My mother's neighbour has received a kitten as a gift recently. She isn't her adult size yet but I don't know her age. My neighbour leaves that little thing outside all the time, day, night, rain, sun.... She is alone outside all the time.
My mother and me are feeling sad for her but maybe ar we just two big softies.
Do you think it's OK to lave a kitten/cat outside all the time? (I think she feeds her, that's not the problem)
It seems heartless to me to leave a kitten outside exposed to the elements.
It also doesn't sound like she plays with her. I don't think just feeding an animal is enough, you have to interact with your pet and show it affection.
That kitten is going to grow up to be one antisocial and dysfunctional cat due to being left alone all the time.
07-22-2012, 11:26 AM, (This post was last modified: 07-22-2012, 11:26 AM by mora2000.)
Even a dog should not be left outside without appropriate shelter. A rabbit hutch would work well for your neighbor. The poor kitten. If your neighbor won't provide the kitten with the needed attention and shelter they deserve he/she should consider surrendering the at to a shelter.
If I were living next to such a neighbor, I would ask them nicely if I could have the kitten. Then I would find a new home for it. There's really not much point in keeping a cat and treating it like a piece of garbage to be thrown outside the house.
Thank you for your answers. So we were right, it's not good for that poor kitten.
My mother has already 2 cats and even if her heart is broken, she really can't take the kitten. I think at the end she will take her anyway, she just can't see an animal suffering. Actually we have think about trying to take the kitten and make it adopt without telling it to the neighbour. I know it is bad (shame) but that kitten could be killed or stolen anyway, she should just not leave it outside all the time if she doesn't want it to disappear
What became of the kitten? Is the little guy still living outside? I hope everything works out all right. No animal should have to live like that, sitting outside being neglected.
07-31-2012, 11:29 PM, (This post was last modified: 07-31-2012, 11:29 PM by dashboardc33.)
Although, there are many outdoor cats, and wild cats as well, she may want to make some kind of shelter for the kitten. I can see leaving an adult cat outside, but there are so many predators out there that would love to eat that kitten as a snack. Does the cat have proper shelter in case it rains or she needs to protect herself from the sun? I suppose there are always trees to hide in.
I think it's absolutely wrong and also dangerous, especially if there are raccoons in the area. We see a beautiful dark gray cat (we call her Jean Arthur) outside a lot, but she seems in good shape. I've seen cats at around 10 p.m. walking around the neighbourhood and I never think that's a good sign.
There's also the issue of sadists and weirdos who hurt animals, like the kitten in England who was found with her mouth deliberately glued shut. She would have starved to death if a kind animal lover hadn't found her.
If you leave a cat outside at night, and some lunatic uses that cat to torture and have fun with, then it's your fault for not protecting your pet.
People should protect their pets from predators just like they protect their children.
I can understand doing this with a cat because some cats just really prefer to be outdoors than indoors but I don't think it's especially safe for a kitten. There are many animals, even in urban areas, that can prey on such a small animal. Someone who lives in my town was playing outside with their kitten and a hawk actually carried it off. If that can happen when people are supervising a kitten, what about when it's alone all day and night?
09-06-2012, 07:49 PM, (This post was last modified: 09-06-2012, 07:51 PM by footballtim.)
I get very very angry when I hear horror stories like this one. Cats are animals who need human contact and need love.
As far as asking the neighbor, I would not bother. I would take that kitten in a heartbeat. If the neighbor had a problem with that, I would tell them that what they are doing is cruelty to animals and is illegal.
I know that it may not bode well with the neighbor, but this is one where I just would not care. I would probably get so mad that I would report them.
