# The meaning of responsible pet ownership is lost on some people. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 8, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912 "2003-07-08T02:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Special\_Agent\_Jazz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@Special\_Agent\_Jazz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Special_Agent_Jazz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/21 "2003-07-08T11:39:47Z")
People like that make me incredibly mad. I can’t believe what a generous heart you have **Necromancer** to offer to take the cats and get them spayed. I wouldn’t give them back to her though, not after acting irresponsibly. I used to work at an Animal Rescue Mission and someone had dropped in front of our doorstep, without coming in, in the blistering heat, a box FULL of kittens. Filled right up to the rim. It was awhile until any of us found these kittens and they were dehydrated. It’s horrible to think that people don’t spay or neuter their cats when they know they are multiplying like this. ---
**Author:** ![margin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@margin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/margin)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/22 "2003-07-08T11:54:54Z")
**Necromancer** you’re wonderful. I used to have this acquaintance who said he didn’t want to have his cat spayed till she’d known the joy of ‘having a litter.’ Twit. ---
**Author:** ![DogMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@DogMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogMom)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/23 "2003-07-08T13:33:43Z")
**Necromancer** , I Feel Your Pain. We used to live next door to a family like that. They had a cat that was _smaller_than some of her own kittens (not at birth - but by 6 weeks most had outpaced “momma kitty”.) She threw at least two (probably more - I lost count) litters per year. Get this - _even her owners_ said they realized it was “bad” for her and were going to get her spayed. Oh, sure - as soon as they could afford it. So I offered to pay for it. “Oh, we don’t want to use your vet.” Fine, I’d go along to pay at whichever vet they chose. “I don’t have the time to take her.” This, despite the fact that _I_ was willing to take a day off work to go - and _she_ was on welfare and set her own schedule every day! (Oh, and yep, they had plenty of $$ for the cigs they chain-smoked.) Finally she said that nobody would be cutting into _her_ cat - after I offered to take the cat myself to the vet. And pick it up. And pay for the surgery. Yep. That’s it. It’s killing the cat to have these HUGE litters so frequently, but _you’re not gonna cut into it because it might ‘hurt’ her._ Riiiiiiight. ---
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/24 "2003-07-08T13:49:03Z")
**Necromancer** , you’re a mensch. Good on ya, mate. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/25 "2003-07-08T13:49:51Z")
**Necromancer** , you’re wonderful. What gets me is people who apparently think an animal is _defective_ once it’s neutered. And don’t get me started on these guys who can’t stand to neuter their male dogs. Cripes… ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/26 "2003-07-08T14:03:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Necromancer \* > \*\* It’s now becoming common practice here for animal welfare groups to sterilise female kittens at a very young age (approximately 10 weeks) _before_ they are found homes. Some vets don’t like to do it before 4 months, but they realise that it’s the best way to ensure these cats don’t ever breed. \*\* We adopted our dog from a no-kill shelter at only 8 weeks old, and she was already spayed!:eek: I understand why they do it, but it’s awful that pet owners can’t be counted on to do this one so important thing for their pets. I hate to think how they would treat a child who needed surgery (or birth control!). ---
**Author:** ![G-RAY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@G-RAY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G-RAY)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/27 "2003-07-08T14:40:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cerri \* > \*\*Um…wtf. > > I’d like you to elaborate, because I can’t imagine anyone thinking it’s “foolish and misguided” to give a loving, healthy, good-tempered, perfectly-adoptable animal a chance at going home with a family who will love and care for it (the only kind no-kill shelters will ACCEPT, due to the fact that they will retain the animal for it’s entire lifespan unless it is adopted) rather than death by injection in a clinical environment. \*\* What is foolish and misguided about them that they fill up and then refuse to take any more stray cats. It leaves people with fewer options. I asked around to see if anyone wanted the kittens. My wife is teaching a special ed. summer school class . I suggested she give them away to the kids. Only kidding there. Our phone would have been ringing off the hook. My point is that there are waaay too many cats out there to find homes for and the money spent housing cats for life could be much better spent. Keep in mind (here we go again) they are cats not people. ---
**Author:** ![Peg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Peg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peg)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/28 "2003-07-08T20:05:50Z")
I’m still pissed that your neighbor just put the kittens in a box and put the box on top of the fence. No hey, here’s a box of cats, or hey, look for this. Angry. Very angry. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/29 "2003-07-08T20:22:03Z")
This pisses me off to no end. Why, oh _why_ do people do this??? When I got my cat at 6 weeks (he was abandoned, I wouldn’t be caught dead buying an animal from a pet store _shudder_) and my vet actually got tired of me asking every time I brought him in for shots “can we nueter him yet? Is it safe yet?” I cannot comprehend how someone could not think it’s the #1. most important thing to do when adopting an animal. I used to volunteer at the Humane Society and we would not, under any circumstances, adopt out an animal without it being fixed. No way. And there are options. Many shelters will fix an animal at little to no cost to the owner. There is absolutely no excuse for not fixing your pet. And don’t even get me _started_ on breeders. :mad: **Necro** , you are a saint. I wish there were more people like you in this world. Good for you. ---
**Author:** ![Salieri2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Salieri2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salieri2)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/30 "2003-07-08T22:01:28Z")
A co-worker of my husband’s, _very nice lady_, used to have a black lab that went almost everywhere with her. Eventually had to be put down in old age due to cancer, which was sad for all who knew and liked her. Which was most people. She jumped back on the horse (good for her!) by getting a new puppy not long after, wait, _two_ new puppies (oops, hm, not so good). Brother and sister. Were they neutered? Why, no! Would they ever be? Not soon enough! Lo and behold, her two dogs became seven!! She used to say, “Salieri2, your dog is so well-trained. I should have you come train mine.” Yeah, right, that’s responsible. I’m pretty sure she fed them at least, and had names for some of them…I lost track of how many she gave away, but she still owned more than the legal city limit, which is three, til recently. “Salieri2, you want another dog don’t you? How about one of mine?” No! A thousand times no! Animal control picked up the surplus last week, she kept two (not the original two, one of whom was “a pain.”) Argh, the stupid people are so fertile, and my smart friends can’t get pregnant… ---
**Author:** ![Salieri2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Salieri2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salieri2)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/31 "2003-07-08T22:14:54Z")
A co-worker of my husband’s, _very nice lady_, used to have a black lab that went almost everywhere with her. Eventually had to be put down in old age due to cancer, which was sad for all. She jumped back on the horse (good for her!) by getting a new puppy not long after, wait, _two_ new puppies (oops, hm, not so good). Brother and sister. Were they neutered? Why, no! Would they ever be? Not soon enough! Lo and behold, her two dogs became seven!! She used to say, “Salieri2, your dog is so well-trained. I should have you come train mine.” Yeah I’m pretty sure she fed them at least, and had names for some of them…I lost track of how many she gave away, but she still owned more than the legal city limit, which is three, til recently. “Salieri2, you want another dog don’t you? How about one of mine?” No! A thousand times no! Animal control picked up the surplus last week, she kept two (not the original two, one of whom was “a pain.”) Argh, the stupid people are so fertile, and my smart friends can’t get pregnant… ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/32 "2003-07-08T23:21:45Z")
**Necromancer** , you are a good kind person. And Bhodi is one cute pup, too. ---
**Author:** ![Special\_Agent\_Jazz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@Special\_Agent\_Jazz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Special_Agent_Jazz)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912/33 "2003-07-09T11:48:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Velma \* > \*\*We adopted our dog from a no-kill shelter at only 8 weeks old, and she was already spayed!:eek: \*\* It’s kind of a policy at shelters these days especially the “no kill” one since I used to work in one. The moment we get a dog in, we check it out and if it hasn’t been neutered or spay, they are done right away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-responsible-pet-ownership-is-lost-on-some-people/186912.md?page=1)