Inappropriate Litter Care

Hi,
I was recently given a kitten from a litter of 7. They were born in September and I got him about 2 weeks ago, mostly out of their desperation to take one out of their hands (though they told me it was a graduation present). I'm afraid that the conditions in their household aren't prime for raising a litter of 6 (male) kittens and 2 adults cats. I recently went over there and found only 1 dish with very little food. They have 2 litter boxes with very little litter in them and I'm a bit worried. My kitten has grown significantly these past 2 weeks but these kittens don't look any bigger, and they look unkempt. While these people are friends of mine they're stepping into a territory of irresponsibility that's very disconcerting. Any ideas on what i should do or say to them? So far they've laughed at my approaches to raising my little guy and i've been horrified by their methods (like physically throwing the kittens from their rooms). Also, they keep these kittens confined to their small room most of the day. Their roommates (who I'm much closer with) are reaching their wits end but afraid to do anything to get themselves evicted themselves (The place has a no pet policy on top of everything else). With everything i'm hearing now, i'm so glad i was able to take this guy in and it's no wonder luka's so happy to be here.

Im not real good at this kind of thing because I have a tendoncy (sp) to say everything the wrong way. I would try to get them out of there! Try to find homes for them! Do you have a no kill shelter with any room?? Getting chucked around isn't my idea of a fullfilling life but thats my opinion! Alls I can tell you is if you think its wrong, its probably is...

i told them about a no kill shelter in pittsburgh, and they seemed to like it but i'm starting to think they have no intention of taking them. I think they are going to try to keep them all now. They claim they've become too attached to them all. Their one roommate told me today that they want Luka back. That's definitely not going to happen. It's getting to be a very strange situation. I'm leaving this area tomorrow so I'm not sure there's much I can do but i'm going to pressure their roommates to do something.

I hate to say it, but if you're worried and theres nothing else to do maybe call animal control??? The humane society, or even the police, tell them the situation, that they really aren't getting enough food or care and maybe they can do something!

yeah that might be the only option... but it's still unbelievable these people could be so irresponsible. I wish i could take them all, but i definitely couldn't afford it. Though these two can't either, they're both currently unemployed.

Well it sounds like you're doing good with the one you have and thats great! Its nice of you to give one of them a good life! I really can't believe they want to keep them all but then again I can as I have seen collectors. They dont like them around or taking care of them, but they like knowing they are theirs! The local shelters and stuff really do try their bests with them... You're doing something wonderful just by reaching out for ideas right now!
You might be well served moving this to SOS!

Maybe the other roommates and you should take the kittens to the no kill shelter yourselves. You could say you found homes for them.

If you are afraid of their reaction tell them it is better than loosing all their cats and their home when the landlord found out. It is always the animals that suffer when people violate the no pet policy. Poor kitties.

I hope they have the female cat spayed now? If not she needs to have a spay/abort immediately. I say abort because the odds are she is already pregnant again.

ETA: If you are leaving the area tomorrow maybe you should call the landlord Especially if the female is not spayed yet as this is going to become a disaster very quickly

yeah, apparently they are taking them to a shelter after christmas. I think this may be a distraction for us to get us of their backs. the landlord knows about the cats and her patience is wearing thin, especially since the cats don't have sufficient litter boxes, most of the kittens just go wherever they please (thank god mine doesn't do that). These girls aren't really thinking about the kittens welfare and a more concerned about their emotional attachment to them. I'm worried push will come to shove and all the other kittens will end up in some shelter where who knows what will happen.

It seems like you've gotten good advice here. It's especially tough with you leaving, but I was thinking maybe buy them a bag of kitten food, and a container of litter? Just for the meantime? But those kittens definitely need to go, and what a messed up situation!

Maybe this is a bit cruel but irresponsible people should get what they deserve, a visit from the police, animal control, or the land lord kicking them out. I just hope the cats don't suffer because of their mistakes and those girls learn from theirs. I'd love to have had a cat several years ago but I couldn't afford it at the time, a few months after I had a new job I adopted my two little guys. Honestly why aren't people more responsible about living beings, if you can't afford to care for it don't procure them (that goes for kids too).

On the bright side it sounds like they are in Pittsburgh and I'll be up there this weekend. If you find a shelter or rescue organization in VA/DC to take them, I would be willing to transport them. I might be able to keep them for a few days but my lease limits me to two cats.

i agree that these girls need to be disciplined, and i've been questioning their parents myself and they had no clue that this was going on, so hopefully this will get the ball rolling and these kittens will get the care they deserve.

I sure hope so! Please let us know!

Originally Posted by kluchetta

It seems like you've gotten good advice here. It's especially tough with you leaving, but I was thinking maybe buy them a bag of kitten food, and a container of litter? Just for the meantime? But those kittens definitely need to go, and what a messed up situation!

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Excellent suggestion!!!! You could do it under the guise of the Christmas spirit - maybe family and friends would do a holiday drive and help donate litter pans (10 gal. rubbermaid containers from KMart work great and cost less than $4), litter, scoops, toys, maybe a cat bed or two. that helps the kittens without them having to go to the shelter.
Check the shelter out yourself - I've seen some good ones, but more often, they are overcrowded, filled with depressed cats in small cages, even sleeping in their litterboxes - yeah, it's warm, there's food & water, but it's more like prison than shelter- and for most of them, it's their fate to remain there till they die . If you could get them some assistance with speuter, etc. the kittens may be better off. Bottom line - it's the kittens that we need to help here!!!