Mary Allen
At first glance, cats from animal shelters are expensive – you usually get cats from the farm for free. However, when all costs are factored in, shelter cats turn out to be real bargains.
When someone is interested in a cat from an animal shelter, there is usually a noble intention behind it: they want to do something good for a poor cat that has been rescued or found or the previous owners no longer liked it – and get it from the animal shelter. give him a nice home.
However, many people only realize that good intentions alone are not enough when they go to the animal shelter. There they have to pay something for their act of mercy: Swiss animal shelters charge between 200 and 450 francs for a cat. Many animal lovers then feel alienated by the demand. Why should something be expensive if you only want to do good? Shouldn’t animal shelters be happy for anyone interested in a cat?
Tierdörfli Olten SO charges 380 francs for an adult, neutered cat and 320 francs for young cats that have not yet been neutered. “At first glance, that sounds like a lot of money, especially when certain farmers give their kittens away for free,” says Mirjam Walker. “But if you do the math, you’ll quickly see that a cat from an animal shelter is actually not more expensive – on the contrary.” Walker points to the veterinary checks that a cat from the shelter already brings: it has been vet checked, vaccinated, tested for feline leukemia, deflead, dewormed, microchipped, and, if old enough, neutered. According to the price list of the Society of Swiss Veterinarians, these treatments cost 350 francs for a castrated male cat and 440 francs for a castrated female. In addition, there are the costs for food, cat litter, staff, and space in the shelter.
Cheaper Than from the Farm
Claudio Protopapa from the Burg animal shelter in Seewen SZ does not accept the argument that animal shelter cats are “not competitive” compared to the farm cats that are usually given away free of charge. “Anyone who gets a cat, with the necessary examinations at the vet, comes to a three-digit amount.” This is well above the price charged in animal shelters. Cats are available at the Burg animal shelter for CHF 250. “In this respect, animal shelters are not expensive in comparison, but real super discounters,” says Protopapa. With certainty – and all the homes contacted agree on this – an animal shelter does not make a profit with the contribution for adopted cats. The animal facility can cover at most a fraction of the actual costs incurred with the proceeds.
It’s not just about the costs, Walker adds. “It’s not uncommon for a business to be done with free cats.” With the donation, the animal shelters want to protect the cats from being sold on for money. It is also important that the animals come to people who understand them. And who is aware that every animal life has value. “You take a gift straight away. With everything that costs money, the decision is reconsidered.” The donation does not serve as a lump sum for expenses, but also as a kind of deterrent. “It’s supposed to prevent people from spontaneously and thoughtlessly getting a cat,” says Walker. Otherwise, there is a risk that sooner or later these cats will end up back in the shelter. You want to avoid that.
Like goodwill, money alone is no guarantee that you will actually be able to adopt a shelter cat. Most Swiss animal shelters put interested parties through their paces beforehand. In the Tierdörfli Olten, for example, a whole series of questions have to be answered during the consultation and placement interview. Does the interested party have enough time, money, and space for the cat? Does the landlord allow a cat to be kept? What happens to the cat when the owner has to work or goes on vacation? And even more.
Only when this has been clarified, the right cat has been found, the landlord has given permission and the installation of a cat net on the balcony, for example, has been documented in writing, can the cat move into its new home. The Tierdörfli Olten – like most other animal shelters – also concludes an animal placement contract with the new cat owner. This usually also provides for a pre-and post-control of the new home by employees of the animal shelter.