By Ruth aka Kattaddorra
This is a very chilling subject but I feel I must write it as a warning, having seen on Facebook two cats advertised as free to a good home.
Facebook has millions of members, lots of animal lovers but also lots of animal abusers too. So yesterday when I saw those cats advertised on a Cats Protection page on there, with a photo of the two beautiful five year old cats and underneath, the comment ‘free to a good home’ and people sharing it on their own pages, my blood ran cold!
Cats Protection advised the person to contact their local branch. But what if that branch is full to overflowing as most are? Will this person be content to go on the waiting list? I doubt it as not many people are!
There is no reason given as to why these cats are unwanted even though someone asked. A few comments said good luck and they hoped the cats were rehomed soon, those people are obviously unaware of the danger those cats are in!
A few people, along with myself, do know this and we made comments about not advertising cats free on Facebook because they could be taken by someone not wanting to give them a home but to abuse them.
The main reason why these animal abusers look for free cats (and dogs) is to use them as dog bait, to train their dogs to kill! Many animal lovers internet sites are using this sort of quote from a man with fighting dogs, as a warning:
‘The hardest thing is to get enough dogs and cats to use as bait during training. My source is to check the internet and local newspapers for ads that offer a pet dog or cat for free. My wife dresses up neatly and collects them for me’
The person wanting rid of those two cats wasn’t very happy about us commenting that she was putting her cats in danger, she replied how did we know that a Rescue Shelter wouldn’t rehome them to an animal abuser?
Well, our local Rescue Shelters vet homes very thoroughly before allowing anyone unknown to them to adopt a cat and rightly so and I should think other reputable Rescue Shelters worldwide do too.
If anyone really MUST rehome their cats for a justifiable reason then they should make absolutely sure that wherever they take them or whoever they rehome them to, is a reputable Shelter or a genuine cat loving person and not an animal abuser!
Another brilliant poster, Ruth AKA.
You nailed it beautifully.
Yes, she did. It’s all too easy for me to take in her visual aids, LOL, tell my housemate about them, then forget to mention how visually-exciting humor-wise they are in a comment back to her on the page…
So, fwiw, Ruthie Kattaddorra, I second Dee’s comment!
Thank you Caroline, nice to see you here again x
Thank you Dee x
Thank you so much for posting this, Ruth, Michael. Not only are ‘free’ or ‘$5’ cats/kittens/etc. used in this grotesque scheme, but also, as live dinner for large snakes. Abominable.
I think we need a quick script written coded for a comment or email to send their way. Sad to think that many don’t realize what they may be setting the innocent little ones up for. Again, simply abominable.
Hi Caroline. Hope you are OK. I remember the feeding snakes with kittens story. Disgusting. I hate people sometimes.
You said it, Caroline!
It’s disgusting the number of people wanting kittens to feed to their snakes.
My blood runs cold at the thought of what happens to all those free to good homes cats and kittens, dogs and pups, it doesn’t take much imagination to work out what might happen to them, it shouldn’t need pointing out but some people are either so naïve they never think of things like this happening, or just so desperate to “get rid” that they close their minds to what happens to the animal once it’s out of their sight. Well written Ruth and the poster says it so clearly.
WOW Ruth that certainly is chilling I think the poster alone could put the fear of God into someone who is thinking of doing that.
How many people have already done it though trusting their pets to someone they didn’t know just so as to get rid of them quickly?
An unbearable thought what might have happened to them.
I despise people who don’t keep their cats through thick and thin especially those who walk off and leave them and never look back.
I’ll be sharing this page alright.
Yes, this is a chilling poster. It is bright and beautiful, full of visual impact. Then you read it and see the underlying horrors that lie beneath the surface.
I am pleased Ruth tackled this problem again. If it saves some lives, it is all worth it.
It’s such an eye catching poster with the chilling message coming clearly across as you look at it I think it will have more impact than a gloomy poster would.
I wanted to make the poster attractive to look at, but still clearly conveying its very serious message.
I’m so glad this article is being shared all over facebook from the animal groups I’ve put it on, even though people aren’t commenting it’s getting lots of ‘likes’ so we are hopefully saving some cats (and dogs) from a terrible fate.
What I particularly like about your articles is (a) the strong visual message and (b) the clean, clear written message. Everyone can get it, which is very important. Thanks Ruth.
Great article Ruth – good advice as usual of course.
When I lived in Canada you could, at any given moment, go on Craigslist and find pages and pages of ‘free’ animals. Craigslist doesn’t allow you to sell animals for money for other obvious reasons but you are allowed to give them away for free.
It’s scary and shocking.
I thought Craigslist had put an end to that. If not it is scary because a lot of those cats will end up dead.
Super point Ruth! Between “free to good home” ads and Craigslist offering free pats it is horrifying! When I see them we all try to find a rescue to hurry go get them before they actually DO end up in the wrong hands! As usual you are spot on!
Hi Jan, how are you? I love to hear from you. 😉 There are so many “wrong hands” that free cats and kittens can fall into. For example: I remember doing a post years ago about class B dealers. A very mysterious title that means dealers in animals supplying the animal testing business. Ruth is so right. We know that what is happening but there are still a lot of people who don’t. The human predators prey on these people.
I see so much of this on Facebook it just breaks my heart. Yet slowly and surely , not fast enough for the poor cats and kittens, people are paying attention! I missed the class B dealers article Michael ,but since I’m always so dang paranoid and suspicious I normally dig into any of the ads that seem the least bit off. And of course ya’ll know me from way back ,I have no qualms about stating my mind! Love to see ya’ll are still going strong!!!
Hi Jan, lovely to hear from you, is this one of your cats?
Hello Ruth.I’m fine am involved in Fostering now and some transporting for dogs. This WAS one of my ferals,Caps,from a few years ago.He and the most of my others ,thanks to ya’ll and Michael,helping me pay for spaying and neutering were all rehomed before I had to move.My husband John passed away,and I just couldn’t stay in the same house. But out of 27 ferals, 25 all got great homes,mostly on farms,a few of my friends took more then one for barn cats! The Ol’ Tom ,Stranger,was adopted but he returned home a few days later! And Sister stayed w/ Irene. The ragdoll/Siamese mix. So all in all it all worked out.Sadie (my corgi senior baby) and I are doing well .Hope to see more of you folks now I’m disabled and have lots of free time!!! ya’ll let me know if you need hel w/ anything! Good to ear from you as well Ruth!!
Sorry to hear about John R.I.P x
Also about you being disabled now. It sounds like you did a lot of good work for ferals, well done you!
It will be good to have you around again on PoC, maybe you could write more about your ferals and about your fostering and transportation of dogs now, it all sounds interesting.
We still need help spreading the truth about declawing, a lot of progress has been made and some vets are stopping doing it but there are still a hard core of them who won’t give up until it’s banned. So we have to make sure all cat caretakers know exactly how cruel it is and stop those money grabbing vets that way!
Take care Jan xx
Super point Ruth! Between “free to good home” ads and Craigslist offering free pats it is horrifying! When I see thenm we all try to find a rescue to hurry go get them before they actually DO end up in the wrong hands! As usual you are spot on!