The cat is a very intelligent animal, but also sensitive. All of us who are lucky enough to live with one or more of them know that he has feelings, and that if you treat him well, he becomes your best four-legged friend. Respect is the key to earning a feline's trust, and when that fails ... sadly always loses the one who should be seen as one more member of the family.
He is the first to walk out the door when living together is not pleasant, or the first to be blamed for all the problems that arise. This is the sad reality. And the situation worsens even more when we think that it will do well on the street, because it is an independent animal. For these reasons, we often do not attach importance to it, but the impact of abandonment on the cat is very great, much more than we could imagine.
To understand, you have to try to put yourself in the cat's shoes. Only then will we know how hard it is to be left one day abandoned anywhere, without food or water. If you're lucky, you might be taken to an animal shelter, but most of the time this doesn't happen. Whether due to ignorance or lack of empathy, thousands of cats around the world are abandoned every day on the roads or in the field.
One day, he has everything he needs to at least survive. Another day has absolutely nothing. The feeling he has is that of having still abandoned, that of not having anyone or anything. He doesn't wonder why, but he misses having a roof where he can protect himself from the cold, the rain and the scorching sun. And to prevent this from happening, you have to know very well if we can take care of a cat or not.
A cat is not a fad
Or it shouldn't be. Nor should it be a fad. A cat is a living being, that has feelings and that to be happy needs a series of care that we must provide. However, in Spain 137.000 pets are abandoned every year, according to EFE. It is not just a number.
They are lives that have had the misfortune to come across a human being who thinks he can buy a dog or a cat and then return it as if it were shoes; or from someone who has their dogs or cats raised because they have been told that they should become pregnant at least once (which is not true), or that they did not spay or neuter because they would know how to control them at all times, or that they think that your cat is going to infect you with toxoplasmosis and that it will endanger the life of your unborn baby (which is also not true if the cat is tested and a series of basic hygienic measures are taken, such as wearing gloves every time the cat is cleaned sandbox).
And it is not a substitute
If for years we have had a cat with whom we felt very close and one day it dies due to whatever circumstances, the worst thing we can do is bring a second cat home. Why? Because although on the outside it looks like the one we have lost, the character is different. Because they are two different animals.
Losing a loved one hurts a lot. It is a terrible pain that prevents us from continuing with our routine. It is natural, we will all have it several times throughout our existence. But let's not hide it by bringing a new cat. It would be very unfair to him and he would not allow us to enjoy our new friend 100% as we would always try to make him behave like the one we lost.
The danger of giving a cat
It is not advisable to give a pet to anyone, not even our children, unless we are totally sure that, in addition to being excited, they will take responsibility for it. On special dates, such as birthdays or ChristmasIt is common to read on social networks or in different Internet forums that such a person wants to give a cat to a loved one. But this it doesn't always work out for the feline.
Before giving a cat, make sure he really wants it and that it is not a mere whim. Talk to that person and wait for them to let you know that they really like these animals and that they want to live with one of them; If he doesn't, don't give it to him as otherwise the cat will hopefully end up in a shelter.
The cat gets sick too
Sometimes we do not realize it or we ignore it, but the cat also gets sick, just like us. Although there are many things that can be done to give you an excellent quality of life, it is impossible to protect it from microorganisms and everything that can transmit disease.
Feeding him with good quality food, without cereals or by-products, giving him a lot of love and affection and trying to ensure that he is protected from both cold and heat, as well as taking him to the vet to get the necessary vaccinations, will help him better overcome diseases you may have, but it will not prevent you from having them.
Having a cat entails expenses
Wanting to have one is not enough to have it, worth the redundancy. You have to know if we can take care of him throughout his life - about 20 years. During all this time you will need:
- Meal: depending on the type that is given and the brand, the kilo of food can cost 2-7 euros.
- Toys: 0,90 to 20 euros.
- Scrapers: from 10 to 400 euros.
- Vaccines: 20 euros each, except for rabies, which is 30.
- Microchip: 30-35 euros.
- Passport / Veterinary card: 10 euros.
- Neutering / spaying: 130-180 euros more or less.
- Bed: 10-50 euros.
- Feeder and drinker: 0,90 to 10 euros each.
- Necklaces: 0,90 to 4 euros.
- Identification plates with the name and telephone: 5-10 euros.
- Other expenses: Every month it is advisable to set aside money for unexpected veterinary expenses, such as sudden illness, accidents or fractures. The amount will depend on how much we charge for our work, and the other expenses we have, but the more we can put in that piggy bank, the better.
Before deciding if we are going to adopt or buy a cat, we must take into account what it will cost us. Only in the case that we can pay everything that we are going to have to pay, only in this case, it will be a good idea to share a couple of decades of our life with a feline, or with several.
I hope this helps you decide whether to have a cat or wait a bit. Whatever you decide, do it by thinking carefully about the pros and cons. So it will surely be your best decision. Meanwhile, if you want to help the stray cats, in this article we tell you what you can do.