Having a litter, for the children……

By Karen Gray-Kilfoil  (Accredited Animal Behaviour Consultant (ABC of SA ©®™)
and Humane Educator and Dr Yvonne Robson (Veterinarian at Sunnydale Animal Sterilisation and Health Association - SASHA)

 Karen resides in the fair Cape, to visit her site for additional information: www.animal-behaviour.org.za/karengray

These words always make my heart sink. Why? you ask. What better way to teach our children the facts of life than letting them see the process at first hand in their own home. While the idea of letting your cat or dog have kittens or puppies, so the children can learn, has the right intentions behind it, there are many holes in the plan.

What can go wrong?

Your children probably won’t see the mating, especially if it’s a cat. If they do, they may get a bad impression of sex, as it often seems painful and can involve aggressive behaviour.

• Seeing a pregnant animal is very like seeing a pregnant human, so there is nothing really new about this for most children.
• Your children probably won’t see the birth, as this usually occurs at night and owners are often not even aware of it. If the birth goes wrong, children could be frightened by emergency procedures or even the death of your pet.
• If you can’t find homes for all the puppies or kittens, they may end up on “death row” with all the other animals at shelters. Is this a lesson you want your children to learn from?
• If you do find a home for every puppy or kitten, they may be homes that would otherwise have taken pets that were in a rescue shelter, thus depriving ‘disadvantaged’ animals homes.
• How will you check out the homes your special pet’s offspring went to? How will you know they are good homes?

What are the alternatives?

   Find a registered breeder (Kennel Union of SA) and ask if you can allow your children to visit the animals before and after the birth, and to see the development of the pups or kittens. Bear in mind that a mother with a litter is very sensitive and children may not be allowed to go too close, make a noise or touch them in the first few days.  Buy a good book about the facts of life, whether human or animal. There are plenty in your local library. Find a good documentary or two about the “birds and the bees”. Again, there may be some at the library.Take your children to visit an animal rescue shelter near you. Teach them about being humane and thinking about other animals, not just your own. Teach them about getting pets sterilised so that they do not contribute to the excessive number of puppies and kittens needing good homes.

Is letting your dog or cat have a litter going to benefit the animal, or is it purely for you own selfish purpose? Hundreds of dogs and cats are euthanased each week in South Africa because there are not enough good homes for them all. By allowing your pet to breed and homing the offspring yourselves you may be depriving other, less fortunate, animals of homes – the ones that roam the streets or get stuck in rescue shelters. Parents, have your dogs and cats sterilised BEFORE they have a litter (before 6 months of age, earlier if possible). Your pet's personality will not change if it is sterilised. Don't contribute to the population of unwanted puppies and kittens.