No Free Kittens: “Free to Good Home” is Almost Certain Death!

Has your cat just given birth? Do you have beautiful kittens looking for a new home? If you plan on offering those tiny, cute kittens to potential pet lovers for free, think again. Your kitten may just get a temporary home – in a reptile tank!

There are people out there who can resist the cute whiskery smile of a newborn kitten, but their hungry reptile cannot. Unfortunately, a common practice among kitten deluged homes is to offer the precious furry bundles for free in newspaper ads, posters at the local grocery store or by chatting with co-workers and friends.

If you want to ensure that your kittens have a chance at getting a good home, ask the new owner to compensate you. Value adds worth, and worth may ensure life.

Recently a reptile owner asked me where he could find some free kittens. While he smugly reminded me they weren’t for pets, I was reminded of the horrible fate that becomes many small “free to good home” animals.

Kittens, puppies, baby chicks, ducks, hamsters, gerbils and rabbits that are labeled “free to good home” may as well be labeled “free reptile food.” Reptiles owners often search for free or cheap reptile food. Since many reptiles, including snakes, savannah monitors and tarantulas only eat live prey, purchasing the live food from a credited pet store can get costly. At nearly $2 for a mouse, or up to $12 for a jumbo rat, a monthly reptile grocery bill can quickly rival that of the family dog.

Responsible reptile owners can, and do, purchase pre-packaged, frozen and live prey from pet stores. After all, your domesticated reptile pet deserves a proper, species specific, diet. Pet stores are there to ensure that your reptile food is healthy, parasite free and in stock. It is a service that many cringe at, but domesticated reptiles deserve the right to eat, whether you agree with it or not. As long as people keep reptiles as pets, this service will continue.

Don’t undercut the pet stores. Don’t offer your hand tamed pets for free, or you will have “takers.” Yes, takers, not pet owners. Once that pet leaves your sight, there is no way to know what type of life it will lead. Although charging for the pet doesn’t ensure a good life, it will repel many of the free food seekers.

Let this serve as a warning. Next time your family pet brings precious new life into this world, be sure to put a value on it. Because “free to a good home” doesn’t always equal a permanent home. Value adds worth, and worth may ensure life.