Do I risk pregnancy?

[tamsin]

Is he owned or a stray? If he's a stray various orgs do trap, neuter and release programs.

[piskieinboots]

thanks for all your replies

According to this, some cats can get pregnant from four months old and they can be neutered from the same age.

How do you know if your girl is in season? I have only had toms before.

[Nicos]

They'll talk to you loads, rub along the floor on their sides and if you pat them (just in front of their tails )they'll lift the back end higher and squat down at the front.

well...that's what mine did!

[piskieinboots]

They'll talk to you loads...

they are already doing this - although not the rest.... yet
*fans self

[flowerofshona]

There are to many cats needing homes and if they are rescues you will prob find that you have to get them spayed ! best to ask.
The cat protection have offeres on spaying its worth contacting them to see if they have one now.
4 months may be young to get them spayed but its wayyyyyyyyy to young to get pregnant !
The tom cat is not yours and its up to his owner to get him done, your responsibility is your girls and the resulting litter of kittens that you will have to re home, do you have the time to home check new owners to ensure they will have good homes ??
Sorry but being a rescue for guinea pigs i have to deal with the poor animals no one wants !

[piskieinboots]

There are to many cats needing homes and if they are rescues you will prob find that you have to get them spayed ! best to ask.

There was never any question of my not spaying them, I just wasn't sure when - I had it in mind it was 6 months, but following the incident with the Tom and the little lass next door

I will just keep them indoors for at least another month, but speak to the vet in the meantime - being rescue babes we can't be sure of their age.

[janeyo]

How do you know if your girl is in season? I have only had toms before.

They 'tart' about! lol

[Nicos]

Uuurrmmm..could the tom be a stray???..you could take him in and have him done if there's no chip.You'd just say you believed he was a stray. Just a thought

[nelliegemini]

My Smudge came into season early, we hadn't even had the tom we'd bought at the same age done. She mithered him so badly he went and hid under a rug. It was a Sunday 23 years ago and the vets weren't open - she was relentless! She would drag herself along the ground on her side purring like a traction engine. He would sit there looking down his nose at her and then run away.

Needless to say they were both done the next day and she was by then already pregnant. I don't think he was the father.

What I'm trying to say with all this waffle is that age isn't necessarily a deciding factor, and the female cats are little tarts!

[piskieinboots]

Uuurrmmm..could the tom be a stray???..

no - he is owned by a Serviceman, next door lady went marching up there this arvo to have it out with Serviceman and Randy Ole Tom - Snowdrop covered his eyes.

Not sure of the outcome yet - but to be honest at the moment my own (selfish) concern is my little girls.

Can he (Serviceman) be made to have ROT neutered?

[Nicos]

Nope- shouldn't think so ....( unless it's becoming a health hazard to humans) .....

[di]

....just keep'm away from the Vine...tis an odd thing doing the rounds!!!

[dexterdoglancashire]

There is a thug of a very large mog in our neighbourhood - he is full and intacto (), he got into my neighbour's house and now her 7 month-old house (!) cat is preggers

Gawd!! I wanted to start letting the girls out this weekend but am concerned for their, erm, safety. True they aren't able, at four months-old, but as they are rescue their age isn't guaranteed.

Should I:
a) keep 'em in until they are 'safe'
b) make them chastity belts
c) take two bricks to intacto thug

I saw the thread title and immediately clicked on it!
I would go for options a, b and c!

Seriously, I used to have a cat harness for my first cat until he got used to going outside, it worked very well.

[Glutton4...]

no - he is owned by a Serviceman, next door lady went marching up there this arvo to have it out with Serviceman and Randy Ole Tom - Snowdrop covered his eyes.

Not sure of the outcome yet - but to be honest at the moment my own (selfish) concern is my little girls.

Can he (Serviceman) be made to have ROT neutered?

Catch the ROT and get him done yourself! Practice looking innocent for when they realize! Although, if the owner is that irresponsible (or tight) they won't get him done, they may not even notice!

[Comfreyfan]

SIL recently took her rescue 'kitten' in to the vets to arrange to be done - too late, had a litter of her own by the time she was not quite 6 months. BIL gave the poor little thing a really good talking to about letting the family down and bringing disgrace onto the family name - she gave him one of those haughty looks that only cats are capable of and I'm sure she would have said 'Whatever' before she walked off with her tail in the air. I'm not really a cat person - although kittens are soooo cute, and I didn't give in when they were looking for homes for 4 absolutely gorgeous white fluff balls with little black smudge noses (not saying it was easy though)!