Rant - cat neutering (or lack of) and praise for the RSPCA

TheSylv007

TheSylv007

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www.ridewelland.co.uk
What is it with people not bothering to neuter their cats? I have been banging my head against a brick wall for about a year now about the cat situation at the yard. We have had litter after litter of kittens and the owner just will not get on and get them neutered. She went to the Cat protection league to try and get vouchers for free neutering and when they didn't materialise, just didn't bother. So we're at it again with 10 more (admittedly adorable) kittens. The thing that riles me is that the yard owner can well afford it but just won't pay.

I recently found out about a brilliant scheme the RSPCA are running where if you book your cat to be neutered through them, they subsidise it so it only costs £30 which is a complete bargain. So I printed all the details and took them to the owner. I even said I would sort it out and take the cats for her while she is away if time was a problem.
Initially she agreed, then a day later left me a note basically saying she wasn't bothered about getting them done and could I round all the mothers and kittens up and dump them at the RSPCA? Needless to say I was livid so I have just paid up and taken the four mothers to be neutered myself and I'm working to get all the kittens homed so the cycle doesn't start again. I just cannot believe that someone could be a) so irresponsible and selfish and expect a completely overloaded charity to take on her animals that only exist through negligence and b) be so flippin' tight fisted? If I took them to the RSPCA they would just be put to sleep as they are full.
Its been really stressing me out and has actually started to impact on my enjoyment of going to the yard as I spend my time feeding and looking after kittens (there was one particular runt whose eye needed bathing all the time, and needed extra feeding - now he loves me). I end up spending my own money on food for them to make sure they stay tame and healthy and don't just disappear.
I just cannot understand the owner's attitude, I don't know what she thinks is going to happen if she does nothing (she's always annoyed when more kittens appear). I just hope she will be shamed into paying me back, but frankly I'm past caring about the money.

So I urge anyone with cats at your yard, please please please get them neutered! It doesn't cost a lot and there are too many abused and unwanted animals in the shelters.
 
Ah, thank you! I guess I could be accused of busy-bodying but I can't stand by and watch this go on. Have to keep pressure on my other half to let me take the little runt home - but he's resisting at the moment!
 
Well done you! Every cat we've had has been from an accidental litter from friends of friends etc, and mine are from cats protection. I just don't see why people don't neuter pets they aren't intending to breed-there are just too many around to all have good homes.

At my previous yard the ym got a pair of kittens and when the poor little things didn't immediately ge rid of all rat signs she forbade feeding them so they would try harder-in a freezing winter - and refused to bother with jabs or neutering... After a few months one was preggers and she got rid of them since they didn't like her...her pack of unruly dogs obviously had nothing to do with them being scared of her :S

So lazy and irresponsible...
 
we struggle on our farm we have about 20 completely feral cats that seem to just appear and deciede to stay. the only way we could neuter them would be to shoot them with sedative to try to catch them. : /
 
pony&cow said:
we struggle on our farm we have about 20 completely feral cats that seem to just appear and deciede to stay. the only way we could neuter them would be to shoot them with sedative to try to catch them. : /
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Have a word with the Cat Protection League, they might come out and trap and you could be eligible for a colony neutering voucher. Sounds like a nightmare - it just takes a couple and you can have hundreds in a matter of months!
 
This is a matter that is close to my heart having watched the struggle that feral cats face just having to survive. I'm saddened by the people that deliberately allow their own cats to breed non stop, adding hugely to the welfare problem.

Well done The Sylv007, neutering makes a huge difference.

Pony&Cow, I bought a rabbit trap for about £30, it's been useful so far. Worth checking to see if you can vouchers from somewhere like the cats protection.;)
 
Cats protection will catch, neuter and if appropriate rehome feral cats if you speak to them. They will also neuter farm cats cheaply to avoid unwanted litters.
 
Good for you OP. I think cats can be great around the place in keeping vermin down - we have a neutered tom and he's a brilliant mouser and a lovely, affectionate animal. It's almost unheard of where we live in rural Ireland to get cats spayed/neutered and vaccinated - and I have been on farms where cats have been fed only cold tea and bread and expected to fend for themselves. Needless to say they weren't very healthy and raised litter after litter. We have to put up with the odd stray Tom (and there's nothing great about cat piss on your hay), one which I fed which had what looked like a terrible case of cat flu. It never reappeared after I had fed it - I just hope it went to sleep with a full belly and never woke up :( I love cats and it hurts me to see them treated so badly.
 
Just taken on two kits myself from inner city Birmingham. Mum is feral. My poor collegue has tried and failed to catch her and now needs a trap to get her. My two kits are now 5 weeks, should be with mum but are healthy etc. both will be done ASAP!
 
This is very close to my heart, my old yard and my current home (live on a farm) has anywhere between 30-40 feral cats, none neutered and all carry cat flu which the kittens normally catch. The owner has been offered by Feline Welfare to have them all caught neutered and released but refused as he wanted them to neuter only the non-tortoiseshells and the charity refused. Its awful to watch and an epidemic in waiting.
 
Its so annoying. We have one main cat (found in a ditch 10 years ago) and he is neutered but every stray in the area seems to come our way.
We had one not long back she had some kittens, we neutered and then got knocked down like 2 days later, typical.

We now have two more strays, ones a boy who is here half the time and another is a girl who was completely wild when she arrived so we couldnt get near her, she had kittens last year who subsequently all were wild and managed to get themselves killed one way or another and now she is after having 5 more kittens :mad:
Luckily we have worked on taming her over the last few months so she is much better now and the kittens arent too bad either so hopefully we can get homes for them and catch the mother and bring her to the vet so no more kittens.
So annoying having to pay for these wild cats to be neutered!

Im in ireland too so dont think we have any schemes so will have to fork out the full amount
 
AstonsMummy said:
This is very close to my heart, my old yard and my current home (live on a farm) has anywhere between 30-40 feral cats, none neutered and all carry cat flu which the kittens normally catch. The owner has been offered by Feline Welfare to have them all caught neutered and released but refused as he wanted them to neuter only the non-tortoiseshells and the charity refused. Its awful to watch and an epidemic in waiting.
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That's crazy. I will never understand the thought processes of some people. :(
 
Well done op! I've rescued and rehomed kittens of a semi feral in France and it would severely pee me off if a Ym knowingly what's yours is doing, you've handled it brilliantly!
 
PollyP99 said:
Well done op! I've rescued and rehomed kittens of a semi feral in France and it would severely pee me off if a Ym knowingly what's yours is doing, you've handled it brilliantly!
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Ah, thank you! I was starting to think I was going mad and that I should keep my nose out (I think my other half thinks so as he's sick of hearing about it) but it can't go on. I'm just so angry with the YM's attitude but so many people seem to be like this.
 
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