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~To Breed~
~Or Not~

The first thing you might ask me is why is a page about breeding in The Rainbow Bridge section. The answer is simply because I talked about 2 of my cats that were a mated pair. So, I thought I might just pass on some info that I learned first hand.

To begin with, just because your female pet CAN get pregnant at 6 months of age does not mean it should be done. We do NOT breed our 11-13 yr. old children, so lets give our pets the chance to grow up as well! This means YOU are going to have to deal with a pet "in season". This is a bit easier with dogs than cats, but none of it is truly easy. If you have a male pet, he has to be bred to keep him in stud condition. This is all okay if we are talking quality pets here, but if we are talking about just one litter so the kids can watch, then do I have news for you!

Your male pet is fathering babies wherever he can. He is likely roaming the streets, breaking his chain, or jumping the fence. You don't have control here, Nature does. He is also likely to be injured in a fight, lost, or end up in the local shelter.

Your female dog can have 2 litters a year. Your female cat can have 3 litters per year. More than one litter a year is irresponsible! Your female needs extra care during pregnancy and lactation. This means vitamins and super nutrition. (Going hmmmm yet?) Now that you are thinking, here is my story

Cats come into season around 4 weeks after the birth of their kittens. If you have a stud in your household, they must be kept apart. This means caging one of them. Sound like fun? Fair to the cats? Now, assuming everything goes well and there are no stillborn kittens, your female cat will likely move her kittens 3-4 times at one week intervals. She can get very creative at hiding them. Hopefully you don't have to go through the agony of watching your momma cat reject one of her kittens. I lived this horror twice. While I acknowledge that momma knew something I didn't, it was still traumatic to go through. Still want just one litter?

The very BEST thing you can do for your pet, is to spay and neuter. It is so much harder on your pet to have this done after just one litter. There can also be personality changes in a breeding pet. Why run the risk? Your pet looks to you for everything! Guidance, teaching, feeding, shelter, love. Keep them healthy by spaying and neutering, and having the courage to let them go when it is time.