Despite this being the weekend, I was up early to take Kevin to the vets for his first injection. He has started to get a bit down about not being able to get outside and explore. While we were there, we needed to ask the vet about his upcoming de-bollocking so he does not go out impregnating stray cats like some feckless cad about town.The vets is only a ten minute walk up the road from us, so I was able to carry him in his case with minimum fuss. Although he made maximum fuss all the way there, meowing with his entire mite. He even at one point actually said ‘meow’ as if it was a word.
Once he was injected with whatever he was injected with, the vet lifted up his back legs to have a gander at his baby-making bag, and announced that he could not neuter him.
Because he is a girl!
The vet actually took quite an indecent amount of time fiddling around in his, I mean her lower regions. He did not even ask him, I mean her out to dinner first. I just hope he washed his hands before he opened his sandwiches.
We ‘adopted’ Kevin from my dad, who had him, I mean her as a kitten. Now he, I mean she is about six months old. We had assumed him, I mean her to be a boy because that is what the person who he got the kitten from told him he, I mean she was. We were only supposed to look after him, I mean her for a bit while my dad moved house. However, he I mean she settled in at our house and now he, I mean she has grown up a bit he, I mean she is determined to get in amongst it in our big garden. I’m quite looking forward to watching him, I mean her chase birds and maybe catch a mouse.
The fact that he, I mean she is a girl meant that the issue of his, I mean her name came up. Mandi wanted to change his, I mean her name completely. I put my foot down and said changing his, I mean her name would be confusing. Although I am not sure my argument really holds up as I have no idea if cats recognise their names. We compromised, and now his, I mean her name is Kevina (pronounced like Davina). To further confirm his, I mean her gender he, I mean she now wears a pink collar.
Kevin is a very affectionate cat, which is apparently unusual in females. I just thought all cats were affectionate, but from what I have learned males are more affectionate. He, I mean she is also very playful, another male trait.
The daft part of this is the cost. It doesn't cost a fortune to do whatever they do to female cats to un-pregnant-able them, but it is about three times as much as it costs to de-ball bag a male cat. A female costs about £80, compared to £40-ish for a male cat.
It isn't really that I object to the cost, but this procedure should be free to all. I’m sure the RSPCA should look into this, as there are rescue centres full of cats that either go to a good home or get put down. There are also many stray cats that are rescued, go into rescue centres then either go to a good home, or are put down. Would it be cheaper and kinder in the end to provide this service gratis if you just bring your cat along?
