Killer Cats

[orthodoc]

Hunting: it's what they do. Just like polar bears, cats are wasteful hunters. We cringe at what they do, but it's hard-wired ... they can't help it.

It's irresponsible humans that are to blame. Those who don't spay/neuter their pets; those who abandon their pets; those who let their pets outside. Every pet cat should be indoor-only. If the songbird statistics don't move you, consider that the average lifespan of a pet 'outdoor' cat is two years. They come to grief quickly.

When I bred Siamese and Balinese cats my contract stipulated that I had to receive proof of spay/neuter by a certain date (four months of age), upon which I would then send the registration papers. If I didn't get proof, $1000 penalty; still no proof, repossession. If an owner bred one of my cats I reserved the right to repossess the cat and all its offspring. No refund, of course. Once I found a vet who would spay/neuter at 8 weeks that's what I did, before sending the kittens out at 12 weeks. The contract also specified indoor-only and I talked to prospective buyers ahead - never sold to those who thought it would be 'nice' for a cat to roam.

It was also less likely that someone paying $600-$800 for a kitten would let it roam outside or decide the money wasn't available to spay/neuter. I also had a clause giving me first right of repossession should the owner ever decide to relinquish the cat for any reason. If I was satisfied with the secondary home proposed, fine. If not, I took the cat back. It was phrased to assure owners that they always had a place to send their cat if they needed to ... no abandonment necessary. This contract was common among responsible cat breeders.

I always had waiting lists of prospective owners; never had trouble placing a kitten. I matched personalities to owners/homes as well as I could. Only had to enforce my contract once.