Sunday, October 2, 2016

Why I Dislike When Peole Say They Are Rehoming Kittens

I very much dislike seeing ads where people say they are rehoming kittens or puppies.  It's not so much that I mind that they are looking for homes for their unwanted kittens or pups as much as I mind them using the term "Rehoming" in this situation.

There used to be a time when people just said "Giving away a litter of kittens", and although I disagree with allowing any pet to breed, and shutter at the thought of where some of these kittens might end up going, at least the wording was correct.  Even when backyard breeders would produce a litter they used to just say "pups for sale".  Recently people have wanted to sound less factual and have used phases like "Litter up for adoption" or "Kittens to be rehomed".  Before I go further I will clarify that "adoption" is when a pet is from a shelter and involves actual contracts and such. 

As far as the "rehoming" term I will explain why I detest its use in these situations.  The word rehoming itself is misleading.  It implies the kittens, or puppies, had a home in the first place.  They didn't.  They had a birth place, but did not have a home.  In the case of an accidental litter the owner of the mother typically considers the kittens or pups as an unwanted surprise.  On in the case of a backyard breeder the young ones were produced just to make a profit, so giving them a home was never really an option. 

Somebody tried to "rehome" this litter of kittens by abandoning them on my farm.


When you have a child you give it a home... the child knows it has a home and even after they leave they can always come "home", even if just to visit and do their laundry.  People who give away, or sell, litters of kittens and/or pups do not want them back.  They want them gone! 

This is a personal rant, just a thought that passed my mind after yet again seeing a post where somebody was wanting to "rehome" a litter of unwanted kittens.  Note that it does not apply in the case where a person has an older pet they loved for years and had provided a home for but no longer can, this rant is for people with unwanted kittens and pups only.

If you don't like what I had to say.. that's fine, we all have opinions, deal with it.