"Having a litter of kittens will settle down a female cat"

Some cat owners think that their female unsterilised cat should have a litter of kittens before they sterilise them because it helps them to settle down and live a more contented life. 

They appear to believe that a female cat should have kittens because it's instinctive to them to have kittens and if you deny them that pleasure it is upsetting to them. 

Until they have kittens they can't settle down and be their normal selves. That is the argument as I understand it but it is entirely false and dangerous thought for the obvious reason that there are already too many unwanted cats in the world and to bring more into the world because of a misconception is irresponsible and ultimately cruel because what happens to the kittens? Can you find a good home for them? Will they be happy? Will they have good lives? Will they be homed with a person who is sensitive to their needs and so on?

It is a myth that having a litter will settle down a female cat. It's a myth that the cat will feel more fulfilled after having kittens.

It might be useful to touch on how female humans feel after having kids. That might provide us with a little insight. Mothers are often harassed and overstretched and pressured on having a young family. They certainly don't feel more settled down.

The veterinarians state that a spayed cat will be more playful, people-orientated and they won't miss what they never had.

Briefly, on an associated topic, there are other reasons why cat owners sometimes want their female cats to have a litter of kittens. It might be because it provides them with enjoyment. They'd like to witness the birth of kittens. They might enjoy raising them and find the whole process rewarding.

They might love the appearance of their female cat and they want to produce offspring to maintain the bloodline. Or they might do it for financial reasons to sell the kittens for whatever they can get for them to make a few pennies on the side. 

If the cat is a purebred then they can sell them for a reasonable sum of money but the amount would be dependent upon whether there was a registered lineage with a cat association.

That said you will find some cat owners advertising on Facebook purebred cats for sale at discount prices. Don't buy these cats and kittens at the prices asked. You are probably not going to buy a genuine purebred cat and I would expect it to be unregistered.

And lastly, some cat owners may have a deep emotional bond with their female cat and want to have the experience of raising a kittens to create a stronger connection with the cat and their offspring.

All these reasons may be good ones from the person's perspective but in the grand scheme of things, I think it would be fair to say that it would not be the best decision to make in terms of general animal welfare for the reason stated above.

Kitten makes the cutest 'attack' on a human you've ever seen (plus info about kitten play)

Cute kitten makes the cutest 'attack' on a human you've ever seen (plus into about kitten play). Screenshot.

Just playing. It's a 'play-attack' - the kind of behavior we see between kittens who spend a lot of time roughhousing. This time the target was slightly bigger than normal and it looks very cute.

As the experts say:

"Every living creature needs to play, and cats are no exception".

Play for cats is a release of pent-up energy. When kittens play with each other or perhaps with their mother they are preparing themselves for adult life in learning the movements required for attacking and defending. Interestingly, the video of this tiny and cute kitten shows a behaviour which is both attacking and defending.

When cats play roughly with each other they are well aware that they game of 'combat' is not in earnest and that they will not harm each other.

When you watch their behaviour, you will see that when the dominant cat is holding her mate, if the hold causes any pain, a growl or sharp meow will make the aggressive cat let go.

When kittens play with each other they gauge how far they can go in terms of aggression by the response of the "victim" to that aggression. And in this way, they learn about the limits to their play.

Kittens begin to play at about three weeks of age. This play starts off with the kittens gently pawing at each other. As their coordination improves, they begin biting, chasing and rolling.

Social play increases from 4 to 11 weeks of age and then rapidly declines. By this time, the kittens seem to pair off during play periods, which usually takes place four times a day. At nine weeks, kitten spent almost an hour each day playing.

The importance of play

We know that playing takes up a lot of your kitten's or kittens' time. They stalk each other, launch mock attacks, assume defensive positions, pounce and in general have lots of fun.

Playing encourages the development of coordination, provides a source of exercise and helps to socialise the kittens. And if they are kittens born in the wild without the protection of their human caregiver's home, play is a training ground to learn how to survive.

Limiting kitten and young cat play

One expert says that you should encourage kids to play and enjoy it but don't let them overdo it. They say that playtime sessions should be limited to 15 minutes each day, 2-3 times daily. They also remarkably state that "rough play, in which a kitten nips or scratches should also be discouraged."

Their argument is that "a kitten may begin to believe that aggressive, even violent behaviour is acceptable at home."

Hands are not toys

I seriously doubt that advice. Cats are inherently aggressive as they are top line predators! Kittens play with each other instinctively. And as long as they are playing with each other it's okay. I think the problem arises when a young cat plays with their owner's hands or feet. Then they equate the person's hands or feet to a toy (a prey animal actually) which they can bite and scratch to their hearts content which they can't.

RELATED: 10 facts about using hands as play toys for your cat.

This is about the caregiver limiting play and training their young cat to conduct this inherent behaviour in a way which is acceptable in the human environment.

It is entirely possible that a young cat can learn to attack their owner's hand during their early life and that this behaviour will remain with them for the rest of their life no matter how persistently and carefully their owner tries to discourage it. It can put a stress on the relationship.

How do I drive a mother cat and her kittens away?

This is a question on the quora.com website and I think it was set by a computer (an algorithm) and not by a person because it doesn't make sense. It's too heartless for somebody to ask such a question and if somebody did then the people who moderate the website missed it. So, the question should not be asked in the first place but as it has, I will answer it.

Mother cat and kittens. The photo is for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Pixabay.

You don't drive a mother cat and her kittens away. You take them in and you help them to survive until they can be rehomed or you might even home one or two of them yourself depending upon your circumstances. You would take them to a veterinarian to be checked out. You would make sure that the mother had been spayed and vaccinated. You would check for a microchip.

You would check the kittens' health and depending upon their age you would have them vaccinated and spayed and neutered as well. Yes, it would be an expense in time and money but you have no option. You would do some research about how to raise kittens because it is quite complicated. It is quite a demanding job and you might ask your veterinarian while they are doing the above for some tips. And you might seek help such as from Cats Protection in the UK or an American equivalent.

You might try and rehome them yourself once the kittens were at an age where they could be rehomed. You might take them to a cat rescue centre for them to do it for you as mentioned. There are numerous options but everything you do is designed to ensure that they survive and live as good a life as possible. Nothing you will do will drive them away as asked in the question. Unless of course you are heartless and have psychopathic tendencies.

One minor point comes to mind; there was a story not long ago of a person who mistook the kittens of a bobcat for those of a feral or domestic cat. She took the kittens in and in doing so she probably, inadvertently, took the mother's cubs from her because she might have been out looking for food when the person in question stumbled upon the kittens. Domestic kittens look quite different to bobcat cubs.

The reason why there was a mother cat and kittens in and around your home is because somebody failed to discharge their responsibilities as a cat owner. All stray cats and feral cats are the result of a failure in the human-to-cat relationship. This is another reason why you should not drive away a mother cat and her kittens. It is not their fault that they are there around or on your property. It is the fault of a person, probably a neighbour. So don't blame the cat and drive them away.

You might in fact ask around because you might be able to find the person responsible. We don't know if the cat is a feral or a domestic cat. There will be a big difference in how they are dealt with. Feral cats will be difficult to manage for obvious reasons. You will soon find out.

On an associated topic, if your neighbour's cat is coming onto your property and you don't like it which might be understandable then I would recommend a couple of methods to keep them away which I have written about on a page which you can read by clicking this link.

A lot of people don't like cats on their property. You just have to be sensitive and decent when you deal with them. There should be no poisoning, nothing inhumane should be done to get rid of them. There are numerous reasons for this one of which is that it is illegal to harm a cat even if they are "trespassing" (cats can't trespass legally).