Sigh...

[spinbaby]

I’m fostering five kittens for a low-cost spay and neuter clinic that does a lot of TNR. The two oldest are now fixed and ready for adoption. The second we put them out there, we got someone who wanted to adopt them. But they didn’t get around to filling out the application, they were busy with work, they had to acquire kitten stuff, etc, etc.

Finally, after lots of hemming and hawing, they asked if we could waive the $75 per kitten adoption fee because they couldn’t afford it. Now, $75 doesn’t begin to cover the cost of raising and vetting these kittens, but the real point is that, if you can’t afford the adoption fee, you can’t afford a cat. It’s sad, but we don’t hand cats to people who can’t financially afford to properly care for them or who are renters without permission from the landlord. We also check references.

Meanwhile, we’ve wasted ten days of that short window between when the kittens are old enough to be fixed and when they outgrow being a cute kitten.

[onecaliberal]

1. Thank you for doing this. Thank you, thank you. I'm sorry people are stupid.

[Laffy Kat]

2. Plus, I'd be afraid they may be used for something nefarious.

Better to keep the fee as is, which is a lot less expensive than some of our rescues around here. Seventy-five dollars is a good deal.

[ShazzieB]

5. Yes, around here, $75 for a kitten would be a bargain.

It's been over 4.5 years since we adopted Willow, but at that time, the going rate for an adult cat was $200, and kittens were even more.

Also, the fact that this person couldn't even be bothered to fill out the adoption application in ten days time sounds pretty flakey to me. When we've adopted from rescues, we couldn't fill the paperwork out fast enough. Once we decided on the cat we wanted, we didn't want to take a chance of losing our "place in line," so to speak.

That person sounds disorganized at best and flakey as a box of Wheaties at worst. I hope it's not too late for those 2 little guys to find a good home, but at the same time, I feel like that one would have been so-so at best.

[Bayard]

3. You're doing good deeds

Don't waive your adoption fee. I found that out the hard way.

[Midnight Writer]

4. Multiple red flags with these folks.

Sound like people who are acting impulsively and haven't thought things through.

Probably not a stable situation for a pet.

[wnylib]

6. The Humane Society in my town has a fee, too.

The cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies are fixed before adoption. Kittens and puppies get shots appropriate to their age so the fee covers all those costs. I don't know what the fee is because my last cat was a stray that a friend found and my current one came from a coworker whose cat had a litter. In each case, I took them to a vet myself for neutering/spaying and shots.

But I do know that the Humane Society waives their adoption fee for seniors who want to adopt a dog or cat. The vets in town take turns offering spaying and neutering to the general public through a "clinic" that the Humane Society sponsors, every few months. The neutering fee for males at these clinics is $25 and spaying of females is $50. A rabies shot is offered at that time, for an additional $20.

To adopt from the HS, you have to fill out a form that includes giving a list of 3 references. One of the references should be a vet if you already have a pet or have had one in the past. If you rent, you must give the name and contact info of your landlord. They contact each reference and the landlord, if there is one, before anyone can take a pet home. The vetting process for prospective adoptions also includes a police background check to weed out people with abuse or animal complaint records.

The HS sponsors a community fund raiser each year, with collection jars at area businesses and a photo contest of people's pets, with a fee for entry. The local newspaper prints the winning photos in various categories.

[SlimJimmy]

7. I always tell folks that vet bills are part of pet ownership.

That includes any ferals you are feeding. Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) is the minimum required, which would include the exam and all shots.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

8. I adopted Othello at the free kitten givaway

The humane shelter here does every May.

I had to do the paper work
I had to sign to be sure to get him neutered. Got a hasp certificate which helped a lot. Still had to pay the vet for the workup and shots.
I bought all the stuff he needed
Showed them the pet policy on my lease.
Showed that he would be an emotional support pet. Visited the shelter twice to spend time with him. Then the let me have my darling. And when Othello was little he was painfully adorable. He is treated as the god he is,konked out on my lap now,purrin.
I love him so much I cry when I see him sometimes. I come home sit my shit on the table and call him. He comes running into the kitchen to greet me and I scoop him up and give him a hundred little kisses and get him some treats . I dont know what I would do without him. Im so glad he is here.