This is a TikTok video from photographer Albert Harris. It’s a neat idea. He has put a small video camera in an animal shelter cage with an elderly ginger tabby cat. You see potential adopters walking by looking at the particulars on the clipboard attached to the front of the cage. It looks set up to me; by which I mean I think the people walking by are playing a role. They’ve been asked to do it.
I’m guessing but this probably happened because not enough people walked by over a short period of time. But the point is made; we are seeing the world from a shelter cat’s perspective. This is the first time that I have seen this sort of video. It brings home, hopefully, to the public that it is quite a difficult situation for a shelter cat. It can be worse. And it can affect cat behavior to the point where the cat is unadaptable. That leads to the inevitable.
@aharrisphoto Sadly this is the reality many senior cats face at the shelter. π #sheltercat #catsoftiktok #cattok #adoptdontshop #animalshelter
Note: This is a video from another website which is embedded here. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.
We all know that senior cats have a hard time getting adopted. Many have been euthanised at ‘shelters’ (the wrong word under these circumstances). They stay in a cage like this for several days and then they are killed. It sounds brutal and it is but it is entirely accepted and has been for donkey’s years.
Albert Harris says that when you are ready to adopt a cat you should pop down to your shelter. And the comments are quite telling. One commenter said: “NO I DON’T NEED TO SEE THIS π’π’ “.
My response to that is it is much better to see it and understand what is going on than to walk on by and ignore it. That is the only way we are going to improve things.
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It has to be said, by the way, but this looks like a very nice shelter. It looks very clean and organised. I would expect that some other shelters are not as pleasant. Although one commenter said: “I’m sorry is that how cats are housed in shelters? In tiny cages? Isnβt this allegedly the richest country in the world?”
Another commenter said that: “I actually really like senior cats and they’re the only ones I get because I know most just walk by. I have a senior cat now and he’s my little buddy.”
They are completely correct. The person who said that adopts elderly cats at shelters because others don’t.
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Senior cats make really good companion animals because they have learnt the ropes. They are more sedate and settled. They tend to accept things and don’t mess around causing a disruption. They are more likely to settle in to a new home and are generally calmer. There are many benefits in adopting a senior cat. The only downside is that you will need to prepare yourself for the end-of-life event which is distressing. It is a tough one but if you are emotionally ready to accept that, I would argue that adopting a senior cat is highly advisable.
P.S. This senior cat was adopted π. No surprise bearing mind the publicity thanks to Albert Harris. Many senior cats are not so lucky.
Below are some posts on elderly cats:
Amazing. I’ll certainly write about this. Too good. Unusual. But usual that cats want to get out of those damned cages.