And then Seanan got angry.: seanan

And then Seanan got angry.

I am, to a degree, a public figure. I know that. I am also a low-level enough public figure that I am accessible, unlike, say, anyone who's actually famous. That means that some of the things I do and say will be judged in ways that will seem unfair to me. I know that, too. I've basically come to grips with the fact that if I want to be an author, and if I want to make my living doing this, I'm going to have to deal with people judging me. That being said...

Don't you ever, ever insult my cats. Don't you ever, ever imply that I own them because they're "status symbols," or because I am in some way taking pleasure in the knowledge that other cats are being put to sleep right now. Lilly, Alice, and Thomas are my companions. They are my friends. They are the closest I intend to come to having children, and while I may be up for judgment, they are off limits. Leave my cats the fuck alone.

Why do I get my cats from reputable breeders, rather than from the local shelter? A whole bunch of reasons.

I do it for the health of the cat. When I visit a reputable breeder, I can not only meet the kitten I'm hoping to take home with me, I can meet their parents and grandparents. In the case of Alice and Thomas, I met their great-grandfather. I want to know that my cats have a good genetic shot at a long, happy life.

I do it for the temperament of the cat. I have had incredibly sweet, loving shelter cats in my life. I have also had bitter, terrified, xenophobic shelter cats who couldn't be integrated into a household, because they were too damn scared. I want a kitten that has been socialized and loved, and that has been bred to have a good personality to go with those good genes. I want a Lilly, an Alice, a Thomas, a Ripley, a Toby, an Alligator.

And yes, I do insist on kittens whenever possible. At best, I'm bringing home a new cat to an adult who isn't sure about the situation; at worst, I'm bringing home a new cat to two adults who already think there's no room at the inn. I am loud. I move quickly. I go away for long periods of time. I do things the way I do things, and a lot of adult cats can't adjust to me, no matter how hard we both try.

There are cats in shelters. There are cats in rescues. There are cats in need of homes. But I am not in the market for an adult rescue, and the kittens don't need me to be the one that saves them; kittens stand a much better chance than adults. Why do I know this? I know because I have volunteered at shelters and rescues and free clinics since I was twelve years old. Just like I know that I want as complete of a genetic profile as possible on my cats, because I buried so damn many of them when I was bringing them home from the pound.

My cats are not a zero-sum game. Bringing Thomas home from Betsy's didn't kill a kitten somewhere in the world that was waiting for my love; if it hadn't been Thomas, it would have been no new cat at all. Do I wish that there were no cats anywhere in the world waiting for their forever homes? Yes, I do. But that doesn't mean we shut down the breeders, abolish the breeds, and become a Domestic Shorthair and Domestic Longhair-only world. It means we breed responsibly. It means we support the shelters. It means we spay and neuter our pets.

And it means that my cats are not fucking status symbols. They are not somehow less worthy of love and comfort and a place to sleep than cats who have been abused or abandoned. They are exactly as worthy of all those things. And they are getting them from me, as will all the cats in my future.

If you can't be nice to my cats, you leave them the fuck alone.

Oh my...

kittikins

May 13 2011, 00:56:18 UTC 6 years ago

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As someone who has only ever had shelter cats or strays I can say that:
- My first cat, Flower, died of Feline AIDS and one of the scariest days of my life was waiting to get the other two tested (this was back in the 80s, before testing was an everyday occurrence).
-My second cat, Exxon, is wired a bit wrong and aside from being extremely foul tempered, used to be so terrified of EVERYTHING that she passed gas if you looked at her, if you didn't look at her, and heaven forbid you pet her (though she is luckily closing in on 18 and still kicking strong, if somewhat off-kilter).
-My third cat, Boogie, was my once-in-a-lifetime cat. Wonderful in every possible way. Cherished until he died FAR too young of diabetes and bladder cancer. It has been two years and even writing that made me cry.
-Bob, our little stray, is one of the sweetest cats in the world and spends most the day in a spare bedroom (except for 4-5 hours that she comes out to socialize supervised) because she indiscriminately urinates on beds, furniture, other animals, us, etc. It broke out hearts to keep her and not give her the freedom she deserved but what other option would she have had? Most shelters and almost ALL owners would have put her down for the habit (and yes, we've explored medical options, behavioral training, etc... some cats just indiscriminately urinate).
-Wylie- my last shelter kitty in so many ways. I took him home after he spent two years in one of the high-end no-kill shelters in the area only to find out that he was permanently mentally damaged (I've been to the ER for black eyes and split lips) and was inadequately cared for medically. I've gotten him healthy and give him kitty-Prozac daily to keep him mellow.

I love him. I love them all, but I would give almost anything to have sweet, healthy, HAPPY cats. I love reading your stories about your cats because they make me smile. Because they are sweet, and healthy, and happy. I'm sorry someone tried to make you doubt that. I'm glad that you have them and that, most importantly, that your sweet, healthy, and happy cats have you.