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I want a kitten!


Jeffrey

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Hooray!!! :D

I think I just am about to acquire another kitten myself. There's this sweet little kitten hanging around a bar we frequent...almost snatched her (him?) up tonight...but will wait. If it's still there later in the week, it's mine. :D

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Awwww, I just knew Socks would make it home with you Jeffrey :) and that your mum (lika most anyone of us would too) would accept anothe rfurbaby in the house!!!!

I know we will eventually be found by some little furry baby one day, purr--haps not just now but someday....

Hugs

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hooray!!! :bear:

I think I just am about to acquire another kitten myself. There's this sweet little kitten hanging around a bar we frequent...almost snatched her (him?) up tonight...but will wait. If it's still there later in the week, it's mine. :)

So, Ann ... what happened?

So, how is Socks doing?

:)

Enquiring minds want to know. :D

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I just read this and another thing to have your vet check Socks for is FIV. My best friend since 2nd grade became the neighborhood "cat lady" and acquired about 16 cats at one point (both she & her DH worked and had plenty of room for them all), including the strays and dump jobs, and one of the late-comers had FIV; within a year she had no cats! Of course not for long, but now in addition to all the other ailments (including epilepsy) she has the vet check potential family members for the feline immunodeficiency virus.

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My most recent cat was unsocialized..the vet estimated she was around 6 to 7 months old...and it took a very long time and a lot of patience, and she's still not a 'lap cat'...but she's coming along. She's become one of our most fun kitties..she's sharp and smart, and you can tell she's dying to get closer..she's just still unsure of a few things yet. But she'll come round.

The biggest issue is this: Once you have decided to take a kitty or dog in, remember They're yours for life. Don't think of taking them back to a pound or re dumping her on the street..their life is in your hands forever.

Zeb and I have been local SPCA volunteers (he's on the board of directors)...for years..and I cant' tell you how many animals have been returned to our shelter because 'they didn't work out.'. There was basically nothing wrong with the animals..and those we rehomed did nicely..it's just that it frequently doesn't sink in that a pet is every bit as much a responsibility as a child..and you don't just 'give them back' when you're tired of them or when they become an inconvenience.

The most upsetting to me, are dogs and cats who are given up when they become old...they are yanked out of their homes, and thrust into a shelter environment (which may be clean but it's certainly not much of a substitute home), all because 'we don't want her any more..she throws up, she poos, etc..."

These animals are the lost little souls who sit at the back of their pens, terrified, wondering why their owners left them there. Sometimes blind, with no teeth, badly kept fur..it's not their fault if they just got old. They are almost always unadoptable to the general population, because very few people want to take on another owner's problems.

If the animal is terribly ill, euthanasia is proper...but if they're just old and a bit infirm..HAVE A HEART and don't just throw them away. Find a way to cope, and when the time comes that they truely need to leave this earth..give them a kinder way out. Don't shove them off to a shelter.

We get a lot of big dogs at the shelters, too..they're cute as puppies (especially the pitbull breeds) but when they grow up and need a firm hand..they end up on our shelter's doorstep. These dogs are difficult to place because they come with built in problems, given to them by owners who let them grow up without boundries and rules, and now they're 80 pounds or more, and quite frankly, frequently dangerous to all but those who really understand and oftimes professionally train dogs. Their hearts are broken too..they don't understand, either.

Cats..too many people think they can kick out a cat if it 'doesn't work out' and it'll be able to take care of itself in the wild...WRONG! These are domesticated animals and they never function as well as a wild one, even tho they appear 'feral' on the surface. They fight, they breed, they get ill, and die horrible deaths. If you get a cat, it's forever.

Again, I'm not pointing fingers here, I have no doubt our members are all good hearted...it's just food for thought, folks. If you see anyone considering adopting an animal, read them this riot act..you'll be doing the animal in question a favor.

Pets are a big responsibility..and not 'things'. If you've never owned a pet and decide now to give it a try...to quote Star Wars' Yoda..."there is no try, there is only do." Once you get the animal, it's both an honor, and a contract...a contract with Life itself.

Ok I'm done. That said, congratulations Jeffrey! I'm glad you decided to take in little Socks. We got our own Peekaboo last year in a similar circumstance. May you both benefit from each other's love, and live out your years together, happily!

:giggle:

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Good luck with the baby!

We have 5 felines, 1 elderly canine, 1 bunny. First things I think about in the grocery store are kibble and litter. Some of our babies have physical limitations that require extra steps, humility (ours), and patience.

It is SO wonderful to be loved back by them

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Jeanne, I know your words are true. We have some challenges with our young blind kitty boy, Ray. He was dumped at the local PetSmart by a family that didn't treat his ocular conjunctivitis, and then didn't want a blind cat. Our poodle girl, Ollie, was dumped after being a puppy-mill breeder for many years. She is the sweetest dog ever and I can't imagine why anyone would give her up...but I'm so glad they did.

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Jeanne, I completely agree with every word. I'm on the eMail list of our local Friends of the Animals and while there is little enough I can do to help, anything I CAN, I do. Wish my living circumstances were different - I'm in subsidized housing with a one-pet limit - otherwise, I would foster kittens and wild birds (in their own private room AWAY from my cat - himself the product of a "collector" house), or adult cats.....My Koko is highly tolerant of other cats and kittens - no wonder since he's never been in a single-cat household until I got him from the shelter - and actually brings other cats home with him!

Since I was a child, every furry companion I've had has come from either "the pound", a no-kill shelter, or been a dumpee that I took in and loved. Once they are with me, they are there for the rest of their lives, however long or short, and it is my privilege to love them and be loved in return. The rewards far, far outweigh their costs in dollars and even in the tears when they must leave for the Rainbow Bridge.

Jeffrey, I'm so glad you decided to take in this little lost soul and love and look after her. Bless your heart!

P. S.: Has anyone else noticed that there are an awful lot of real animal lovers who are also miniaturists? Seems like a higher percentage than in the general population....:giggle:

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Good for you for giving the little cat a home.

I work with a dog rescue and all of our dogs for the past twenty years have been shelter or rescue dogs. We have been making a point to adopt the older dogs more recently. In fact my avatar is Baron who just recently passed. In spite of the pain of loss when they go it still is sooo rewarding to have them with us. It breaks my heart to know how many are surrendered because they grew up out of their cute puppy stage and were not trained. What was cute at two months is no longer cute at a year or eighteen months and eighty pounds. More recently we have had lots of dogs being surrendered (very reluctantly) because their families have lost jobs, homes, and can't take care off them any longer. Some days I just sit down and cry because there is so little I can do.

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  • 2 months later...

socks is doing well! turns out socks is a BOY! :lol: he and the other cat, java, fight a lot, like wrestling, but im not sure if its play fighting or not. hopefully after he's neutered today he will calm down a bit.

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I was wondering whatever happened with Socks!

By the way, it's not unsual to confuse baby cats sexes...even those of us with long experience with cats aren't always certain! The good news is that it's cheaper to neuter a male than a female! :lol:

as for the fighting...so long as serious fur isn't flying, and either cats ears aren't laid back alongside their heads, it's likely "play fights", and common. And yes, neutering will take out some..but not all.. of his spunk! :p

(And somebody asked..no, I'm still at four cats. Somebody else rescued the stray I was talking about.)

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Well, good luck to Socks today...Neutering/spaying doesn't turn an animal into an angel-

notably our Bushed rescued Bella(9mths old).She's the cutest,softest,smartest cat

we have(4) and also the naughtiest,slyest,sneakiest...and on and on.Always jumping on our other cats but even though her ears go flat there's never any blood or fur flying.

And the other cats don't avoid her.....so there's hope! Ha! Good luck! :p

Wrestling and racing- it's what they do!!! :lol:

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well both cats ears go down but theres never any blood, lots of hissing though from java. java is declawed, socks is not. i think its a matter of socks being bored and wanting to play (because he always loses his toys under the oven) and java never being very playful, wanting to be left alone. so its socks play fighting, java real fighting but not being able to inflict any harm. :lol:

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I just saw your original post. Then I saw he is with you. That made me happy. Beautiful kitten! I adopted Polly at age 5 months when I went in to the shelter for the dog licenses. She holds her own with the retriever and Basset. No fur flying but an occasional growl and some barks. Animal "politics" are facinating. Janet

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Oh yes..I had that issue with the two boys (MonsterFace and Chingy) fighting. MF was a baby and wanted to play. Chingy was an old man and wanted to be left alone!!!! The tide turned on MF when he grew up and we brought Oliver in the house.

He got as good as he gave..

As long as no one is screaming in pain or fear, no blood or fur is flying..they will work it out as Socks gets older.

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I love Sock's face! :p

I just adopted a stray kitten from the shelter in December. She was already spayed and micro-chipped. The original adoption fee was $100, but I came in at the time they were adopting for half price. So my guess about a spay and microchip is probably around $50. Call your local vet; you can get an exact quote. There is also the cost of inoculations, and heart worm and leukemia testing. My first vet bill for the inoculations and testing was about $100. The thing about strays is that you don't really know what health conditions they may already have developed. It turns out that Luna had a very bad infection in her mouth and it was generalized to her entire lymph system. More tests, antibiotics, L-lysine... by now she has cost me about $250 in vet bills.

Adopting any animal just means being willing to accept the costs of routine vet care, good food, toys, bedding, and possible health issues. It can get expensive.

All this being said, I really, really hope you can keep Socks!

Chris

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