancy.


*Are there any risks?*


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Palpation is done by a vet to feel for kittens. It isn't always necessary. Cats can give birth to between 1 and 10 kittens (rare), 4 - 5 being an average. 
Pinking of nipples at around 3 weeks from mating is the most common way of telling if a cat is pregnant. If this is the first indication that you think your cat may be pregnant (i.e you did not know that she had been with a tom cat) consult a vet straight away to discuss your options which can include spaying and aborting at this early stage.


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## Tanya1989 (Dec 4, 2009)

*Are there any risks with singletons like with dogs?*


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

Myanimalmadhouse said:


> Palpation of the Cat's Abdomen
> 
> Your veterinarian may be able to feel fetuses by palpating (feel by gently pressing) your queen's abdomen, usually around the 17th-20th day of pregnancy.


personally thats too early, my vets certainly didnt / couldnt feel a kitten so early, plus her nipples wouldnt be pink so you would have no reason to think that she was in kitten to have her felt for kits, SO I still go with 3weeks & over


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## classixuk (Jun 6, 2009)

lymorelynn said:


> Palpation is done by a vet to feel for kittens. It isn't always necessary. Cats can give birth to between 1 and 10 kittens (rare), 4 - 5 being an average.
> Pinking of nipples at around 3 weeks from mating is the most common way of telling if a cat is pregnant. If this is the first indication that you think your cat may be pregnant (i.e you did not know that she had been with a tom cat) consult a vet straight away to discuss your options which can include spaying and aborting at this early stage.


*Why would I want to abort my lovely kittens? Isn't that cruel?*


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## Myanimalmadhouse (Mar 6, 2011)

Tanya1989 said:


> *Are there any risks?*


This should always be done by a proffesional as pressing too hard can damage the unborn kittens.


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## Myanimalmadhouse (Mar 6, 2011)

classixuk said:


> *Why would I want to abort my lovely kittens? Isn't that cruel?*


This has to be a personal decision. Are you prepared to look after all the kittens if you cant find them new loving homes?

Are you prepared for the possibility that your cat and kittens may not survive the birth?

You must weigh up all your pros and cons and decide which you believe to be the right choice for you and your cat.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Tanya1989 said:


> *Are there any risks with singletons like with dogs?*


a single kitten is likely to be larger than one of a multiple litter so would be more likely to cause difficulties during delivery, possibly requiring veterinary intervention.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

classixuk said:


> *Why would I want to abort my lovely kittens? Isn't that cruel?*
> 
> [/QUOTE
> 
> ...


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## flev (Mar 6, 2011)

*A stray that keeps coming into my garden looks like she might be pregnant. What should I do?*


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

flev said:


> *A stray that keeps coming into my garden looks like she might be pregnant. What should I do?*


Try to find out if anyone in your area has lost a cat. 
I would advise contacting your local cat shelter unless you feel capable, financially as well as emotionally, of dealing with the birth of kittens and their upbringing


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## Tanya1989 (Dec 4, 2009)

Changed the title of the thread until a better one can be thought of as the last one was giving the wrong impression of what the thread is about


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2011)

*What are the risks and reasons not to breed my cat?*

*Reasons* - Ask yourself the reason why you want to breed your cat or how your cat became pregnant. Then ask yourself if those reasons are good enough to risk your cats life, kittens wellbeing and the costs involved in breeding.

Wanting a cute litter is all well and good but rescues up and down the UK and all over the world are full of cats that need homes and were once in the warmth of their breeders home. You can never say its not going to happen to my litter because there is no way you can promise that.

You may have homes lined up with friends and family but once the kittens are there its amazing how fast homes vanish. Also its keen to note that although these homes seem perfect many people give up pets when they get married, have babies, move home or work long hours. Are you able to keep a whole litter of 6-7 kittens?

Also *having a litter does NOT calm your cat down nor does your cat need to have a litter before being spayed* these are out dated theories which have been disproven.

*Risks* - For whatever reason you did not spay (life happens and accidents happen too) if you believe a birth is less risky than a spay you are in-correct. Vets can be your best friend but also are not always helpful with pregnancy and birthing because they are not as experienced in this as they are in spaying.

You run the risk of your girl dying during birth. On the table during a c-section and you run the risk of your girl killing the kittens. Or the kittens dying from a range of problems or just being a sicky litter.

Your cat may seem big and strong but sadly complications depend on the cat as a individual not based purely on size. A cat can seem perfectly healthy but have underline conditions which may not have appeared yet.

Sadly it is not just pedigree cats that need testing for things or suffer problems this can happen to any cat of any breed and any sex.

Are you able to sit up all night bottle feeding the kittens if something happens to mum or they are un able to feed?

Can you afford a £500+ vet fee for c-section? And a further £££ for any vaccines or sickly kittens? If not its best to spay.
Can you afford double the usual cost of food, litter and excessive toilet training?

Can you face the heartache of losing your girl and the kittens? Can you face your girl if she kills the whole litter? These two questions can sometimes be harder to answer than any money questions.

*Further advice* - Although I have never bred, I found myself in a position with a possible pregnant cat I took my girl to the vet. Before I arrived at the vet I knew what I wanted from the trip because she was to young, to small and I did not want to add to the rescue problem in this country. I booked my girl in and the next day she went in to be spayed. Now 3 years on I am glad I picked the route I did because I didnt want to be selfish.

You need to ask yourself what you can deal with (a whole litter of kittens while you have a full time job/children can be hard) and what you are exactly willing to risk.

Spaying while pregnant is an easy op and it stops your cat becoming pregnant again and going through the stress of having a litter.

Although you may decide to go on with the pregnancy you really do need to assess your life, money situation and your girls health.

I would never suggest breeding from an un-health tested cat although if your cat is to far along for a pregnancy spay then the choice will have been made for you.

*What can go wrong?*

Here are some of stories (true) of birthing that I have experience with that has gone wrong.

_Mum cat had a great pregnancy, handled everything well and was a good size and healthy. She started labor but needed a c-section, she was taken to the vet in a great amount of time and the vet was happy that it would be simple. Sadly the owner left that night without mum or kittens as they died on the table. It was a text book pregnancy and c-section but mother and kittens did not survive._

Another.

_Mum had a great pregnancy and birth was natural the vet did not need to be involved at all during the birth. Sadly once the litter of 5 was born problems started, 1 kitten would not suckle and all attempts were made to get it to bottle feed but to no joy. It passed away. A few hours later the owner brought mum and 4 kittens into the vets another kitten was dying. The vet could find no problems with the kitten and kept the litter and mum in sadly during the night the little one died and another was showing breathing problems. After a rough few days the kitten with breathing problems pulled through though was always a sicky kitten out of the litter of 5 only 2 were healthy. The total vet costs for this was well.....still makes me cringe. The poor owner was in bits._

Another.

_A lady brought her cat into the vets, sadly the cat had killed all but 1 of the litter of 6 kittens. The 1 kitten left was kept away from mum and was hand reared. The owner voiced concerns to the vet that she was no longer able to look at her cat the same after what had happened. After the kitten was sold the lady brought in a little note for the window of the vets, she no longer wanted her cat because she couldnt stand her._

These are just a handful of things that can go wrong. There are many other things but its hard to see a mother cat clearly in distress with a novice owner making the situation more stressful.

Thanks for reading. Good luck.


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## flev (Mar 6, 2011)

*How far into a pregnancy (roughly) can a cat still be spayed? Is this really risky for her?*

*If I spay my pregnant cat, will she 'grieve' for her lost litter?*


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

flev said:


> *How far into a pregnancy (roughly) can a cat still be spayed? Is this really risky for her?*


This is one for your vet to answer. Vets vary on this one. It is safe to say that the risk increases as the pregnancy progresses.

Liz


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## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

flev said:


> *How far into a pregnancy (roughly) can a cat still be spayed? Is this really risky for her?*
> 
> *If I spay my pregnant cat, will she 'grieve' for her lost litter?*





lizward said:


> This is one for your vet to answer. Vets vary on this one. It is safe to say that the risk increases as the pregnancy progresses.
> 
> Liz


I agree with Liz to your first question flev. With regard to your second question, no, your cat will not grieve for a 'lost litter'. Your cat does not have human emotions.


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## loz83 (Mar 28, 2011)

dougal22 said:


> I agree with Liz to your first question flev. With regard to your second question, no, your cat will not grieve for a 'lost litter'. Your cat does not have human emotions.


I agree with this also, as i've heard cats will reject weak/deformed offspring and only focus on the healthiest of the litter, again, this is something humans do not do, sad as it is to watch a mother cat reject a baby, it is just nature


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## classixuk (Jun 6, 2009)

*"I heard that if one of the kittens dies or is still born and I cannot revive it, I should place it back into the nesting area and that the mother will eat it as it is good for her. Is this true?"*


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

classixuk said:


> *"I heard that if one of the kittens dies or is still born and I cannot revive it, I should place it back into the nesting area and that the mother will eat it as it is good for her. Is this true?"*


No. She will eat the placentas of newborn kittens but I've never had a cat eat a dead kitten in my experience. She will just ignore a dead kitten and it is best to remove it.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

classixuk said:


> *"I heard that if one of the kittens dies or is still born and I cannot revive it, I should place it back into the nesting area and that the mother will eat it as it is good for her. Is this true?"*


Is this a wind-up by any chance?

It is not unknown for cats to eat dead or unviable kittens. They start at the head end just as they do when eating rodents. Unless you have a very strong stomach indeed I do not recommend feeding dead kittens to a queen even if she is one fo the few who will actually eat them. Still, I suppose it saves working out what to do with them. Just be warned that there is likely to be a paw or two left.

Liz


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

dougal22 said:


> I agree with Liz to your first question flev. With regard to your second question, no, your cat will not grieve for a 'lost litter'. Your cat does not have human emotions.


I guess it depends on the definition of "grieve". I have certainly seen cats who have spontaneously aborted kittens at the 5 week mark appear to be distressed, admittedly not for long, and I think we would all agree that a cat deprived of her kittens after birth (eg by drowning - hopefully very uncommon in the UK these days) will look for them.

Liz


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## loz83 (Mar 28, 2011)

lizward said:


> I guess it depends on the definition of "grieve". I have certainly seen cats who have spontaneously aborted kittens at the 5 week mark appear to be distressed, admittedly not for long, and I think we would all agree that a cat deprived of her kittens after birth (eg by drowning - hopefully very uncommon in the UK these days) will look for them.
> 
> Liz


I generally agree, although it possibly also depends on how the kittens were 'lost'. 

An aborted litter through an early spay would not be grieved for the same as a litter removed from a mother after birth (please anyone correct me if im wrong )


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

loz83 said:


> An aborted litter through an early spay would not be grieved for the same as a litter removed from a mother after birth (please anyone correct me if im wrong )


That's quite correct.

Liz


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

Tanya1989 said:


> As mentioned on the other thread:
> Lets work collectively to gather information in a nice healthy debate, I can "play" at the part of the clueless person (I'm good at that  )
> 
> My First Question (keep it on topic- there will be lots more questions):
> ...


If youre pondering on the above question with pedigree cat breeding in mind you might want to ask yourself  just because I can, does it mean I should? Its probably wise to backtrack and ask yourself first not what makes a cat suitable for breeding? but should I breed at all?.

Pedigree cat breeding
Breeding pedigree cats can be, for the true cat lover and someone with the furtherance of their chosen breed at heart, a highly rewarding hobby which, for many, becomes a way of life. It is undoubtedly expensive, often very stressful, demanding of your time and can (and usually does) intrude into every aspect of your life, sometimes with very negative effect. The following isnt intended to deter anyone from breeding; quite the opposite. If youre armed with the facts, clued up beforehand as to what the pitfalls are then you are better equipped to cope and be able to continue when problems arise and be assured, problems will arise sooner or later; that is the nature of animal breeding and many cat breeders will tell you that, from bitter experience, perhaps more so with cats than any other companion animal. I cant really apologise for the tone and some may find it a little cold and businesslike. However, Its not my intention to focus on the heady mix of happy anticipation and worry rolled into one as your girl(s) approach their due day, nor on the image of fluffy kittens happily romping around your home. Stating the obvious isnt going to help anyone and the other side is so frequently overlooked by the new or would-be breeder. I also dont intend to get into the mechanics of breeding  this is purely written for someone who is considering starting to breed.

At the time of writing this I hear of, on a weekly basis and often more frequently, yet another cat breeder who has been forced to give up breeding. Usually its a result of not being able to sell the kittens they have bred. This has particularly been the case since circa 2008 when the recession really started to bite hard. This might come as a horrible surprise to new breeders who waited with eager anticipation the arrival of their first breeding queen that they sought for so long, spending months/several years on a breeders waiting list for a suitable female. So what went wrong?

-	is the chosen breed a popular one with the pet-buying public? 99% of your kittens will go to pet homes and without that demand (bearing in mind a good proportion of the enquiries you will receive probably wont meet with your idea of a good, lifelong home) its impossible to continue breeding for very obvious reasons.
-	
-	is your chosen breed currently so over-bred that the market is flooded with kittens? This is very much the case with some breeds and breeders commonly cannot give kittens away, let alone hope to sell them in an effort to go some way to covering their costs. 
-	
-	Dont expect that, even with a popular breed, just because you searched high and low and waited for months for that special girl that you will receive the same level of interest in your own kittens. Many established breeders are only able to continue because of the reputation they have gained; this generates referrals from other breeders and previous kitten sales by recommendation. As a novice, you wont be afforded that luxury for quite some time.
-	
-	If you have a currently popular breed the one guarantee is that it will also be popular with backyard breeders who cut so many corners on breeding/kitten care that you will not have a hope of offering your kittens at the often greatly reduced prices of the BYB. Dont rely on the entire pet buying public to necessarily know the difference between a poorly raised, poorly bred kitten and your own that you have lavished care on. So often, all Joe Public sees and understands in the price.
-	
-	Where do you live? Geography plays a big part. Few people are going to travel to a far flung place when there are a dozen breeders within an hours drive of their home. Most breeders I know who live in more out of the way, remote counties/parts of certain counties, most often offer to deliver kittens (after initially meeting with the prospective owner when they visit to see the kittens) at 13 weeks, at no extra charge, as an incentive. The harsh truth is that they would otherwise struggle to sell the kittens. Can you afford to do this? Are you prepared to undertake the high cost of fuel and the time?

In short, its a highly expensive hobby and one that for so many people becomes a way of life and on which every penny of their disposable income goes. Many are only able to, in small part, maintain this by selling the kittens they have bred. What will you do if you cannot find good, loving homes to sell your kittens into? Can you afford to keep them? Do you have space to house them without overcrowding? Are you prepared to give them away into kind, loving homes when they reach 8 months old and nobody wants to pay for an older kitten because everyone wants a cute 13 week old kitten? Can you afford to spay/neuter unsold kittens when they begin to become sexually mature? Are you aware of the risks of giving away, or letting go for next to nothing, a kitten? Its not a scare tactic but fact that free kittens can wind up in the hands of those who will use them as bait in illegal dog fighting; there is a growing trade in cat skins, particularly those of striking/unusual coat patterns and colours often seen in certain pedigree breeds; is the person you feel happy to give your kitten to, for free or next to nothing, really going to keep her as a pet as they assure you, or will they use her as nothing more than a breeding machine? Its a fact that only gut instinct, gained from experience, will help you to avoid these tragic scenarios and even long established breeders who pride themselves in knowing a good u from a bad un sometimes have the wool pulled well and truly over their eyes.

Probably the joint or second most factor in breeders being forced to make the decision to give up is ill health in their cats/kittens. If there is one thing I wish I could make the would-be breeder understand, it is this: Unlike dogs which are pack animals, all types of cats, large and small, (with perhaps the exception of pride Lions but even pride living for the Lion is proving to be its downfall in many cases) have evolved to be solitary creatures. As a result they are highly susceptible to the many infectious feline diseases and never more particularly so when we force them to live in colonies and the example here are breeders cats, living in close confine with all that that entails for the cat.

The list of common infectious and viral disease of domestic cats is long and its not my intention to go through each. Some are fatal, particularly for pre-weaned kittens with little or no immunity; some are fatal for even the most apparently robust young adult in its prime. At best many feline infectious diseases, once encountered by cat(s) in the breeders home, leaves the cat/kitten as a lifelong carrier which act as a disease reservoir for any cat it comes into contact with. Vaccination is no guarantee against the usual cat flu viruses and for other feline infectious diseases there simply are no vaccinations available. The bright and healthy looking kitten you bought for breeding who sneezed just a few times may well have just had a few specks of dust up its nose equally it could be an asymptomatic (and there are many who are) flu carrier. The novice breeder could be excused for wondering how and why they ended up losing a whole litter of 2 week old kittens to calicivirus; after all, didnt their mum always appear healthy and she did only sneeze a few times and, in fact, I think it was only when we plugged in that new air freshener? And didnt they ask the breeder they bought their girl from about this and were told certainly not, never had a problem with cat flu, it never came from here, shes picked it up from one of your others/a show/ the vets/insert any other excuse so long as blame cannot be laid at the door of the queens breeder.

Pedigree are not more prone to feline infectious disease than the moggy, its the way they live and are housed in breeders homes  in groups which is not compatible with their evolution; they go out to stud at other breeders premises and will possibly encounter disease there; they are taken to cat shows and there they encounter being handled/held against judges and stewards clothes who have just handled another 20, 30 or 40 cats with nothing more than a cursory wipe of the hands with disinfectant (if youre lucky and they remember). Breeders often, unfortunately, have too many cats in their home, creating stress as a result of overcrowding, thus making the cats even more susceptible to disease. Again, we forget that the cat is not a pack animal and we forget it with dire consequences for them.

That just touches on simple cat flu viruses and ignores the more serious, always fatal, infectious diseases of domestic cats. Some things you can test for (though tests are not always reliable) and some you cant. I can sum it up by saying that I know, through my own bitter experience and that of breeder/friends, that the most likely scenario is that you wont know if you have one or more infectious diseases in your cats until you have an unexpected outbreak on your hands. And if youre breeding for long enough, in a fairly usual fashion with, say, 3-4 queens and one stud, go to shows very occasionally, occasionally go out to stud then it is not a case of IF it happens, it is WHEN it happens.

When it does happen
-	can you afford the relevant testing required on every cat in your home? And every kitten if you happen to have a litter or two at the time? Do you still have the deposits you taken for kittens to be able to refund prospective owners or have you exhausted all your funds on vet fees? Vets fees run into the low thousands of pounds for ordinary, yearly routine care of the average sized (numerically) breeding cat household with NO outbreak of diseases or ill-health at all. You can safely multiply that number several times in the event of disease outbreak. And that will only confirm, if youre fortunate, what the problem is, not eradicate most things.

-	Take a fairly simple scenario of most of your cats testing positive for ordinary cat flu, Herpesvirus. All cats will become lifelong carriers. Do you feel its ethical to continue breeding from these cats? Do you realise that kittens born to a carrier mother WILL become infected, prior to vaccination? Are you going to inform the people you are selling the kittens to? If not, do you really want to become the breeder who sold you the carrier queen who infected her kittens you bred by adopting the same its not my fault, didnt come from here attitude?

-	If you arent comfortable with continuing to breed from unhealthy cats (and with hope, you arent) what do you do with them? Keep them as neutered pets and give up your dream of breeding? Bear in mind carrier cats are a reservoir for disease; you cannot simply neuter/spay and introduce healthy cats and keep them that way with carrier cats in your household.

-	If youre determined to pursue your dream can you face the heartbreak of rehoming your cats to start afresh?

-	If you decide to re-home can you even find good, loving, permanent homes which are suitable for their condition with someone is prepared to take them on in full knowledge of potential future problems/vet bills?

-	If you do start afresh how do you avoid the same thing happening all over again? Can you afford the emotional and financial strain?

The foregoing is just the tip of the iceberg when considering if you can or should set out to breed pedigree cats. Im sorry its so lengthy and it only covers two points, e.g. your ability, or otherwise, to be able to find good, permanent homes for the kittens you breed and the problems which youll face as a result of ill-health in your cats. But experience has shown me that these are by far and away the two major factors which curtail many a novice breeders hopes and dreams and often leaves them emotionally and financially devastated.


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## Amethyst (Jun 16, 2010)

lizward said:


> I think we would all agree that a cat deprived of her kittens after birth (eg by drowning - hopefully very uncommon in the UK these days) will look for them.
> 
> Liz


Thankfully less common but it still happens


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## Aurelia (Apr 29, 2010)

:lol:

Didn't see this thread till just now! I've gone and composed my own version


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## Pardalis (Jan 15, 2011)

I hate to say it people but I think you are all labouring the points. It's not user friendly information. Neither is your post Aurelia. Too much sentiment and it's quite patronising.


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

Pardalis said:


> I hate to say it people but I think you are all labouring the points. It's not user friendly information. Neither is your post Aurelia. Too much sentiment and it's quite patronising.


I am quite happy for you to copy edit my post and condense it into something a little more user friendly. I'm aware that I can get too wordy. I'm sure between us we could cobble something together which retains the salient points but cuts down the word count.


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## suzy93074 (Sep 3, 2008)

Well I have read thru Auriellas post and tbo I think its ok! - maybe some of the more personal detail like having a cold heart could be taken out  but on the whole I dont think it patronises I think it gives good info whilst also telling the cons of accidental pregnancies - that said! we DO have to bear in mind that most people come on when the cat is already pregnant so even though a lot of the info is still relevant - we do need some sort of bullet points to be added for the common questions about pregnancy so we dont have to have lots of arguments I really think its time to stop arguing between ourselves and those with the experiece work together to give good concise but not biased information


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## canuckjill (Jun 25, 2008)

I'd like to see it directed at all breeders not just ones that let their cat out the door. Even new pedigree breeders would like solid advice while researching. Just a thought


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