Getting sick of all the kitten calls i am getting at the moment!

[Hippykitty]

Although I only had eight to home, and all ex ferals, I have had calls from people whose first words were "have you got any kittens for sale?" At this point I've tersely pointed out that you ADOPT my cats, not BUY them, then gone through a rigorous questioning, which they always give up on or fail. (I'll post this soon)

The "I'd like a kitten to grow and adapt to our ways" doesn't hold water. I've tamed feral adults to adjust to human households as pets. My own cats are ex ferals. Somehow there seems to be a: we've just thought of having a kitten, but haven't considered that it will spend most of its life as a grown cat, element in this sort of call, which is why I give them a hard time on the phone. One guy claimed to have had cats previously, so I asked if he'd mind if I called his vet for a reference. He got really stroppy and said "yes, I do mind", so I calmly asked him why and he answered that "I'm not applying for a bloody job or something" at which point I told him that if he wanted one of my cats he would be vetted more thoroughly than if he went for a job. The call ended.

I hate to think of the future which is in store for those kittens who are handed to people who only want kittens. They grow up. Then what?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

So do I Milly, but £175 each to be precise  and its near London.

[LesleyW]

I know where theres 2 greys available to the highest bidder   

Trouble is when June, July time comes and we are all inundated with kittens, the phone stops ringing.  The kittens grow, are no longer cute and cuddly enough for people, and people phone again late November, December wanting little kittens again.

I think thats the saddest part of the cycle, nobody wanting the "big" kittens leftover from a busy summer 

It's also the start of the real problem from all the "backstreet and part time breeders" who think they can find homes for their litters of kittens and then have ones left over, don't get them neutered and the whole cycle starts over again

[Millys Mum]

I know where theres 2 greys available to the highest bidder   

Trouble is when June, July time comes and we are all inundated with kittens, the phone stops ringing.  The kittens grow, are no longer cute and cuddly enough for people, and people phone again late November, December wanting little kittens again.

I think thats the saddest part of the cycle, nobody wanting the "big" kittens leftover from a busy summer 

[LesleyW]

Now i am getting calls from people in London looking for kittens.. When i suggested they try locally i am told "but they dont have any"""...

Dosnt that tell you something...

And this time it needs to be a "grey kitten"... Explaining that it is difficult to rehome outside the area due to homechecks, and Greenwich isnt really on our doorstep and wouldnt it be more prudent to try rescues in London then us... She got abit grumpy!!

IS IT ME!! AM I TURNING INTO A RIGHT DRAGON!

No it's not you, I get calls from Reading and Basingstoke because they can't find kittens locally and the amount of people who specify "I want a really young one".  Trying to explain to them that they cannot go until they have at least had their first vaccination, they think you are mad and tell you about all the other cats they have had from six weeks old.

Trouble is when June, July time comes and we are all inundated with kittens, the phone stops ringing.  The kittens grow, are no longer cute and cuddly enough for people, and people phone again late November, December wanting little kittens again.

[Den]

IS IT ME!! AM I TURNING INTO A RIGHT DRAGON!

No, it's not you. It's these people who must have something and they must have it now, and it must be exactly what they want (and not what they need or should have)

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

Now i am getting calls from people in London looking for kittens.. When i suggested they try locally i am told "but they dont have any"""...

Dosnt that tell you something...

And this time it needs to be a "grey kitten"... Explaining that it is difficult to rehome outside the area due to homechecks, and Greenwich isnt really on our doorstep and wouldnt it be more prudent to try rescues in London then us... She got abit grumpy!!

IS IT ME!! AM I TURNING INTO A RIGHT DRAGON!

[smudgepickles]

They really dont deserve a cat/kitten some people. It doesnt matter if the cats are fully grown or kittens most of them adapt anyway as long as they are given time, tlc and a kind enviroment. I think kittens shouldnt go with young children as they do tend to pull them about..this in turn can make them grow up to be spiteful. They are better off adopting a rescue thats used to children from the star

[Garfield&Gypsy]

I have known friends who have kittens which have developed unsocialible habits like waking the owner 3am sharp evey morning. I believe this was due to her late nights out and being fussed etc at that time of the morning when very young. she now never gets a full nights sleep and Ferris (ginger tom) is only about a year old.

a older cat has had the opportunity to develop their personality and therefore you have a better idea of the type of pet you are adopting. Although you will never fully know the cat before getting them home in their own environment they do not require the same amount of time and patience to help a kitten develop into a well balanced cat.

I still believe you can forge a strong bond with any cat not just kittens.

[Desley (booktigger)]

Same here, and none are willing to consider the adults, as they want them to grow up with the kids (although the person who rang me on Sun with that reason had kids at 15 and 17, so not sure of the logic there!!), or to mould them. I like to use Zi as an example of adult cats bonding - she was put in a rescue at the age of 17 due to owners illness, spent months there, then came here, and was fine with me from coming, even though I had been warned she was iffy with strangers - she certainly was with my neighbour, but never with me (she is laid against my leg having fusses at the moment!!). the two calls I have had wanting adults in the past week have been people who have never had cats, but thought they might be nice, but the youngest we had in was 7, so were going to ring back.

[Millys Mum]

But what i think i'm trying to say is that I'm am glad we bought a kitten into a cat environment rather than the other way around as our thinking was that Muppet could mould the kitten to her way of life which i must point out hasn't happened!

Nope a kitten will never match an adult cats routine!
Sadly people do think 4 months is full grown 

[claws n purrs]

I honestly don't understand why people will overlook older cats in favour of kittens. Personally, I couldn't differentiate like that as I see all cats on the same level, young or old. I know that in some instances, there will be good reasons for wanting a cat of a certain age but a lot of people don't seem to realise that older cats are just as rewarding to adopt. The reasons given for preferring a kitten show a lack of knowledge about cats in general. 

Dee

[Girlies]

Oh don't even start me on kitten calls at the moment - grrrr!!! Some people have genuinely good reasons for wanting a little one (another cat in the house etc), but it really frustrates me when they overlook kittens who are 4 months old - they're still TINY!!!

I'm shocked! Do people really overlook 4 month old kittens!!!

[Girlies]

I do feel for you honestly but i must admit when we were looking for another kitten/cat i was calling regarding both really as people must realise that sooner or later that kitten will be a cat anyway.

I also admit that i am a bit of a novice when it comes to cats but would love to become more involved and help out etc.

When we got Muppet (She is 4 in april) We were told that she was about 9 weeks old - Honestly when we got there it was such a state the place was terrible and if i could have bought all of them home i would have done!

We later found out she was more like 6 or 7 weeks old  she had developed bad conjuctavitus (sp) but with the right vet treatment she was well on the mend quite fast - and although its probably not true i feel she has an extra special bond with us as she was so young when we got her.
She lived with our dog Woody who sadly passed away in June last year and she was terribly depressed by this and waited at the top of the stairs for weeks waiting for him to come home (It was heart breaking)!

We waited approx 6 months before we looked for another cat and although i did look for an adult i thought getting a kitten might be a bit more sensible (Mothering effect i think)

So in December i called a number in the local paper who was advertising 2 rescue kittens and although i was hoping that 1 would still be there i was holding out that much hope but sure enough the guy called me back that night and said there was 1 sister left!

I think i humanise out cats far too much as i was so worried that Muppet's nose would feel pushed out of joint by another cat entering her space

So we bought Dotty home who at the time was about 11 weeks old - We left her in the carrier for about 20 minutes so they could smell each other and finally let her out -

They have now been together approx 9 weeks now and there is still ears going back on Muppets part as it she is scared of her, Dotty jumps all over her, and there is hissing etc but nothing evil evil but i just wish they would get on 100& and love each other (Does anyone think there is still time)??


I'm so sorry for the long post i really didn't intend to ramble on lol!!

But what i think i'm trying to say is that I'm am glad we bought a kitten into a cat environment rather than the other way around as our thinking was that Muppet could mould the kitten to her way of life which i must point out hasn't happened!

But they are who they are and we love them loads!


Sorry for the essay! Keep up the good work everyone who re-homes kittens and cats you do a marvelous job!

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

Oh don't even start me on kitten calls at the moment - grrrr!!! Some people have genuinely good reasons for wanting a little one (another cat in the house etc), but it really frustrates me when they overlook kittens who are 4 months old - they're still TINY!!!

[Millys Mum]

Oh yes the bonding excuse, cats will bond at any age if you obey them its more a case of people not being able to bond with something that is no longer "cute"   

[Team Svartalfheims]

I had a few enquiries asking why my kittens won't leave for new homes until they are around 14 weeks old as they "have had cats at 6 weeks old and they have been fine" and saying that kittens won't bond with new people at 14 weeks. What a load of complete  . Some people need whacking round the head with something heavy!

[dolcetta46]

It is quite obvious that those who insist on teeny weeny kittens are typically those who "know" cats very little.  Little do they know that while little kittens LOOK cute but they can quickly turn into an evil little  out of control especially if you don't look after them and train them properly, then that leads up to more "not so teeny kittens" looking for another home.
A very sad cycle.  I said it before and I stress again, there ought to be a system that a new owner must be properly educated and be truly ready before they take on their first animal.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

I've had a few calls about kittens but most of the one's I've rehomed since before xmas have all been older ones.  I've got a homecheck to do later for Jack who's about 2 years old and Toby who is approx 4/5 months but going to the same home.  I used to be really helpful when people phoned up but find I haven't quite got the patience now when they only want kittens 

[Mark]

And probably most of them are the least capable of caring for fragile kittens 

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

I am getting completely sick of all the kittens email and calls i am getting at the moment. When we have some adorable young cats in our care.. But no, it has to be kittens. I find myself getting very cross that they want even open up to the possibility of the benefits of an adult cat...!

Makes me very angry, and i hear the same old waffel again and again about "i want it to grow up with my children"

ARRRRRRRRR!