In light of a few things that I have come across lately I would like to say the following things:

I know that things are tough at the moment for many people, with the credit crunch hitting people hard. Sadly this means many people are unable to afford to keep their beloved cats and find they need to rehome them. I would just like to point out that the UKRCC is there if you do need to re home your pedigree cat , no matter the reason They are never there to judge you or criticise, so please don't be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes, Helen, the person who set up the UKRCC, maybe able to help you resolve a problem you may have and then your beloved cat won't need rehoming and can remain with you.

Please never ever place your pedigree cats in the classifieds for sale or, worst still, offer them free, as it is more dangerous then you can ever imagine. People not only scour through these to find free or very cheap pedigree cats to breed from, or sell on at a higher price, but sadly, and more disturbing, many of these fall into the hands of the fur trade and yes, this really does still go on. If they don't use the fur from the cat they get via the advert, they may breed from the cat and then use the off spring to supply the illegal fur trade. So please, please do not ever think of selling any pet through the classifieds. I do my best to contact many people advertising their cats through the classifieds and let them know that there are rescues, like the UKRCC, that will help to re home their beloved cat. In the case of the UKRCC every adopter is vetted and home checked to make sure the cat is going into the very best home. Thankfully some of the people I have contacted have approached the UKRCC for help, but sadly all too often this is not the case. I am posting this message not only on this forum but on many others in the hope that people will listen and understand that advertising cats in the classifieds is wrong and not in the best interests of your pet, so should be avoided at all costs. There are rescues, like us at the UKRCC, that will help. All you need to do is ask.

If you would like any help with your cat feel free to contact Helen at welfare @ ukrcc.co.uk or feel free to PM myself. Either of us will only be to glad to help you.

__________________

I forgot to mention in my previous post that there is also an illegal trade in cats for use in laboratory experiments. It is believed cats stolen from owners, or obtained from the classified ads, for free or for silly money, are shipped to other EU countries, where legislation is poor and where they can exploit animals, without ever being challenged.

__________________