Is it just Miami?

[Thorn]

Interesting, albeit sad, thread. As my cats enter the geriatric phase of their lives, they have gotten to be a bigger slice of the budget (somedays I think that they eat more $/day than I do).

For me, it isn't currently a problem, but the other day I was wondering what happens if you've been on a fixed income, your pet is getting older and requiring special food. Can you afford it? Yet, knowing the importance of pets, can you not? It is a sad side of the economic times. Very sad.

[snapdragen]

There was a story on the news about a Pet Food Bank starting up, to help people feed their critters.

[nancielle]

As sad as it is at least people are trying to rehome their pets. I came to own Hunter after his owners just put him out on the street when they were evicted.

[Brandi]

I am dealing with it on my own street. Remember Ponce? http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=28350 The cat with the stick in his face? I wrote about it before christmas while my niece was in the hospital. Well Ponce doesn't belong to me he belongs to my neighbor who works full time, has three kids under th age of 10 who are all at home by themselves all day till dad get's home at around 6:00. They have 3 pet's. Ponce, His little brother (unfixed) and their dog. The dad doesn't have time for his pet's. let alone his kids. He and his wife split about 8 months ago. I believe she has a drug problem. But you know things are bad with the family if they can't find time to help their animals stay healthy. I want to ask them to just let Ponce live here since he does most of the time anyway. I really want to get the brother fixed. He doesn't have time or the money to do it. I don't talk with him much. The fact that his cat walked around for 6 months with an open sore on his face kinda tells me the time he has for his pet's.

[Biciclista]

Brandi, just take the cat and make him an indoor pet!!

and then tell them, oh by the way, your cat came to my house and just stayed.

[Aggie_Ama]

Take the cat. The kids will be sad but the father will likely be relieved. Just my thoughts.

My husband and I are absolutely appalled at people who do not get the animals spayed. His brother included. Their cat is pregnant and they asked "Oh do you want a kitten?" I said no, but I would tell them I place in Austin that does spaying for less than $50 after the kittens are born.

[bikerHen]

Years ago, our neighbors cat spent more time at our house than his own. His house had rowdy kids, big dogs and lots of confusion. Our house had my sister and I, in high school, my parents and one small dog. At some point he just became our cat. A few years later, when I was in college my parents moved to a condo in another town and the cat when with them. He was a beautiful siamese and I don't think his orginial owners ever missed him. He lived to a ripe old age with my parents. bikerHen

[kermit]

The sad truth is they probably won't even notice he's gone!

[spokewench]

I used to live in California and our two doors up neighbors were Yemenite (sp?) and had a bunch of cats (not neutered or spayed). They did not seem to understand the concept of taking care of pets. So, our neighborhood was becoming over run with cats. Some of this was good; cause i got two cats from this (and the best is my 23 year old guy who is still hanging in there).

Other neighbors took in some cats, including our downstairs roommate; and then finally, all the neighbors pitched in money and we had the females fixed so that there would be no more babies. Our roomate downstairs would take the ladies to the vet and then keep them in the length of time the vet asked them to be kept inside; then she would let them lose again. The neighbors never noticed that the cats were missing; or if they did, they never said anything.

spoke

[TsPoet]

The fact that his cat walked around for 6 months with an open sore on his face kinda tells me the time he has for his pet's.

When I was a kid, a 30 lb white mutt used to appear on our doorstep with injuries every few months. My mom would take him to the vet, get him repaired, take him back home and off he'd go. After about a year of this, the vet refused to treat him. The vet said the dog needed a better life and he'd rather put him to sleep then allow whatever kept happening to keep happening.
So, my mom tracked down the owner a few blocks away, a 12 year old boy loved and did his best with that dog, but the boy's father kept kicking him and/or just throwing the dog out of the house to run the streets.
My point of telling this story - when my mom offered to take Rufus, the 12 year old boy was thrilled. He knew his father was hurting his beloved dog and wanted Rufus to have a chance. The kid was great. His father, not so much. I hope that kid grew up to not be like his father, he sure had the right start.
Rufus was a great dog, we had him 11 more years.

[Grog]

There is something really sad about the epidemics of abandoned pets. Just like many other areas of the economies, it's probably one sector that has bubbled up these last few years (everyone seems to have a dog, a lot more than before... there must be stats somewhere) and now people realize they cannot afford to feed the critters... I have always had trouble with the idea of having pets as... well, pets. Having been raised on a farm, animals were always "working": dogs were guard dogs or shepard dogs, cats were catching mice and spent the night in the garage chasing them, and the day sleeping in the kitchen.

I'm so old fashioned...

[denny]

S.W Florida NPR did a piece on this subject last week with the emphasis on what groups are doing to help people hold unto their animals. Many shelters are turning away people and providing donations of food, reduced vet and grooming care which is the bulk of the expense of owning a pet.

While it may seem heartless to give up a pet, it's an even colder fact that many people who are on a fixed or no income have to make the choice between eating a meal and feeding a pet. Before the economic down turn there were people in Atlanta in decent neighborhoods choosing between having a meal and paying for chemo treatments!

If you feel strongly about this (and are able to do this) then volunteer to help in your local shelter, offer to sponsor a pet, etc. There may be many ways we can help without displacing or euthanising a beloved pet.