To the editor:
I have had a stray black cat here recently (well she’s not a stray probably, she was more than likely dumped). I suppose she’s a female, as people don’t want kittens so they dump females when they get old enough to have kittens. She is one of several cats that have found their way to my doorstep over the years — abandoned by their caretakers.
By the time I get them, they have usually run themselves ragged looking for food and avoiding predators. People think these cats will hunt to find food and survive (at least for the summer anyway), but what will they do when winter comes? Even bobcat kittens have a very low survival rate, only two out of five, I think the studies say. If bobcats “born in the wild” lose that many kittens, how on earth does a domesticated house cat have a chance?
I know people who are having trouble putting food on their table and paying bills don’t know what to do, but there are funds available at the shelter sometimes to help people spay their cats. They won’t take pet cats at the shelter because it costs the shelter money to spay the cat too. They have to help the ones that have been dumped out before they help the ones who already have an owner.
There is no such thing as a “free kitten.” The full costs and responsibilities of pet ownership must be taken into consideration before accepting a living creature into your home.
If you do decide a kitten or cat is right for your family, consider adopting a cat from the shelter. It’s only about $50 and that’s with spaying or neutering all done, shots, wormed, healthy and ready to go! Dumping a pet into the wild is never the right answer.
Noreen Hanson
Amity
