There Is No Such Thing As A Free Pet

By Raven Simons, Winter 2007

Some time ago I was on a yahoo group for exotic cat owners when one of the breeders who listed their kittens via the group posted a picture. The picture was of some kittens sitting with mirrors all around them. Her message was, “Guess how many kittens in this photo and win a prize.” For fun, I looked at the picture and figured out that there were three kittens. I shot her off a response with my guess. A little while later the poster sent me an e-mail asking me if I was a breeder. I answered that I was a simple pet owner.

I received a second e-mail inquiring if I let my pet cats go outside of the house. I wrote back and told her that my pet felines were strictly indoors only. The third message I got was that I was the happy winner of one of the kittens in the picture, as long as I was willing to pay for neuter, shipping, heath certificate, rabies, and willing to sign a contract. At the same time an announcement was placed on the list that I was the happy winner of one of the F-5 Bengal kittens in the photo.

This announcement provoked a flurry of upset and outraged e-mails. There were a few lovely congratulations. The majority of the posts, on and off list, were about how “unfair” the whole “contest” was and why did I get to “win” this kitten. It went on and on. The funny thing about the whole drama was the fact that the breeder was trying to be nice and do this as a promotion and I never in a thousand years, when I responded, expected to win an expensive kitten.

Any prize I might have expected might have been along the lines of a bumper sticker saying, “I love Bengal Cats,” or a mug, or something like that. Did I expect to win a Bengal kitten? “No!” would be my answer. Did I want a new Bengal kitten? Good question, that. Taking on a new pet is a great obligation and something any responsible pet owner takes seriously, despite all the Animal Rights hype you read about in the news or hear on television.

With shipping, neuter, rabies, and health certificate the price was going to be between three and four hundred dollars. Then there was the price of the shipping crate and the price of my veterinarian to do his health check. I always have my own veterinarian do a health check on new animals coming into the homestead. Then there was the matter of considering a quarantine space before introducing the new guy to the rest of the family.

Meanwhile the e-mail attacks on and off list continued. I was shocked that some of the attacks came from other Bengal cat breeders. This little kitten was pet, not breeder, quMeanwhile the e-mail attacks on and off list continued. I was shocked that some of the attacks came from other Bengal cat breeders. This little kitten was pet, not breeder, quality. Why would any reputable breeder be angry over a pet person “winning” a pet quality kitten? Sheesh, there is nothing any one can say about me that could be more true than the fact that I’m a stubborn individual. I might have been teetering on the edge of indecision about whether I wanted to pay (the incidental expenses) to take on a new kitten, but the nastiness pushed my stubborn button. What a bunch of Wahoolabits (drama stirrers)! The fact that they didn’t have quality lives of their own meant that I was going to have to make the decision to have a new little friend in my own far from empty life.

If any of you have read my children have grown up and moved away and that my mate has given me free reign to what and how many pets I can have. I did ask him, though, you’ll already know that all of my children have grown up and moved away and that my mate has given me free reign to what and how many pets I can have. I did ask him, though, about his opinion of the whole situation. His response was at first incredulous. He couldn’t believe the negative fuss and drama that some of the members of the exotic cat list were demonstrating. His next response was that it was obvious that we would probably be a better home for the little guy than some of the “Wahoolabits” on the list. I do want to say here that there were a couple of solid fellow exotic cat list members, who were happy for my good fortune. They couldn’t believe the drama either.

Enter in to my life Mr. X Marks the Spots. Mr. X is a pet quality Bengal considered to be of early generation. This means that he is close in line to his exotic forbearer, the Asian Leopard Cat. Mr. X has a cool coloured coat that is highly spotted and ticked. His head shape is interesting and not characteristic of many Bengals. He actually looks like some of the F-3 and F-4 Savannahs that I have seen. One Savannah breeder who has seen photos of Mr. X said that he is the type of Bengal that Savannah breeders like to use in their breeding programs.

Mr. X’s personality is also non-characteristic of other Bengals. He is silent, never meows (my other Bengal is an opera singer), and has a very sweet and somewhat silly attitude. He loves to play tricks on the other cats, like locking them all in the bathroom. He’ll also swat you with a paw if he doesn’t like something that you do. He gets along with everybody and likes to race around the cat trees like a crazed thing. He is very busy and has lots of energy. We call him “the peeler,” because he likes to peel out in the tradition of the hot-rodder. His theme music would have to be some of the newer works by Jeff Beck.

He’s also different from my other Bengal, Mr. Ozymandias who’s favorite saying is, “Bring me your finest meats and cheeses.” Oz is a gourmand with a spectacular appetite. X is a finicky and iffy eater. He will actually pass up his raw rabbit or cooked chicken thighs in favor of pulling a trick on his fellow felines. His favorite saying is, “Hey, guys, there’s something very interesting to see in the bathroom!” When they all enter, he quickly closes the door. Since he is silent he communicates via telepathic mind control.

There’s no such thing as a free pet. Anytime a person makes the decision to take in that cute little kitten or puppy, they need to understand the expenses that will be incured. Food, toys, beds, cat furniture, leashes and harnesses, veterinarian bills, and more are the price one will pay when taking on a pet and being responsible in the care and feeding of said pet. You might also have to pay for some damage if your puppy or kitten destroys things (natural behaviors of some puppies and kittens). One also needs to consider the nature of the particular pet that one is committing to.

Animal Rights extremists want the general public to believe (especially legislators) that most people are irresponsible, ignorant, and plain cruel AR advocates harp on and on about the huge issue of pet overpopulation, yet they are not honest in their reporting. It is true that some areas of the United States have a problem. What does AR not state openly is that the biggest problem of homeless pets is with feral cats and large dogs that have not been properly socialized. Some shelters are actually importing pets from other countries to fill the needs of their clientele. Some areas of the US have problems while others have a problem with supplying enough pets for the people who want them.

What happens when all pets are sterilized and breeding ends? Will this be the end of pet ownership? Will this open a new industry? How expensive will pets become when they start being produced in corporate puppy and kitten mills? Could this already be happening? These questions enter my mind when I see some of the legislation being passed around the country. I also ask myself this when new animal breed bans are passed. I can’t own an exotic cat, next I can’t own a pit bull mix, then I can’t own a ferret, next I can’t own a gerbil. At the same time the pet industry rakes in billions of dollars in profits. How can they profit if pets are banned? Follow the money. Have you ever seen how much salary is paid to those who run HSUS or PETA? You can easily find out by checking their tax filings with the IRS. Money is the grease that lubes the wheels of legislation.

Why am I going on an on about the AR big money agenda when I started talking about Mr. X who I “won” in a contest? It goes back to the outrage expressed at the supposedly “free” Bengal kitten I now own (money, money, and more money). Breeders were upset because they felt that they lost out at “free” money in the form of a pure bred kitten. Other pet owners were upset because they lost out on a “free” pet kitten. Yet, I have demonstrated that Mr. X has been far from “free.” I paid money for him upfront before I ever picked him up from the airport. Pets always cost money in one way or another. This is a fact of responsible ownership. AR isn’t going to change this fact, they might just boost up the price so that only the upper classes can afford to own a pet.

I love Mr. X and my other animal friends. Money could never come close to purchasing the love and fun that they bring in to my life. I want my great-grandchildren to have this opportunity, too. I am happy for the money I have spent to bring Mr. X, Ozymandias, and others to my homestead. The satisfaction and happiness is worth every penny. I am a person who understands that there is no such thing as a free pet.

Raven Simons has worked on animal welfare issues for over 20 years, including a 2 year appointment by the County Commissioner to her local Humane Education Advisory Board. She owns exotic pets and can be reached at ladyraven_69@yahoo.com

Photo copyright © Raven Simons & Shapelifting, Inc.



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