This is unprecedented. I have never read about a cat breeder surrendering all of their cats. In this case Ragdoll cats, which are particularly popular at the moment, have been surrendered to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) because the breeder believed that their operation had grown beyond their ability to look after the cats properly and to a good standard.
Most of the 14 male and 31 female cats are in good health. Their ages range from 4 to 14. They were living in poor conditions which have been described as dirty and overcrowded. About half of the cats need dental work and three of them require treatment for mammary tumours. One of them will require surgery.
The good news is that the cats are generally in good health which is unusual in this kind of case but it is also highly unusual for a person to voluntarily surrender such a large number of popular purebred cats. Perhaps it is unwise to put a value on these cats but I think it is interesting. It is possible to argue that the total value of all these cats is around $40,000 if they are purebred which I presume that they are.
They can be rehomed very quickly because they are popular and in good health and friendly. They will have to be spayed or neutered and given vaccines and microchipped. These were or some of them were breeding cats but no longer. The total health costs to prepare them for a normal domestic cat life will be at least $5,000 we are told. The MSPCA is asking for donations (Spike’s Fund – MSPCA Boston, Attn: Spike’s Fund, 350 South Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130).
The breeder has done nothing wrong except that things got out of control. She should be praised for doing the right thing in the interests of cat welfare.
This is someone’s chance to adopt a wonderful cat quite cheaply I suspect. I don’t know what the adoption fees will be. Although ethically incorrect it would be possible to sell some of the cats to a Ragdoll cat breeder for a good price. That would raise some money for the medial costs.
Ragdoll cats make good indoor cats. They were bred to be laid-back and although characters vary as they must do because these cats are individuals, in general they are indeed laid-back. They are also highly attractive and if you want to read about them you can click on this link.
