# The kitten hunt begins



## Sizzlea89 (Jan 19, 2013)

So a couple of days ago we went into cats protection league to find out about adopting another cat to keep our female cat company where we met Armani a beautiful silver tabby. We asked about adopting her and they said that we wernt suitable to adopt one of their cats beause of the young age of our daughter and they couldn't place a cat safe enough for living with her which I think is fair enough they are only looking out for the safety of both parties involved. 
So my partner had the idea of getting a new kitten only his high expectations have made it very difficult! He wants a tabby Tom cat. I have tried suggesting to rehome an older male cat but no it has to be a kitten he can name captain! Now you would think that rehoming would be a sensible option seeing as there is actually a silver tabby looking for a new home. But no it has to be a specific type of kitten, now I'm no expert but isn't there a big boom of kittens in march/April going up for sale then it dies down again until August/September time?

If anyone could give me advice on the best action plan that would be great!


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

Pretty much all my cats have been dumped in the driveway, sat in a flowerpot on the porch, or handed to me over a fence. However, it was always mid-spring we dreaded, and then randomly right before it got cold again (Oct. where I lived.) Cats can easily be taught to use 'soft paws' (no claws.) You teach them the same way mom stops them from biting her ears/tail. We called it "the shunning". lol Works though. Some cats are erm, not as bright, and those might pose a problem with your daughter. Good luck.


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## Sizzlea89 (Jan 19, 2013)

Ah yeah I know soft paws, our cat gets told soft paws any time she's in the same room as our little one, I don't really want to encourage people breeding cats as the amount of them being sold or in rehoming centres is unbelievable! There were at least 40 cats in the rehoming centre. All doubled up in pairs, feel heart sorry for all of them.


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

Does your area have a craigslist, oodle, hoobly, or other such site? I see a ton of people giving away barn kittens, not necessarily people who intentionally breed so much as people trying to find the cats a home before winter comes and bumps most of them off. Tabby's are fairly common (at least in my part of the world) so I imagine it wouldn't be hard to find one. Good luck!


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

Depend who, and how, they are breeding their cats. Personally, I'll be searching the market for a quality cat breeder in 15 or so years. I really have not been happy with the underlying health issues of casual bred cats. Besides, the way to stop people from doing that isn't bringing home all their rejects/mistakes/etc. 

If that was the case, those people who kept throwing cats on my property, or the street, or wherever, would have spayed the females that produced those litters. It made me furious when they dumped them BEFORE they were even weaned! (Only encountered that in a box on the highway, and at a school.) It occurred to me over the years that I was not responsible for other peoples' bad decisions. No human can care for all the poorly bred animals in this world. I had originally wanted specific cats, bred a specific way, and all that.

The fact that I didn't get well bred cats, is because I felt sorry for the rejects. No, it's not their fault they were born, but places that anonymously will re-home them, I think, are a serious problem. It leaves those people thinking someone else will take them in, and that they don't need to take responsibility for the lives they are producing. Granted, I love my cats, but I think I would have loved a well-bred cat just as much. My opinion, is that it is more beneficial for the animals to donate money/time/whatever to a low/no-cost spay and neuter clinic. Something to think about.

Barn cats are a whole other world. I don't know much about those. Most around me didn't seem 're-home' theirs, except to ask if someone wanted a kitten because it was extra friendly. I don't think cold killed them off in Kentucky though.


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## Sizzlea89 (Jan 19, 2013)

I don't think we have that kind of thing here craigslist is mentioned a lot on the tv. I have found a kitten that was previously bought and is now 6 months old and the current owners are allergic to him.(already neutered-bonus) so we are going to visit him tomorrow and see what he is like. He sounds lovely though, I hope the people don't mind us coming up to see if he is any good with children haha! I phoned the people once then ended up sending them a text after because there was no answering machine haha. But fingers crossed the other half likes him and that hes good with babies.


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

Now that sounds like an excellent match.  Hope it works out for all of you!


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## Sizzlea89 (Jan 19, 2013)

I hope so! I tried the sspca also but for some reason there are a lot of black and white cats out there needing homes, if anyone is looking for a black and white cat the sspca and cats protection have loads that need new homes! Just a shame we couldn't help them out!

To me a cat is an extra member of the family and well my cat Buba was here before my daughter was! So giving her a friend was more important to me than getting another dog lol (other half wanted another husky)

Also there are a lot of huskies out there looking for a forever home because people don't research their breeds before they buy them. It's a shame that people just discard their animals because they feel they can't look after them or their 'out of control' maybe if they didn't spend all of their time going awww look at the puppy and train it ten it wouldn't be a problem


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

Cat's have always been members of the family. Same as the dogs my family had growing up. That's why it was so hard for me to realize I can't just see each one as an individual who needs my help, when they are out in the driveway/porch/in a tiny box on the stripes in the road. 

Ah yeah. don't get me started on the dog situation. :evil: I had the local dog catcher decide on his own to start dropping off small ones in our driveway for a bit there. Guess he thought if it was the same size as cats we'd take care of them. We did, but repeatedly training a dog, that the prior owners found unmanageable... Then finding a home, then training another one... I don't even like little dogs! He told us once that he hated having to kill the special looking dogs and cats, year after year. Finding them homes was not at all easy either. Most people who wanted them I wouldn't give them a plant, much less a dog that needs so much.

Cats were worse. I think we traveled all over to people practically out of state, in the hopes of good homes. I still worry about most of them. It became clear to me that pet homes are difficult things, and might better, in the long run, be dealt with by breeders. Who have the people come to them. My hope is that they will value those animals more. I finally had to tell the dog catcher not to drop any more off at our house. When he said "you know I'm going to have to kill them, right?", all I could do then was turn away and cry my eyes out later. We had 16 cats, in various stages of special care needs, and one dog, in residence at the time.

A few people who care can't stop the never ending stream of the unwanted. It's just too many. Spay and neuter for free or low cost/sliding scale, plus quality breeders who explain to people what needs to be done before they can take any animal home as a pet... Breeders who are breeding something people go seeking, not just take pity on. I think those are the only ways of actually managing the situation, realistically.

Be aware that you cat may rather have another dog, more than another cat. It might be great, or she might be very upset. A lot of that depends on how you handle the intro. I have noticed that young kittens are much more easy to integrate, than an older cat. Like 2-3 months or less in age. Some female cats do really well with a male, though.


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## Sizzlea89 (Jan 19, 2013)

Well we took her with us to introduce them before we said for sure if we would take him. She immediately started playing like she does with the other cats in our area and with big blue that comes into the house every so often for a visit(usually carrying a dead animal) but the 2 of them seemed ok with eachother, we are collecting him tomorrow as the people seemed satisfied that we are animal people! They were lovely, it's such a shame the man was allergic. Funniest part of the visit was the fact he is already called captain! My partner was delighted! He still has that kitten look about him as well! So it's like getting a tiny kitten haha!

That sucks you have had all of the trouble of finding homes, and a bit shocking the dog catcher did that! Sounds a little bit like a guilt trip to me! I only decided to get a cat that needed a new home because I figure there are too many kittens getting bought and dumped. At least I know this little one has been treated really well and I can train him


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

That sounds awesome!  And props to your cat for being so nicely social with other cats, right off. I've rarely seen that.


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## Sizzlea89 (Jan 19, 2013)

Oh I know she's an odd one! But thankfully we managed to get her very social straight away, took her everywhere when we first got her


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