Where to find a kitten?

dirtmother

I've always gone for rescues until my last two cats (I have six) Too long a story to explain why not on these two occasions, good reasons but I am still not proud.

One is a pedigree cat from a breeder. He was not allowed to leave until he was vaccinated and neutered, we met both parents and he came with food, toys, a blanket that had been scented in his birth home, insurance. We were asked lots of questions.

The other was from someone with a number of indoor cats who didn't hold with neutering (I bet she just didn't want to pay for it). She charged a fairly small sum and I met both parents. I was specifically looking for a kitten somewhat older than the minimum and she had assured me of his age in our early communications. He has a large frame and I did not initially realise that he was underweight. In practice, from comments she made, I think he had been given very little solid food... and he was not as old as she had said (not younger than moggies are generally re-homed, but still, not as advertised)

He fell on his feet because we weighed him frequently, fed up him up and he had all his chipping, neutering and vaccination and he's a smasher... but it irritates me when people complain about how much it costs to get a cat from a rescue place. It would have been cheaper - and we were lucky and he didn't anything other than routine vet care.

A small house will not matter to a rescue. And even if you were refused, it would still then be open to you to go elsewhere. Not all rescues do home checks on everyone in practice either although most will say they do as a way to cut down on the unscrupulous. The last place I went to phoned my vet instead.

BJV

jhgkp wrote: »

I am sorry if I caused hostility in this board. It was not my intention to do so. I lost my cat very suddenly and didn't know where to go to find the "next generation". I am not replacing my cat but I miss a wee fur ball around the place. Sorry I caused an upset.

I think it was a valid question and just like you lots of people love their cats and feel very strongly about it.

Personally when my cat died after 20 years we went to the local RSPCA. But you do what ever you think best. Gumtree and some other places do have lots of nasty people who treat their pets as puppy or kitten factories but not all.

There are still - thank god some genuine people in the world.

I would try the local vets.

P.s Don't worry about an upset this is about you and your new fury friend. The joys of a public forum. That said before you discount the charity route why not try. I used to live on a main road and was convinced I would be turned down. But like you I had been looking after a cat for years and the lady who came for the home visit while being a bit - lets call it passionate???? was very nice.

meritaten

let me make it clear - I do not have anything against 'rescues'. They are wonderful usually. but please do NOT think that getting a kitten from a home where a very underage kitt came into season and became pregnant is a bad thing! my sons kitten came into season and had her litter BEFORE she was six months old - which was the earliest the vets would spay her. he has now rehomed all her adorable kitts and she has been up the vets for 'family planning'! so it DOESNT always encourage indiscriminate breeding. Son is an extremely good cat daddy and the local vets know him well! He also wouldn't let a kitten go to anyone he thought 'dodgy'.
Use your common sense and if you suspect something isn't 'right' then don't take the kitten!

barbiedoll

When we wanted a kitten (we already had an older, female cat) all of the local rescue centres would not let us have a kitten, unless we either took the mum, or another kitten too. And one of them came round and told us that we couldn't have any of their cats as we didn't have a cat flap! My husband works nights so he is at home during the day, our cats manage perfectly well by going out of the door or window when they want to. We always joke that it's my husband's only exercise, getting up out of his chair every 5 minutes, to let a cat in or out!

Much as it goes against my principles, we got a kitten from a friend whose idiot girlfriend lets her cats breed whenever they want. Luckily, our kitten had a clean bill of health, we got her spayed and kept her indoors until she had been "done", which was a nightmare during the hot summer months, with the doors and windows all staying shut. Our poor leather sofa still bears the scars, she was frantic to get out. The vet took pity on us and operated on her at 4 months old and she is vaccinated and chipped. She's a joy (mostly) and I know that we were lucky but to be honest, we would have kept her no matter what. At least we saved one cat from a lifetime of constant kitten-bearing.

(I did have a word with friend's mum who managed to get idiot girlfriend to see the light and get her remaining cats neutered, the females at least. She doesn't work so got them all done for free via a local charity.)

Lilyjade

The general public don't always see what those who work and volunteer in rescue see.

I will always advocate rescue and adoption over breeders or free to good homes for numerous reasons:

- the 200 cats on the waiting list that owners no longer want
- for the ones that we don't get room for in time and whose owners euthanise when they are still young and healthy
- for the volunteers and staff who cry over these cats that they couldn't help and have never met, but that we cared more for than their 'owners'
- for the males that come into us with horrific injuries sustained as they were domestic pets that were not neutered and so wandered (FIV/lost limbs/lost vision....)
- for the 4 month old kitten that comes in miscarrying her kittens and is severely traumatised from the events that have shaped her young life
- for the now adult cat that has been taken from its mum too young and then teased constantly so it's go to reaction is to lash out and everyone
- for the ferals that were never given a chance of a happy home and that by the time we see them it's almost to late to do anything but make their end of life comfortable
- for the kittens that have survived on eating bugs for weeks and are almost at the point of death
-for the mum who is so starved that she eats two of her dying kittens to try and survive and feed the remaining ones
-for the unspayed females who die of womb infections
-for the mum who has been a kitten breeding machine and whose kittens keep dying but still no effort is made to spay her
- for the elderly cat dumped in the woods and expected to fend for himself or die, because he's now to expensive to look after
- for the less rehomable cats that don't make it into a no kill rescue (feral, FIV, elderly)
- for the single kittens deprived of feline companionship who end up hating other cats and handed over as they are too destructive when left alone indoors all day
- for the feral farm colonies that have interbred so much the kittens are born with devastating deformities or have short illness filled lives as a result
-for the cats and kittens thrown out of cats, dumped in boxes, treated like possessions to throw away....

While people keep getting cats from breeders and free to good homes the above will all continue. Every person who gets from breeders or free to good homes and thinks they are not perpetuating the above is deluding themselves.

We need to stop treating pet ownership a right, putting our wants over the cats welfare.

Rescues want you to adopt and most will do everything they can to pair you with the right cat for you. It may mean you can't have the one you have fallen for, but the cats welfare has to be more important.

People may not like what I've said, but when you have seen the realities of cat rescue your entire view changes. For anyone who might think I'm over dramatising this, go volunteer at a small cat rescue and you will see all of the above and more.

Deep_In_Debt

I got my two torties from a rescue centre 13 years ago. They are now 14 years old and in not bad health for their ages.

I remember paying £45 per cat (I still have the receipt!) and for that, they had been spayed, vaccinated and microchipped which is good value if you consider that paying a breeder would probably cost a lot more and you would have to pay for spaying and microchipping separately.

Tammykitty

Personally I wouldn't pay for a cat from gumtree or whatever, but I see no harm in the free to a good a home kitten - its not as if the owners are breeding for money.


A lot of them around me tend to farm cats too, mainly there for mice and rats and pets second.


I got my 2 cats from a local farm, they were about 12 weeks old, mother and kittens all seemed happy, the owner told me she didn't think the kittens would ever be completely tame and able to live indoor (This suited me, as I wanted outdoor cats)


Almost 2 years on, my 2 cats are doing well, they still love outside (In a purpose build cat box), and are allowed in whenever we are in, if they choose during the day (Most of the time they like being outside though), but if I really wanted them too, they could live inside now, they have stayed in on numerous occasions, due to illness (Fractured pelvis), if they have a vet visit, or bad weather.


These cats suit me much better than a rescue cat - as I am guessing I would also have been turned down for a rescue kitty, due to my lifestyle (work full time, often away for weekends etc)