[I have`nt posted for ages so I apologise for diving in, and I have`nt read the whole thread, I`m posting as it`s an apt topic to me at the moment ].
A friend wanted a cat, she contacted a local rescue, she was turned down because of her postcode, [ I know the woman who runs the rescue, she is completely potty and has weird idea`s about what makes a person suitable or not
].
My friend was also given the impression that adopting means `rescues take back animals off people if they need them`... [ I`ve put her straight on that one
]
ANyway, instead of doing the sensible thing and contacting other rescues, she started scouring ads for kittens. SHe bought a Russian Blue crossbreed - for £250
A few days later she bought another crossbreed boy, and the latest, [ last weekend ], she buys another Russian Blue crossbreed, [ a different crossing to the first one ], and paid £200 for her.
Her husband has apparently said she has to breed them as he wants to see a return after laying out that kind of money [ insert appropriate swear words at such disgusting attitude
]
She reckons all these breeders she contacted when looking for the two she finally got for stupid money are selling theirs ok at those prices so why should`nt she do it too ? [ dont know how much the second boy way but probably around the same price as she clearly falls easily for designer breeder spiel ].
I explained to her about how disgustingly unethical it would be if she goes ahead, went into hereditary factors which she was oblivious of and even when I explained it to her she did`nt give a rats behind, things like caesareans if needed, kittens getting stuck in the birth canal etc, and how would she cope if her husband was on a night time work emergency and she had to get her two toddlers out of bed so she could get the cat to the vet, [ if the cat was still alive by the time she`d finished dressing the kids and all that ], homeless cat numbers, what if a cat were born deaf or blind or some other issue so she would`nt get her stupid money there, what about selling cats which have to be returned and can she take them all back yadda yadda, all the usual things which anyone with an ounce of sense should consider when becoming a breeder, but she just shrugged her shoulders and said "oh well, everyone else does it and theirs are ok"
So basically she is going to churn out crossbreed to crossbreed litters thinking she`ll get £200 plus each, [ and with people around like her who will pay it as she has done no doubt she`ll get that kind of money too
].
I`m going to print out some articles for her to read but I know it won`t make any difference, she has already made up her mind. She said she just won`t tell me when she`s caused a litter so that `she did`nt upset me over it` - I told her we won`t be speaking at all by then as I can`t abide deliberate back yard breeders because they are complete scum as far as I`m concerned so if she goes that route I won`t be associating with her full stop, I don`t want to be around unscrupulous crappy money grabbing animal users like that.
So the upshot is, because of one rescue being run by a batty woman putting off someone who at the time was more than happy to adopt a neutered moggie for company, a new back yard breeder is being created because of now being aware of the stupid prices `designer cross` kittens are going for, it had never even crossed her tiny mind before three weeks ago when she got the boys
I now feel like a complete failure as well because I was`nt able to talk her out of it despite giving her every reason in the book not to become the sort of vile back yard breeder I utterly despise
