They Thought You Were Kitten About The Fee

I recently trapped a pregnant cat and brought her inside. I posted about her online for weeks, asking if anyone was missing her or thought she might belong to someone they knew.

Nobody came forward, and she gave birth in my bathroom. I started posting pictures of the kittens online, saying I would have to figure out adoption fees based on how much the vets charged.

My neighbor reached out, asking about the kittens.

Neighbor: “I have a friend who will adopt all of the kittens once they’re fixed.”

Me: “Great! They should be ready to go by [date]. I’m thinking everything will cost about $200 per kitten. I’ll have a better idea once they go to the vet.”

Neighbor: “I’ll tell my friend she can get them around [date], then.”

Me: “Okay, sure.”

Now, the kittens are old enough to be adopted. I get them vaccinated, fixed, and microchipped through a program my vet suggested. I reach out to [Neighbor] again.

Me: “Hi, the kittens are ready. They’re $150 per kitten, so whenever your friend is ready, I can meet her.”

Neighbor: “What? I told her you weren’t charging anything.”

Me: “As I said when you reached out before, there is a fee to cover their vet bills.”

Though I don’t say it, the fee is also to weed out people who are not willing to seek appropriate care for an animal.

Neighbor: “I can’t believe you’re being so greedy.”

Me: “I’m not, actually.”

Neighbor: “She’s not going to pay that. She can get a free kitten anywhere on the Internet.”

Me: “Okay, go ahead. Just remember, that free kitten is going to end up costing more in the long run.”

Neighbor: “I just can’t believe you would charge money for a cat you basically stole.”

Me: *Laughing* “Okay, [Neighbor]. Good luck with this free kitten search.”

All four kittens were later adopted for $150 each, and some of the families threw in extra money when they saw that I was charging less than the vet fees. I have no idea if my neighbor’s friend ever found their completely free kitten.