Freecyle - Advertising animals

Tiddlywinks

There has been a real increase in the number of animals being given away on Freecycle in my local area - am I the only one that finds this a bit disturbing?

One woman a few days ago wanted to re-home her very young cat. She said that she had got her from Freecycle a couple of months before but now, due to a 'family move' couldn't keep her. So that means that this poor little cat (5 months old) is heading for her third home so soon in her young life. :mad::(.

Some people seem to see animals as objects that they can swap as and when it suits them.

Rant over (don't feel better for it though) .

xxlaurissaxx

I feel exactly the same and have noticed more on mine aswell. Gumtree is very bad atm. It is very disturbing

I also hate see-ing wanted ads for pets as people cant afford one. This really angers me as -

1. There are loads of animals in rescues needing a home
and
2. If they cant afford to buy a pet, how will they pay for food and vet bills???

Really gets my back and and is very worrying

moneytracker

I understand you are upset about people doing this, but I do hope you realise this can be just as hard for the person giving the cat away.

I used to have 4 cats and had to give them all to a home as we had to move and couldn't take them with us (we had had them for 5 years).

The move was essential as we had 2 young children and where living in a "regeneration area". Due to this the homes had been emptied out and we spent every night calling the police out as we where having our windows smashed in.

The final night we stayed a brick landed on the ben about an inch from my then 2 year old son. We had no-where to go but back to our parents house who had a dog for an unknown period of time.

I am sure some people (maybe after a few months) have decided that they don't like the animal clawing or the smell it makes. But I do hope you realise that some people who do have to give up there animals are as heartbroken about doing it as you are angry at the thought that they treat an animal like an object.

EmptyPockets

It happens a lot on our local Freecycle too. In fact, one of our dogs, Bruce, was advertised on Freecycle. He was put on by a woman who was 'moving house and the dog has to go' - they were her words, and I'm pretty sure she didn't give a damn about what really happened to him. In her message she stated that we should be patient as she would be taking her time choosing the right people to have him... well, I emailed her telling her a bit about us and our homelife, enquiring more about the dog, and inviting her to visit our home should she wish to see the garden, etc etc... take her time? She emailed me back within ten minutes saying we sounded ideal for 'the dog' and when could we pick him up.

She didn't give a damn about him, but, thanks to Freecycle allowing her to post the message, Bruce found a very secure, loving home with us. I don't think it's a bad thing that animals can be offered on Freecycle, but do wish the moderators would make it more difficult i.e. the 'offerer' should be made to visit the potential new owners in their home and at least make more of an effort to ensure the animal will be going somewhere suitable.

Freecycle can be a very useful tool when having to rehome an animal, but I don't think it should be a first port-of-call, and anyone taking on an animal must make sure it's done properly. This lady wanted us to go and pick up Bruce and take him that same night - without us ever having met the poor boy! Luckily, we managed to slow the pace down a bit, got to meet him twice before taking him on, and didn't let ourselves be bullied into rushing things just because she'd got herself a puppy she was bored of. I don't believe for one minute she was moving house, but that's another story

This is Bruce now!

cinderellacomplex

I have noticed this too and I am kind of in two minds about some of it. I mean kittens have been given 'free to a good home' or for a nominal fee for years, certainly in my area. If advertising a litter of kittens (take the source of the litter out of the equation) on freecycle reaches more people it will give you a better chance of finding decent homes for them I would have thought. I think after that point a pet should ideally be for life though, no matter whether you are giving it away, trading it, or selling it. If for some reason you can't keep the pet though? I don't know.. part of me prefers the people who just give them away for nothing (or ask for a donation to an animal charity perhaps) instead of the people who try and recover their purchase costs.

ETA: Bruce is a giant cutiepie

xxlaurissaxx

EmptyPockets wrote: »

This is Bruce now!

Awwwww! Hes gorgeous!

Tiddlywinks

moneytracker wrote: »

I understand you are upset about people doing this, but I do hope you realise this can be just as hard for the person giving the cat away.

.......

I am sure some people (maybe after a few months) have decided that they don't like the animal clawing or the smell it makes. But I do hope you realise that some people who do have to give up there animals are as heartbroken about doing it as you are angry at the thought that they treat an animal like an object.

I'm not some do-gooder that doesn't have a clue.... I've been through some hard times myself but my animals' welfare have ALWAYS been equal to my own and I have made decisions accordingly.

Anyway, whilst you're visiting this thread, may I just say (as you had the last thread locked because you didn't like the replies) that I, also, do not approve of you smacking or otherwise abusing your kitten.

moneytracker wrote: »

The problem is enough thought when we bought her we got a scratching post for her (which she does use) she has the worst habit of climbing up the walls. We have tried smacking her bum when she does this, locking her in the bathroom and spraying water in her face.

Ok, back to the Freecycle debate...........

moneytracker

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Anyway, whilst you're visiting this thread, may I just say (as you had the last thread locked because you didn't like the replies) that I, also, do not approve of you smacking or otherwise abusing your kitten.

Your right I was trying to be nice, and maybe just explain another side of it whilst not trying to upset anyone. I locked the other thread because I did not want it to turn into a argument. But clearly you don't like people pointing out another side and would just rather have a go than a conversation. That is all people on this forum seem to like. To think they know best, everyone else is wrong and everyone can just have a go rather than be nice.

But I am sure you will all be glad to know that this is the last time I will visit this forum.

Tiddlywinks

moneytracker wrote: »

Your right I was trying to be nice, and maybe just explain another side of it whilst not trying to upset anyone. I locked the other thread because I did not want it to turn into a argument. But clearly you don't like people pointing out another side and would just rather have a go than a conversation. (Is that why you asked for your thread to be closed then? To progress the discussion about how you admitted to hitting your kitten? Then didn't like the responses - so took your ball away.) That is all people on this forum seem to like. To think they know best, everyone else is wrong and everyone can just have a go rather than be nice.

But I am sure you will all be glad to know that this is the last time I will visit this forum.

Oh, don't get all holier-than-thou with me. You were the one that used the word "object" when talking about how some see their animals and yet in your own thread (started just hours ago) you talked about smacking your kitten, locking it away and squirting water in its face as a means of training it......

Now, either you see your kitten as an object OR you are choosing to abuse something that you know to have feelings - which is it?

No-one was having a go at you in the last thread - they just didn't agree with you abusing your kitten. You asked for the thread to be closed because you didn't want a discussion where views were aired that were contrary to yours.

No amount of dancing around the issue will change anything..... abuse is not acceptable!

cinderellacomplex

moneytracker wrote: »

But clearly you don't like people pointing out another side and would just rather have a go than a conversation.

... you just did that in the other thread...

Whatever, you're not worth the effort of even arguing with after that little display in the other thread. Hopefully you'll eventually realize that it's the wrong way to treat an animal.

Can we keep this on topic? I'm quite interested in what people have to say about animals/freecycle.

Tiddlywinks

I contacted the mods of my local group and they just weren't interested.

I know that offering animals on Freecycle gives the owner a chance to vet someone coming forward but, in my experience, a lot of 'offer' messages are followed very quickly by a 'taken' which suggests that they have taken no care at all in their decisions - that's what offends me really.

That and the ones that have clearly had an animal as short term entertainment and have then got bored (they're not bloomin' XBoxes).

Also, why do so many house moves require an animal to be re-homed? Having an animal is not a right and if some people are in temporary homes then why not wait until they have settled and then give an animal some stability?

I know that families break up etc and that these are difficult times but many years ago I was in a 'broken' relationship but held on in there until I could find somewhere to live for me and my old cat - there was no way I was going to leave her or give her away as I signed up to looking after her for life not just when it was convenient.

Rose tinted specs or more of a feeling of responsibility?