Could you guys talk about something else, please. Just thinking about it gives me the willies
Ol George
--- In CHICKENS-101@
>
> Our cats, previous to moving to our farm, were spayed, neutered
> and declawed. They were indoor only cats, but really wanted to be outdoors.
> Kleenex lived to be 17 and Booger 18.
>
> After moving to the farm, I adopted a cat from the local
> shelter. The $10 adoption fee included a free spay. How about that!
>
>
>
> At the same time, a stray cat hung around and since we fed him for three
> weeks and he lived in our garage (daughter made him a bed in a dog crate) he
> got to go with cat #1 and was neutered and rec'd all his shots.
>
>
>
> Then we brought home Mama cat and her three kittens from the horse barn
> where we board our horses. Mama was spayed for free and three kittens were
> spayed and neutered at about 10 weeks. Mama went back to the barn but three
> kittens stayed at our farm.
>
>
>
> THEN...someone dropped off a tiny sickly kitten at the barn-yep, brought
> Milk home and sent him in to be neutered and utd on shots and rabies.
>
>
>
> Then I caught "Bill"..a female cat related to Mama---she had suffered some
> type of trauma- possibly hbc, not sure. One of her eyes was dead and her
> tongue hung out but she could still eat and she tried to groom herself but
> left a lot of slobber behind....she was looking very rotund. Brought her
> home on a Friday and the following Monday (Columbus Day) she gave birth to
> two kittens. Kept all three until weaned and Bill went to my vet for eye
> removal, spay and utd shots. Kittens, Isabella and Columbus went to the s/N
> clinic and had their "tutoring"..
>
>
>
> The last kitten we brought home was Cookie. He was one of four at the horse
> barn, not sure who mama is but he was entirely too friendly. Was injured
> while trying to rub up against horse's leg....just purring and wanting
> attention. He was almost killed when he made his way to the middle of the
> riding arena when he heard the instructor giving lessons....he thought for
> sure she was talking to him. Anyway, brought him home last Sept and he is a
> joy of a cat. LOVES people and follows us everywhere on the farm. Not
> afraid of anything and has made friends with the Pyrs and the Anatolians.
> The alpacas have gotten somewhat used to him springing out of their hay bin.
>
>
>
> We lost one in Oct 2008...I still think he ended up going home with one of
> the contractors.
>
>
>
> All are outdoor cats. They have beds made of hooded litter boxes with
> blankets on the deck but most of the time prefer to sleep on the top bale of
> hay in the barn. They bring mice, voles, rabbits, snakes and leave them at
> the back door. Every night they get a can of food with hot water on top of
> their dry food. It is not gourmet, but they think it is, especially in the
> winter.
>
>
>
> There is nothing like seeing nine cats with their tails up and their heads
> down in a bowl...all at the same time.
>
>
>
> I love these cats and keep their shots utd myself....they have earned the
> privilege of freedom to be cats...if they roam, it must not be too far
> because we see them all day long on the farm and they come running when
> called.
>
>
>
> I was turned down by a cat rescue once because I wouldn't commit to keeping
> them in the house 24/7--- I realize that in the city or suburbs, that is
> necessary, but imo, they are happy and healthy being the feline hunters they
> are, right here on this farm. They don't have any reason to roam since they
> are spayed and neutered and no local cats have tried to join this colony
> because they are not fertile. (that is what a feral cat rescue spokesperson
> told me)
>
>
>
> The absolute most important thing is that an animal be taken care of-whether
> clawed or declawed, indoors or outdoors...that commitment and responsibility
> work hand in hand with animal ownership. I have known many people with cats
> who ruined their furniture and it was either declaw or evict and in those
> cases, the most logical decision was to declaw and continue caring and
> loving the animal. If that is the only way one can handle keeping a cat or
> cats, then I am in favor of it. I truly would rather see the cat lose it's
> claws than lose it's home.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Laura Roberts
>
> R Half Pint Farm
>
> Spotsylvania, VA
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: CHICKENS-101@
> Behalf Of Marguerite Cline
> Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 8:27 AM
> To: CHICKENS-101@
> Subject: [CHICKENS-101] Re: Not fair / Georgia
>
>
>
>
>
> Sounds as if we agree in total <VBG>. I'm not against surgery, I'm
> against mutilation and "convenience" amputation. I lost track of the number
> of cats/kittens that I've had s/n when we lost the house (and most of the
> cat records) to hurricanes, but one Vet did almost 300 for me. There were
> more, I volunteered as a surgical tech for the s/n clinics, and they let me
> bring my fosters in for minimal charge. Spaying and neutering are beneficial
> to the animal in many ways, and the earlier (okay, they need to be close to
> 2 pounds) the better. I also have neighbors who take no responsibilty for
> their cats (although they "LOVE" them), and now have 9+ "porch kitties" that
> I'm attempting to get tame enough to get to the Vet for all the needed care.
> I don't know what will happen after that, one bridge at a time.
>
> None of my cats run free. They're either house cats ( I even have a
> house feral<G>) or live in the Cat Compound.
>
>
>
> Margo
>
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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