There are millions of homeless cats in shelters all over the country, and since the fall semester is quickly approaching, college students all over Boston are considering adopting a cat. The problem is many students don’t think about what they are going to do with the cat when the semester ends. Some cats were given up because the owner was elderly and either had to go to a nursing home or died. Others are in shelters because after ten years of living in a warm and loving home, a family member “develops an allergy.” Still, others are strays who for one reason or another wound up on the streets. Or they were removed from an abusive home. Sometimes people lose their home and can’t take their cat with them. These were once house cats and loving pets, which people just tossed out for any given reason. These include simply moving away and leave the cat behind alone and scared. Above are the cruelest things you can do to a cat. There are shelters available. These cats are not feral and do not know how to live on the streets and thus will suffer a serious illness/disease or even a horrible death. While it’s great to have a cat (they make wonderful pets), you should think ahead to what will happen to the cat when it is time for you personally to move on. The most responsible thing a person can do is to make future arrangements for when the time comes that he can no longer care for it.It is a huge responsibility adopting a cat, even though there are many perks in doing so. If adopting a cat crosses your mind, do not buy a cat from a pet store or a breeder. They usually have all kinds of health problems, plus shelters are full of loving cats who need a good home. Do not adopt a cat who will live fifteen to twenty years and then get rid of it early because suddenly you cannot take care of it. A great alternative is foster care. Rather than adopting, consider foster care. You can foster a cat and then at the end of the semester, return it to the shelter. This way both you and the cat win. A good shelter known for foster care is Alliance for Animals in South Boston, MA. A cats main essentials are food and water, occasional treats, a bed of their own, a scratching post, a clean litter box, and of course plenty of love. Cats hate a dirty litter box and may act out with undesirable behavior such as going to the bathroom someplace else. Cats do not understand discipline, and they will associate you with fear, so scolding or abusing does no work. Your cat should never be let outdoors, except in a secure cat carrier on the way to the veterinarian for checkups. If the cat is let out it can be hit by a car, bring home fleas and diseases, or be tortured by a deranged human being. Cats can provide many years of joy to our lives. Please consider your options very carefully before getting a cat.

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Photoby Elvio Uthman

PrettyKitty