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Should you get a cat if you can't afford it? - Page 3

post #61 of 82
8/13/06 at 7:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
I agree whole heartedly ... The homeless I have seen with animals the animals are cared for ....
And really stellar medical care.... not.

It's a sad situation, yes.
Pets provide wonderful emotional support, yes.

But to think that these pats are provided proper medical care is absurd, no matter what television show reports might say.

I live in one of the largest homeless meccas in the country (warm climate), and these pets do not receive even a semblance of proper care. They are flea infested, parasite ridden, malnourished disasters, living day to day by the literal skin of their teeth.
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post #62 of 82
8/13/06 at 9:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cearbhaill View Post
And really stellar medical care.... not.

It's a sad situation, yes.
Pets provide wonderful emotional support, yes.

But to think that these pats are provided proper medical care is absurd, no matter what television show reports might say.

I live in one of the largest homeless meccas in the country (warm climate), and these pets do not receive even a semblance of proper care. They are flea infested, parasite ridden, malnourished disasters, living day to day by the literal skin of their teeth.
I live in a different area ... actually have lived in four very different states and three sections of the country in the last 11 years and of the homeless( about four a day) non of the animals needed for anything medical ... I found out the local animal shelters help the ones they find get up on shots ... This is real life around here sorry it aint that way by you ...
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post #63 of 82
8/13/06 at 4:52pm
I personally believe it is much better for people to adopt through the "adopt one get one free" events during kitten season. A lot of people give up on kittens because they scratch a lot or they keep people up at night, when they only need a friend to play with.

That way they can both save money and give two kittens a good home at the same time.
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post #64 of 82
8/16/06 at 6:30am
No shelter I know would do an adopt one get one free event, it goes against the idea of placing kittens well, they don't know how the kittens will get along well and if one doesn't work out you would more than likely bring back both.
Mine will rarely let you adopt two animals unless they are special cases where an owner has given them up and they have lived together for years.
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post #65 of 82
8/16/06 at 7:27am
Also, doing "adopt one get one free" saves money on the adoption fee, but that little bit saved isn't going to help much when you factor in the long term expense of caring for your pets. Sure you might save $60, but a year later that isn't going to matter when trying to come up with money for shots...
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post #66 of 82
8/16/06 at 7:42am
Renfield and Rochester came on an "adopt one get one free" promotion, but it was just a coincidence as I would have gotten them both regardless. I went back and got Loomis a couple of months later and aside from asking if I still had R&R it caused no problems.
I'd go back again and get another (or 2, or 3), but they're all going to need dentals sooner or later and I don't want to overtax my credit card that severely
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post #67 of 82
8/19/06 at 1:50pm
I don't like the idea of buy 1 get 1 free when it comes to cats - that could encourage people to get 2 instead of 1 without thinking it through properly. Cats arent groceries. While not all costs double (eg toys), most do.
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post #68 of 82
8/19/06 at 4:45pm
I agree with Arielrain:
Quote:
Some very impressive posts in this thread. The bottom line is that our love and compassion for our wonderful animals outweigh financial difficulties.
It is love and compassion that helps you find a way to do what needs to be done. Without those, all the money in the world may give you a pet that is up to date with medical care, but not always one that is loved and shows it (or knows it).
Financials may be important, but to an animal lover, there will always be a way, no matter what. A lifelong commitment to that pet is a promise kept.
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post #69 of 82
8/19/06 at 11:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by urbantigers View Post
I don't like the idea of buy 1 get 1 free when it comes to cats - that could encourage people to get 2 instead of 1 without thinking it through properly. Cats arent groceries. While not all costs double (eg toys), most do.
Cats are cheaper by the pair (at least for me). They play with each other. They are less destructive. They don't keep the owners up as much. Also the shelter would give the kittens all the shots and the spay/neuter, so that don't really factor in the cost of the cats.

I spend far less on five cats than I used to spend on two cats. They are happier and they go to the vets less often.
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post #70 of 82
8/19/06 at 11:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shengmei View Post
I personally believe it is much better for people to adopt through the "adopt one get one free" events during kitten season. A lot of people give up on kittens because they scratch a lot or they keep people up at night, when they only need a friend to play with.

That way they can both save money and give two kittens a good home at the same time.
That's a graet thogut.... 1 kitten having a something they reconize while they move to a new home, but would you feel obligated to get the "one free kitten"? It has the potential to lead to new kittens or that "one free kitten" or both being returned for whatever reason. Animals should not be put on bogos... it works great for shoes, but not for cats... IMO
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post #71 of 82
8/20/06 at 1:36am
I dont like the idea of buy one get one free kittens, and certainly wont be recommending it to my rescue. Kittens should be rehomed in pairs, but they aren't something that should be put on special offer.
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post #72 of 82
8/20/06 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by booktigger View Post
I dont like the idea of buy one get one free kittens, and certainly wont be recommending it to my rescue. Kittens should be rehomed in pairs, but they aren't something that should be put on special offer.
We give a discount for adopting 2. It's $150 for 1 and $250 for 2. We only adopt kittens in pairs or require another youngish cat in the home.

Although I can appreciate those who are against the idea of an adopt one, get one free offer...if it makes the difference in whether a kitten finds a home or is euthanized...as long as the adoptor is willing to take on the responsibility of caring for the kittens for a lifetime, I don't see anything wrong with it.

Katie
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post #73 of 82
8/21/06 at 4:07am
2 cats is still twice the veterinary fees (and twice the food) - something it's very easy to just not think about when you're faced with cute, cuddly kittens and someone trying to persuade you to take 2. I hate to think of someone being tempted by a buy 1 get 1 free offer (or being persuaded that 2 are better than 1) when they had only intended to get 1, without thinking about the cost implications away from those "take me home" eyes . I agree in principle with kittens being rehomed in pairs, but it shouldn't be a hard and fast rule if there are existing cats in the household, or someone feels they can't afford 2. I could not have taken on 2 kittens when I got Mosi - much as I'd love to have 3 cats - as I have neither the space nor money for 3 (space particularly - I'd probably have found a way to finance it if I really wanted 3 but I would have had to feed poorer quality food). As Jaffa's 9, he wouldn't be considered a young cat but he is young for his age and they have been fine together. Sure, I've had to spend more time playing with Mosi than I probably would have if I'd had 2 kittens, but he's growing up just fine (probably helped that he was with his mother and siblings until he was 14 weeks old). And they aren't kittens for long.
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post #74 of 82
8/21/06 at 10:13am
Quote:
I agree in principle with kittens being rehomed in pairs, but it shouldn't be a hard and fast rule if there are existing cats in the household, or someone feels they can't afford
I disagree.....our rescue requies that very young kittens be adopted as pairs or into homes with another youngish cat (not unlike many of the other rescue groups). We have found that single kittens are more likely to be taken to the shelter versus kittens that are placed with a playmate due to the constant demands on the owner and the behavior issues that can be associated with being alone for many hours of the day.

I always print this off to give to people who are considering only a single kitten:

http://www.pawschicago.org/PetCare/catsinpairs.htm

There is more to adopting an animal beyond the cost of vet care..there is the ever present question of what is truly best for both the animal and the person. I would encourage those individuals who do not believe they can afford 2 kittens to really consider adopting an adult.

Katie
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post #75 of 82
8/21/06 at 6:00pm
Two cats doesn't necessarily mean 2X vet charges, since a single lonely kitten can get into all kinds of troubles that paired kittens don't get into.
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post #76 of 82
8/21/06 at 11:58pm
It does for things like vaccinations and spaying (even if the vaccs are done before rehoming, they still have to have boosters, and early spaying isn't routinely done in the UK). Also flea and worm treatments are twice as costly.
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post #77 of 82
8/22/06 at 6:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by booktigger View Post
It does for things like vaccinations and spaying (even if the vaccs are done before rehoming, they still have to have boosters, and early spaying isn't routinely done in the UK). Also flea and worm treatments are twice as costly.
Most places that offer a "Two for" have already spayed/neutered the kittens as well as provided initial shots(deworming and flea treatment). Pediatric spay/neuter is actually catching on here in the states. Additionally, many rescues/shelters require that the kittens remain indoors only..thus decreasing the need for flea treatment. My two cats go in for regular vet checks and receive their annual rabies shot. Since they are indoors only...that is all that is needed. The most expensive bill was in fact their spay/neuter.

Katie
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post #78 of 82
8/22/06 at 6:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TNR1 View Post
Most places that offer a "Two for" have already spayed/neutered the kittens as well as provided initial shots. Pediatric spay/neuter is actually catching on here in the states.

Katie
The shelters up the road (Closest is in the far end of the next county somewhere) which offer the summer twofer on cats and kittens don't fix the kittens first.

All of the vets here (with the exception of one who I had to haggle with for a while to get male kittens fixed at 4.5 months so they wouldn't impregnate their sister) firmly refuse to fix kittens younger than 6 months of age, and one won't fix them younger than 8 months.

This sours the idea for most, as you could easily get a pair of unfixed kittens far closer for free and not have to go through an adoption process (the shots are only $10-$30, which is less than the adoption fee for one kitten).

In the midst of kitten season, it's also not unusual to wake up and find that stray kittens have materialized in your yard (and your neighbors' yards) overnight, and lots of people just keep them, but unfortunately never bother getting them fixed.
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post #79 of 82
8/22/06 at 11:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TNR1 View Post
My two cats go in for regular vet checks and receive their annual rabies shot. Since they are indoors only...that is all that is needed. The most expensive bill was in fact their spay/neuter.

Katie
Since there are new research that shows that the "annual" rabies shots only need to be given once every three years, that further cuts down on the cost.

Unreliable owners are still better than euthansia, which they would have to perform on the less adoptive (i.e. black) kittens if they could not adopt them out.
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post #80 of 82
8/22/06 at 12:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CommonOddity042 View Post
The shelters up the road (Closest is in the far end of the next county somewhere) which offer the summer twofer on cats and kittens don't fix the kittens first.

All of the vets here (with the exception of one who I had to haggle with for a while to get male kittens fixed at 4.5 months so they wouldn't impregnate their sister) firmly refuse to fix kittens younger than 6 months of age, and one won't fix them younger than 8 months.

This sours the idea for most, as you could easily get a pair of unfixed kittens far closer for free and not have to go through an adoption process (the shots are only $10-$30, which is less than the adoption fee for one kitten).

In the midst of kitten season, it's also not unusual to wake up and find that stray kittens have materialized in your yard (and your neighbors' yards) overnight, and lots of people just keep them, but unfortunately never bother getting them fixed.
That's truly a community issue....not an issue of the offer itself. Around me, all the rescues require adopting a pair of kittens and the shelters that I am aware of that have a "2 for" offer...do pediatric spaying/neutering. Sounds like it would be well worth the effort to try to get a vet who performs pediatric spay/neuter to conduct a wet lab.

Katie
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post #81 of 82
8/25/06 at 12:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TNR1 View Post
I disagree.....our rescue requies that very young kittens be adopted as pairs or into homes with another youngish cat (not unlike many of the other rescue groups). We have found that single kittens are more likely to be taken to the shelter versus kittens that are placed with a playmate due to the constant demands on the owner and the behavior issues that can be associated with being alone for many hours of the day.
They're not alone if there are other cats in the household, and not everyone is out at work all day leaving the kitten on it's own. It depends on the individual circumstances. I got a single kitten in April - he's been fine with a 9 year old cat and me for company! If I'd had no existing cats I'd have got 2 but I don't have space for 3 cats. Many behavioural problems are caused by overcrowding, and with the best will in the world it costs more to keep 2 than 1 - even if they are neutered before you get them 2 cats equals double the chance of a medical emergency as well as double the cost of routine care. And double the food. I certainly spend almost twice as much on 2 as I did on 1. I'm just wary of people being talked into taking 2 when they planned on 1 and not thinking through the consequences. If there are no other cats in the household and the owner is out all day, then yes I agree 2 is the way to go. But any other circumstance I say it's up to the owner and 1 kitten is fine.
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post #82 of 82
8/26/06 at 7:12pm
Quote:
But any other circumstance I say it's up to the owner and 1 kitten is fine.
I would again caution individuals who only are looking for 1 kitten to really consider an adult. Even being home all day or having another animal (like a dog) does not replace having a kitten or young cat for a playmate. Although your 9 year old adjusted to a kitten...it only takes a quick gander at the behavior section to realize that oftentimes, a kitten as a playmate for an older cat isn't the best idea. If a cat is over 5...we (just like paws of chicago) recommend adopting 2 kittens. The other option is to get another cat that is closer in age to the existing older cat.

Katie
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