You know, there is SO MUCH street and homeless cats and kittens in Russia, you can’t imagine that! In our small town every 2-nd kitty haven’t owner… :( There’s one shelter for pets… But… It’s not enough and not supported by anyone who can support it… It’s just derelict wooden hut with no amenities and one old woman as incoming owner… Sad, but true…
I guess street cats like the freedom so if people feed them and they are healthy, they are ok. In my home country Japan, there are many street cats too and people just feed them at the park or just near their house. What part of Russia are you in? In Australia there are no street animals but it's also very sad because healthy animals are 'put to sleep' because there are too many in the shelters and nobody to take them home...
I agree that street cats feel free. But at what price achieved this freedom… Maybe I will say not the most popular point of view, but I think all the delights of freedom thwarted by the need to survive.
And do not survive in nature, natural habitat, where everything is balanced and “natural”, but in the big city, where the danger comes not only and not so much from relatives, many of the people. It’s not fair.
I live in a small provincial town in the Urals. It’s in all respects center of Russia. And, you know what? Our domestic cats are not less free than the street cats. I can judge from my and my grandmother’s cats, and we can say that this applies to 90% of domestic cats in Russia: the cats comes home only for eat, and then flees back to walk. They has the freedom of a street cat, but they has a home where they can come, where they was warming, feeding and caressing, where they was waiting.
Maybe it’s anthropomorphism of cats on my side, but I think their reflexes understand the words “security” and “weasel”. But all the same, I don’t think we have to go to extremes and put cats to sleep. The street cats still better than sleeping cats. : (
Thank you, violinmuffin, for great discussion! Tell me more about cats living in Japan and Australia. Of cause, if you can and if you want… I think Russia is different from JP and AU, and street cats live there not such in other places…
Your English is extremely good! I only have a few words in Russian (and I can't read Cyrillic yet) so I'm very impressed. Thank you for the discussion too! What you wrote is completely true, that the battle for survival limits the street cats' lives in many ways. They also reproduce freely so it would be an endless situation. What happens to street cats in winter? It is heartbreaking to think about. I don't agree with putting animals to sleep and it is often a race against time. Even if the animals are rescued from bad owners or from the streets, they are only given a certain amount of time to be re-homed. That is just human convenience... However there are some 'no-kill' shelters that look after old, sickly or disabled animals. Our 3 cats came from a shelter and there are many many supporters of rescue organisations but it's an endless battle!
You know, oddly enough, I think that cats’ surviving are not so difficult at winter than in summer, as it may seem at first glance. I think about this now, and I understand that in my 24 years old, I haven’t seen any frozen cats on the street of our town. The fact that in our small town (and in most towns of Russia) layout of houses (called "khrushchyovka") implies the presence of small windows at ground level, which leads to the basement (for storage of residents entrance utensils of all kinds in small divided storeroom). These places are relatively well-heated due to the fact that in the basement is a big part of the heating communications, and cats can sleep or just warm up there. However, it certainly does not negate the need to look for food. : (
About putting cats to sleep: I think the only reason the cat put to sleep — this is madness (when the cat is dangerous to others) or severe illness (when the cat is suffering). I had a kitten that has problems with the stomach. Food is not waddled and kitten very worried. We decided to put him to sleep. But mom went by herself, I didn’t go. And judging by her stories about the process and judging by her tears, I’m doing right, that didn’t go. That would be too heavy for me.
Are there many street cats in Russia? In Australia we don't have any, because they get taken away...
ReplyDeleteYou know, there is SO MUCH street and homeless cats and kittens in Russia, you can’t imagine that! In our small town every 2-nd kitty haven’t owner… :(
ReplyDeleteThere’s one shelter for pets… But… It’s not enough and not supported by anyone who can support it… It’s just derelict wooden hut with no amenities and one old woman as incoming owner… Sad, but true…
I guess street cats like the freedom so if people feed them and they are healthy, they are ok. In my home country Japan, there are many street cats too and people just feed them at the park or just near their house.
ReplyDeleteWhat part of Russia are you in?
In Australia there are no street animals but it's also very sad because healthy animals are 'put to sleep' because there are too many in the shelters and nobody to take them home...
I agree that street cats feel free. But at what price achieved this freedom… Maybe I will say not the most popular point of view, but I think all the delights of freedom thwarted by the need to survive.
ReplyDeleteAnd do not survive in nature, natural habitat, where everything is balanced and “natural”, but in the big city, where the danger comes not only and not so much from relatives, many of the people. It’s not fair.
I live in a small provincial town in the Urals. It’s in all respects center of Russia. And, you know what? Our domestic cats are not less free than the street cats. I can judge from my and my grandmother’s cats, and we can say that this applies to 90% of domestic cats in Russia: the cats comes home only for eat, and then flees back to walk. They has the freedom of a street cat, but they has a home where they can come, where they was warming, feeding and caressing, where they was waiting.
Maybe it’s anthropomorphism of cats on my side, but I think their reflexes understand the words “security” and “weasel”. But all the same, I don’t think we have to go to extremes and put cats to sleep. The street cats still better than sleeping cats. : (
Thank you, violinmuffin, for great discussion! Tell me more about cats living in Japan and Australia. Of cause, if you can and if you want… I think Russia is different from JP and AU, and street cats live there not such in other places…
P.S.: sorry for terrible english :)
Your English is extremely good! I only have a few words in Russian (and I can't read Cyrillic yet) so I'm very impressed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the discussion too! What you wrote is completely true, that the battle for survival limits the street cats' lives in many ways. They also reproduce freely so it would be an endless situation. What happens to street cats in winter? It is heartbreaking to think about.
I don't agree with putting animals to sleep and it is often a race against time. Even if the animals are rescued from bad owners or from the streets, they are only given a certain amount of time to be re-homed. That is just human convenience... However there are some 'no-kill' shelters that look after old, sickly or disabled animals.
Our 3 cats came from a shelter and there are many many supporters of rescue organisations but it's an endless battle!
You know, oddly enough, I think that cats’ surviving are not so difficult at winter than in summer, as it may seem at first glance. I think about this now, and I understand that in my 24 years old, I haven’t seen any frozen cats on the street of our town. The fact that in our small town (and in most towns of Russia) layout of houses (called "khrushchyovka") implies the presence of small windows at ground level, which leads to the basement (for storage of residents entrance utensils of all kinds in small divided storeroom). These places are relatively well-heated due to the fact that in the basement is a big part of the heating communications, and cats can sleep or just warm up there. However, it certainly does not negate the need to look for food. : (
ReplyDeleteAbout putting cats to sleep: I think the only reason the cat put to sleep — this is madness (when the cat is dangerous to others) or severe illness (when the cat is suffering). I had a kitten that has problems with the stomach. Food is not waddled and kitten very worried. We decided to put him to sleep. But mom went by herself, I didn’t go. And judging by her stories about the process and judging by her tears, I’m doing right, that didn’t go. That would be too heavy for me.