As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ll be looking for a companion for Hex shortly. It’ll be a male kitten younger than him and I was hoping for a ginger baby, but other than that I’ve no specific wants. It doesn’t need to be ‘fresh born’ and I’ve been looking at rescue centres. However, this research is proving more painful than fruitful. I simply cannot believe how many people have no idea about cats, about how to look after their pets and about what is best for them. The ignorance of some is astounding.
Take a look at this reply to a Yahoo question asking about kitten season:
It has just taken me two months of constant searching in order to find a kitten.I had all the food,bed,toys etc. Lets face it they are around if you are prepared to pay £50 or even £100. Even the cats protection league wanted £45.
Yes! How DARE a feline welfare charity dedicated to rehoming and caring for thousands of cats every year even think about taking in monetary donations so that they can continue their good work?!
And of course:
Im looking for some advice, my gorgeous baby kitten is not herself at the moment, she is now 7 months old.
She has not been spayed yet, the reason for this is, due to an un-expected bill, I cannot afford it, or her vaccinations.
Can’t afford the cat? Give it up to someone who can. Same for any animal! It’s not a hard concept to grasp.
Oh, and my favourite:
I am looking for a male kitten… [..] I have had a cat from a rescue place as well, he was about 3 years old when we took him in…he was the sweetest thing in the world, unfortunately, some neighbours were not happy and poisoned him
Nothing like knowingly bringing a defenceless animal into a hostile environment! Why not just line the poison up ready and save the neighbours the hassle of waiting for it to go outside…
If we had similar methods of dealing with children — allowed young ‘uns to breed and them dumped the offspring in overstretched rescue centres to be adopted by idiotic individuals — there would be mass uproar. Yet, it is somehow OK to neglect cats and kittens in the same way for the sake of a small operation that costs less than £20? Honestly, if I didn’t think Karl would kill me I’d take in and neuter the poor little buggers myself :(
08 Apr at 10:19 pm
In Calgary, you’re not allowed to adopt an animal from the Calgary Humane Society until it’s been fixed. We adopted Charley, but we didn’t get her for two days because she had to have her operation still (she was a kitten). With Spice, we got her from the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) and we had to sign a contract to have her spayed within 6 months. It’s a good rule to have, I think! :)
08 Apr at 10:25 pm
… not to mention the people that only view animals (especially dogs) as money-machines and have them breeding constantly, without taking into account their health! Too many people view pets as toys without needs, and then the poor animals are the ones to suffer from their owner’s idiocy by being abandoned or “put to sleep” for any stupid reason.
Having pets is almost the same as having children — they are both completely dependent on you for food, health, and love, and not everyone realizes that.
08 Apr at 10:31 pm
I agree that the animals need to be “fixed”. Though realize, Jem, in the US it would cost me $180 to fix my Candi (girl) and only $100 to fix Mac (boy). Those prices are just for the surgery & not for any medication they might need. It is completely stupid over here. If my animals are outside they get fixed cause I don’t want babies all over the place. My inside babies are not. When I fixed Rowan (outside female) I had a coupon for 50% off from the pound where I got her. That was the only way I could have afforded it without a payment plan at my vets. I am lucky though, my vet understands and lets me take a year or so to pay off my bills. As of right now, I still owe him about $50 for my two babies yearly shots, & he knows that it will take me two more months to pay that off. But does he mind? No, cause he knows I will pay him. But a lot of vets over here are not like my vet, they demand payment right away. So I can understand not being able to afford the cost. Though I don’t agree with it. But then again, Candi isn’t fixed cause I can’t afford to have it done & she is scared to death of the outside world and refuses to go outside unless she is in my arms or her carrier.
08 Apr at 10:52 pm
@ Hev: Aww, I wish there were more friendly service people like that. Not all like dollar signs in their eyes, caring about the money over everything else.
Same goes with animals. I can’t stand that people see animals as money-making consumer products, toys, fashion accessories, and so on. Pets should be loved. Pets should be cared about. Just like any other living, breathing member of the family.
If you don’t want to face the expenses and responsibilities, then a pet is not for you.
08 Apr at 11:08 pm
Now I can see you holding up scissors to neuter every male cat that walks nearby…
I agree that many people are too careless of cats. Sometimes I’d love to have another cat to keep company for the one I currently have, but I know I don’t have the money to pay for neutering and I find that essential, so no second kitty for me.
08 Apr at 11:11 pm
To be fair, our previous cat was (probably) poisoned. After several years we got two more, but we don’t allow them to go outside. The house is a big one, and there’s a meshed-in balcony they can go be outside on. It was actually a condition of sale when we bought them that they had to be kept indoors. And wow, but cats cost a lot less that way. o_O
I totally agree with you, though; if you can’t afford to look after your pet correctly (and that included getting it neutered) then you shouldn’t get one. End of story.
08 Apr at 11:22 pm
I refreshed this page twice, completely forgetting the fact you live in the UK and it’s April 9th for you already. /facepalm
I love the idea of a ginger kitten, can’t wait to see what you get!
P.S. Fuck people who don’t have the resources for a pet but are too stubborn to give them to a good home.
08 Apr at 11:52 pm
I vote for neutering idiots as well :P
09 Apr at 12:17 am
Crap, I work as a dog walker making $120 a week and I could still afford my cat’s neutering. I’m not sure what the UK has, but over here in February it’s national Spay/Neuter Your Pet month and they were giving out discounts to get your pet fixed. Some of the coupons are honored by various vets all year round. All it takes is some research…I feel bad for all the animals who find themselves in uncaring or incapable hands.
09 Apr at 2:12 am
Meh, I’m not so hot about the state of parenting in our society. I hear too much of “they’re my kids, I can do what I like with them!” as justification for shit behaviour. And there are many people who have children but are simply ill-equipped, financially and/or mentally to deal with them in the long term.
09 Apr at 6:09 am
No excuse for it-I paid £76 to get mine neutered, we had complications with the operation (Just my luck) but I managed to pay for it and I live on very limited means.
What happened to the colour Jem?
09 Apr at 7:37 am
I agree. Hopefully, all of those ignorant people searching for kitties are still cat-less.
My cat is fixed. He’s 13, so he has all his required shots (plus some) and health insurance. I LOVE my cat. We grew up together. He’s my little animal friend and it makes me angry to think of people abusing their pets.
09 Apr at 8:28 am
We got our dog from a Blue Cross animal place thingy, and they did all the spaying stuff themselves. The cost to us for the dog was £105. More expensive than a cat, but definitely worth paying considering the going rate for semi-pedigree yellow labradors around here is £500.
09 Apr at 11:05 am
If and when I am able to get a cat, I will be looking to adopt one rather than getting a kitten. There’s so many homeless cats out there that need people’s love.
09 Apr at 11:18 am
*thankful to find, yet another cat lover*
Whilst I stand by everything you have just said, I have my own ‘confessions’ I suppose to make.
I, actually wait, no, my sister (who I live with) has a female cat. She’s coming up to two years old now, and hasn’t been fixed. Originally, when my sister got her, she thought it was unnatural to do that to any female of any species.
However, after many experiences of Dita being in season, my sister has considered that maybe getting her fixed is a better option. Oh, possibly my nagging might have triggered something to!
Dita is an indoor cat (which I’ve argued isn’t natural either – hey, neither is owning a cat technically!) but she does have plenty of room (even a real but ‘dead’ 7ft tree to climb).
I hate seeing Dita in heat, because she cries all the time, and you can just tell she isn’t comfortable or happy at all. Due to my stupidly sympathetic heart Dita actually comes to me when she’s in heat, almost as if she thinks I’m a male cat?! Weird.
Anywho, I’m trying to say that I believe when you take any pet in to your home, you are saying you are taking responsibility for that pet. As such everything falls to you to make sure things get done when they need to be done, no matter the price or ‘inconvenience’.
To fail to do what your pet needs, is just pure human arrogance in thinking we are better than any other species!
I’m still pushing to get Dita fixed within the near future, and I can only hope it will get sorted soon. No cat deserves to go through being in heat! :-(
Gah, all this long useless rambling is me agreeing to what you’ve said in your post. All animals are precious, and we need to care for them fully rather than kick ’em to the curb when we can’t be ‘arsed’.
Thank you for writing this post, and standing up for pets! Particularly kitties, because I love them more than I like humans. ;-)
09 Apr at 11:46 am
Thanks for the comment Emz :)
09 Apr at 8:19 pm
We pay between 50 to 100 euro for cats from a shelter in my town, depending on age; all cats are neutered/spayed if they’re the older ones and others WILL be spayed/neutered when you buy them, it’s in the price, been neutered/spayed they’ll have their current needed vaccinations AND you’ll get a full free month of Vet care (their in-house Vet). (the older cats are usually the lower price because people would rather want a younger one, and this way they’ll attract more people for the older cats seeing as the younger ones usually get adopted anyway)
09 Apr at 10:13 pm
You know, it’s very funny… I totally forgot, or rather, didn’t realize, that there was a cost to adopting cats. I guess I always just glossed that over. I know you have to pay to take care of them, but didn’t think about paying to get them.
Good thing that didn’t negatively affect my ability to get my two cats. Now I need to move them in with me. I love cats. Mine are my best friends and I will take care of them the best I can.
10 Apr at 9:40 am
Them people are utterly ridiculous!
Of course you need to pay, they have to buy food and things, what are they gunna buy it with? Fresh air?
I, myself was quite lucky and ended up adopting two red tabbie kittens for free from a neighbour who did the right thing and gave them away as she couldn’t afford to look after them.
Good luck in finding a ginger kitten, there gorgeous, mine’s called Garfield. :P