Suspicious Want Ad

skyeo

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I have a stray pregnant cat so I checked Craigslist and found an ad wanting ranch cats to catch mice. Pregnant ones or mothers with kittens, unspayed and with claws. Is there something wrong about this ad or is there a legitimate reason farmers/ranchers would be so specific?
 

Sarthur2

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I would not give any cat to someone on Craig's list who is advertising like that, especially not a pregnant cat. Pregnant cats need extra special nutrition all the way through nursing, and kittens need proper food and care when weaning and while young.

You are correct to be suspicious! Many folks on Craig's list are not kind to animals and use them for dog fighting and fishing bait.

If you do not plan to keep and care for the pregnant stray, please find a no-kill shelter in your area to hand her over to.
 

SeventhHeaven

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Hi  Welcome to the site 


If you just found this stray then you maybe able to find it's owner by posting some notices (they need to describe the cat) online ;)  Plus your local neighbor coffee shops grocery stores. 

Kittens cannot be rehomed until 8 weeks of age if you decide to keep the mom cat and consider to keep a kitten.....

If it is your cat (but was a stray) you can surrender her now to a rescue as mentioned or wait until she has the kittens the rescue will take

the kittens-you foster until kits are of age they cover food/litter costs- they fix mom cat for FREE.  

It's common here to see ads requesting Barn cats, these are more for feral cats that people have been feeding or cats

that aren't to friendly normally full grown cats are offered fixed. NEVER requesting not fixed or pregnant.  'Scam' ad.
 
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Willowy

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I wouldn't say it's a scam, but I would say that they almost certainly won't provide much care for the cats. It sounds like they have a high "turnover rate", maybe they live on a busy road or have a lot of coyotes, and that's why they want unspayed cats. I'd go as far as to say that the majority of farm homes don't take good care of their farmcats.
 
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StefanZ

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I have a stray pregnant cat so I checked Craigslist and found an ad wanting ranch cats to catch mice. Pregnant ones or mothers with kittens, unspayed and with claws. Is there something wrong about this ad or is there a legitimate reason farmers/ranchers would be so specific?
Looks suspicious, but may perhaps be legitime anyways.   The advertiser knows high pregs arent popular, most shelter just pts them.  So he gives them a possibility to choose a less bad solution.

And or he simply wants to quickly build up an own colony of mice chasers.

Its this with claws which gives me the hope this may be legitime after all.

Those whom wants snake food or sparring to their dogs, usually dont want claws.  Tehy even pull the claws out before the last deed is done to them.

Also seller for experiment or food (market worth about 20 dollar apiece I have heard) prefer them without sharp claws.  Of course.

Of course, this detail may have been the smoke screen.   If you wish, you can phone and sound out this person.   Not to let YOUR protegé in there, but to know how decidely you shall prosecute him.   I imagine the managers of Craigslist will take down an add which is prove as a villain scam.  The animal protection authorities may also be interesed, if you are sure is some villain.
 
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