I check on here most days and I feel angered when I read about pets needing new homes. :rant: Why are so many irresponsible when it comes to their pets? I know neutering can cost a lot of money, but surely it's worth it if an animal is not going to reproduce and have unwanted litters. If you are not going to neuter your pet, then you should provide a home yourself if it has young.

Its not always black and white like that Glitter Star :)

I agree entirely with your sentiment, and I agree that every pet should be neutered unless there's a specific reason for them to breed- but I think that you are overlooking that the reason that a large number of the animals up for rehoming are up for rehoming isn't actually down to the person who is advertising for a home.

The kittens that I'm advertising, the akita that was offered, all of the animals that xxhunniixx offers- they're all in rescue for reasons outside our control. We're just the ones looking for the homes once the accidental pregnancy or bad circumstances have already happened.

The real issue is about people taking on an animal without either understanding or being able to actually offer what that animal needs, or with people not understanding to quite what level there are just too many animals being bred these days.

Genuine circumstances do happen, but there are also lots of people who just aren't prepared to take an animal and consider their needs alongside their own.

I know there are plenty of pets who need rehoming because of bereavement or separation or other changes in circumstances. It just frustrates me that so many litters are avoidable and some animals end up waiting for homes for a long time. All my pets have been neutered, I thought it was the norm.

It's the norm with me too- in fact I had the voucher for getting Molly spayed before I actually had Molly!

I genuinely think that many people just aren't aware of the sheer quantity of unwanted animals in this country.

It's partly because there are so many animals in need of a home that we don't 'value' animals more- although I would never have had the money to have got a pedigree German Shepherd pup from a reputable breeder, so in that instance I suppose I'm benefitting from the number of animals available the same as anyone else.

when my wife and i discussed who would take the dogs, we argued about that. we both wanted them, it was the daughter we wanted to rehome.:hihi:

There are lots of reasons and yes, I get angry sometimes when I see some pets being advertised- especially when it is looks like the owners are profiting from breeding from their dogs/ cats irresponsibly.

But there are some genuine cases on here too- people who'se circumstances change and who are no longer able to care for their pet; life-threatening allergies which spring up after acquiring a pet (often genuine but still also used as a get-out clause too); accidental matings or simply one pet does not get along with another despite trying all ways to make it work - these cases I do have more sympathy for- but don't get me started again on irresponsible breeding... people in this category are only interested in making money, or are just plain ignorant, for instance, the ones who think it would be cruel to not let their bitch have 'at least on litter' - with scant regard for the health and welfare of their pet.

At least the forum has some success in helping to rehome unwanted pets, plus it's members (on the whole) try to offer help and advice to anyone who has to make the painful decision to give up a pet or who might be considering rehoming one. I've recently adopted 3 fish and a cat, thanks to this forum and previously I've owned rescue cats from RSPCA, Cat Shelter, or through private rehomings.

I suppose I'm being selfish in my middle age by also owning purebred cats and a dog (for the first time ever) but I have not other 'vices' so I don't feel guilty about choosing pedigrees this time around. At least I've reseached before-hand and purchased them from reputable, respected breeders, not 2-bit try-it ons looking for a bit of holiday money.

Here on the forum, we try to give the pros and cons of owning a particular animal, breed, age-group and so on, so that the prospective pet owner is better informed and less likely to make a rash decision.

Sadly, it does not always work - there will always be those who think with their hearts not their heads and who end up regretting their choice for one reason or another, so it's a good thing some pets get a second chance through mediums such as the forum, as the alternative does not bear thinking about- remember, South Yorkshire is still one of the worst (if not THE worst) regions for animal cruelty.

It's the norm with me too- in fact I had the voucher for getting Molly spayed before I actually had Molly!

I genuinely think that many people just aren't aware of the sheer quantity of unwanted animals in this country.

It's partly because there are so many animals in need of a home that we don't 'value' animals more- although I would never have had the money to have got a pedigree German Shepherd pup from a reputable breeder, so in that instance I suppose I'm benefitting from the number of animals available the same as anyone else.

we started our zoo through rehomng similarly, even if i could i wouldn't have paid the ££'s for our cocker's. i paid £100 to take one once, 'cos that was the amount she would have got for him to be a stud at that time.

I suppose I'm benefitting from the number of animals available the same as anyone else.

I got my cat from the your place (the Cat Shelter) so I have benefitted from someone else's circumstances.

I know of people who have received free vouchers for their pets to be neutered from the RSPCA. This is a great scheme and should reduce the number of unwanted pets. We're said to be a nation of animal lovers yet I hear that the shelters are full at the moment with unwanted animals. It just saddens me :(

Granted, in an ideal world, family pets ought to be neutered/spayed - leave the breeding to the experts - BUT it isn't that straightforward. I consider myself to be a responsible and caring pet owner, however, 2 of my pets are not spayed and for very good medical reasons- in the case of my norwegian forest cat, her litter brother almost died on the operating table and needed an emergency blood transfusion because he has a blood clotting disorder which was only discovered once he'd been opened up -there is a strong possibility Ashia will have the same condition and having already lost our first norwegian forest cat who died at 6 months whilst being aneasthetised before castration, I am simply not willing to take the same risk with her.

A similar medical weakness applies to our doberman, so she's not spayed either- but she doesnt go out to public places when she is in season and has no interest in other dogs or the desire to mate anyway. All of my other pets are neutered.

then you should provide a home yourself if it has young

That isn't really a great idea either. I'm sure that many people whos animals have had a litter would have loved to keep the young, had they been able to do so finacially. If the young were kept and then got ill and the owner couldn't afford treatment, would you then be saying they should not have taken on animals they could not afford?

I have three kittens up for rehome. They are my cats kittens, yes it is my fault that she broke out of a fully locked up and covered cat flap and my fault she now has kittens. Her mother has been spayed and more recently, her brother neutered. I cannot keep them all because I know that if they all became ill, I would not be able to afford their treatment as I have other animals. If I rehome them I know that they will have more one to one attention, probably a better brand of food, more items to make their lives comfortable and apart from the love, most importantly, the money available should anything happen to them to prevent them from suffering.

They are many instances where rehomes are the only way for the sake of the animals. Yes some other people just get rid because they are bored or just can't be bothered anymore. But not every case is the same and each should be looked at on it's own merits.

One of my cresties is neutered the other isn't. They don't go anywhere without me so I don't see the point in getting him done. I don't know anything yet about his breeding and background as far as illnesses are concerned so until then I am going to leave his little peanuts where they are

we didn't neuter our pets either to be fair, we had 4 bitches and a castrated dog so there was no need.

unfortunately we had to have 3 bitches on the emergency table due to pyrometra(sp) over a period of time. then male dog number had his way with the un speyed one,need i say more.
so he's been relieved of his nuts, and we had her speyed 'cos of the previous problems.
we still have one bitch who hasn't been done - so even i've not learnt my lesson yet.

my daughter brought a kitten home 9 years ago - i did take that to be done before it was allowed out of the house. it's the only preventative measure i've ever taken as i do think it is important if they are to live outside.

Granted, in an ideal world, family pets ought to be neutered/spayed ... I consider myself to be a responsible and caring pet owner, however, 2 of my pets are not spayed and for very good medical reasons...there is a strong possibility Ashia will have the same condition and having already lost our first norwegian forest cat who died at 6 months whilst being aneasthetised before castration, I am simply not willing to take the same risk with her.

A similar medical weakness applies to our doberman, so she's not spayed either- but she doesnt go out to public places when she is in season and has no interest in other dogs or the desire to mate anyway. All of my other pets are neutered.

Obviously I am not criticising you here. You have made an informed and sensible decision and are taking steps to make sure that your pets do not reproduce.

But, as a pet lover, I do get angry that people consider pets to be commodities and let them breed to make some cash on the side. Also I think it is shocking that we still have large numbers of unwanted litters.

I was watching the BBc 1 morning pet programme the other day and one female cat can have something like 10,000 descendents
if she is not spayed. That is shocking and puts inordinate pressure on charities and shelters.

Obviously I am not criticising you here. You have made an informed and sensible decision and are taking steps to make sure that your pets do not reproduce.

But, as a pet lover, I do get angry that people consider pets to be commodities and let them breed to make some cash on the side. Also I think it is shocking that we still have large numbers of unwanted litters.

I was watching the BBc 1 morning pet programme the other day and one female cat can have something like 10,000 descendents
if she is not spayed. That is shocking and puts inordinate pressure on charities and shelters.

I agree- it is scary seeing exactly how many cats one unspayed cat can produce. The sad fact is, the rescue shelters will always be full of older cats and dogs that nobody wnats because the preference is always for a cute little kitten or puppy- forgetting that older dogs n cats have so much to offer. In the past, weve adopted older cats for that reason, to give them a better chance. Before our new gang came along in 2003/4, it was a long, long time since we'd had any kittens in the house.

I wish we could discourage people from thinking they know all about breeding just because they've got an unspayed bitch and know a mate of a mate whose got a dog...seeth, rant etc

Yes, in an ideal world, all my gang would be snipped.

Don't forget that there is still FREE NEUTERING available for Staffy's, Rotties and cross breeds of both these types - for people living in sheffield, rotherham or barnsley.

Offered via the Dogs Trust - to these areas because Yorkshire as a whole has a very high destruction area and high volume of strays. This increased last year - and they are trying to do something about it.

It proves that spaying and neutering is the answer.

Just over 10 years ago - before the Spaying and Neutering got under way - with The Dogs Trust and The RSPCA offering subsidised or free neutering. The number of strays or lost dogs being put to sleep was around 24,000. Can you believe it????

Last year it was down to 8000. Yes - 8000 is still a terribly high number - far too high - but it shows its going in the right direction. Education along with spaying and neutering is one of the best ways forward.

I also agree, that I don't think the general public are aware just how many dogs are up for rehoming in rescue centres - nor how many get thrown out on the streets for the next puppy or kitten coming in - I am sure the majority of people would be horrified which is why we do have to keep spreading the word.

OK, Charlie the new boy has been with us a couple of weeks, time enough for him to gain his confidence and feel safe n secure - he's a timid lad and we didnt' want to panic him so soon after bringing him home, so we're planning on taking him to the vets early next week to be properly checked over (he's in great health though) and booked in for castration asap next week.

And then, immediately after this month's payday, I want to get him in again to be vaccinated and micro-chipped. Not that he'll be going out, but the other cats are all vacc'd. and chipped. So, have booked the vets but was told by the receptionist that they might not castrate if he hasnt already been vaccinated...eh...why not?

Does this ring true for anyone else? Every other cat I ever owned before I had the pedigrees was castrated or neutered BEFORE any vaccinations were carried out (or the cats were never vaccinated), so I can't see what might have changed now. Seems a bit odd to me.

My priority right now is to get him snipped first and then sort the rest out in a fortnight's time -wouldnt be so bad if theyd' do it all and wait 2 weeks for the money but our vets doesnt work like that - they want the cash as soon as the job is done.

Anyway, he's gotta be done quick - I don't want our wegie girl Ashia coming into season with a new boy in the house. (There are medical reasons why Ash hasnt been spayed, one being her litter brother had a blood clotting disorder and almost died being castrated, plus our first wegie died under anasthetic whilst being castrated, so I get a bit twitchy about neutering my wegies, as you can imagine).

Oh and have just looked at insuring him (havent spoken to M&S yet but looked online) and it implies that you can't insure until your cat's been vaccinated. Talk about Catch 22- so, I can't sort out his insurance until later this month either.

Don't they make it a faff. Ah well, will see what gets said on Monday...

All my animals had to be fully vacc before neutering. I think it is policy to vacc first at most vets to avoid any cross infection in recovery.

In fact I remember the nightmare we had with Phoebe when she first arrived she was really ill with stomach problems and we had to get her well before her vaccinations so that she could be speyed, once she was well enough she was vaccinated and then the little minx came into season so we had another lengthy wait.

So whilst Im waiting for them to put him thro the full vaccs programme, he could accidentally mate with Ash and we could end up with a houseful (we dont have a spare room we could lock either of them in 24hrs). Great stuff. Never heard of this rule before. For the very short time he is going to be in surgery, I would hope things will be sterile enough for him NOT to pick up any cross-infection.

I agree but some diseases are airborne and no matter how sterile you are these diseases will still spread, crap I know, could you have someone to look after him till the deed is done?

no- dont want to stress him out again, he is just coming round now and it wouldnt be fair to farm him out, we're just going to have to be careful and see what they say on Monday.

I wonder how people go on who choose not to have their cats vaccinated - I know there are still some who dont, for whatever reason and yet they manage to get their pets neutered.