Kats & Kits: July 2008

After reading a very touching article by Sabine Durrant in The Guardian about the day they had their beloved tabby Wilson put to sleep and the effect that it had on her young family, I found myself standing behind two women in the supermarket queue. The conversation was mainly about how pleased one of them was with her new carpet, then I heard her say "of course I had to get rid of the cat he was ruining it". I was ready to jump in and demand to know where the cat had gone when she said "I gave him to my mother, she likes cats and her carpet is already a mess so she won't mind". It sounded to me as if the cat had fallen on its paws and would be much happier in its new home, but it made me think of the different ways that people look after their animals and how dependant they are on us to care for them.

Cats can live the solitary life, in fact if they have food and shelter some prefer it, but most of them, given the chance and it might take a long time if they have had very little human contact, will choose to share our lives, either like the extrovert Wilson a large handsome tabby who was the centre of the household, or his sister Pike small and black who watched from the side lines. We have to go along with them however they choose to be. Some are very happy to be talked to but not necessarily want to sit on your lap, though if the star signs are right and it is the right day of the week and the right time of day they might sit on the arm of your chair for half an hour. Show them how much you appreciate their attention and in a week or two you may be rewarded with a purr or two and permission to stroke them once or twice. Others want your whole attention all of the time, sleep on or sometimes in your bed, sit on your newspaper, leave muddy footprints on the floors and furniture, eat the other cats food while they are still deciding if it is good enough for them and of course are much loved by the children who think it wonderful to live with a cat who gets up to mischief.

Could you take on this responsibility, maybe for twenty years? If you have doubts it is best to resist that lovable kitten that wants a home for the rest of its life, not to be passed on or turned out when it becomes a burden.

Throughout our years here at Kat & Kits first as a rescue and now a sanctuary we have seen many cats who are just too much trouble and are no longer wanted because they interfere with their owners life style. We have become a throwaway society and sadly our animals who depend on us for their care have no say in where they go when they are discarded with the out of date computer or television. Rescues take a lot of criticism for being too fussy when animals are rehomed, but if we didn't care who would.

WINNERS OF THE "100" CLUB JULY DRAW

Peter Spencer of East Grinstead

Carol Birch of Great Hinton

Jackie Davies of Codford

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01 July 2008

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