Can I ask a horrible question? (Sorry)

[Mark]

The point Mark was making was not about pedigree breeders. Most of us here wouldn't buy a ped but understand that for some that's all they will consider. That's a whole other debate about regulating those breeders becasue there are good and bad with everything.

His argument is about people breeding from their domestic moggies to make a quick £50 on each kitten by posting on the free ad sites. THAT is irresponsible and is a massive contributor to the problem.

That is exactly what I meant. I'm not a huge fan of ped breeding but that is a completely different thing.

What happens on a regular basis is these BSB idiots find out they can't sell or even give the kittens away, then they expect the rescues to come in and clear up their mess - pronto.

[Desley (booktigger)]

To cover the original point - I have fostered quite a few cats who were at the vets to be pts, luckily my vat always seemed to manage to talk them round into releasing them into rescue care - although the last one was incredibly lucky, as I had just agreed for my last free space to go to a stray, so had to do a lot of juggling to save her, but I know that if my vets cant' find a rescue space, they have to honour the owners wishes.

I dont like the asthmatic reason, because most people do use it as an excue (I also have asthma), but I do appreciate that for some people it can be incredibly serious, people can die from asthma attacks.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I mostly agree with you Ellen but I have a sister who is asthmatic and also suffers with numerous allegies and saw how quick she went down when visiting me.......she literally could not stay in the house.

She loves animals especially cats but no way could she own one or live in a house with one.

This is something she found out by chance as a cat lived next door and if her skin gets broken by the gentle touch of a claw, it just erupts, cos of the allergy.

So I guess some think they will be OK and find that they are not but yes agree in some cases its an excuse.

[Ellen2010]

It is like some one said to me the other day an animal should have at least one litter before it is neutered.  So yes see where you are coming from and just told them no every animal should be neutered as soon as they are old enough unless being used for showing (male dogs can not be shown if castrated).  My animals are neutered be it dog or cat at the earliest opportunity eg as soon as the vet will do them.  This is because I have fostered and seen first hand the results and heard every excuse to even "I can't have a cat as I have found out I am asthmatic" sorry that person was a bit short changed with me, 1. I have asthma, 2. there is petal cleanse on the market to reduce dander and 3. doctors blame animals a bit too quick as when the doctor told me he immediately told me to get rid of my animals as I should not have them as I was asthmatic. 

In some respects I do think doctors are partly to blame if the owner is using a medical condition.

[Feline Costumier]

The point Mark was making was not about pedigree breeders. Most of us here wouldn't buy a ped but understand that for some that's all they will consider. That's a whole other debate about regulating those breeders becasue there are good and bad with everything.

His argument is about people breeding from their domestic moggies to make a quick £50 on each kitten by posting on the free ad sites. THAT is irresponsible and is a massive contributor to the problem. I check those sites every day for anything desperate I might be able to intervene with and the amount of ads for kittens and cats that have been bought from one of those ads that is now being re-advertised with some very thin excuse attached, usually allergies, is heartbreaking.

There is NO good reason not to spay and neuter every single animal that is not with a good, reputable breeder and new regulations should be brought in to monitor aforementioned breeders. The situation is out of control and regardless of your own personal reasons for paying for a pet, the facts remain. We have a massive problem in this country and we are putting our own selfish needs before the welfare of animals we domesticate and profess to love so much.

The very fact a topic about vets having to PTS healthy animals on what is probably a much bigger scale than any of realises just shows how desperate things are.

[purrdy1]

i was desperate to rehome a new cat or kitten after i lost purrdy.....i had such a bad year last year and hubbby in one of his soft moments agreed to me having two!!!

I appraoched local cats protection, left messages etc but they never got back to me.....my neighbour had adopted her three kittens fromthe CPL and they were really reluctant to let her have the cats becasue we live failry close to a road....one of the three did get run over but the other two continue to have long healthy lives

in the end i paid dearly for two sick animals.....i nursed them back to health, paid for all their treatments and spays and in my eyes ive done them a bloody good deed!

All of my cats have been rescues or the cats that got left behind or thrown out...left to fend for themselves.....this is the first time i paid for kittens....

that woman who sold them to me was jsut using her filthy hovel of a home as a breeding quarters..ive never seen so many pregnant animals.....it was her living!!

i wont feel guilty though as to be honest....my two babies are my pride and joy...they are both spayed and will never have to suffer waht their poor mum did....

im sorry that a lot ofpeople will be upset that ive paid for them....but i think it shows i would take good care of them.....how many people take cats on and then treat them badly......


I adore my cats...i adore animals full stop....i thought i was acting in the best interest of two defenceless kittens.....thats all

[Ellen2010]

I think anyone that allows a cat to breed,, even if they give the kittens away is a murderer as they are depriving another rescue cat a space. I forget what the exact  figures are but remember reading an article about New York. Something like 1,000,000 healthy cats &dogs are PTS every year. 

Mark their are some responsible breeders out there.  I know some one that breeds dogs and she does home checks on prospective homes and has a clause that if the person wishes to get rid of the animal they must return it to herself.  Also she runs a rescue for both dogs and cats and all if of age are neutered and vaccinated before leaving her rescue.  Must point out the home check she does for both is very thorough indeed and it does not matter whether she knows you or not you go through some very stringent checks.  She also visits all the animals she homes either way on a regular basis.  I have one of her dogs that is now 8 years old and got at 7 months old, he did not meet show quality yes she had kept it for showing herself but when it got its adult teeth it developed an undershot bite, whenever she collects a foster or drops one off she always asks to see this dog which I have no problem with. A neighbour of mine her children was saying things about a dog that their mum had adopted from her rescue so she went to see it and the person refused her entry so she made a phone call and within an hour she had the RSPCA there.  Basically the children were saying it was old and unable to move and would not eat unless you put its food and water under its nose.  The dog was removed and taken back with her after a visit to the vet, the person who had the dog is now facing prosecution as the dog is only a year older than mine but is now in a loving and caring home.

[Fire Fox]

I think anyone that allows a cat to breed,, even if they give the kittens away is a murderer as they are depriving another rescue cat a space. I forget what the exact  figures are but remember reading an article about New York. Something like 1,000,000 healthy cats &dogs are PTS every year. 

I think that is a little unfair, people who purchase a pedigree kitten or puppy would not all turn to rescues and take the first 'difficult to home' they saw. Even if they did many rescues would turn them down because they lived too near a road, children are too young, no outside space or secure garden, nobody at home during the day etc. IMO it is not the responsible/ professional breeders who are at fault, surely it is the backyard and didn't bother to neuter accidental breeders who are causing the problem?

Even some rescue branches should consider relaxing their policies a little - I can only assume the RSPCA branch which turned me down flat for daring to offer an indoor home PTS any FIV or disabled cats they take in. Even if they are unwilling to relax the rules, there should be more thought given to referring a prospective adopter on to another rescue. Please note I am referring to specific policies in individual branches and not in any way diminishing the amazing work done by so many volunteers.   

Of course some of this hinges on our definition of 'healthy' and our definition of 'difficult to home'.

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

My vet says they try to deter people but if they are adiment thats what they have to do 

[Mark]

I think anyone that allows a cat to breed,, even if they give the kittens away is a murderer as they are depriving another rescue cat a space. I forget what the exact  figures are but remember reading an article about New York. Something like 1,000,000 healthy cats &dogs are PTS every year. 

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

The PTS threat is getting more common and quite often it's used by the public to blackmail a rescue into letting their cat jump the waiting list. What angers me is that I'm now seeing other so-called rescues also issue this threat unless spaces can be found at an alternative rescue... like we're all secretly harbouring free foster places we can magically spring open if a cat's life is being threatened. 

I am sure perfectly healthy cats are put to sleep every day. No amount of my or anyone else's tears will stop it - it's a simple math problem, too many unwanted cats, not enough places for them to go. 

If anyone feels strongly about it all, the most effective action is to get behind the neutering message and make sure all your friends, family and work mates know exactly what happens in this great country of ours. 

[Ellen2010]

Unfortunately some vets still do put healthy animals to sleep.  The vets normally step in if the cats are basically dumped at the office and the owner leaves.  Unfortunately some owners insist on being there and yes the vet will try to talk them round.  This happened while I was doing work experience at the vets and the owner was insisting that the cat be put to sleep with her there.  The vet nodded at me knowing at the time I was fostering for CP so I went to another room to see if we could take it if the vet could talk the person round which we could'  When I came back in nodded at the vet and smiled to let him know it was fine we could take the cat.  The vet said we have a place at rescue for your cat rather than put it to sleep and she just said it is not going to be in a pen until it gets rehomed, this is where I spoke and told her it would not as it was going to a fosterer who had the animals in their home, at this point she said do what you want with it then and walked out.

I could honestly say this as I was told the only space at the time was at my house so yes went to do a weeks work experience at a vets and came home with a foster cat.  But the vet explained if she had kept on insisting even after I had said that he was obliged by law to put the animal to sleep.  That cat has now been found a home and the reason she wanted to put it to sleep, she had wanted a cat that loved sitting on the knee and this cat would cuddle up at the side of you rather than on the knee.

[Mark]

Some vets do refuse to PTS healthy cats, which in one way is good, but if someone is determined to get rid of a cat or dog, they will one way or another (which sometimes involves being thrown out of moving cars an other equally disgusting things  ). Some people have the attitude that cats will fend for themselves which is true to some extent, but what a miserable existence for a cat that is used to living in a house. A few years ago, I dealt with a call on our CP line. The woman said that she was going into sheltered housing and was certain nobody could love her cat or take care of it in the same way as her, so it was better if he was PTS  - Her vet refused so she phoned CP as an afterthought. We put the cat on our waiting list, but in the meantime, a neighbour stepped in and offered the cat a home. This was a cat that used to wander around the local shops and library and was known by lots of people, but she hadn't thought to ask any of them. It was the undertakers son that homed the cat.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

One of my cats and his friend were taken to be PTS and the vet saved them and both were rehomed through CP.

I am so pleased that the vet saved them or I would not have this beautiful boy, he was 4 yrs old at the time and has been with me for 5 yrs.

Have to say he had been very badly treated and was terrified and still hides if another person comes to the house or the doorbell rings

[Steff - Petsearch Bedford HQ]

True Angie! Neither is very nice but at least the animal would have a more immediate chance of being saved at the vets than having to wander on the streets for god knows how long where anything can happen to it and having to fend for itself until someone (be it can member of the public or rescue) picks it up and gets it some help.

If people would just be responsible and not get an animal unless they can properly care for it for the full extent of its life.

[Angiew]

Its more humane than dumping them

[puggy1975 Zoe]

Its really is shocking some peoples mentality.

When my Ollie was Ill and was costing me a lot with vet bills and stress the amount of people who said to me "WHy dont you put his to sleep and just get another cat" made me really angry

Just cannot understand how people could say that.

[puggy1975 Zoe]

A few years back when i just got Ollie and Tyler I was at the vet getting their vaccinations and a woman came in with a cat requesting it be put to sleep, She just left money and said she did not want cat and requested the vet put the cat to sleep

I was really upset by this woman.

When it was my turn to go in i asked the vet what happened and they said they would not put it to sleep as it was healthy and they called Cats Protection and they took the cat and they donated the money the lady left.

Its such a sad thing that people just ask to kill an animal when there is nothing wrong with it

[Steff - Petsearch Bedford HQ]

Unfortunately people do.

I think people will try to intevene to prevent it i.e. The vet, a nurse at the vets, a rescue.

I go to dog training classes run by a local rescue, they had a beautiful blue staff cross boy who was fit, well and only 6 months old. His owner had taken him to the vets to be pts cos he didn't want the dog anymore. Fortunately the vets called the rescue and they were able to offer him a safe place. I would have loved him but couldn't manage two crazy young male staffies.

He is now happy in a new home.

I think this situation probably happens more than we realise unfortunately

[Guest]

I have seen a thread about cats needing emergency rehoming or being PTS. Would a vet PTS a healthy cat?

I watched the panorama documentary and know it happens but I just wondered would someone be able to turn up at their vets and randomly ask for this because they are umable to find the cats a home.

Sorry this feels like a horrible question to ask.