We’ve all seen the boxes of kittens outside of Walmart or other area businesses. Free Kittens, the sign declares! Our hearts melt as we peer down at the tiny little adorable faces. Some of us walk briskly past because we’re already at our cat limits at home. But a lot of people reach down into the free kitten box and take home with them a new furry family member. Free, no less!
But as time quickly passes, we become woefully aware that the free kitten, wasn’t free at all. Your little darling floof very likely came with some fleas or ear mites. You try out the cheap flea treatment at Walmart and discover it doesn’t quite take care of the problem. Off to the Vet to see what they have to take care of the fleas. The best flea meds that the local Vets have range from 18-26 dollars on average these days per kitten/cat. The “free kitten” is soon in need of vet care. First shots, worming, microchipping, and spay/neuter. Now you’re typically in the range of 150-300 dollars. Sometimes more. Within the first six months of a free kitten’s life, you can find yourself in for hundreds of dollars if there is no other illness or emergency. If you decide to test for things, the cost goes up significantly. All this expense over a free kitten.
But don’t despair, there’s a solution if you have the desire to add a sweet furry face to your family! Feline adoption in the region typically runs around 80-120 dollars! The cats will typically come fully vetted, including spayed/neutered for that cost! You can save hundreds of dollars in the first six months of a kitten’s life by adopting through a rescue or shelter! All of the stress of getting to the vet appointment (which can be tricky to get a spay before a female cat has its’ first heat) and related expenses is already dealt with!
You can find area kittens and cats up for adoption on Petfinder, which these days has only licensed rescues and shelters providing the kittens and cats. Or search around for area rescues by googling or looking on Facebook. In the Macon, Mo area, my project, The Blackie Bargeld Spay and Neuter Project, currently has some adoptables, Field of Dreams Rescue to the north of us in Kirksville always has some great kittens, often able to be seen at the Kirksville Petsmart. Further afield, Chillicothe Animal Shelter always has a wonderful selection, as does Cuddle Cat Rescue in Hannibal. Of course there’s also the adoptable kittens and cats at the Columbia Humane Society.
Rescues and shelters are almost always bursting at the seams with kittens and cats at any given time of the year and deeply appreciate folk who see the value in adopting. It’s a win/win for both the adopter and the rescue/shelters who are often underfunded and in need of space for incoming kittens and cats in need. You save a bundle of money on a fully vetted cat and they collect some much needed funds to help the next feline in need. Every day, area rescues receive desperate calls from people with kittens they’ve found outside their homes, often very sickly and in need of specialized care. Every cat adopted makes a way for these little souls in need.
More people passing up the Free Kitten box may ultimately force the people with the free kittens to reach out to a rescue or shelter for resources to help home them, which while inconveniencing local rescues and placing the financial burden on them, would ultimately lead to a better outcome. Those free kittens would for sure get vetted and no longer perpetuate the cycle of Free Kittens.
So please think of these things, when you have the opportunity to add a furry family member to your family! All of the points mentioned in this article about kittens also applies to Free Puppies, however the dog spay/neuters are even more expensive. Adopting puppies and dogs fully vetted is also an exceptional deal!
The Blackie Bargeld Spay and Neuter Project 
Leave a comment