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34 replies

candlerings · 06/09/2017 14:49

Me and my teenage daughter have been scouring the internet for weeks trying to find 2 female 8 week old kittens that are free to good home, if you know anyone giving these away then please contact me. Thanks Xx

OP posts:
swapsicles · 06/09/2017 14:51

Rescue?
Got all the necessary jabs/treatment and voucher for neutering.
Healthier than any unexpected litter that are being sold for profit

thecatneuterer · 06/09/2017 14:59

If you can afford the amount that rescues charge for kittens, which covers neutering, vaccinations, chip etc, then you can't afford to have cats full stop.

If you were to get free kittens they would cost you more than they would to get from a rescue, as to have all that done at a private vet would be much more expensive than the donation the rescue asks for.

Also 8 weeks is rather too young to take from their mother. They are weaned but not fully socialised and psychologically ready to leave mum until around ten weeks.

dementedpixie · 06/09/2017 15:04

Dont be a cheapskate and pay for your kittens!

Vinorosso74 · 06/09/2017 15:15

Please go to a rescue, there are still kittens awaiting homes. Some of these will be over 8 weeks but if they are say 5 or 6 months they are still playful but they will have been neutered, vaccinated and chipped.
8 weeks free to good home off Gumtree they won't be and you will pay more getting this fine than an adoption fee.
Have you thought properly about this long term cats live on average 15/16 years now so this is a lifetime commitment? Apologies if you have but I volunteer at CP so have seen and heard from the staff about the aftermath of the cute kittens....

Vinorosso74 · 06/09/2017 15:16

*done not fine

littlewoollypervert · 06/09/2017 15:16

The rescue I got mine from (11 weeks) only charged €20 as they don't do neutering etc (they do worming, flea treatment etc.)

All the rest - jabs, microchipping, spaying etc is going to cost me €500 approx. (doesn't count food, litter, litter trays, toys, brushes, beds, cat trees, cat flap)

Free kittens won't be cheap, you will still need all the above. Cat sitting costs when you go away, broken lamps, curtains, chewed phone chargers (maybe those last few things are just my furry arseholes though)

RubbishMantra · 06/09/2017 15:32

Can I ask why you want such young kittens OP? It really is best for them to stay with their mum until 13 weeks. Also, as CTN points out, you pay for kittens from a rescue centre to cover all the vital stuff like chipping, neutering and jabs. Stuff which I'm sure you plan to do as a responsible pet owner, so you won't save any money by getting them free anyway.

Insurance, food, yearly boosters, flea/worm treatments and litter add up to a fair bit p/a too.

TonicAndTonic · 06/09/2017 15:46

I got my kitten from a lovely local lady advertising on pets4homes.co.uk but from what I remember no-one on there was giving them away for free! I'm in the south and your average non-pedigree kittens were generally £50-£60 each. I just think it's market forces - people aren't giving kittens away because plenty of folks are willing to pay for them. I would kind of agree with PP that if that sort of price is beyond your reach, you might find that you struggle with the ongoing costs. If you can afford it, I'd just accept that there's no such thing as a free kitten these days and cough up I'm afraid.

Agree with PP that 8 weeks is a bit young - you'll have fewer upset tummies and litter tray mishaps to deal with if you hold off till at least 11-12 weeks old. They are no less cute at 3-4 weeks older!

Another way to keep costs down (you don't say in your OP whether money is an issue or not, but just in case...), is to only get one kitten. It will still cost more then half the cost of two kittens to look after, but will save you money. Personally I don't subscribe to the idea that kittens always need to be acquired in pairs, mine is an 'only' and neither me nor the vet can see any signs that it's affected him negatively!

ElfEars · 06/09/2017 16:04

Cats when looked after properly are not cheap. They need vaccinating each year, microchipping, neutering, insuring, feeding, fleaing and worming. Then there's the odd bits you need to buy each month such as cat litter. And if you go away you may need to pay for a cattery. We paid £75 for each of our rescue cats but we pay almost that each month looking after them.

Allergictoironing · 06/09/2017 16:16

I also question why you want something so specific - exactly 8 weeks old, both female?

As pp have said, getting cats/kittens from a rescue means that they have already had some of the expensive stuff done for you, bar the neutering & they often give you a voucher for that too. I've been told unofficially that a certain local independent rescue partly charges for re-homing as reassurance to them that the new owner is a) able to afford to keep the cat(s) and b) is really serious about wanting it/them.

candlerings · 07/09/2017 07:18

Just want to clarify; I meant free as in not from a breeder as I want to adopt kittens that need to be regimes rather than pay to make a new one. Thanks x

OP posts:
candlerings · 07/09/2017 07:19

Rehomed not regemes** and I can afford to but kittens just choose not to .

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 07/09/2017 07:38

But they wont give you them for free unless you know them personally as a friend. We bought our moggies in a private sale, not from a breeder. People don't tend to give their kittens away for nothing as they've had to feed and look after them

Allergictoironing · 07/09/2017 08:15

Call all the local rescuers then - there's still kittens about Smile.

You may have to think about the age though, as most rescues don't rehome at that age. Cats keep learning socialisation skills etc from their mothers up to around 15 weeks (more knowledgeable kitten/rescue experts please correct if that isn't right), so that's a better age to get them at anyway.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 07/09/2017 08:43

I'm sorry but if you really wanted kittens you would pay to adopt them from a rescue. If you manage to find free kittens do you think they are going to be neutered, flea'd, wormed etc? It'll cost a lot more than the adoption fee! Adopt from a rescue and it will be done.

I also don't understand why the kittens have to be 8 weeks old. Why not adopt kittens (or cats) that are actually old enough to be away from their mother?

You don't seem to be looking at the bigger picture.

thecatneuterer · 07/09/2017 11:25

Ah. Well it's great that you want to rescue rather than buy. So is the issue that you can find a rescue with kittens? Or is it that rescues ask you to pay a fee?

If it's the former all rescues are awash with kittens, but they often don't get onto the websites. So you just need to contact rescues in the area and get on the list. www.catchat.org will list rescues near you. However most won't let kittens go at 8 weeks as that's too young. It's normally 10 weeks minimum. Specifying the sex will make it very slightly more difficult, but not much. Most litters have at least two females in them.

If it's that the rescues ask you to pay, well they are only trying to cover some of their costs - and it's for stuff you would have to pay more for privately anyway. And if you can't afford that, then you can't afford to have cats.

Vinorosso74 · 07/09/2017 12:45

This ^^ just did my CP shift this morning, they have £75 adoption fee but a sign says they will have paid out for over £200 for most cats so rescues are definitely cheaper!

candlerings · 07/09/2017 18:34

Thank you all. We will contact the the local rescues soon. I have no issue with paying I just want a rescue as I feel it is less cruel and 8 weeks was just a rough age as long as there under 1 year XX

OP posts:
UsernameEnvy · 07/09/2017 18:39

You'd be better with 2 boys or a boy and a girl. 2 females often don't get along.

candlerings · 09/09/2017 10:17

UsernameEnvy , yeh would be sisters

OP posts:
EachandEveryone · 09/09/2017 10:52

My two girls get along beautifully

Silvercatowner · 09/09/2017 15:56

Our two kittens cost £160 from a very reputable rescue. They are adorable.

candlerings · 17/09/2017 16:16

Just want to thank everyone. Daughters friends cat recently had kittens and were adopting two of those xxx

OP posts:
Allergictoironing · 17/09/2017 16:18

Congratulations candlerings. Enjoy your new family members Smile.

Don't forget to check with the mother's owner which injections they have had, get them both microchipped, and not let them out until they have been neutered.

candlerings · 17/09/2017 18:11

thank you allergictoironing, we will ask those questions when we got to view them soon .

OP posts:
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