Why do cats have no value?

Why does our society see cats as so expendable?

Why do so many people see ownership of cats as a fleeting thought, a momentary yen, often engendered by a kitten’s silly antics or soft fur. People seem to choose cats like they do paint colours and keep these loving animals for as long as that particular “colour” appeals. Then, as if garbage, they are dumped...

Cats live a very long time. They are complex, loving, mischievous and truly individual in personality. Their quirks are legendary and unique. Cats bond strongly with their owners and find comfort and security in being with the people they love. They are in many ways, perfect pets. Clean, generally quiet (well except for the dusk madness that many cat owners experience when the cats are young... or when zoning out on catnip), inexpensive to feed and each has their own unique, delightful and individual personality. They don’t take up a whole lot of space nor do they demand a lot of time or attention – some of course, more than others, but none require the kind of hands-on involvement required for a dog.

They are adaptable, intelligent and can provide an endless source of amusement with their insatiable curiosity and general silliness.

So WHY are they so little valued?

One of the most frightening things I see time and again are the thousands of ads for a “free cat”.  Giving away anything for free implicitly assigns it negligible value; after all, if it is “free” then it has no worth. Almost inevitably, when you read these ads, the “worth” that these individuals have placed on these cats is far too clear – for frequently the cats are also unspayed and without shots (or up-to-date ones).

Free cats become potential victims. First of all, there are the abusers – who with craigslist and similar venues, have a never-ending supply of “free” torture victims. There are the “free kittens” that are given to “loving” homes when in fact their fate is to be fed to pet snakes. There are the individuals who want a kitten “for the kids” and exercise little or no supervision over how the animal is treated and then inevitably dump it when the kids get bored. And then there are the ‘adults’ who are entranced with the flavour of the moment only to move onto the next fad in short order once the novelty of their ‘adorable’ cat wears off.

The “reasons” given for dumping cats are so incredibly lame that it astonishes me that people have the gall to pretend.

If even one-quarter of the people who claim ‘allergies’ actually had them, then the world would be full of sneezing, scratching individuals to a far greater extent than it is. I am particularly disgusted by those who SUDDENLY develop “allergies” after 3, 6, 12 or more years of loving devotion by a creature who requires so little and offers so much.  Further, if allergies truly are a concern, there are many strategies that can be adopted to minimize the impact; 3 out of 6 of my family members have allergies (including to cats); as the cats I had then, were there long before the kids, I had no intention of dumping them. What I dumped was carpets, heavy curtains, banned cats from the bedroosm of the allergy-sufferers and did frequent vacuuming and floor washing - and my kids grew up perfectly healthy with a strong sense of responsibility and appreciation for the animals in their lives, understanding that when you take on a living creature for your own, it is YOURS until its time comes.

Then there are the idiots that decide a move – even if just across town – means an animal for which they are responsible is suddenly not wanted. As if putting the cat in a cage and giving him a week to adjust is far too much work. One of the most common misconceptions (one I think deliberately assumed to assuage guilt) is that cats cannot adapt to moves. Like any creature – human or otherwise – it simply takes a little bit of time to adjust and with familiar faces and smells, they adapt and become comfortable quickly.

Beth, the incredible cat rescuer from the blog House of the Discarded , wrote recently about some poor old cats (20 years old!!) that were dumped the high-kill Hamilton shelter when their owner died. Surely there was ONE relative, one friend among that person’s family or acquaintances that could have taken these poor things for the short time they have left! I keep imagining how disoriented, how frightened and upset they must be – stuck in a small cage, away from their familiar territory, without the comfort of the loved hand or voice to reassure them.

Is there anyone out there that could take two old cats? If my own home weren’t bursting at the seams, then I would be there in a moment... these poor old things don’t have a lot of time left – the commitment would be perhaps months, maybe a year or so, tops. How utterly sad that after a lifetime of devotion and love, they are left to end their lives in a small cage...