Vera, Now With Less Body Parts!

Back from the vet - Day 1

Vera Kitten has lived with us only since December. When we adopted her she was tiny, recovering from near-starvation, and proportioned like a toddler. According to our vet she was probably about 16 weeks old. Imagine our surprise when, only 3 weeks later, she went into heat. Could our baby cat possibly be old enough to have kittens?

Yes.

It seems odd, but female cats mature sexually long before they mature physically. If Vera hadn't been rescued from the parking lot where she was found there's a good chance she'd be pregnant already. Kittens having kittens: a terrible outcome for everyone. So, please, spay or neuter your pet! Yes, it's an actual surgery for the female (naturally males have a much shorter recovery time since their reproductive machinery is easier to access) but it's worth it in the long run. Females in heat pee in unfortunate places (the pockets of jackets, couch cushions, toasters, countertops... just to name a few that I've heard stories about), yowl at all hours of the night, and try to sneak out any open door to meet up with the resident local tom cats. None of these things were in the cards for Vera though, because she was spayed on Friday.

Vera looking a bit like an angry flower

She's back home now and seems to be recovering nicely. She doesn't know it, but these several days of discomfort have lots of benefits. Recent studies have shown that for every feline "fixed" 0.57 are spared the uncertainty of ending up at a shelter. Less unwanted cats also means less stray cats, which in turn means a smaller impact on stressed wildlife populations. After all, cats are born hunters, and their presence can be devastating to songbird populations.

As much as we hate to see our kitten in the "cone of shame" we made the choice to spay.

I know that anyone reading my blog probably has made the same choice. But just in case you're still considering it, here are some facts from the Humane Society of America that may help you make up your mind.

Thanks for listening. We will now return to our regular program of cute animal photos, trivia, and comic book news.