Cats in the Cradle
12 October 2006Last month we noticed the next door neighbors had a slew of new cats hanging out in their window. New kittens to be exact. And I love kittens. Every time I went by the window I’d watch them jumping on each other, climbing the screen or sleeping in the sun. Did I mention I love kittens? Fast forward to last weekend when a kitten appeared in our yard without a collar. I picked him up and carried him next door thinking that he’d gotten out. The daughter answered the door and told me that they were strays but they didn’t belong to them. Not knowing what to do, I put him down on their porch and headed home feeling a bit disjointed that they had let these sweet kittens into their home then put them back out on the street. Drew wanted to put food out for them which I was against because I didn’t want every cat in the neighborhood feeding at our door. He convinced me that it was the right thing to do so they didn’t starve, and we didn’t want them sent to shelter where they’d be put down.
We put food down for, what turned out to be, three kittens and the next day I started calling around local shelters to find one with a no-kill policy. The shelters were full but they recommended having them fixed by the Berkeley Humane Society for $20 each so they couldn’t breed. I couldn’t fault their logic. I definitely didn’t want them put down, nor did I want those three cats having three cats and those three cats having three cats and so on until the neighborhood was overrun. We couldn’t bring them into the house without shots because there was the potential of making our own cats sick and I really don’t want another cat, much less three.
In talking with the neighbors son last night (both the son and daughter are adults) I discovered they the actually do keep food in the garage for the kittens and have a dog door which they can use for entry and exit. He seemed quite attached to the kittens, and when I explained how they needed to be ‘fixed’ before they started breeding he seemed very receptive to the idea. I’m hoping he actually follows through.
I was relieved to learn that they are being fed next door, and weren’t just thrown out on the street to fend for themselves but I worry about their long term prospects. Outdoor cats don’t have a good track record for survival. Knowing that, and still being unwilling to “adopt” them and bring them into our own home is a tough decision, and one I hope I don’t end up regretting.