Jean Hill with some of the kittens available through the Pakenham Veterinary Clinic’s Adopt-a-Kitten program. Picture: Meagan Trotter.By Paul Dunlop
JEAN Hill has seen too many cute Christmas presents become sad little packages dumped on roadsides.
And the Pakenham Veterinary Clinic nurse has vowed to do something about it.
Mrs Hill has begun an Adopt-a-Kitten program at the clinic in the hope it will be a lifesaver for unwanted pets.
The long-serving nurse said she was concerned some residents treated their pets as a disposable plaything.
“Over the last year we’ve had many, many boxes of kittens left on the doorstep of the clinic,” Mrs Hill said.
“Somebody also brought in a kitten that had been found in a garbage bag left on the side of the road at Officer.
“It’s heart breaking and it’s not the kitten’s fault. People go out and get a cute little kitten but once it gets bigger they don’t want it.
“Or they don’t get their cat de-sexed and they suddenly have a whole litter of youngsters to deal with.
“Some people seem to regard their pets as a disposable item and, if a kitten becomes a cat and they don’t want it any more it’s easier to get rid of it and start again.”
Mrs Hill said people with unwanted kittens could now take them to the Main Street clinic where staff will try to find it a new owner.
A rescued kitten could make a great gift idea and, on the flipside, should help reduce the number of sad little packages.
“People can surrender their litter of kittens to us and, rather than dump them or not feed or throw them out, we’ll either put them to sleep humanely or try and find them a home.”
Mrs Hill has already helped find new owners for several kittens, including some of the family of little moggies found sheltering under building rubble in Pakenham’s YMCA (Gazette, 9 November).
Mrs Hill said the clinic wanted to promote the message of responsible pet ownership, saying people who didn’t want their cat to have kittens should have it de-sexed.
Animals offered as part of the clinic’s Adopt-a-Kitten program have been de-sexed, vaccinated, micro-chipped and come in a handy carry box.
The veterinary services cost $150 but means the kitten is given everything needed to set it on the path to a long and healthy life – or lives.
