I was in the local Pet Valu yesterday, and in the process checked out their adopt-a cat cage. They had 3 kittens in there. The oldest girl was 3 months of age. Her brother had been adopted and to keep her company the store got two more kittens. They were only two months old – scared and disoriented, huddling together at the bottom of the cage for mutual warmth and support. It was so sad to see.
Technically Mr. Oates is a kitten I guess but at 8 months he’s growing up fast. He was already friendly and cuddly when he joined our household. He also knew how to use the litterbox. It took him a couple of weeks but now he owns the place and is oozing confidence. He’s asleep next to me on the computer desk as I type this.
I don’t think I could cope with a two month old kitten any more. I asked the lady at the store why these poor little guys were here. They apparently are overrun with kittens at Ottawa Cat Rescue and it was best to get these little guys out in the community where their chances of adoption are greater. The mother was apparently feral so the kittens need to be socialized somehow. Everybody loves kittens you see.
All I can say is please people have your furry pal spayed or neutered. And if at all possible keep the cat indoors. There is no need to reduce the robin population, nor does your cat need to be lunch for a coyote or fisher, or possible roadkill. We have had a decade and a half with each great pet because we kept them in the house and let them “kill” cat toys and not be killed.
I read somewhere that 50% of the cats who come into a shelter in the US are simply put down because there is no place to find a home for them. A lot of these are probably kittens. Not much of a life prospect, is it? And if everyone adopts a tiny kitten the older cats languish in the shelter as well. Be responsible, please.