Should We Spay Pregnant Cats?
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- čas přidán 14. 04. 2018
- This week, the rescue of a full-term pregnant cat, Mia, sparked an ethical debate on my social media. 18 hours after her rescue, she gave birth -- but should she have been spayed? In this video I talk about how when it comes to making decisions in rescue, context is everything.
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Hannah, you have become one of my shining heroes. I so admire your dedication and professionalism and willingness and ability to reach out and educate and build bridges. You and Andrew give me so much hope for the future of animal care, and all of your followers do, too. It is so heartening to see so many younger generation folks pick up the banner and dedicate themselves to helping animals! Thank you for all you do.
Terry, thank you so much for your kind words. It's exciting to me to see how far this movement has come even in the last few years--and I have tremendous hope for the future, too.
Kitten Lady You are one of the reasons I wish to be a veteranarian, and perhaps foster kittens! Thank you so much for all you do!
Indeed. I'm just happy to hear the words "ethical decision making process" when it comes to animals. That's progress. Someday... maybe 1,000 years from now... most people will think that way. Anyone who does now is way ahead of their time.
I agree Hannah is a hero
Hi
I dont see the problem with you taking in a pregnant mother and her kittens. the mother will be spayed right after the kittens are weaned
mizv But where do the kittens go? Most shelters are already flooded with cats.
holocatz People adopt kittens over older cats.
@@NovaDoll But the problem is that, as there are cats who came before them and who are already out of the womb of their mother just like the kittens who are already born ... It sometimes causes the problem that there is more room for kittens not born AND the mom ... It is sure that it is a hard decision to take, but sometimes it is not unfortunately the one that will enchant us the most ... Even if people adopt the kitten more easily, they have to be put somewhere until the people adopt them. And do not euthanize adults is not a solution as such ... It would be that people adopt as many adult cats and older cats as kittens, but it seems that this is not the case today. .. I hope this happens quickly will change the mentality!
(Forgive me for my sloppy English, I do my best, English is not my first language :))
@@honigdaemon You can give it to a friend or a sibling.if they don't want it its not safe to give it anywhere else so idk
MillerTime 86
Let me start by saying that you have a nice idea. I don’t want to come off hostle.
Cats may seem independent but they will be killed “the wild”
They won’t do that well. Especially if they are well tamed. They will not have much if any chance. Cats are prey. They will be torn to shreds and feasted upon by coyotes and foxes. Get there backs broken by larger animals. They can get sick or hurt and starve.(if they can manage to hunt something out there)
“Out in the country” people live out there. We would be shoving feral cats on to people/farmers who can and will shoot them if they pose a problem to livestock (chicken) or prove to be an overall pest. If they are more tame then the cats will go to humans who they know have food and get killed by any larger animal (ex.Dogs) the person owns.
I get what your saying that cats where wild animals at one point. In fact there closest Relitive is still alive in the wild today but these are felius Catus. Domesticated animals.
Personally I think that the kindest thing to do would be to put them down rather than just abandoning them in a forest somewhere. Sorry if this came off mean.
“If I could help, why shouldn’t I?” Preach.
Looks like a mumma was holding on till she was in safe space till she gave birth
Doubtful.
She was just ready.
Although sometimes the feral ones give birth in traps, seemingly from capture stress =/
@@d-meth some animals do hold on until they feel they are in a safe spot
My first litter of barn cats Lilly, Mom, gave birth under wood pallets in the middle of a thunderstorm. I was frantic because I couldn't find her anywhere. When I found her safe with all her kittens delivered and nursing my heart stopped racing. I was able to move the kittens and Lilly into a nice warm space in the bathroom with a box and blankets. Since I also had 2 large dogs I had to stack wood shelves on the sides approx 4 feet high. Even though there was a litter pan for her she would jump over the panel and go to the back door. So I let her out, checked the kittens, changed the litter and by then she was ready to come back in and jumped back over the panel. She taught all her kittens to use the litter pan eat regular food, water and weaned them herself. She was a good mother, when they were old enough to move to the barn, they went and she taught them how to manuvour around the horses and deal with the dogs. The dogs became familiar with them while in the house and all got along. No fighting or chasing. Lots of doggy kisses. I was lucky to have a very happy brood that let do anything with them and had no problems with vet care and were spayed and neutered.
@@d-meth i had a cat that waited for the right spot to give birth. Its unusual for them to do it just anywhere.
@@caprisun6910 I've had some hive birth in traps during TNR =/
Guess it depends on how far along they are
Seeing a homeless mama now in a safe, clean place happily feeding her kitties is a beautiful sight.
There needs to be more debates on ethics while slow zooming in on sleepy cat tongues
SAYIN!!!
That funny kitty tongue brought levity to a serious discussion!
Markpenmanship Right? It’s hard to get (or stay, as the case seems to be with some of Hannah’s followers) angry at someone when you’re looking at such a cute little blep.
Truth!
Hard agree
One thing I don't get is the anger about actually taking in the pregnant cat.
I can understand - now that I've watched this video - the spaying of pregnant cats due to lack of resources.
But if a mother's kittens can be saved by someone like you, Hannah, WHY would anyone be against that?
Most places do not have the availability of many foster homes for very young kittens that her district does. Imagine you work at a shelter that continually receives litters of kittens and sometimes has to euthanize young kittens for lack of foster homes. A pregnant cat is brought into the shelter and you have one available foster home. Do you send her to the foster home to have her kittens, knowing days or even hours later you could receive an already-born litter of kittens you'll then have to euthanize because you just gave away your last foster home? Or terminate the pregnancy to leave that foster home open?
@@vadalia3860
I highly doubt most people are educated in the ways of the foster homes.
You sound like you are.
But I wouldn't assume most people who got angry did so for the reasons you point out. Hannah didn't mention it.
@@laydieelle7069 Actually, Hannah did literally mention it. She said "Some people were so outraged that I took Mia on. And while a lot of the comments were really brutal, I want to say I understand the passion and I understand where they're coming from. I want other people to understand that too, so people standing outside of animal sheltering can understand the position that shelter staff are faced with." She then goes on to say "No one wants to terminate full-term pregnancies but it's done, because we don't have the resources. No one wants to euthanize neonatal kittens either, but it's done when we don't have the resources"
She's spelling out, in pretty black and white terms, that people were upset because she was putting resources towards not-born kittens that could have instead been used to save the lives of already-born kittens. She also points out she made the decision, which is out of the norm for her, because where she lives in one of the few places in the country where there is an overabundance of resources. There's a waiting list to foster kittens and she often brings in kittens from other places, so her taking on this pregnant cat isn't depriving other kittens in her area of life-saving resources. Although she doesn't state this outright, I'm also guessing the fact the pregnant cat was so far along probably made a difference, as there's a big difference between having 2-3 weeks left and going into labor 18 hours after being brought it..
@@vadalia3860
She's spelling it out that people are angry about it, that she "understands", but it doesn't go any further than that.
She never said "they're angry that I'm putting resources into not-born kittens". She never clarified that's the reason for the outrage.
It's easy to assume that could be a reason for the outrage, but she did NOT go into details.
Ergo, she didn't spell it out.
Clarification.
My point still stands.
Anyway. This isn't worth getting worked up over. Bye.
@@laydieelle7069 The only thing that stands is your lack of comprehension, despite it being clearly spelled out for you. Bye.
People act like hannah stuck Mia in a cage with a young un neautered male. All she did was foster this momma and help her have her kittens
Not to mention she allowed the mother cat for the first weeks to nurse the kittens instead. I hope this allowed Hannah to step back for at least a few weeks.
@@OneProudBBC ...Mia looked like a great Mama with those babies!
@@CARNELIANTURQUOISE Mia was such a great mama to those babies. Although she came in from the shelter as an outdoor cat, luckily, she got adopted to a loving home with one of her babies (who btw is a Tabby that looked like Mia the LEAST, but although Mia loved all her babies, and Badger who looked like Mama Mia the most, and also Bun's babies, and took very great care of them, she loved Anya in a more special way which got Anya and Mia adopted together). Mia and Anya are like co-playmates nowadays instead of mother/daughter, but they still love each other and get along. I follow them on Instagram (their username on Instagram is @mama_n_hermeatball) so I know.
Breeders don’t always do it that way, you know….. They can take them in and treat them well. They naturally want to do it, just like every other animal. Just put them together on their own terms, in a big space, where they can be warm and comfortable, and one day they might do it without you forcing them to. People are way too judge mental.
She couldn't have spayed Mia to terminate the kittens even if she wanted to. Mia gave birth within 18 hours of being taken in by Hannah and I'm pretty sure even if they tried, the kittens would've been born anyway and Hannah would've had to bottle feed them if they'd gone through with the surgery so all it would've done is make the situation worse
why on earth would someone demonize you for taking in a pregnant cat???
PETA isn't about saving an animal's life necessarily so I'm assuming it's a PETA-type people.
Some people just have to find fault.
@@melissas4874 PETA is a scourge.
Because people think they know everything. I understand the issue of over population but she was just trying to do right by this cat. She did a good thing and she should NOT have been attacked like that.
i was on an "educational" polish facebook group about cats once, they knew a lot of things, but they were also really judging towards people, and often even insulted them because of every little mistake, and when people, not surprisingly, felt offended and tried to defend themselves, they assumed that they're just stupid and "some people have education allergy"
being there was really depressive, so i left
6:30
Talking a bout really important things
Camera: *slowly zooming in on a tounge bleep*
Lovely mom doing silly bleps... everything you need to lighten up the mood.
@Cats Forever how is that a r/boneappletea moment?
I have to admit this was my favorite part of the video. Great speaking points, also good video snippets of the felines
Yeah, why was the cat sticking out her tongue? It was cute but weird
💖
With the whole pregnant cats getting spayed situation, my take is how far along are the babies. If it’s such a late term pregnancy like Mia’s is, and if there are foster homes available and willing to take them, then let the foster take the mom and help her along the way.
Who would say when the mother had relations??
Simon Jesuit
Science would
@@simonjesuit3844 they X-rayed her to find out.
About 25 years ago, my husband and I adopted 2 young, beautiful white cats who were on death row at the shelter. The proviso was that we get them spayed immediately. So, we took them to our vet, (who had been a great vet to this point) and put them in for spaying. When we went to pick them up, he informed us that one of them had been pregnant!! I was so upset. How could a doctor not even check before starting the procedure?! We would have rehomed any and all kittens! At THAT point, why even TELL us?? I feel very badly about it because I believe once any life has started, it deserves a chance to be fulfilled. Stupid doctor!!
Agree
The fact that people come at you with anger and you are able to calmly explain the situation with kindness and understand is incredible. Thank you for everything you do.
My shelter has an extremely high adoption rate. The multiple TNR programs have almost completely eliminated the feral cats in my surrounding cities and 80-90% of animals we get in are transports! So we don’t abort cat pregnancies unless the mother is sick and malnourished because we have the resources to care for them. I was admittedly a bit shocked when I visited a shelter down south that never attempt to place pregnant cats in foster homes- they are immediately spayed. But after doing some research about it and taking to people who work in those shelters, I completely understand that it is necessary for most shelters.
You echo my points exactly -- it really varies community to community, and we shouldn't judge that, we should just do our best with what we have and look ahead with hope that soon enough it'll be a different world for cats. Much appreciation for your great work!
Yes indeed WIndy!! that is why we send a lot of them towards your direction. I am always seeking more areas that have more resources for kitties and pitties.
Kitten Lady People are free to judge but if no option is being offered then it falls on deaf ears.
Windy City Fosters s
I'm also from an area where the TNR programs have eliminated many feral cats, and this was the first I've heard of spaying a pregnant cat. I don't hear much about neonatal orphans, but what I do hear of them is they are often placed with a "foster" mama cat who has her own litter. I'm guessing they don't talk about the ones that they "give up" on.
"I was asked to help, I was able to help, and I decided to help." Exactly! That's much more productive and beneficial to these kittens than what a lot of people who try to backseat foster on social media can say they've done.
Hi, New Foster here. The first cat that I fostered was a less than a year old female, who happened to be pregnant, very early pregnancy. It was hard, but the pregnancy was terminated. Instead of 4 cats on the streets, now there's one very happy kitten being the queen of her new kingdom. She was gorgeous, so we had lots of requests for adoption, and we chose the best cat parents for her.
My second foster is currently a mom and her 4 kittens. I thought the mom was feral, so I set everything up to take her outside with food and shelter, but... day 2 of her arrival, she approached me and layed her head on my leg. Now she's up for adoption, and her kittens are waiting to be old enough to be spayed and vaccinated.
I am watching all your videos to learn how to socialize properly and how to take care of kittens if I happen to foster one. Thank you for everything.
I used to work at a spay/neuter clinic, and yes it's tough when the cat being spayed was pregnant, but what made it easier for me was realizing that the babies go to sleep with the mother and they do not suffer at all. They just don't wake up. And also realizing that all of the collective kittens who didn't have to suffer as strays made it easier as well.
I feel upset . My queen was the only child of her mother. I got her neutered at 1years but she was pregnant and got sprayed.
Perfectly put! My shelter puts full term moms in foster when we can, because we can. People need to think about their anger around this on both sides and look within themselves. If you’re mad, what are you doing about it? I realized (thanks to you!) that what’s happening with kittens upsets me, so I started fostering. Blind anger without action is never a viable solution. Thank you for being the definition of an educator, and for addressing your own needs. It’s a good lesson for all of us.
Thank you Savannah -- I love that you're involved in saving lives. Much gratitude.
“Blind anger without action” perfectly put! No situation when it comes to homeless cats is as simple as some people want it to be.
Well said!!!!!
Thank you as always Hannah for your unflinching dedication to education and honesty. You remain a personal hero.
I work in a shelter and the amount of pregnant ladies that come in be is staggering. While it does break my heart, I do understand the need to terminate pregnancies. I have fostered many bottle babies that have been “found” as well as “itty bitty” kittens. I have held dying cats and loves them when in their last moments. You do get burned out in a regular basis and just need a break sometimes.
I took my baby girl in 5 days ago to be fixed. They went through the surgery. She was pregnant but not far along. I felt horrible but thanks to you I feel better.
How did she feel after getting fixed? I’m thinking to do the same.. I found a pregnant cat, she is only 8 months old and has no home.
@dilashabhattarai6826 I had a foster female spayed while at an early stage of pregnancy. The day after the surgery, she was great, eating, purring, demanding cuddles, sleeping in a giant dog bed all by herself, and the poor dog on the floor. And she was also around 8 or 9 months old.
No better than a breeder? 😒 wow. I think people just want to judge and complain to make themselves look/feel better with out doing actual work.
You're taking care of a cat that needs help and her babies. You didn't put her into this situation. You are just making the best of the situation.
You owe NO one an explanation on which creatures you help, because you are actually helping unlike most people who try to find negativity instead of solutions.
That said I'm impressed how patient you are and used this as a teachable moment.
Keep up the great work! I'm sure you have a thick skin but don't let ignorant comments get to you 💙
Lindsay Morgan I thought she did the right thing. Abortion is hard on a mama cat's body. So it's best to just let nature take its course whenever possible. I'm sure momma cat will get a good home. Shell never be on the streets again. Her babies will know nothing but love.
These people clearly know nothing about feline pregnancy.
You should be nice to Hannah a grateful because hannah is doing something amazing for everyone so YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING .
The kittens were born hours after she took the cat home. If she had found that litter abandoned and newly born (which they were just 18 hours after she took home the mother cat), no one would question whether it was a good idea to hand raise the neonates in order to save them. Just a few hours! What an odd thing to feel outraged about. They were already kittens, and like she said, they were born bigger and healthier than other neonates she was already caring for! The benefit for her is that having the mom cat means she doesn't have to wake up every 2 hours to bottle feed them, and maybe even watch them die anyway because they don't get the colostrum that the mother's milk provides which gives the babies secondary immunity.
Thank you so much for making this video. I actually made some comments to people that were being nasty on your page about Mia. I tried to tell them that being negative to each other is hurting our cause. No matter what your opinion is on certain matters we all have the same goal and that is to help animals. I'm a foster for orphaned kittens and the shelter I go through has a Facebook page set up just for fosters. Sounds like a great idea right? Well most of the time it is but I have been attacked several times for the most ridiculous things and I was attacked again on there last night. Once I was attacked for posting a photo of this huge shopping trip I had made to get ready for kitten season but of course while I was shopping I picked up what I needed for my pets. So in the photo there is a big tub of tidy cats litter. Omg you would have thought that I was intentionally trying to poison the kittens with clumping litter😂. Most recently I posted a 15 second video of a foster kitten that was mesmerized by my shiny wedding rings. She was turning flips and trying to get them it was innocent cuteness. Within 5 minutes I had this long comment telling me that I was teaching the kitten to be aggressive and that it was probably going to be returned after adoption because of me. Every time I ignore it and just delete whatever it was that I posted to cause the "controversy". It still gets to me though. I have seriously considered leaving the foster program all together several times because of things said to me. Things like this can scare new fosters off it almost scared me off. Not to mention people that follow your page and are maybe interested in fostering then see all this craziness and bullying and it makes them not want to be involved. We need as many people as we can get! We need to learn to stop tearing each other down and start building each other up and being more supportive of each other.
I am so sorry to hear this and I relate to it more than I wish. I have to take the comments with a grain of salt! I get a lot of "omg, you're choking the kitten!" when I'm just holding a kitten and...my hand is the size of their body. Sigh! I know how hard it is to not take it personally.
You're doing great work, and I hope you'll stay active for years to come. Thank you for being a hero!
Amber Hill true
I know it’s hard for you, but on the positive side, you’re saving lives and making those lives better! (And if you have a fostering IG I’m happy to follow it )
Amber Hill sadly...enough rescue people are cuckoo
Yes! But your saving lives and that is a great thing! 🌺
I honestly think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however, most of the people that "fight for animal rights" only think about their pets, don't even donate their time to those "nasty shelters" that euthanize animals due to lack of resources.
This is called intelligence- social, emotional and intellectual. Thank you ❤
I love your emphasis on the 'able' aspect. As someone who loves animals, I have been faced with this aspect very bluntly, and I made a mistake.
I was eighteen, in college, just moved out, and I got a cat. I should not have. I was unable to properly care for her due to my circumstances. I took this cat into an unstable environment when I myself hadn't even figured out how to live on my own, let alone care for another being. Her first year was so, so uncertain. I couldn't afford medical visits, or even food, and had to rely on others to help. These helpful others were very, very put out with me. I lost my job and was doing horribly in school. My primary concern should have been myself, but I had sabotaged that. There was even a time when I was so low that I was seriously considering taking her out and walking some distance and leaving her on a street corner. I am now extremely ashamed of those thoughts, but it shows just how unprepared I was.
She is two years old now, and the light of my life. At some point I decided that since I chose to take her in, I needed to do everything in my power to give her the best life possible. She's the thing that gets me through those hard times. I want to do well in my job and in school to provide a better future for both of us. Pets can be so incredible and push people to their best, like she does for me now. But I look back on those dark days and the valuable lesson I learned: that it doesn't matter how much you want a pet, or how much you want to help, if you yourself are not able to. Assess your resources, situation, and ability before taking in anyone. Otherwise, you're doing much more harm for yourself and your little one than you are doing good.
Katherine Webb, I am so happy that you helped that animal, and that you didn’t dump that cat at the side of the street. I am very happy that they’re are people like Kitten Lady, who care so much about animals. Thank you.
Good for you , but I don't get how you even considered of leaving a precious domesticated cat to defend for itself on the street. Jesus, I would share my food with it if I had financial difficulties. And how much a cat need to eat in a day... I don't get people sometimes.. For me leaving an innocent fragile animal is the worst thing.
@@johannarose8466 she said she was in a very difficult time and under a ton of stress, I knew of women in third world countries while overseas that abandon their children when times were tough enough because there is a mentality that arises in those darkest times that they may have a chance if they are away from you. I considered abandoning my cat when I was in highschool because my mother's schizophrenia was getting out of hand and my dad was gone, I lived in the middle of nowhere and didn't use social media (therefore unable to find a new home for her), there was no shelter to take her anywhere near me and I was seriously considering suicide. I knew she may be harmed or neglected if left alone with my mother and these thoughts arouse from mercy and not cruelty. I'm not saying it's right but you really don't know unless you've lived in those darkest moments or lived in those most desperate of times.
I'm sorry you had to go through that, sounds like a very difficult transitional period and I hope you are doing better now
@@johannarose8466 First of all, she thought about it, she didn't do it. Second of all, 70 percent of cats die in shelters, cats can still hunt and provide for themselves especially in rural areas and have lived mainly outdoors alongside people up untill 100 years ago. I used to think that, but after learning about the stats, I honestly think its better to just leave them outside. 30 percent of friendly stray cats are adopted off the street, whereas only 18 percent are adopted from shelter.
Can I just say: This shouldn't have been a debate as it was Hannah's choice. That said, let me add my experience of pregnant cats: My cat Juno was thrown over the fence of an outdoor shelter when she was heavily pregnant. They kept the pregnancy, and she gave birth 3 days later. Her 4 kittens were adopted as soon as they were able as everyone wants a cute, small kitten. Juno was left behind until we adopted her a full 6 months later. Pregnant cats need your care too. All animals do. So please don't critisize where people put their efforts. Some people focus on kitten care, some on the old cats. Hannah chose to take in a pregnant cat. It's that simple.
I think that if you have enough recourses to rescue a pregnant mama, like you do Hannah, then there’s no reason not to.
I've never been a cat person but I've appreciated your channel and it's helped me TNR several cats that hang around my house. My initial motivation was to just try to stop cats spraying my house, but I've grown kinda fond of the little troublemakers..
I'm sorry but WHY would people be upset and so pissed that you brought in a preggo cat? You had the room and I don't understand why this made such an impact.
That was what I was wondering too. She mentions "lack of resources" as one reason why preggo animals are spayed ... well, she had the resources, and the room, so ... ?
MN Irwin My thought would be the people are looking at it long term, that the cat having a litter means more possible strays. Possibly, but if she had the means to support the mother, a system to foster the kittens, and connections to get the word out there about having them adopted, then I say go for it. The fact that people were outraged shocked me because let this have been a human woman wanting an abortion, no matter the reason, and the internet would've completely had a nuclear meltdown. Someone wanting to save lives in a healthy way is the villain here? I can understand why so many foster parents go down the spiral of depression.
I've seen people use the abortion argument to say it's good for cats-but no female cat ever expresses a desire for humans to decide what she should do with her body.
My cat was spayed pregnant and she acted pretty upset afterward-she liked kittens and was all ready for them and this was not at all what she'd planned on.
Abortion and sterilization were once used against people's will during the eugenics movement-but this cat is an animal, and humans make choices for her that should not be compared to making the same choices about a human.
people love abortions nowadays, almost like a fucking sport.
Cassandra Belyeu My one thing is desperate times call for desperate measures. If it’s between that and exterminating cats on the street, I’d honestly rather take the former.
We are NOT cat people, and really know nothing about them. I am so glad that your channel is out there because this past winter we began to feed a little stray cat who we knew was starving to death. She was so incredibly sweet and grateful that we became fast friends, and, well, we found out too late she was pregnant. We wanted to do TNR and just keep caring for her outdoors, but the vet refused to spay, saying she would be delivering within 24 to 48 hours.
We have taken on the task of caring for her and the kittens in our home, and have had quite the steep learning curve, to say the least. Although I am proud of what we have done for her and her babies--and yes, we do plan to keep the mama--we are slowly starting to realize that people are not lining up to take these adorable little kittens. We are doing all we can to have them adopted out, and as we near the 12 week mark, are realizing that taking them to a shelter may be our only option. Our tiny house and limited resources are just not enough for three kittens growing into cats.
All I can say is that we do the best we can, in a very difficult situation, and needless to say our Anna will be spayed asap.
Please hurry up with spaying, as they can get pregnant while still nursing their current babies.
Did Anna even leave you a choice? You were nice to her, you fed her, she trusted you with her kitten. I have to say she was successful in adopting herself into your family. What has happened since?
cory k sometimes that cat chooses you !
Also:
"We are NOT cat people"
Obviously the cat knew better. :-)
Have you reached out to rescues in your area? The shelter may have a list or Google cat rescues near me. Contact local spca, list on Nextdoor, any horse barns nearby, national cat rescues (Alley Cat Allies, Best Friends) or contact local vets for help. And you may have done all this already. Thank you for caring.
On top of what you are saying (which I totally agree with), people are comfortable with being mean on social media because they're sitting behind a screen. That makes things a lot different. Keep up this tremendous job!
I'm honestly shocked that there was ever even a debate about this particular situation.
I cannot believe that anyone would give you a hard time for taking her in when she was so close to giving birth. You had the space, time, and other resources and I completely agree with your statement/question of 'if we could save them, why shouldn't we?'. I'm just so thankful that she was rescued from the street when she was and that she didn't go into labour while still out there. Poor thing.
You have a way of explaining confusing and sensitive topics in an enlightening way. Rock on Lady!
And boy, I did not know anyone would spay if the mom was possibly pregnant let alone pregnant.
Does anyone know how to get in contact with the kitten lady? We really need help in Kingman Arizona. We have acreage and stray cats have adopted us. Would like to stop the cycle ,love animals.but need help in starting.
Momma Mia looks so happy and comfortable. She almost looks like she is saying, "Thank you for caring for me and letting me care for my babies." Momma cats are such good moms.
I’m glad you took her on! Especially because it means you were able to save her kittens too. No one forced that cat to be pregnant (you aren’t a breeder!) she was found needing help. This is the help this cat deserves: a safe clean place to have her babies, with a person who can get them to good homes
Thank you for posting this. I adopted a gorgeous little female cat many years ago who had been taken away from a feline hoarder, and it turned out that she had several illnesses and was not quite full term pregnant. The shelter had not spayed her because of the upper respiratory illness, but after I adopted her I opted to have her spayed. I did this after speaking with several vets and looking at shelters (completely crammed), and my own resources. Given that my little female was barely 1 year old, and had come from a hoarding situation, it was a sad and difficult decision, but I did opt to terminate the pregnancy. And while that was sad, she was able to devote the entirety of her bodily resources to recovering from all the illnesses. But I also got horrible comments, and I completely relate to what you experienced. So thank you again for posting this. I appreciate the thoughts that you discussed.
People have *got* to chill with one another. I'm glad the people are so passionate about various issues. Important issues.
But it does NO good to be cruel to strangers on the internet who are just as passionate and trying their best to help. We must be as kind to one another as we are to animals.
The ethics remind of a triage situation. You would make an excellent human nurse.
I love that you address being kind. It reminds me of Arthur Brooks who says we need to disagree BETTER.
Thanks for explaining this!
I know this is an old video that I'm commenting on now, 4 years later, but my daughter is a vet tech, and her veterinarian raised 5 premie kittens that were delivered early due to their feral mom getting spayed. We adopted 2 of those 5, my daughter took 2 and another friend took the other one, and those little kitties have brought so much joy to us.
Talked to my rescue manager about this video especially the part about compassion fatigue (which I'd love to see a video on just that) and she told me to post your video on our rescue website and ask all the fosters to watch. Thank you, this was well done and glad to share it.
I completely understand fostering mom cats. When I was 15, I found out about shelters euthenizing neo natal kittens, and reached out to my shelter. They told me about their collaboration with a rescue / foster home network to save many of these kittens and pregnant moms. I signed on to volunteer, and fostered a mom and 4 newborn kittens. It was a great experience, but they had to share my room with me, so I didn't sleep much. The rescue was also really bad at returning my calls, so I had the kittens until they were 16 weeks old. . .
Yicks, that's REALLY bad at getting back with you... hope it worked out
On the other hand, I think separating kittens from their mums at 8 weeks is way to young anyway. So the kittens still could have some more time with their mum.
Don't you have to be 18 to foster animals?
@@jessicabledsoe7190 with family support u can do it, I have fostered since I was 12 and mum had to sign off on a form, just making sure that she was aware of what I was doing and she would "keep an eye on them"😊
@@Kytti-not-kitty are you in the U.S.?
Wow. What a great response. This is exactly the kind of conversation everyone needs. Very well said!!!!
I know this is a serious topic but Mama Mia looks like my late cat Cora and I'm crying a little. She was the best cat and Mama Mia seems to be too~~
I'm.sorry for your loss of you late cat. But I just love that she has the same name as my daughter ( spelled the same too)
Mama Mia’s tongue poking out at 6:34! So adorable.
I hope your spirit is doing well after the tough week. 💕
* blep *
*mlem*
Pinkie Dee BLEP
I know!
Soooooooo Adorable!!
I love how you took a break from social media and gave this issue time and made such a rich in content video on this subject. I love how you think and you are soo interested in building bridges. I thought about you all week and I am soo proud of your response! Thank you soo much for your dedication and hard work!
Thank you Kelly -- that's exactly what I intended to do. It was getting so contentious in the comments session (and I was honestly pretty hurt by some of what was said) so I decided my energy was best spent caring for the animals and putting my thoughts together in a video. I'm glad you're part of the community!
Kitten Lady
Many thousands of us are out here in full support of you and your message as articulated in this video. So glad you get it, so bothered others don't and say things that divide and cause pain.
We had to terminate my cat Dawn's pregnancy for two reasons. 1. She was impregnanted by her brother, we had already scheduled their spay and neuter but it was a couple of months away. 2. She is on the smaller size and the kittens were going to be to big for her to give birth to them.
I appreciate that you’re using your channel to influence people to be better human beings. The insights you provided on having healthy conversations is applicable to every conversation, not just ethical conversations around cat welfare. Your words are very powerful here and I’m glad that you said these things to encourage healing and community.
Hannah, you coming out and saying your side of things, when a lot of people are having heated debates about it to show how you feel about it. You standing up for yourself against all of the haters is amazing. Many youtubers I know would just let it slide, and just ignore it. But, standing up for yourself and explaining why you believe in it is amazing. It is amazing to see many people start fostering because of your dedication to these animals. You have been a big inspiration to me! Thank you for creating this AMAZING channel. You are my favorite youtuber.
She's awesome
Shannon Aitken your to old to have heros.
Roslynd Antinori whaaaa
We really fricking need more people in this world like you 💔💔😭
I’m like kitten lady or want to be I have a big feeling for cats and i want to be like kitten lady
There are many many rescuers who do what she does and more. But many of us educate those in our community and online because we don’t have time to make videos on a CZcams platform.
And those of who can should be HELPING HANNAH.
Yes!
Don't say "we need more people like this" say "I need to be more like this" I need to be more like this.
Hannah don’t listen to those comments. You are an outstanding role model, and you alone has made me want to become a vet and foster young cat families in need!
I think what you did was heroic. You saved a momma cat and her babies. Those kitties will all find a loving home and can get fixed once they reach their age. I'm so glad you made this video because I wasn't sure what happens to a pregnant cat if she got fixed. Thanks for this video and saving Momma Mia.
Taking a pregnant street cat is NOT the same as a breeder! Whoever said that has no idea what they're talking about! Breeders are concerned with the pedigree and keeping a breed "pure" to sell them for profit at a high rate. Similarly to dogs, keeping breeds "pure" requires inbreeding, which creates a genetic bottleneck and makes the likelihood of genetic defects and diseases go up. Plus advertising bred cats reduces the chance of rescue cats finding homes.
Taking in a pregnant street cat, however, does a lot of good, even if it means more cats. For one, having Mama Mia give birth in a controlled environment instead of in the wild means there are now fewer potential feral cats, and, in turn, fewer feral cat offspring once those kittens grow up. This means there are now fewer potential un-spayed and un-neutered cats running around impregnating other cats, and their potential offspring aren't going to be running around, and so on. Taking in Mama Mia prevented dozens or even hundreds of cats from living on the street over the next few years.
If the resources can be spared and you don't have to terminate, it's okay to bring these kittens into the world. If pure numbers were all that mattered, then what would stop us from just euthanizing stray cats on sight? There's so much nuance to this issue that it's wrong to insinuate that there's only one correct method for every situation.
WOW.
"Professional" pet-breeding (no matter if it's cats or dogs) is unnecessary in nowadays because EVERY breed can be found in animal-shelters and impounds! Don't buy - Adopt!
@@cheyennemontano7260 that's what I said WOW!
@@grinsekatze3085 I can't find the breed I want in shelters I tried.
Cannot love this video anymore! Rescue here is Australia is awful at times and the politics and nastiness from some people are appalling I’m currently taking a break from it as it was affecting my mental health so I take my hat off to you Hannah you do an amazing job advocating for the voiceless and regardless of what anyone else thinks you made the right decision for yourself and for Mia you’re an inspiration to others and I hope you’re feeling better after a few days break xx
Australia sucks! TNR is still illegal in ALOT of places! I'm so passionate to help but oz is super anti-cat because of "habitat" reasons which makes things 10x more difficult...but we are getting better in WA there are so many rescues who work together to take in cats when one shelter is full another will open its doors to it. Hopefully TNR will be a common practice here too..
hannah is so kind and forgiving. i would have been so stressed and unraveled if i got any of those comments, but she just goes to understand the emotions behind the feelings.
Thank you for taking the time to talk about this topic and for all you do to save these beautiful kittens. It’s complicated and you are actually out there doing something and making a difference, unlike many who are critical and judgmental while doing nothing to help or alleviate the problem. I wish Mia and her kittens loving homes and long, happy lives! Thank you so much for being on the front lines and making a difference!
Currently fostering three 4 week old kittens that were dumped on a dead end road. If you spay and neuter BEFORE, then you won't have to worry about the implications of what could happen AFTER. :)
I've been binge watching your videos today lol. Mama looks so happy
Thank you for fostering!
I'm so glad that you were able to take all the negativity that happened and channel it into this amazingly well thought out video. I love how passionate you are. You're such an inspiration in not only the kitten world, but the real one as well.
Thank you. That means a lot!
I've just discovered your channel and I'm addicted. I love seeing you nurture the tiny kittens, and I love how even-handed and nuanced you are in your discussions. You make a good point about lashing out anger on the wrong people. Thank you for the work you do. ❤️🐱
I absolutely love the work you do. I'm an animal lover too. I would never want to terminate a life. I do understand that shelters have no choice at times. I've never fostered but I've recused many animals. I have seven now. God sent them to me and he has provided. It's very difficult. I love them and I'm committed to giving them a good life. You are an angel in my eyes. Blessings to you.
Beautiful, perfect, absolutely right-on-the-nose. If you can be kind to animals, you can definitely be kind to humans who are kind to animals. Issues like these are rarely black and white, and each animal deserves an individual care plan. I've fostered many kittens, and a number of moms and their litters. It's very rewarding, it's very difficult, but it's one of the best things you can do. Kudos to you and your mission -- you're doing a great job educating everyone!!! - T
"If you can be kind to animals, you can definitely be kind to humans who are kind to animals." Love this!
I agree with you
I try to be kind to humans, unfortunately there are so man who desperately want to be the exception to that rule.
What is important to understand then is that maybe they are good people having a bad day.
And then we have the exceptions to that rule, but those are few at least and they have to "prove" themselves more than once.
One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was say no when an outbreak hit. Every single healthy kitten was exposed and developed advanced disease in the shelter. I had healthy kids at home, healthy felines of all ages and every single one of us in the rescue had at risk felines in our homes. We tore ourselves to shreds looking for a non feline owner who would take these babies so they could recover.
But at the end of the day everyone stood with our stomachs in knots and horrible, crushing depression as all of them were euthanized. Illness that could have been cured with only a little time and medication became a death sentence for kittens who were healthy days before. Every single one of them.
Nothing is as heart breaking and exhausting and depressing and plain horrible as rescue work. In the end, one person made the choice. Because someone had to. And it wasn't me, because I was weak. Many times I think about what that choice still does to that person and how hard it was for them.
I wanted to walk away and never return.
What disease was it? And if it was treatable with time and medicine, then why -wouldn't- 'at risk cats; in foster homes be treated along with kittens which could have been fostered and saved? I've fostered for 10+ yrs and would appreciate education on this.
This is disgusting. There is always some one willing to help. The kittens didn't stand a chance because you and your shelter hands didn't make the effort to locate help for them. Everything I just read is excuses. I could NOT sleep at night knowing I allowed infant kittens to be executed needlessly when they could have so simply been saved. 😡 It's pretty sick actually. And yes you should have "walked away".
Nothing is as heart breaking and exhausting and depressing as rescue work? Caretaking any loved one and watching their decline and death in general is all of those things. Not just for cats.
@ur mom I'm saying. These people are despicable, it's like they didn't even watch the video.
@@MommiDonni1 wow you're a dick.
I love how thoughtful and loving you are. For a 2020 with more people like you. ❤️ Keep the good work.
You are doing amazing work! Thank you for helping Mama Mia and her sweet babies. ❤️
An impressive argument which could be applied to so many issues we are having trouble discussing in our country today.
I really appreciate this video. This is a topic that's so tough for people to wrap their heads around, and I'm hoping as more people watch this the grey area will seem less scary. I'm so grateful that we have such an amazing advocate to learn from, your vunerability is inspiring!
Thank you for everything you do. Taking care of a fullterm cat is an act of love. I wish people could just appreciate the love you share! 💖💞
Your energy, compassion, and eloquence in this video are on point. Thank you for sharing.
You’ve put a name to the dreadful feeling I get whenever I’m volunteering at the shelter - Compassion Fatigue! Thank you so much for the work you do, your videos are a gift to the world.
I agree with you 100% people are quick to criticise. Your doing good work
This is the only comment that wasn't an essay length.
Thank you for your kindness and compassion for these precious kitties.
You are so incredibly well-spoken. Thank you for taking the time, energy, and commitment to make this video and to foster these babies 💞
We are lucky at our shelter they save every life that is viable. We have a Facebook group for our volunteers and our fosters so we can support each other. Last week alone we received more than 5 pregnant mommas and mommas with babies. I have fostered mommas and babies but mostly neonates. You can’t judge a foster program unless you foster. It is the greatest joy and sometimes the hardest job I’ve ever done.
It's really great to hear that your local program is able to save so many lives. Where are you located?
Kitten Lady I foster for the Tacoma Pierce county Humane Society in Tacoma Washington. We use some of your videos to help new fosters and for refreshers for others.
Social media ain't where compassion is... sadly. I think the active community has face to face compassion and I always try to remind my vet how awesome she is at her job. I seriously hope people aren't getting viciously verbally abused in person. That would be insanity.
What's really scary are all these people who are injuring animals in order to stage a video making it look like they are actually saviors of the injured in order to elicit donations from weeping, empathetic animal lovers.
@@quasimobius : Agree.
@@quasimobius you mean PETA ? That's one their best skills outside killing 90-98% of all animals they take in or steal off from peoples' homes.
I've felt a bit iffy from some gofundme's that i've seen on Facebook where they show a lot of graphic photos. They really need to be investigated imo because if they are hurting the animals and staging it... i'm sure many people would want justice to be thrown at them.
When I was planning to spay my dog my vet told me he wouldn't TOUCH my girl if there was a chance my boy had gotten her pregnant. He wouldn't even spay her if she was possibly in season, let alone pregnant! Love you Dr. Johnson (ret.)
Thank you SO MUCH for such a compassionate stance and for explaining so well why we lash out on each other. As a social worker, I will be using your example to explain to both clients and coworkers how important taking a step back and caring for ourselves, and being compassionate towards each other, is, especially with heated/sensitive issues. Thank you so much!
The opinions expressed in your video are well thought out and needed to be said. Thank you for creating this video. Beautiful babies thank you for saving those you can! Mama looks like a sweetheart!
I've been watching your videos for quite awhile and just before Christmas last year I reached out to our local shelter which is run by one single lady . I never knew how much she did for our town and have snice been fostering kittens and cats for her. Our town sadly is very dog loving meaning cats often get put down or over sighted . So far I've helped 12 kittens been successfully adopted and 5 adults are currently in our care. One of which we decided to adopt ourselves she's a senior cat at 12years old and we want her to enjoy her best years with us. None of this would of ever happened without stumbling apond your channel. Thank you for opening up and showing me how rewarding and how much one person can make such a big difference.
Rule number 1: adopt, don’t shop. Rule number 2: get your pets fixed.
Rule Number rule: shut up and let people do what they want.
@@blobbertmcblob4888 Rule number 3: When it effects the wellbeing of animals or people, rules are entirely appropriate and should not be ignored.
@@peeblekitty5780 Rule number A: not everyone wants to adopt. Let people do what they want. Not everyone wants to or can afford to get their pets fixed.
Yes! Most especially rule number one! Shelters often spay and neuter anyways, so that's sort of 2 in one if you adopt a cat from a shelter most of the time.
@@blobbertmcblob4888 They may not want to, but almost every one can afford to have their pets spayed. There are resources for free spay/neuter in just about every city, including traveling van programs for people who can't get to a vet. I recently had 5 semi feral kittens fixed at no charge through one of those programs, as well as FLV tested, and rabies shots. There's no excuse, as the resources are readily available. And those that just don't want to, are frankly selfish, and putting their desires over the health and welfare of their pets. Since not only does spaying/neutering prevent many of the behavioral problems that lead people to abandoning their pets, but it also decreases their risks of certain diseases and cancers.
Thank you for doing this video. There were so many things that I had never thought about before you brought them up. Definitely enlightened me. We adopted a cat about a year ago who was found pregnant. The shelter let her have her babies, adopted them out and then put her up. She is an amazing cat and I am so glad we found each other. Shelters and people like you are seriously Angels!
Our CPSN policy is exactly like yours. Case by case and as resources allows. Also, we do not spay in the last term. You did the right thing regarding this mommy. Thank you for sharing this info. I hope it explains more of the behind the scenes decitions. The family is beautiful 💕
It's true these grey areas are so hard to navigate especially when it involves living creatures. I've only been following you for a few weeks now but I have learnt so much from you and what you do.
When this whole thing started j was horrified when I found out that shelters would do that to pregnant cats. But through your and Andrew's posts I now understand why it happens and while it still makes me sick to think about. I'm no longer blaming the shelters for doing it just because they can, they do it because they don't really have a choice and it's the best choice. The lesser of two evils thank you for all of your explanationa. You are an amazing role model and person.
PS I'm glad you're feeling well enough to come back a bit to social media. Still sending you prayers and good thoughts ☺️
MR
Thank you so much for giving the context on the resources different communities have available to them. I had no idea D.C. has done such an incredible job of managing its stray population. Wow! The only thing I'd also want to mention is that some stray mama cats are in really poor health, and spaying them allows them the opportunity to recover and regain health so that they can either be TNRed or find their forever homes. Under certain circumstances, spaying a pregnant mama can prevent a whole lot of suffering for the mama, the kittens, and the humans involved.
mirimiriela480
Absolutely true. This is part of what Hannah was saying. There aren't any hard, fast rules that apply to every region or every cat in the area. We do what we can and put our resources where they do the most good.
I love how REALISTIC you are about animal rescue. I love that you don't just show the cute and furry side, but the practical sides, too. Thank you for your work.
Thank you for taking time to explain this complex issue! Thank you for staying positive! Your videos have helped us so much in taking care of our rescue kitty.
I think, aside from the issues of resources, etc, ppl were also conflating the issue of pro/anti-choice among humans to cats. The very fact that we spay and neuter as a rule (almost) and euthanize to control our pet population proves we are not treating pets and people the same.
A fantastic observation.
Blobbert Mcblob That's an absurd comparison.
The eugenics movement in America actually did use the argument that poor, disabled, or racial minority people were better off being sterilized/having abortions against their will.
It resulted in a number of lawsuits, but some people were sterilized as children, or didn't understand what was happening.
It was a messy part of out history, and one the sued parties really invested in keeping quiet, especially as the Nazis started to make Eugenics look bad.
Consenting humans do have abortions, and unconsenting humans have been held down, drugged, and operated on like our pets-but only one of these things (the first one) should ever be supported as being "pro-choice" by people who are pro-choice.
yeah well cats are not people they have completely different abilities. how could we treat them the same as people? letting cats vote and drive cars? what?
Blobbert Mcblob cats aren’t people
Thank you so much for this video. It highlights a deep need in our current culture, for open mindedness and respectful conversation, especially under polarizing circumstances. Hearing your balanced view point was very refreshing, and highlights a quality of wisdom and thoughtfulness that I wish I saw in others. Thank you for being an advocate not just of animal well-being but also for fair-minded approaches to difficult topics!
Who ever has spoken bad about you for taking in a pregnant cat .. they seriously need To educate themselves ....
I foster and rehome cats and I take on pregnant cats all the time .. I run my own cat sanctuary . Your videos have helped me so much this last 2 weeks . I’m weighing kittens now :) new hobbie lol
Hannah, while I am recuperating from a variety of health issues, I always count on your channel to bring my spirits up. I am so happy that you are our Kitten Lady.
We're all fighting a tough battle in the world of animal rescue and those battles do not need to be going on with each other. Discussion on topics are important for growth but the have to stay civil. We're all here for one reason and that is the animals.
Big respect to you for handling a heated topic with such poise and maturity. Cooler heads shall prevail eh? xx
You should be a public speaker. Well done. Mama cat is thankful for your wonderful heart. Happy to know that there is people like you out there in the world
I respect intensely your compassion and intelligence. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and for the great work you do.
Taking a moment to invest a situation before jumping to conclusions is something we can all work on and benefit from in all situations in life, not just animal rescue. If only people could be nicer and more supportive to each other.
Hannah you are a hero. Thank you for this video. I did not understand how people could be so adamant about these babies being terminated but your video has explained it very well.
Thanks Sara, I'm really glad it made sense. It's complicated!
Sara Jackson
I'm glad you see the necessity now. In my area we have more than we can place of healthy, friendly, young adult cats. In addition, I live in a nicely-kept rural area where cats of all ages are simply dumped for the residents to take in. The lack of consideration is vexing.
The fact that people question your judgment when literally all you do is work tirelessly to save as many kittens as you can shocks me. I would trust you to make the right decision and i know you would take care of Mia’s kittens and find them good homes.
You are really doing a beautiful job advocating and caring for these cats and kittens. ♥️
What a brilliant, wonderful, reasonable explanation of a difficult and complicated subject! Hannah, you are so right that we should put out energy into supporting and appreciating each other in our shared love and devotion to animals and try to put ourselves into the shoes of people with differing views and be kinder to each other our of our shared love of Kitten Lady.
Thank you, Hannah, for your massive emotional intelligence and amazing patience. This is a lovely, compassionate, reasonable and open-hearted response to what was (I have to assume) a huge volume of emotionally draining feedback. Thank you for taking care of yourself most of all. We need you. Thank you for taking a break when you needed it. 👍🏼
And this is why I love you. Even with all the negativity, instead of striking back, you remained calm and level headed. You're an amazing person!
Thank you so much for helping this pregnant mom and raising her kittens, I am so glad yo did the right thing and so angry that people would judge you for it, you saved those lives, they mattered, THANK YOU
You are so insightful. Thank you for illuminating the reality behind rescue and compassion fatigue. Just... thank you...