This is not a situation I am actively involved in, but it's one I have observed and I really want to know if there's anything that can be done.
My friend's father (whom I will call "Jerry") has a tendency of abandoning the cats he (Jerry) brings home. A lovely kitty they had for about five years was abandoned in an unfamiliar neighborhood because she kept peeing on the walls and floor despite having a clean catbox. Another female was tossed out the door because she would go into heat often and howl all night, keeping Jerry awake. One of the offspring of the aforesaid female found its way back to Jerry and ended up in the same position as her mother: dumped out like trash because she would loudly go into heat.
In fact, the only one of the cats in this house that did not get abandoned was an orange male that was altered - he was run over by a car because these people also cannot be bothered to keep the cats indoors when they live on a very busy road where people exceed the speed limit and intentionally try to hit cats and dogs.
Currently, the cat they've had for about 10 years is in danger of being abandoned. Why? She's been peeing on the rug. This poor cat had it bad enough already - I've known Friend for almost six years and that cat has had worms ever since I met Friend and his family. She's a very sweet and declawed cat, so I imagine she'd be stressed, afraid and defenseless when she's dumped out of the only home she's ever known.
And they have another cat that they got a few months ago - a male cat that will probably also get abandoned once he reaches sexual maturity and begins marking everything. These people are far too interested in substances to bother getting their cats altered or take them for a check-up when they do their business outside their catboxes.
Basically, Jerry brings home a new cat (almost always a kitten), complains about how annoying it is, and then dumps it someplace when it starts doing cat things. Doesn't even bother taking it to the shelter because that would be too much of an effort, and taking it to the vet would cut into the beer fund, and I guess Jerry figures that it's just an animal and abandoning it is free.
It's very heartbreaking. Jerry does not adopt animals from the shelter because that would cost money, so contacting local shelters to put him on a "do not adopt" list would be futile. He'll just find someone in the neighborhood who's giving away kittens and get one like that.
I don't want to see more innocent cats get kept and tossed out like movie rentals by Jerry, but I don't know what I can do. I personally cannot take in anymore cats, and no one else I know likes or can afford a cat (or more cats). Is there anything I can do to keep Jerry from perpetuating this awful cycle? I don't want to see another kitten get thrown out like yesterday's garbage because it starts acting like a cat in ways Jerry doesn't like.
My friend's father (whom I will call "Jerry") has a tendency of abandoning the cats he (Jerry) brings home. A lovely kitty they had for about five years was abandoned in an unfamiliar neighborhood because she kept peeing on the walls and floor despite having a clean catbox. Another female was tossed out the door because she would go into heat often and howl all night, keeping Jerry awake. One of the offspring of the aforesaid female found its way back to Jerry and ended up in the same position as her mother: dumped out like trash because she would loudly go into heat.
In fact, the only one of the cats in this house that did not get abandoned was an orange male that was altered - he was run over by a car because these people also cannot be bothered to keep the cats indoors when they live on a very busy road where people exceed the speed limit and intentionally try to hit cats and dogs.
Currently, the cat they've had for about 10 years is in danger of being abandoned. Why? She's been peeing on the rug. This poor cat had it bad enough already - I've known Friend for almost six years and that cat has had worms ever since I met Friend and his family. She's a very sweet and declawed cat, so I imagine she'd be stressed, afraid and defenseless when she's dumped out of the only home she's ever known.
And they have another cat that they got a few months ago - a male cat that will probably also get abandoned once he reaches sexual maturity and begins marking everything. These people are far too interested in substances to bother getting their cats altered or take them for a check-up when they do their business outside their catboxes.
Basically, Jerry brings home a new cat (almost always a kitten), complains about how annoying it is, and then dumps it someplace when it starts doing cat things. Doesn't even bother taking it to the shelter because that would be too much of an effort, and taking it to the vet would cut into the beer fund, and I guess Jerry figures that it's just an animal and abandoning it is free.
It's very heartbreaking. Jerry does not adopt animals from the shelter because that would cost money, so contacting local shelters to put him on a "do not adopt" list would be futile. He'll just find someone in the neighborhood who's giving away kittens and get one like that.
I don't want to see more innocent cats get kept and tossed out like movie rentals by Jerry, but I don't know what I can do. I personally cannot take in anymore cats, and no one else I know likes or can afford a cat (or more cats). Is there anything I can do to keep Jerry from perpetuating this awful cycle? I don't want to see another kitten get thrown out like yesterday's garbage because it starts acting like a cat in ways Jerry doesn't like.