My special
little boy, first kitten to be born in my cattery and Luna’s
First Son… You were only allowed to reach the age of 15 months
old. You were called back to the heavens by the moon and the
stars – it only makes sense that they didn’t want to be without
you any longer – neither do I. You were one in a million….If
only your value had been appreciated more…
Taro was a very
uncomplicated kitty, with the most outgoing character.
As a
kitten, he took his time to get going; he was like a flower bud
that only started blooming after his brothers left for their new
home.
Taro turned out to be the most fantastic cat anyone
could wish for; sweet, gentle and friendly, very affectionate
and social and I had trouble letting him go. As if he knew this
he kept acting dependent of Luna and he was the only kitten she
would allow to suckle right until the time had come for him to
leave, which I decided was a month later than the others because
of this.
Impressed with him as I was, I decided to let him
father at least one litter before he would spend his days as a
neuter. While growing up to become the impressive boy that he
was, he made friends with everyone he came across.
He would
get into the lap of all his owner’s customers and friends and
never let himself be challenged into a fight by the residing
moggie.
To his owners, Taro still wasn’t perfect enough and
so, even though he never sprayed or called for females, they saw
reason to have him neutered. He was never allowed to pass his
great disposition on to the next generation.
I was allowed
to do one show with him and he turned out to be perfect at that
too; relaxed and visibly enjoying himself, he impressed the
jugde and instantly got his first CAP.
Taro could really
enjoy everything around him, especially cuddles and food. He
might not have been the most intelligent or elegant of cats, he
did thoroughly enjoy life.
What was never supposed to
happen, but what did, was that Taro was allowed to enjoy the
experience of roaming outside as well.
His naivety, combined
with (mainly) the carelessness of his owners, turned out to have
been fatal when he didn’t come home one day in January. The
search that was only started a couple of days later learned that
Taro had been found by the side of the road, killed.
Only
when I gave notice that I wanted to come visit Taro months
later, did the owners tell me. They had probably predicted what
my reaction would be – and they were right.
The strange
thing is that my gut already knew, which is why I hadn’t called
them sooner. But now I was moving and it would probably be a
while before I’d be in the area again, so I wanted to see my boy
before I left.
I was, and still am, torn apart by grief over
his loss.
This shouldn’t have happened, this never needed to
happen. Not to any cat, but definitely not to my precious boy.
I’m intensely sad about this; I would so much have liked to
see this cat grow old.
About letting cats roam
freely outside, and my kittens
Some people think that the risk of something like this
scenario happening is just something that comes with keeping
cats. Those people will say it’s selfish to keep a cat indoors,
or a hassle. The opposite is true.
It is irresponsible and
easy to just open the door for your cat. I imagine it must be
horrible to (rightfully so) worry until your cat comes home,
every time it’s home a little later than usual.
Cats don’t
look left and right before crossing a road. And next to traffic,
so many dangers are lurking outside…..This is why we have to
make sure that nothing happens to them.
We have the
responsibility to protect our animals from danger from the
moment we place them in our care. With just a little extra
effort cats can go outside, and even run around, but safely.
Everybody who enquires with me, whether it be because they’re
buying a kitten or because they just need information, is (as
were Taro’s owners) provided with a load of information on why,
and how, to either keep cats indoors or to let them outside in
an enclosed environment only.
There are so many great
options to do so, ready at hand!
Taro’s death was, like many
other little victims’ deaths, completely unnecessary.
This
means that if I feel that I still have to convince someone of
the importance of not letting their cats roam outside, I will
not sell that person a kitten. It follows that I don’t sell
kittens to people who already own a cat that is allowed outdoors
freely, regardless of whether it is a purebred cat or not. It’s
not the pedigree of the animal that counts, it’s the principle.
The opposite is true as well: If you believe in letting your
cats roam outside freely, I’m not the type of breeder you’ll
want to buy a kitten from. Because with me, they grow up without
ever having been able to chase mice in the pastures, without
ever having crossed a road, just like their family members that
live with me never have or will.
When kittens are born here
they are first and foremost my responsibility.
But to me, it
stays that way, even after they move. This is why I do my upmost
best to find them the best homes possible. Before kittens move I
will have invested everything to ensure that they will grow old
in good health and with the highest possible sense of wellbeing.
I don’t go through those efforts just to see their lives ended
prematurely by for instance a car, rat poison, antifreeze, FIV,
angry neighbors or a dog or to see them get stolen from that so
carefully selected environment.
I expect my kitten buyers to
want to enjoy their cat as long as possible and to make every
effort to ensure that human factors will never be the cause of
the suffering or death of their cat.
Thankfully, for most
people this goes without saying.
For whom it doesn’t; just
imagine losing a perfect little cat like my Taro, that is
everything you ever wanted him to be, at age 15 months.
To
something that easily could have been prevented. I hope this
clearly explains why I am so stringent about my selling
conditions concerning the way in which my kittens are let
outside.