The great kitten debate

[lady_tanksalot]

I have started two threads to show of photo's of my two gorgeous litters of kittens.
unfortunatly some members have seen this a s a green light to start a debate on the whole issue of unwanted cats and kittens in the uk.
I have asked them to debate it somewhere else but common courtesy seems to be lacking and still it appears that they want to get their point across, so if you want to do it, go ahead, here's your oppertunity.

as my litters may have sparked off this debate (although i know its been raging in other threads too) I'll start off by repeating what i have already stated in my other thread.

Obviously the situation is not the same the world over but in the uk it is generally thought that rehoming centres are crammed with unwanted kittens, this is (certainly in my area) a myth that can be quashed by anyone who may be looking for a kitten, and i have countless friends who will bear winess to this. you may strike lucky and find a centre with a litter but generally any kittens that come in to these centres are reseved the minute they are put on show.

when deciding to let my cats have kittens i have not made the decision lightly. My cats are all regularly vet checked, fully innoculated and given all the love and attention they could wish for. similarly any kittens they have will want for nothing when they are in my care and before rehoming they will be vet checked, innoculated, de-flead, wormed and micro-chipped. my details will remain on their records so if anything happens and their owners can't be traced they will return to me.

I am not and would not wish to advocate that anyone with an un-nueterd queen allows her to get pregnant without considering all the implications but i do want to point out that not everyone with a litter of kittens is an irresponsible pet owner.

 

[SarahBravo]

I can back you up on that Lady - my sister in law has been looking for a kitten for over 3 months. the shelters have adult cats but no kittens - they get rehomed as soon as they arrive. Pet shops take ordinary moggy kittens and sell them for £60 - so there has to be a high demand.

And BTW - your cats and kittens are so gorgeous!!!

 

[Angel Lady]

I agree this is the place to do it not on her picture topic. By-the-way your kittens are beautiful....

 

[Angry_Platy]

What is so wrong with buying an adult cat from a shelter?

It is obvious that the cute little kittens are going to be the first to get taken by a family. Which to me is even more reason to stop breeding cats for whatever reason. As long as people are going to be providing cute little kittens (and yes tanks, your kittens are very cute), the poor adult cats in shelters are never going to find homes.

These poor adult cats who have come from a family, who in most cases loved them, that may even be mothers of litters themselves (but their kittens were snapped up quick cause they were so cute), are the ones that get left in shelters. It makes me sad.

I do believe you arte a responsible cat owner tanks, I am not denying that, but your point of there being no kittens in shelters to me is no reason to breed them when there are perfectly good adult cats out there crying out for a new home to somewhat replace the one they have lost for whatever reason.

 

[FishEnthusiast]

At one time my fiance had 17 cats. He refused to take them to a shelter because he couldn't stand the thought that his kittens would be adopted, and another cat would be put to sleep. His thinking was if his cats weren't there, the one that would have been put to sleep would get adopted instead.

I agree that all cats should be spayed or neutered. Kittens don't stay kittens forever. They are cats for a long time. If one really wants a cat, they could easily adopt one from a shelter.

I do understand the desire to raise your cat from the kitten age, but if you really wanted a cat there are so many out there that really could use a home. I have adopted both kittens and full grown cats, and I must say the two I rescued as full grown cats were the most rewarding. I really feel they appreciate me for what I did.

 

[Inchworm]

When I got my Pandora as a kitten, two years ago, I was surprised to find out that the local pound seldom had kittens, and when they did they were adopted almost immediately. Since I had my heart set on getting a kitten to raise, I had to wait until my friends spread the word to their friends, and eventually one of their neighbor's cats had a litter.

Not everyone wants to adopt a full grown animal that is set in its ways and might not adapt to living in their home with them and their other pets.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

As much as I love kittens, I have to disagree. Everyone said how much they wanted one of the kittens a stray cat we took in had, but two years later we still have the one, and from another litter of kittens from a different stray cat three years later we still had two, one of which I managed to finally get a home for with my friend, who already has a stray she took in, but that still leaves us with these two cats, which are now going to be going to a shelter because we just can't deal with their issues (one fights with on of our cats, the other hates any cat she sees), especially now that we are moving in with my moms boyfriend, who has a cat of his own.

These are my families kitten stats:

Kiki (first stray we took in)

6 kittens, 2 male (Ghost, Jack), 4 female (Abby, Quarter-Bit, Shriver and ? she got a home, but I don't know what they named her). We planned on keeping Ghost for me and Quarter-Bit (which is the one that turned out to be the cat hater) for my little brother.

My friend took Abby. My moms friend took the other female. That left us with Shriver, Quarter-Bit, Ghost and Jack, plus the Kiki, who we were keeping. Then my mom started liking the other Jack, who we couldn't get a home for, so we ended up keeping all for kittens in the hope of eventually getting them homes.

Then we had to move. Some jerks down the road (the state bought out a lot of people to widen the highway) left all their animals run loose when they moved, leaving 3 golden retrievers tied out and who knows how many cats loose to fend for themselves. We took in Kali, who was pregnant, and she had 4, three boys (Darth Vader, Snotty and Python) and a girl (Squeaks), all long hair.

Squeaks I gave to another friend, my friend who took Abby took Snotty, a girl from a flea market wanted Darth Vader, so I set that up, and then we were stuck with Python and Kali, cause no one wanted her either, because she was 'too old'.

Then Jack snuck into the part of the house we kept the girls in (because we didn't have the money to get all these cats fixed) and Kali ended up pregnant again, only 5 out of six died, and I ended up having to handfeed the 6th because Kali was so distraut. He went to the friend who got Squeaks, and was put to sleep by her evil sister when she was forced into foster care (without my friends knowledge) Squeaks was adopted by one of the hospice nurses because my friend couldn't keep her.


Ghost got killed in Aug. of last year by a car, as he had a habit of sneaking out whenever someone wasn't looking. Kiki got into some silica stuff we didn't know was in the attic of our garage (we rent) and died. So that left Jack, Shriver, Quarter-Bit and Python. Python attacks Jack whenever he sees him, so he's kept separate, as is Quarter-Bit, as she hates cats.


I started this post with just listing the number of kittens in the hopes of people seeing the numbers, but changed my mind and added their names, because they do have names. My family, which includes myself, my mother, little brother, 2 dogs (one of which is 16 and handicapped) the 4 but soon to be 2 cats, a bird and my fish all live on a little less than 400$ a month. I pay with my fish with my money from babysitting (when I can get a job) and most of it goes to pay bills anyways.

Yes, we could just get rid of our pets, but we love them. And to ask a harsher question, who would want them? Jack and Quarter-Bit are 3, Python 2, Kali we don't even know, Princess is 16, Toto we don't know as she was a stray too, the vet said around 7/8 and that was three years ago.... Princess would be put down in a heartbeat, Toto might find a home but she has her own issues, such as digging for moles and food issues, which aren't a problem for us because she knows us... but who would adopt her like that? The rest are all 'too old'.

Out of all these pets, only the bird and Princess were ever intentually gotten, and only the bird was paid for. The rest, as you could say, were orphans of the storm.


So now within the next couple of days Quarter-Bit and Python will have to go to the shelter, where Python is probably the only one with a half decent chance of getting a home. I was there to feel these guys move in their moms belly, I was there to watch them come into the world, I taught them not to poop on the floor and that dogs were okay things to be around, and even climb on. I tossed them balls and held them, scratched their chins and gave them treats. Now I have to send them to a place where they will be looked at every day only to be over-looked because of the kittens in the pen next to them till the day comes when the shelter gets too full from the latest dump off, and then they won't be coming back from their trip to the back room. Because where I live, cats are easier to find then pennies in your pocket, and even easier for people to throw away.

So no, I'm sorry, I don't care if the cats healthy, I don't care if it's top quality champion lines, I don't care if the freaking cat is made of gold, I don't think anyone should sit there and intentually breed any animal for top dollar under the cheap layer of vanity they call purebred, or even because they are a big commodity. I have to send my babies to a highly possible death because someone wants a kitten instead of a cat. And guess what people, if they only want it because it's young how little of a problem is it going to take for them to get rid of that kitten once it's a cat? Obviously, by looking at the shelter, not that damn hard.


Inchworm, sorry, but it's not that hard to find an adult cat to fit in with your family. Quarter-Bit was raised around other cats, and look how she turned out.



And I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar errors, I'm crying a little too hard to give much of a $hit.

 

[MegTheFish]

Awww, I'm so sorry to hear that NinjaSmurf You must know in your heart that you gave all you had, you took care of all those cats and you loved them with all your heart. You are really amazing. I will pray for Quarter-Bit and Python that they get adopted into wonderful loving homes. (((((NinjaSmurf))))

I completly agree with you...everybody goes for the cute adorable kittens. That wouldn't be a problem if their were more kittens then adult cats, but unfortunatly there are more adult cats that will pay the price. Kittens grow up in a matter of months...you only have that "adorable kitty" for a tiny bit, then they grow up and are usually discarded. I love cats as much as kittens, and I think they are just as cute and loveable. When I grow up and move into my own house, I'll make sure to adopt an adult cat(s) who's been at a shelter for a long time and needs me.

 

[Bloo]

Ninja I really feel sorry for you and the situation you are in is not a nice one.
However (I'm not addressing you directly ninja), we really all know what we think about the kitten situation here in the UK (or even worldwide for that matter) and those who have a strong viewpoint about this, are certainly not going to change it. We all know the plight of adult cats worldwide - there are those of us who would rather give a needy cat (possibly on death row) a home, or there are those of us who adamantly want a kitten. Can't we just look at pretty pictures and that be the end of it ?

 

[FishEnthusiast]

Bloozoo, I understand your point. It was not fair for people to say things about breeding in a picture thread. But NinjaSmurf has a point. I too had an almost cat(he was 8 months old). I had to give him to the spca because he couldn't be around other cats. In fact he couldn't be with anyone but me. No one else could get near him. I know he probably didn't make it. It still makes me cry almost 4 years later when I think about it.

I think that both of our feelings are a cat is a cat whether it is a kitten or an adult. It is very easy to acclimate adult cats to other cats. And there is no guarantee the kitten one gets will acclimate to the family or other pets as NinjaSmurf pointed out.

I recently took in 2 cats that were abandoned by my neighbour. Before I rescued them, they almost starved to death. I fed them for months before my neighbour moved and that is why they are alive today. In fact Chase's brother didn't make it. I moved in and he was on death's door. Unfortunately he starved to death. The two I rescued do fine with our 2 other cats. One wasn't fixed, so that was the first thing on my list. I rescued Fritz from the spca. Even though he was a kitten, no one would have adopted him as he was extremely skittish. He still is with anyone but me and my family. I rescued Chevy from a someone who hadn't fed her for three months.

I have had a kitten that we adopted from the spca when I was a kid, she hated other cats, she ran away every week, get taken back to the spca and then we would get the call that Ruby was there again. We eventually had to have her adopted out again because we took in a pregnant stray that was abandoned at my mother's work. That was Hey-you(we weren't going to keep her and we would just call hey you supper is ready, she started answering too it and we kept her) We had her for 10 years before she was attacked by a dog and killed. We also still have one of her kittens, Bear who is turning 13 this year.

I have had cats all my life. I will continue to have cats, but I will never adopt a kitten unless I think they will not survive without me. I would much rather take a cat that I know will die without me.

NinjaSmurf, if I could take your cats, I would in a heartbeat. I was crying by the end of your post. I feel so bad for you. If you can, put an ad in the paper, that is what my hubby did when he had 17 cats. They were gone in 3 days, including 2 that were pregnant at the time. He used to be in a situation like yours, where he would take in strays and wasn't able to fix them.

There are also some organizations that will help out people that don't really have the money to pay for neutering. When they have the funding, they will pay for your pet to be spayed or neutered. I have used this resource recently as we didn't have the money to neuter the stray we took in.

Sorry for the long post. I guess I had stronger feelings on this than I thought.

EDIT: I don't really think it is the fact that there are no kittens, it is more that there are so MANY adult cats that desperately need someone to love them, yet no one will take them in. People get a kitten, realize they don't stay kittens and abandon them. That is what I find so unfair about it all.

 

[b.c.f.c]

i agree with the adult cat thing about them not being rehomed and stuck in shelters for months on end and about there not being enough kittens u should see the amount of kittens in birmingham. i mean wen i went to get my 2 cats minton and gemma there were hundreds of little kittens being unwanted because there ferel or got medical problems so they were being over looked at the shelter as well but the adults were perfectly fine buetifful loving cats but because because they were not kittens no body wanted them.

 

[GSD]

IMO it is perfectly ok to bred cats AS LONG AS YOU HAVE GOOD HOMES READY not breed them with nowhere to go.and as responsible owners they should get their cats neutered if theyre planning not to breed them which will reduce the no of unwanted kittens but if people didnt let their unneutered cats roam the streets or ferel cats mabe they woulkdnt be such a problem

 

[cometcattle]

About 30,000 to 35,000 homeless cats are euthanized in Chicago each year.

I cringe when I see ads for kittens.

 

[mm_simb]

IMO we dont need people breeding cats until there aren't any in the shelters. Older cats need homes too. And while in a kill shelter they don't usually put them to sleep if they last a long time if they are healthy, they will do it as soon as they here a little sniffle from them. I know...I work at one. It's sad to see all the people that just want kitties when there are 1-18 year old cats that also would love a home. Yes...we had an 18 year old cat there. Why the family of the person that passed away couldn't take the cat for a few years while it lived out it's life is beyond me . These cats lasts months when there are kittens around. Some people rather wait months to get a kitten when it's not the right time of the year. During this time of the year, hundreds of older cats (whether healthy or not) are put to sleep because it's so overcrowded and people know that these cats wont be able to find a home as easy as a kitten would.
I use to live in Chicago and when I went to a pound over there, there werent any kittens available...but there were over 30 older cats. Everyone takes the kittens as soon as they arrive and just ignore the older ones.
While it's great to raise a little kitten, it's wonderful to have a cat that already has it's personality set. Older cats are a lot more grateful when you take them home, even if they don't show it for a few days.

 

[Bloo]

I don't want to be a party pooper here, but have to point something out:
Firstly, LadyT did not want a cat/kitten debate on her kitten pictures post - and quite rightly so. Secondly, she started this topic specifically for the UK (as I understand the situation varies greatly between the US and the UK). Could we please try and stick to her posts as she requested.
Apologies if I offend anyone, but I'd just like to point out the obvious.....