First Christmas Cat :(

[PayItForward]

Approx Noon on Christmas day...Steve spotted the first christmas kitten in our back garden.

Tiny black with grey bottom kitten, with new festive red collar.

Why do people let them out so young I thought all cats should be kept inside until 6 months i.e. After all injections and being altered and being settled in their new home.

I just hope he/she has a furever home and won't be begging in our garden for food in 4 months time.

Sorry to be so down..but since we picked up Caramel (RB), Mr Stray (RB) and Fleur with three kits (Rehomed, included our Bramble), our little housing estate seems to be temporarly free of strays.

Hopefully I am just being silly but I worry about his/her future once the cute kitten stage has passed. Letting out such a small kitten is not a good sign

[sirrahbed]

Originally posted by PayItForward
Hopefully I am just being silly but I worry about his/her future once the cute kitten stage has passed. Letting out such a small kitten is not a good sign

I don't think you are being silly at all. I also do not think kittens or any live animals really make ideal Christmas "gifts". I mean, it is a sweet gesture I suppose, but these animals are lifelong commitments, not really gifts unless the recipients sees them in that light - see what I mean?? It makes me think of "Easter Chicks" and that sort of thing. Cute Christmas kitten with a bow and the next week it is a chore.

[jenluckenbach]

We can only hope for the best. Just because it's a Christmas gift DOESN'T mean it wasn't a well though out addition to a family.

(Wishful thinking, I know)

[PayItForward]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
We can only hope for the best. Just because it's a Christmas gift DOESN'T mean it wasn't a well though out addition to a family.

(Wishful thinking, I know)

Well they did put a collar on him/her, that is a good sign !!!

[catnapper]

Maybe the kitten slipped out when they were walking something out to a car - its that time of year where someone is loaded with boxes and wouldn't see someone slip out under their feet. Pouncer was absolutely terrible about that! One night my son took the trash out and Pouncer followed. We didn't know he was missing for hours. There might be a broken hearted child somewhere looking for their kitty.

[PayItForward]

Originally posted by catnapper
Maybe the kitten slipped out when they were walking something out to a car

In England it is the normal thing to have inside/outside cats. Indeed my own are but I didn't let my kits out until they were 6 months old and altered. They had supervised visits on leases for several weeks before they were allowed free range.

There might be a broken hearted child somewhere looking for their kitty.

If I see the kitten, I'll catch it and return to the owners with a warning. If I see such a young cat out on it's own again, I'll take it to the shelter to get a proper home. One escape is an accident but 2/3 times is a careless owner.

But some people just don't care. I left my house one day to go to work, letting Milly & George out with me but I left Bramble & Tigs (they were about 10 weeks old at the time) inside the house, playing on the front room's windowsill.

This lady who was walking her kids to the local school, stopped me and asked if I knew I had left two more cats inside my house. I thanked her for her concern and explained they were much too young to be let outside.

She said 'nonsense her kittens were let out at 8 weeks old...mind you they were stupid and got run over and her kids got upset'.

I couldn't believe it, 8 week old kittens are like babies you don't let them out on their own and THEN wonder why they get hurt. RIP sweet kittens.