Forum Topic

Selling Kittens

I volunteer for a local animal rescue charity, and we are the ones who end up with the unwanted kittens. Please don't advertise them on Gumtree.  We recently followed up an ad and all the kittens were sick, not vaccinated and these people were using the females as breeding machines.  People buy kittens not realising the commitment they are taking on - up to 20 years.  People move and then can't find a landlord who will accept pets, and they are often abandonded.  How do you know your kittens are going to a good home, do you go round and inspect before letting them take the kitten.  Can you be sure the kittens will be neutered and not allowed to produce yet more unwanted kittens.  We can't home kittens at the moment and ours are fully vaccinated and health checked before homing.  The current financial climate is having terrible repercussions on animal welfare.  Not suggesting for one minute that you don't care about where your kittens end up, but it is difficult to home them at the moment.  Please have your cat neutered at the first opportunity.  There is help out there for cut price neutering if cost is an issue.  Female cats can get pregnant again before the first batch of kittens are ready to leave the mother.  Sorry to rant on but the reality of unwanted animals is heartbreaking and our foster homes are full to bursting.  If anyone wants to adopt a cat/kitten/rabbit/guinea pig please log on the website www.haws-animals.org.uk

Carol Atkinson ● 6277d5 Comments

Well said Carole.  It takes people like you to highlight the struggles with animal welfare and to try to make people aware of how irresponsible they could be.

Karin Town ● 6274d

Thanks for your support.  The other thing people don't appreciate is that unneutered male cats are at great risk of contracting FIV - the feline equivalent of AIDS. Males will fight for territory and become infected from bite wounds,  they then go on to infect unneutered females and potentially their kittens.  As a charity we try to home FIV cats as indoor cats, but many are put down.  People buying kittens from adverts as on gumtree don't have a clue that the cute little kitten could be carrying the FIV virus and then if not neutered go on to infect other cats.  So far there is no cure and no vaccination against FIV. Heartbreaking.

Carol Atkinson ● 6273d

I too agree! Also i am a very firm beliver in insurance for your pets.  I have had my cat for 8 years and he had to two major operations which unless he was insured i would never have been able to afford.  So people should think long and hard on if they can afford the unexpected should it occur.

Tracy Burke ● 6270d

Totally agree with you Carol.I took in two abandoned kittens last year from the RSPCA. I knew they were looked after by the RSPCA and vaccinated, etc before I took them home and I know that they have a safe home and garden where I live. They get lots of cuddles too....My heart goes out to abandoned cats I read in The Gazette, wish I had a house big enough to house all of them !

Joanna Dabrowska ● 6270d

Great you took 2 rescue kittens.  I've just been in to our local vets who are looking after some cats for us, good news is that one of them, a pure white cat we took in last week, gave birth to EIGHT healthy kittens on Saturday - 3 white and 5 dark tabbies.  Absolutely gorgeous and mum is super friendly, bad news is that it's 9 more cats we need to find good homes for. She will be neutered before rehoming,no more babies for her.  We understand from the person who decided they didn't want her any more that it's her 3rd or 4th litter.  Will they ever learn ? Our charity will keep battling on and doing the best we can for these poor unwanted animals.

Carol Atkinson ● 6270d