Conference misery::feline_v1

    I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU ARE HAVING MOM CAT SPAYED.....AND THAT SHOULD
    HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE SHE GOT PREGNANT.  PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE
    FOR ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION.
    
    I HAVE SIX CATS MYSELF AND NEED NO MORE.......BUT I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY
    ADOPTED OUT OVER 650 CATS OVER A PERIOD OF 3 YEARS (THIS WAS BEFORE
    I RETURNED TO WORK FULLTIME).....AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IF YOU
    HAVE PATIENCE YOU WILL FIND A HOME FOR YOUR KITTENS.  ALL IT TAKES
    IS PATIENCE.  
    
    I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PLACING AN AD IN THE "WANT ADVERTISER", BOSTON
    POST RD., SUDBURY.  THIS MAGAZINE COVERS A LARGE AREA AND IT IS
    THE METHOD I USED FOR YEARS.  CALL THEM TO FIND OUT CURRENT FEES
    FOR "FREE" ANIMALS.  IT IS VERY CHEAP, CHEAPER THAN A NEWSPAPER.
     YOU SHOULD SEND THEM THE AD (UNLIMITED WORDING) AND A CHECK SO
    YOUR AD CAN RUN FOR 4-5 WEEKS.  THEN SIT BACK AND RELAX.  I GUARANTEE
    YOU WILL PLACE YOUR KITTENS.
    
    AND PLEASE DON'T RAISE ANY MORE KITTENS!
    

    
    
    	re: -1
    
    	Please don't use all caps...It's considered SHOUTING and
    	hurts the eyes if you read it too long...
    
    	Thanks
    
    	JJ
    

    I STILL maintain that you need to ask a nominal fee to be sure
    that these folks aren't just taking the kittens to sell for
    use in research.
      Nancy DC
    

    if not a fee, then some healthy, unafraid screening is a good bet.
    if someone asks for the whole batch (not many pet owners take more
    than a couple), be wary.  ask them a lot of questions...where wil
    the cat sleep?  do you have other pets?  
    
    you can usually tell when they are just saying what they think you
    want to hear....general chit chat ends up revealing a lot about
    a person (i know, i do it all the time).
    
                                                          ---kim

    to .1
    
    You don't need to shout!  Also, unless you know the whole story,
    don't go judging me.  Here are the facts in this story.  At the
    time when the kitten was to be fixed, she got hit by a car that
    did quite a bit of damage to her hips.  Our vet advised us to wait
    until she was healed (two or three months) before having the surgery
    done to get her fixed.  In that time frame, she got pregnant.  I
    have another female who is fixed.  The mother would have been if
    she had not been hurt.
    
    Maybe an apology is in order.  I don't need this from a notes file,
    especially when I'm trying to find homes for these kittens and not
    put them in the Rescue League.
    
    Faith

    I don't think the noter of .1 was intentionally shouting, and despite
    the bluntness of the wording, the note had good points--granted
    that the author of .0 seems to have quite valid reasons for not
    spaying her cat (it's unfortunate you couldn't catch her in time
    to not get pregnant, but these cats are fast, aren't they? )
    
    Please don't get upset--most people it would seem, who are authors
    of kittens for sale/free ads (not just in this notesfile) don't
    have any reason for not getting their cats neutered or spayed, unlike
    you.  And of course, they don't want to be told it is a mistake,
    but unfortunately, someone needs to tell them.  I think that was
    the intent on .1's note--please don't let your hackles go up so
    quick.  You are to be commended for trying to find good homes for
    your kittens rather than dropping them off at an animal shelter.
    
    You may want to contact an animal rescue league in your area, however
    (not the same thing as a pound or humane soiciety)--they might be
    able to list and help place your kittens in good homes (usually
    for no fee).
    
    regards,
    
    kim

    Maybe I did get my hackles up, it may have been the caps used. 
    I agree, he had some good points.  I have owned cats since I was
    about 5 years old (making that over 30 years of cat ownership).
     My parents always had the cats fixed (boys and girls) and I have
    followed their example, up to this one.
    
    The mother is now fixed (done at the same time as the C-section).
    Believe me, if I could have avoided paying over $600 to have these
    kittens born, I would have.  We knew, after her accident, that if
    she got pregnant it would probably have to be C-section.  
    
    I'd still like to hear from the noter in .1.  I will agree that
    a lot of people don't bother to get their cats fixed and should
    get them fixed.  My complaint is that noter .1 jumped to some
    conclusions rather quickly.
    
    As noter .6 says, it is unfortunate that we couldn't catch her in
    time.  A car caught her first.
    

    This is the third time I've replied....I keep forgetting to give
    the news that the white kitten has found a home.
    
    Still looking for someone for the male kitten....anyone out there
    looking for a loving kitten?
    

    Sounds like you learned your lesson the hard way.  I learned mine
    the hard way too.  I too had a young female get pregnant and have
    to go through a C-section.
    
    The moral of the story then is that unspayed female cats are perfectly
    capable of getting pregnant at a very young age (sometimes as early
    as 4-5 months, depending on the cat) even though their bodies aren't
    mature enough to handle delivery.  Unspayed females should not be
    allowed outside where a tom cat might get ahold of him.  The risks
    are too great.
    
    This message is not meant for the original noter, but for others
    who may not be aware of the dangers of letting unspayed females
    outdoors.
    
    I was not as lucky as the original noter, we paid more $$ for the
    C-section, lost all but one kitten, and almost lost our beloved
    cat.
    
    Jo

    
    Am happy to say both kittens have found homes.  I believe they are
    good homes.  Iggy went to his home last night and I heard this
    morning that he and his new owner like each other.
    
    Thank you to those you did respond and give these two homes.
    
    Faith