‘I was told I couldn’t adopt a kitten because I’m 69 years old’

A 69-year-old man is incredulous after Gozo SPCA refused to let him adopt a kitten, citing his age and a lack of a contingency plan.

Ray Bondin, who lives in Gozo, spends most of his time caring for his beloved but territorial seven-year-old cat, Thea. Until recently, he also had another cat named Dylan, who left the house and never returned, something Bondin describes as a great loss.

Following Dylan’s disappearance, Bondin visited the Gozo SPCA to adopt a kitten but was surprised to have been barred to do so because of his age.

“In the past few years, they were my only companions; it is unacceptable for both me and Thea. She may be the queen of the house but she needs company too,” he said. “I miss Dylan terribly.”

Bondin said SPCA staff explained he would not be allowed to adopt unless he had a contingency plan in place: someone younger who could assume responsibility for the cat in the event that Bondin passed away or was moved into a care home.

“Just because someone is younger doesn’t mean they automatically can give the same level of care I can and have given my cats,” he said.

He described the decision as discriminatory and said he found it deeply upsetting.

“When they told me no, I was very upset. Very upset,” he said.

“I have always admired the volunteers who run SPCA, but feel strongly that this policy is illegal and discriminates against mature persons, the ones who really need the cat for companionship and who can give longer hours to their care.

“I don’t think I look that old, and I definitely don’t feel that old, but I do feel I am being judged.”

The argument that the cat might outlive me doesn’t make sense- cat owner Ray Bondin

He added that, like anyone else, he did not know when his time would come but felt he was still fit to look after a kitten.

“The argument that the cat might outlive me doesn’t make sense. None of us knows when we are going to die, but I think I have a while left,” said Bondin.

Cats typically live between 12 and 20 years.

'Adoption assessed on a case-by-case basis'

Contacted for comment, the Gozo SPCA told Times of Malta that while no legal age limit exists preventing someone from adopting a cat, each animal sanctuary has its own policies, with theirs being “fairly flexible”.

They added that the organisation did not apply a specific age limit and assessed adoption requests on a case-by-case basis.

The spokesperson explained that in Bondin’s case, the concern was that he had no one lined up to take over care of the kitten if he were no longer able to do so.

Bondin informed the SPCA that he had made provisions in his will for Thea to be looked after, but did not provide the name of a person.

Ray Bondin and his cat Thea.

The SPCA said it would be willing to proceed with the adoption if Bondin could name someone who could take over the cat’s care and allow them to vet that individual.

“We need to speak to the person who will take the kitten. If he were married or had kids, that’s fine, but the fact is we don’t know who that person is.”

According to SPCA, its concerns were twofold: first, that a 69-year-old adopter might not be able to care for the kitten for its full lifespan; and second, that most care homes in Malta do not allow pets, which could result in the animal being abandoned.

“We are often contacted by family members of care home residents who don’t know what to do with their pets anymore,” the spokesperson said.

SPCA said it had encouraged Bondin to adopt an older cat instead, but he declined, explaining that Thea would not accept another mature animal.

“We are a small sanctuary that caters for kittens and puppies, and if something happens, we can’t take in the cat after it’s grown. So, we are risking imposing on another sanctuary,” the spokesperson said.