A coworker of mine lives on a farm and has a number of barn cats that have a litter every year. She always gives the kittens away for free. I am interested in a kitten, but I don't feel totally comfortable getting a kitten from someone who is an irresponsible breeder. I would prefer to go to a shelter. At the same time, the kittens are there and need homes, regardless of how they entered the world.
Should I get one of her kittens or just follow my heart and go to a shelter? I want to say something about how irresponsible it is to let the cats run around and keep breeding, but I doubt she'll listen.
Honestly I would go to the shelter and save a cat from there, they are putting one down usually every day I'm sure of it unless it's a no kill shelter. Those animals need your love and care just as any other animal does, by getting one from the person on the farm you are just supporting the bad breeding habit she is allowing her cat to have, that and well who knows what kind of diseases they are picking up from being out there. A cat from the shelter will more then likely be fixed already or they will give you a voucher to get it fixed, that way it will save on reproducing and you won't have any issues in the future with that happening in case it gets outside. Support the kitties who need homes from the shelter, go with your gut and everything will be fine, let alone that kitty will be saved and love you forever for it
The first few weeks of a kittens socialization are very important. That is when they learn that it's okay to bond with their human cargivers. What you're describing is basically a feral sort of situation, or maybe more accurately a stray situation. I very much doubt that someone who is allowing their cats to reproduce unchecked is going to go outside to properly socialize the kittens. Whatever the case, the chances are that those kittens are learning to depend on other cats rather than on humans. Those kittens can eventually be turned around, but generally will remain less social throughout their lives. By going to your shelter you be supporting the proper system for homeless animals. Also, it makes more sense medically. Sure there is an adoption fee, but in most cases for that you are getting a cat that has its shots, and has been fixed. My cat even came with a microchip. I think you should go to the shelter. It's kitten season so the shelters need ever adoption that they can get.
I do not think a barnbred kitten would make a good pet, and people who allow cats to go on breeding on their farm are not acting responsibly.
If you do not want a pedigree cat then animal shelters are the best places to go. Most of the cats needing new homes will be older ones, but is is a nice thing to do, to give an older cat a second chance in a new home, rather than raising a young kitten.
Different people have different purposes for getting a cat. If its for a pet companion, we adopting kittens from cat litters of fellow cat lovers. It sort of assures us that the cats are already housebroken, domesticated, and toilet trained. Those who are in a mission to rescue pets get their cats mostly from the streets or from practically anywhere. It requires special skill to be a cat rescuer though.
It really depends on you. If you're not just interested in getting a kitten, getting an adult cat from the shelter would probably be the most practical choice. You can choose a cat with a personality that suits you and her medical needs would probably be taken care of already.
If you really want a kitten, I think you might be doing better by getting one of your coworker's kittens. I really dislike those irresponsible people too, and I don't like helping their bad decisions, but she won't stop letting her cats breed even if she doesn't find home for all the kittens. Those kittens will probably have harder lives than the shelter ones, since more people adopt backyard kittens on a whim then shelter ones, and I often see children take a kitten home just to have their parents kick it outside after a while.
Either way, you are saving a life and you shouldn't feel guilty whatever decision you make.
I agree with going with the animal shelter. Not only might a barn cat be ferel, but at least it lives on a farm and will be fed and not put down where as the cats at animal shelters are in major need of a forever home and love. They don't stand a chance, especially the older cats. That being said I don't know the whole story, or how healthy the kittens at the farm are.
Either way, they're both stray cats more or less. If you don't get the cats from your friend its possible they might wind up in a shelter anyhow. Normally I would say get your pets from a shelter, but the one thing I would worry about is that those cats are more likely to have come in contact with other cats there that are sick. I volunteer sometimes at a local shelter, and they keep the sick cats contained in their own rooms, but it still makes me uncomfortable thinking that there may be some cross contamination along the line.
