02/10/2026
A little education, from a place of experience 💛
Not long ago, a very young tortie showed up at someone’s feeding stations- pregnant and clearly still a baby herself. I reached out and offered resources for a spay.
I know this part is uncomfortable to talk about. A pregnant spay sounds awful to people who don’t do rescue. But when you’re in rescue, you understand why it’s the most responsible and humane choice. We already have far more cats here than there are resources or homes for. Allowing more to be born, is not kind- it’s actually irresponsible.
At the time, everyone on that social media post fell in love with the idea of “darling pregnant mama.” That’s the post I reached out to offer help on. But… silence. I never heard back.
About a month later, the same person reached out. The kittens had been given to someone who claimed to be a vet assistant, but surprise- six kittens were “too much.” They were overwhelmed. The kittens were destroying the house. They needed them gone.
As frustrated as I was, the cats didn’t deserve to be passed around yet again. So we drove over an hour and picked them all up.
Mama had six kittens- four females and two males. If they hadn’t landed in rescue, that alone could have turned into a massive problem if even one person failed to fix them. The kittens were sick when we got them - they had calicivirus - which meant vet visits, medications, and babies who didn’t feel good. Mama wasn’t a great mom, not because she was bad, but because she was still a kitten herself.
Eventually, after time in foster, everyone was spayed/neutered and every single one found a wonderful home. It was a happy ending- and we loved them- but it came at a cost. Emotionally, financially, and physically for that young mama who never needed to go through labor at all.
One person insisted the cat should have babies… but didn’t take responsibility for them. No vet care. No long-term plan. Just the idea of “cute kittens.”
Here’s the hard truth:
Cute kittens grow into cats. And rescues and shelters are overflowing with cats desperately waiting for homes that may never come.
If you love cats, please get them fixed.
If you love kittens, foster for a rescue or shelter.
Please don’t allow a cat to have babies simply because you like the idea of it.
Doing the hard thing before there’s a crisis is often the most compassionate choice of all.
