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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

People and Kittens

15 replies

JerseySpud · 09/05/2014 14:20

Something thats been annoying me on facebook recently.

On a local pets page people asking for kittens. When others (including myself) say 'What about rehoming an older cat' we just get the replies of 'Oh but i want them to grow up with us, get to know them etc'

But whats wrong with older cats :( Surely you can get to know them as well?

hugs her JerseyCat closely

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 09/05/2014 15:58

You're absolutely right Jersey. And it's terrible that people are asking on Facebook rather than going to a rescue. At least when they go to a rescue they can be sure that the mother cat will be neutered.

However there are also so many kittens needing homes (we're getting an average of 10 mother cats with kittens - so around 40 kittens - dumped on us a week at the moment in just one of our centres - and we're only a relatively small rescue) that there will always be kittens for those that really want them. And more rescue minded people, or those who want an easier life (kittens are a PITA in my opinion) can adopt the adults. So it doesn't really matter if some people really want kittens, AS LONG AS THEY GET THEM FROM A RESCUE and not from sodding Facebook/Gumtree.

cozietoesie · 09/05/2014 16:04

Good point, TCN.

And when people actually advertise for kittens, it can make people feel much more relaxed about neutering their cat. Even foster the old 'Oh I think she ought to be allowed just one litter'. (You still hear people say that.)

LaurieFairyCake · 09/05/2014 16:07

One of my rescued older cats had to be pts last week after 9 years with us. I don't think I could get an older cat again for a practical and a sentimental reason.

The practical was that we couldn't get insurance for her as she was 9 when she came to us. She cost about £1200 for vet treatment over the time we had her. Same for her brother, he cost us 3k two summers ago - no holiday for 2 years for that one. I wouldn't get a cat that we couldn't get insurance for as we just couldn't afford it.

The second was that we didn't have long enough
She was a dear little thing.

I now only have 1 cat left, her brother. And the house feels very empty.

cozietoesie · 09/05/2014 16:16

Swings and roundabouts, sometimes,Laurie. I brought Seniorboy home at 14 (= no insurance) but apart from a big dental at 16 he cost me no more than any of my other cats until a year and three quarters back when I had to start shelling out for monthly arthritis meds. Even so, the monthly cost isn't probably a huge amount more than the insurance premium with averaged excesses would have been.

OK - I've been lucky. There is the thing, though, that a goodly number of 'mature' cats at rescues are actually quite young - two or three years old, say - and it should be possible to insure most of those.

The trouble is that they've lost that chocolate-box 'cuteness'. That's really why most people want kittens.

LaurieFairyCake · 09/05/2014 16:20

To be fair, kittens are fucking cute as hell

I spend half my time on Pinterest looking at cute pictures of cats.

krasnayaplats · 09/05/2014 17:30

On the instance point I don't think it is impossible to get insurance for an older cat. Although I have instance for my 15 yr oldcat I recently sought a quote from pet plan for him just to compare. They wouldn't offer the life time plan but still offered substantial cover for a one year period from any new diagnosis.

krasnayaplats · 09/05/2014 17:30

Sorry, insurance, not instance

Corygal · 09/05/2014 17:34

Mr Cory is 12 and cute as fuck.

I rest my case.

LaurieFairyCake · 09/05/2014 17:35

I couldn't get any insurance when they were 9 due to not knowing anything about them. That was 8 years ago so things might have changed now. My own insurer who I do my own cat and dog with offered to do them for £100 a month each so I could have paid the extra 200 a month.

I was paying £80 for a cat and a dog at the time so I didn't think it was a good deal.

Lovethesea · 09/05/2014 19:53

Our rescues were 2 and 3 when we got them and had no problem with getting insurance as they came with it through cats protection and pet plan deal already with a free month.

Something like that might work?

Otherwise I think I'd be really pragmatic and take on the cat but if something happened that meant great expense and no insurance possible I would feel I had done all I could and would PTS if appropriate.

Heartbreaking yes but better than a life in rescue cages and there will always be more adult cats needing a home who I know I could love too.

I think a few happy years in a home loved and warm then a pain free end is better than nothing!

isseywithcats · 09/05/2014 21:06

diferent wants for different people we have people who come to the center and only want a cute kitten or two and we have other people who come and say no way do they want a kitten as they are at work during the day or other reasons

so overall we adopt out both ends of the spectrum, we had a young couple looking for a kitten or young cat who fell head over heals with a rather elderly persian girl we had in, she lived another 4 years with them,

we have a lady who has adopted a rather bolshy ex feral and a one eyed cat who now love eah ohter, her previuos cat from us was an older boy who had a condition where he dosent absorb zinc so had a tilty head and he wobbled but for the 2 years she had him alfie was very much loved.

at this time of year the centers are full of young ( 9 months to 2 years old) mom cats who are overlooked when people see their kittens, so an ideal for someone who wants a young cat without the teenage hooligan element of a kitten

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/05/2014 21:10

Kittens are cute BUT they can be destructive & get themselves into scrapes due to naivety. Which can be expensive & you have to explain to the vet how he managed to get on the roof in the first place.

When we went to meet our cat he was shy & reserved and I thought "he seems a placid laid back little chap, bit shy but he'll come round when he gets to know us"

He was bold as brass from the moment he got out of the carrier.

Next time it's an adult rescue pair. One of whom will be called Georgie.

cozietoesie · 09/05/2014 21:16

......a placid laid back little chap, bit shy but he'll come round when he gets to know us..........

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/05/2014 21:23

I know, I know.

He was though. I realise now he's just like his mum and doesn't like strangers.

He was timid. He still doesn't think much of dh though so that hasn't changed.

kinkytoes · 09/05/2014 22:59

If you want a peaceful life do NOT get a kitten. Especially do not get TWO kittens! Mine took 18 months to quiet down at night, all that time spent thundering around the house (even the smallest feline sounds like a fairy elephant on the floor above).

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