A person who had extra space and resources decided to rescue some cats, but their friend chastised them about their motives. So they turned to the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit for feedback.
Redditor jerryrigby asked:
“AITA for adopting some cats for ‘the wrong reasons?'”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“So I have a decent sized house and a large amount of land I own (12 acres, fenced in forest/field). I like cats but I dont really care that much about them.”
“Anyways I have a friend who works at our local animal shelter and she was talking about how they are full on cats and they can’t take anymore in.”
The OP decided to help.Â
“I made an impulse decision then and there to go adopt some cats.”
“In total I went and got 4 cats.”
“I have a cat door already installed on the back door (it was there when I bought this house) so they can come and go as they please, I was told 3 of them were outdoor cats.”
“I let them chill in my house and get used to the new territory and went and bought several bags of cat food and water bowls and litter boxes and stuff. I got one litter box for each cat though I think they will likely do their business outside.”
“They hid for a while then came out and started exploring a little bit. I’m pretty sure one of them already killed a field mouse because I saw a fresh carcass of one this morning.”
“They seem to like their home.”
“Anyways I dont really care for cats but I got them because I didnt want them to be stuck in cages and be scared, and they’ll have lots of area to explore and play in at my place.”
“I am even thinking of getting more.”
But not everyone thought the OP’s idea was a good one.
“I was talking to the same friend from earlier who works at the animal shelter and she was happy that I got a lot of their cats but was also angry because I got them for the wrong reasons.”
“She said I should only get cats because I love and care for them and not because I think they should be free.”
“AITA?”
The OP added:
“They are all fixed [spayed or neutered] and up to date on vaccines from the shelter I got them from. I will care for them as best as I can including taking them to the vet and stuff like that.”Â
Redditors weighed in by deciding if the OP was:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
While some felt the kind of home the OP’s friend described was ideal for housepets, others noted that cat refuges are set up much like the OP’s home. Cats in refuges are often given access to what they need for food and shelter, but are free to come and go as they please on large, fenced in properties with minimal human interference.
“NTA. There are, indeed, *wrong* reasons for getting cats: To harm them, to harm others.”
“But to get cats to keep them from being stuck in cages and potentially euthanized?”
“Dude – that’s awesome. You don’t need to want them sleeping all over your fact to be a good cat person.”
“It sounds like you’re taking care of them, and they’re getting a really great living situation! As long as you take care of their health and keep them up to date on shots and keep them from becoming kitten factories (spay/neuter!), then you’re 100% fine.”
“I wish more people would do things like this.”
“Signed, someone who used to work in a humane society, and had to choose which cats to put down, and it a total cat lover.” ~ MamaBearsApron
“Disneyland has a large colony of feral cats that are well taken well care of. Disney is part of the trap, neuter, & release program where they allow ferals to be released in the park.”
“The cats in turn keep the rodent population down. They are very popular & have their own website & products.” ~ CelticFire28
“Disneyworld has some as well! Not as large, but definitely has some working cats on property!” ~ normal3catsago
Many also pointed out barn cats are a thing.
“I’ve got a friend with a farm who literally adopts unadoptable cats as barn cats to keep her feed grain unmolested, the humane society was THRILLED when she came in and said ‘I need barn cats, who do you have that hates humans and would be happy outside most of the time?'”
“She went home with three yowling, angry, spitting cats. The kitties have a cozy barn to shelter in, horses and goats to cozy up to, food and water set out to eat and drink when they need it, all the vermin they can catch, and land to wander.”
“While sometimes a critter does get them, their alternative was a life in a cage because they were not suitable as housepets. One of the cats did turn out to be friendly once it was no longer frightened, and became a happy family pet, keeping their old farmhouse vermin-free.” ~ MdmeLibrarian
“The best shelter in my area specifically has a program for working cats as they call them.”
“They range from feral to semi-feral, and they make sure that the home is suitable for the cat (for example, a feral cat would need a barn or shed to stay in, whereas a semi-feral cat may be able to come inside the house) and it works really well.” ~ SerenadingSiren
The OP was assured that at least according to Reddit they were doing the right thing by the cats.