There is no such thing as free kittens. There will always be costs associated with adopting a cat, be it a free kitten from a friend, a cat from the shelter or a purebred from a registered breeder. How much these costs will depend on many factors.
Shelter cats will cost a small adoption fee (usually around $150), but the cats will have been desexed (spayed/neutered), vaccinated, wormed & quite likely microchipped, saving you the expense. If you adopt a free kitten, more often than not you will have to take care of the desexing, vaccinating etc. The cost of this will be more than the adoption fee you'd pay at the shelter. Here is an estimate of the costs;
|
Shelter kitten
|
|
|
Cat (microchipping, desexing & vaccinations already covered)
|
$100-150
|
|
Carrier
|
$30
|
|
Food & water bowls
|
$20
|
|
Litter tray
|
$20
|
|
Toys
|
$20
|
|
Grooming equipment
|
$20
|
| Cat toys |
$30 |
| Cat bed |
$30 |
| Council registration |
$40 |
|
Basic scratching post
|
$20
|
|
Total outlay
|
$355.00
|
|
'Free' kitten
|
|
|
Cat
|
$Free
|
| Desexing (depends on the sex) |
$100 |
| Microchipping |
$50 |
| Vaccinations x 3 ($50 x 3) |
$150 |
|
Carrier
|
$30
|
|
Food & water bowls
|
$20
|
|
Litter tray
|
$20
|
|
Grooming equipment
|
$20
|
| Cat toys |
$30 |
| Cat bed |
$30 |
| Council registration |
$40 |
| Worming/flea meds |
$20 |
|
Basic scratching post
|
$20
|
|
Total outlay
|
$530
|
As you can see, once you have paid for necessities such as desexing, vaccinating etc., you have paid more money for the free kitten than you would have from a shelter kitten.
Of course, if this is the way you wish to proceed then there is nothing wrong with it, but potential kitten owners need to be aware that there is no such thing as a free kitten.
Is desexing necessary?
Absolutely. Every day, thousands of cats & kittens are euthanised because there just aren't enough homes for them. As pet owners, we all have a responsibility towards animal welfare & not contributing to the over population of cats. There are health benefits too. Entire female cats are at risk of;
- Mammary Cancer. The third most common tumour found in cats. Extremely low chance of developing this if the cat has been spayed prior to her first heat.
- Pyometra. This is an infection of the uterus. At best, if caught early it can be treated. At worst, it can lead to death.
- Tumours of the uterus & ovaries.
- Stress caused by constant calling can weaken the cat's immune system.
Male cats;
- Testosterone is known to weaken a male's immune system. Desexing your tom cat will reduce the level of testosterone in his system, thus strengthening his immune system.
- He will be less territorial, and therefore not get into as many fights with other cats in the area. Less risk of injury.
- Entire males are at risk of developing testicular cancer
- Both males & females permitted to breed at random are also at risk of contracting FIV or FeLV. Both are caused by viruses, and once caught are fatal.
Entire males (and females) are likely to spray. Cat spray is extremely pungent. Most cat breeders keep their stud cats in a separate cat enclosure because of this problem with spraying. Generally females don't spray, but it's not unheard of. It's more likely to happen in entire females.
Do I really need to vaccinate my cat?
Yes, cats are at risk of several diseases which can be life threatening. These include;
Other vaccines available include;
Speak to your veterinarian about what vaccines your cat requires.
Summary:
If you still decide you would like to adopt a free kitten just bear in mind that kittens should not leave their mother until they are at least 10 weeks of age. Not only does the mother cat provide the kitten with the basic necessities it needs such as food (milk), love & warmth, but she also teaches the kitten how to behave.
Good luck & enjoy your kitten :)
Further reading:
Feline Vaccines: Benefits & Risks
Kitten Care
Kitten Food
Bringing Your New Kitten Home
Essentials For New Cat Owners
Can Cats Drink Milk
Desexing Your Cat
Cat Worming Schedule
Australian Animal Shelters
Adopting a Kitten or Cat
|
