Hmm. I couldn't imagine advocating terminating kittens over sterilization; that sounds like a seriously aberrant system of morals.

The nervous system is most certainly developed at birth; it absolutely must be because they have few other senses that are immediately working (sight, sound). For crying out loud, the neural tube & notochord (becoming the spinal column shortly after) form *very* early in development and are essential in the developing embryo. If they didn't have a functioning nervous system, they would never be able to determine if they were touching the mother, thus could not find a nipple to feed. Nor could they determine if the mother was accidentally sitting on them, and cry out to alert the mother. OF COURSE THEY FEEL PAIN.

Furthermore, for those who are unfamiliar with the proper definition of domestication, it's when we artificially select (versus natural selection) for particular traits, eventually leading to a species that is dependent on us for survival--that cannot survive on its own. That's basically what we've [unintentionally] engineered dogs & cats to become. Thus, Bob Barker totally has the right idea...if you don't want puppies/kittens, and don't intend on looking after them, then "have your pet spayed or neutered today." My God, can you imagine if he said, "have your unwanted kittens killed today?"

*shivers*