Getting 1 or 2 kittens

callaway92

Hi folks

Looking to get 1 or 2 kittens for my mam in the next few weeks. Always had cats but it’s been a few years now.

Was looking at <snip> but definitely put off at the idea of them having to do a house visit and follow-up calls etc - I know that would put my parents off. They’d like to just go in, see 2 kittens they like and bring them away.

Also surprised at the costs involved and definitely surprised at people charging on Done Deal!

Any ideas on the best way to go about getting Kittens? I’m all for Shelters but disappointed at the amount of steps involved.

sbs2010

Adverts don't let people charge for pet adoption so should be free there.

But you have to be in quick when an ad goes up.

callaway92

Ah - didn’t even bother checking Adverts after checking DoneDeal - must do that.

One ad on DoneDeal charging €30 per kitten and don’t know the gender. Doing them a favour bringing a kitten they don’t want away from them and the morons are charging.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117873681#Comment_117873681

the morons are charging because if people pay for something, chances are they really want it.

giving away free animals is actually opening them up to more of a chance they could be abused.

callaway92

I don’t think it’s morally right to be charging for a kitten you don’t want.

callaway92

Especially an amount like €30 - if someone wanted to abuse, €30 isn’t any cost to them.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117873708#Comment_117873708

I don't think it's morally right to give kittens away to anyone.

Cherry Blossom

Welcome to the Pets and Pet Care forum OP. As per the charter you may not name or bad mouth specific animal rescues here. The adoption fees charged by animal rescues go towards the cost of feeding and veterinary care for the animals. It should also include the cost of neutering your new pet. Home checks are done to ensure the animals are homed in a safe, secure and loving home where they have all their needs met and so they don’t end up back in the rescue or laminated across a busy road etc. Animal rescues generally exist for the good and welfare of the animals, not the convenience of people wanting a pet.

callaway92

I definitely didn’t bad mouth them.

I said I had no interest in the steps in adopting from them.

zoe 3619

Last kitten we got was free,but shoved €20 in the guys hand on the way out the door for cat food used and the time we took up.Cheap enough for a companion that might last 16 years.

Lots of idiots on donedeal that will take anything for free.Think charging 30 is very sensible.

callaway92

Meh - disagree on it but fair enough.

Adverts clearly think the same not allowing people to charge for pets.

The DayDream

House visit will take 10 minutes, and the shelter is not going to hound you with loads of follow up calls. They might check that the kittens are settling in okay, if you need any questions answered, that's it.

I usually find people that don't want to get a pet from a shelter due to home visits are opposed to it simply because they don't intend to abide by the guidelines the shelters give. For cats, it's usually that they don't intend to keep them inside (not all shelters will insist on this if your location is rural but some do).

They also tend to frown on pets being adopted to be given to someone else - in fact they will insist on whoever is going to be the owner if the cat sign for it. So if you want to give the cats to your mother, she'll have to sign the papers saying she will be responsible for them and she'll have to agree to the shelter's guidelines. I'm guessing that's what concerns you - you know your mother will be put off by having to tell any porkies such as claim that the kitties are going to be kept inside when they won't be.

And yes, people who have the attitude of, 'Shouldn't you be glad to be rid of them?' are not the type of owners shelters want. You are saying that don't want to abide by a shelter's regulations so you want to go the backyard breeder route, yet even at that you balk at the idea of parting with with the paltry sum of 30 euros for a pet. I think that says quite a lot.

GingerLily

We adopted two kittens from a local vet, they had been sick and feral and were going to go to a shelter.

No charge but we booked their vaccinations through the same vet and still use them

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117873846#Comment_117873846

Say what you want. Have had pets my whole life. People taking things personally here for some reason.

Thanks for the assistance. What a bizarre sub-forum

Ms2011

We adopted our cat from the local SPCA, told the woman on the phone what I was looking for, home environment etc. Then made an appointment to view some kittens a few days later, picked the one I wanted and collected her a few days later when she was spayed. I paid €50 for her which covered the cost of her being spayed.

Not very complicated.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117873981#Comment_117873981

Thank you

I'm currently in the process of adopting 2 kittens.

They've just had the first vaccinations and as soon as they have their second they will be coming to their new home with me. Its costing €90 per kitten, but for that money they arrive with a clean bill of health, fully vaccinated and microchipped. Well worth it. The microchip will be registered both to me and to the rescue.

I really don't object to the home checks or any follow up - or even a dual microchip registration. Its a sign of a good rescue, properly run, as far as I'm concerned.

callaway92

Cheers

I’m not objecting to them and I understand paying for vaccines. People here reacted as if I point-blank refused.

I just doubt my parents would be bothered with it.

If you've never had a home check before, I think you might be overestimating how intrusive it would be, its not like they'll be going up the stairs or into the bedrooms or opening your cupboards.

Usually its just a chance for the Rescue people to meet the potential owers for a chat, and a quick check that the garden is secure (this applies for dogs - doesn't really apply to cats who can climb!) and they ask to see where the pet will sleep, but thats it. Maybe a follow up phone call a couple of weeks later to see how things are going. They'll always be at the end of the phone if any advice is needed in the first few weeks, too. That's it.

The 2 little dotes I'm adopting are both hand raised due to their mother cats dying, so the people who rescued them have invested a lot of time, energy, and care into these babies for at least 3 months each. Bottle feeding every two hours round the clock at the start just to keep them alive - after all that effort they're not going to hand them out casually to just anyone who asks. The fee I'm paying them barely covers their costs (if even) of vet checks, vaccinations and microchipping costs. They don't make any profit or get anything for their time.

The steps are there for a good reason, it protects both the pet (cat or dog) and of course if it doesn't work out, rather then the animal being strayed, the rescue will always take them back.

Honestly, if your parents are looking for a healthy, happy little kitten, or maybe even an older cat, I would encourage them to "follow the steps" rather then handing a few bob to someone on a website for an animal with no vet check, and then having all the vaccination costs to cover themselves anyway. Its a no brainer to go with a decent rescue.

callaway92

Thanks for the help all

sillysmiles

Genuine question - but if you don't think your parents would be bothered by the home checks and its them the kittens would be living with, then why are you stressing about it? AFAIK most rescues do or reserve the right to do a preadoption home check, because for them when things go wrong, they have to pick up the pieces.

I've no idea where you would start looking for free kittens - maybe local supermarket notice boards and word of mouth?

callaway92

Got sorted via an animal rescue group who didn’t require a home visit. Were great to deal with.

Was there a fee?

callaway92

Obviously yes - but I wouldn’t consider it a ‘fee’ since it paid for health etc. The other places I would’ve considered them more of a charge, almost an inconvenience, I couldn’t believe it.

Left a donation there too - They were really good to deal with