For any students

[west0405]

I agree with what everybody has said..(I think?!  )

My younger sister is a prime example.... she recently ''got'' a puppy... That  lasted a few weeks till certain things were mentioned, ( ) £ VACCS FLEAS WORMS NEUTER FOOD £ ... heres my vets number!!!!!

(Any old excuse for a sibling rant) !

And its definitely the individual as it wasn't that long ago that I was a student in that age bracket and would have been deeply upset if someone had branded me as an irresponsible student of a certain young age... NOT having a go at anything anyone has said by the way!  (just covering tracks!)
I was infact a very responsible and probably quite boring student actually! 

PS The puppy above went to a different home with a responsible owner.. and a message from me about maybe neutering!!!!!? 
My sister is just sooooo embarrased on a daily basis!

[Millys Mum]

Would it be worth calling the CP in this situation?

Yes and any other rescues in the area. Cat chat will list ones that you may not know about.

[Ela]

Ela, so far the strays are very scattered: you just see a one or two rummaging through bins, and then see another, different one, doing the same, and so on

No matter how scattered I think they still need help.

I think you could ring as many rescues as you can and put them on lists waiting to come in, I know many rescues have long waiting lists now so every hour you leave it, the longer the little ones will have to wait. What we would do in these circumstances, is get them to the vets to be neutered/spayed, and have an MOT, flea and worm treatment and then when recovered put back on site and ask someone to feed them until we could take them in.

  I wouldn't make it a hard and fast rule that students shouldn't have cats as it obviously depends on the individual concerned, but in general I do agree that students are probably not best placed to take on a cat.

I would agree with that. On the whole I do find many students and youngsters who are not students, although well meaning, do not realize the implications of owning a cat and also many move on after a short time and cannot keep the cat anyway.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I agree pretty much, although there are always exceptions to the rule.  I think if someone has given it lots of thought and thinks they can give a cat a good home that's fine, student or not, but a lot of students aged 18-20ish aren't really in a position to take on what could be a 20 yr committment.  At that stage of life, most don't have a clue what they will be doing in 5 years time or where they will be living.  Constantly moving around, sharing houses, having an active social life etc are not really an ideal set of circumstances for an animal that likes routine and is territorial.  But that's what life is like for most students.  So in general I agree but, like I said earlier, there are always exceptions to the rule who are more settled and can be responsible pet owners (such as Charlotte).  If I was responsible for rehoming I wouldn't make it a hard and fast rule that students shouldn't have cats as it obviously depends on the individual concerned, but in general I do agree that students are probably not best placed to take on a cat.

I've really sat on the fence there haven't I? lol 

[Hippykitty]

you probably just see it more where you live as you have a higher turnover of new tenants than normal areas would where people dont move about so much.

EXACTLY! You've made my point for me. I would have loved to have a cat when I was at uni, and it's the only time in my life I haven't been with a moggy, but I knew that I would spend a few years moving at the end of the academic year, doing summer jobs at holiday camps (no, I wasn't a redcoat, I shovelled chips in a 'self service' cafe, very boring but gave me some cash in the second year!).

This area didn't have a high turnover before students arrived, as it was all owner-occupied and the residents moved every five years, or often less (the guy next door had been there for over 40years, he's past on now, and it's a student house).

I did make the point that any student on Purrs would be of the responsible variety, otherwise you wouldn't be on this forum. The mature students are an exception too. One of my friends, Rebekah, was a mature student and had five (now four, one died of hyperthyroidism) cats at the time; but she has her own house, stability and had the cats before she decided to go to uni (she now has an M.Phil), she was in her 40's when she began her course, so had some sense of committment, having raised two, now adult, daughters.

But 18 year olds, feeling homesick, never before having to even pay utility bills, never mind VET bills, may not fully appreciate the committment they enter into when they take a cat, and I'm sure that there are a good percentage who don't care. I would put this down to their age and the crazy social life studenthood allows (been there, got the tee-shirt; and it's no place for a cat).

This isn't directed at mature students, but at 18 year olds who have just left the security and boundaries of home. Cats can seem like cuddly companions to get you through the first two terms of homesickness; then you make friends, go out, have work to do ........and oh yes, the cat.....who cares about the cat!

[Cheesecat]

But what would you say to a first year with whom you were sharing accommodation this coming academic year if they casually said "I fancy getting a kitten to keep me company!"?  Would you encourage them, or point out the responsibility they would be entering into?

Regardless of the persons education/work status, if someone said that to me I think I would delve a bit deeper (could they afford vaccs, neutering etc and would also mention that mine and indoor and why) I wouldnt say they shouldn't have one just because they are a student.

I am probably what you would call 'geographically mobile' ( ) as I only realised the other day I have moved 5 times in 5 years - various student accommodation etc and where I have gone since - having Cheese (and now Doc and Gerti) is just a responsibility that has been factored into that (eg: I will not take anywhere that will not consider cats) I don't think stuff like that depends what you do, more the type of person you are, and how much you really love cats.

It is probably a lack of education really isnt it on how much attention/care/££ for treatment etc a cat needs - you probably just see it more where you live as you have a higher turnover of new tenants than normal areas would where people dont move about so much.

[Hippykitty]

I'm not 'tarring all students with the same brush'. The stray cat problem has only occured over the past few years, since the area has become approx 95% student accommodation. Landlords have bought up properties from owner occupiers as soon as they come onto the market, hence the density of students.

Previously, when the area was mostly owner occupied, many of the residents had cats, but there were few, if any, strays. So I can only make the assumption, along with a resident neighbour, that these homeless cats are the result of student abandonment.

By no means am I saying that ALL students are bad cat owners. But student life tends to be less stable than people in other situations. I'm sure they have the best of intentions when they acquire a cat/kitten, but the pattern of a student's life often dictates that cat ownership becomes a burden. Students tend to be more geographically mobile and at the whims of other people, such as their parents, or the dictates of their next landlord - when they move at the end of the academic year.

I can only reiterate that when this area was owner occupied (and many people had pet cats) this problem didn't exist; but it's now becoming a significant issue locally.

I'm sure that many of students on this forum are very responsible cat slaves, otherwise you wouldn't be here. But what would you say to a first year with whom you were sharing accommodation this coming academic year if they casually said "I fancy getting a kitten to keep me company!"?  Would you encourage them, or point out the responsibility they would be entering into?

Ela, so far the strays are very scattered: you just see a one or two rummaging through bins, and then see another, different one, doing the same, and so on. One of my neighbours is more watchful than me and has noticed their pregnancies and managed to rehome one queen. As yet they've formed no cohesive colony, but this isn't far off, especially as the females start giving birth and the females of her litter stay and a colony forms.
We know that they are strays because they don't belong to anyone (and my friend knows all the remaining residents - the area has been empty of students during the summer) and because they are thin and ill looking. She and I feed them, otherwise they seem to be surviving on bins and open cat flaps (mine!).
Would it be worth calling the CP in this situation? Thanks.

Gill, I completely agree with you. My name's Catherine, Sam's my cat!

[CurlyCatz]

Sarah (seldom use) on here is also a student !

But i agree with gill's thread.

[Ela]

HK have you contacted your local CP/other rescues?

I think this is the best thing to do, please place them on lists waiting to come in, sadly so many people feed these types of poor cats and only ask a rescue for help when the cat is ill or the first frost comes.

[lucy]

Not only are all students different in how responsibly they can care for an animal, not all have the same circumstances.  I am entering my fourth ( and thank goodness final !) year of my degree (training as primary teacher) and am a mature student with my own home and family already. Although the intention is good to prevent more cats becoming homeless being told any students should not  get a pet while at uni is maybe too wide a judgement.

[blackcat]

I was a student when I acquired Bob Cat. I was living alone in a flat at Coogee Beach and the lovely woman from the breed rescue (who had more enthusiasm for her job, than knowledge of cat breeds) told me she was bringing me a foreign white. Bob arrived and turned out to be a Turkish Angora, so long-hair rather than shorthair (my preference always). He was five years old. He moved with me from Coogee, to Grafton (rural northern NSW) to Brisbane to New Zealand and was the sweetest, calmest most wonderful cat you could have. He passed to the Rainbow Bridge a month before I left NZ or would have joined me here in the UK even though he was 19 years old. Some students, like some other members of society are irresponsible. It is only because students tend to congregate in one location that you have noticed this trend.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I dont think this was meant as a slur on all students and am sure that many when they got a cat, did not appreciate the time and permanent care they would need.

I am sure when you are first away from home to get a furry companion sounds like a wonderful idea and the thoughts of the future have not been thought about in all the excitement. Over the first year things change and maybe they have to go home for the hols and then the probs start.

I think Sam , sorry meant Hippy, has made a valid point and as all of us here know getting a cat is a serious thing and a life commitment.

[Millys Mum]

HK have you contacted your local CP/other rescues?
Prevention better than cure.

[Team Svartalfheims]

When I first reserved Bilbo I wanted to get a rescue cat as a companion for him. I ended up getting Tigger from another breeder because rescues would not home to me because I was a student. This was despite the fact that I lived in Leicester all year round in my own private accomadation (same apartment the whole 3 years I was at uni), had permission from the landlord and wanted to keep them as indoor cats and that I could provide references from 2 vets. 

Just because someone is a student does not mean they are incapable of looking after a cat. I always popped home at lunchtime to check on my babies, when I wasn't in uni I was at home with them, if I was away overnight they had a babysitter, they were fully vaccinated, regularly Frontlined and Milbemaxed, neutered at 4.5 and 5 months old and insured and they never wanted for anything.
Personally I don't think rescues should have a blanket policy of not homing to students as not all students go out drinking all night and leaving the cat on it's own all the time or abandon them at the end of the year.

[Susieh]

It is a bit unfair to tar all students with the same brush.  I agree that generally getting a cat which you can only look after during term time is very irresponsible, but there are plenty of responsible owners who happen to be students too.

One of my old housemates got a cat when she was in her final year at uni.  The cat was from the RSPCA and they were understandably hesitant in rehoming to her at first, but after she had an interview with them and homecheck etc then they were fine with it because they could see she was serious and in it for the lifetime of the cat, not just part-time.

[Cheesecat]

Its not just students that abandon animals from buying them on a whim - anyone can do it.
Just like not all people in work etc are good at looking after animals - it depends on the person, not what they do education/workwise!
Bit annoyed at the insinuation of student = crap owner actually 

I was a student when I got Cheese and I wouldnt have done so if I didn't fully intend to keep her - so we are not all bad!
Getting Cheese I made a commitment that I wouldnt move anywhere unless she could come with me - even if I had to go back home my parents aren't dead keen but they would have had to make do!

Have you tried calling a rescue to come and help out/trap the cats?

[Hippykitty]

Please don't get a cat as a pet while you're at uni. I live in a student area and there are now a significant number of abandoned cats because of students who can't take them home with them after the academic year. They are left behind and barely survive on the supplementary feeding provided by the (all too few) permanent residents.

I'm sure that students don't intend to abandon the cute little kittens they acquire, but circumstances (such as parental objection) often mean that it happens.

I've started leaving bowls of munchies outside my front door to feed the poor mites. It's pitiful to see them. According to another resident neighbour, some have become pregnant. Looks like we'll soon have a feral colony.