This is Cutie.
I was on the receiving end of what I initially referred to as a "drive-by kittening", although it was really more of a walk-up event. You've seen the Crazy Cat Lady on The Simpsons, right? She'll walk up and throw a cat at you. This was sort of like that, only it was a guy and he handed it to me.
Erik is sick, so Esther & I left him at home this afternoon and went to The Reading Room, catty-corner to the girls' school. We left there as they were locking up and parked in the lot across the street. I saw a fellow wandering the parking lot with a milk crate in hand and thought he was selling something. He knocked on my window. I looked over and saw a kitten. He handed it through the window and said he was giving them away, and that was the last one. They were litter box trained. And then he wandered off while Esther squealed gleefully.
I mention that because of this story: Woman Caught Flipping Kittens in Brooklyn! Apparently, a gal going by the name of Unique (having gone to school with a couple of Precious Gifts in my time, that probably is her name) was adopting free kittens from Craigslist and selling them for $50 a pop.
She's called a scammer in the article and a helluva capitalist in the comments. I'd say it depends on how much of a cat lover you are...but for the fact that I grew up the daughter of a crazy cat lady (with whom Cutie now resides, in fact) and I don't have a problem with what she's doing.
Giving away cats/kittens is frequently warned against. One of the commenters on the linked story said the kittens could have ended up as pitbull bait. Actually, selling them makes it that much less likely; as was said in reply "Who is gonna pay for a food kitty when you can get them for free?"
The people who gave the kittens to Unique had no way of knowing she was going to take good care of them, rather than feed them to her pet python. Just like the guy who handed me Cutie had no way of knowing I'd be an appropriate owner.
There are folks out there who run rescue organizations who want you to agree that they can come out and visit the animal at any time, to make certain you're meeting their standards of care.
I think charging $50 or so is a nice middle path.
Even if it wasn't your kitten to begin with.
3 comments:
All my cats have been free gifts from friends starting with the first Smoke who was 14 when I got him and 18 when he died. He belied all my beliefs about how cats were aloof etc. He was so affectionate that when he died I got another one Sport from my friend Wally. Sport was great until another friend asked me to get a second kitty from Wally, het her spayed and he'd come get her. Then he didn't until I insisted he do so because she was a bad influence over Sport. When Sport died a friend gave me Felice and she is a pure bred something and the sweetest thing; quiet, affectionate, enthusiastic company.
I agree when someone has to pay for things they might get free, the value what they pay for more.
Even trying to give them away for free or whatever (I think we tried charging $20 to keep the buyers somewhat honest), we still had too many kittens left over from the last few litters. Sadly, Nature has her way of dealing with that surplus-- in either them running off, being run over by cars, or turned into hawk- and owl-chow by the local birds.
I fed a stray "Cutie" all summer, and just found him a good home with someone I know. Happy endings!
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