# £70 to adopt a cat!



## Guest (Jun 6, 2012)

i recently lost my beloved 18 yr old and miss her terribly. i also hate not having a cat for company and to look after, so i started looking around for adoption centres.

i was staggered to learn that the local Cats Protection homing centre charges a fee of £70 for an adoption! 

having not looked to adopt for 18 years i am quite staggered by this. can people advise if this is normal?


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

yes totally normal
that barely covers the cost to get the cat spayed/neautered these days 
let alone all the cover and costs the rescue have to spend out on


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2012)

i do realise there are costs involved, but in these economically troubled times with allegedly so many cats needing homes i'm quite surprised that a rigorous home check plus voluntary donation isn't enough.


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

I think it sounds reasonable, after all your new arrival will be spayed/neutered, vet checked, treated for fleas & worms as well as being vaccinated. 

Not bad for £70 imo


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## Nancy23 (Feb 7, 2012)

Thats stupid! how is that going to encourage people to adopt???! My boy was free and my girl £20. Both had been spayed to.


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## Nickiwin (May 29, 2012)

Hi there,

I paid £40 for my rescue boy but he wasn't vet checked, flead, wormed, neutred etc so it came to more than £70 by the time we had finished at the vets!


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2012)

i think this thread could become divided between the haves and have nots :001_rolleyes: to some, £70 may not be much, to others it's an awful lot!


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Nancy23 said:


> Thats stupid! how is that going to encourage people to adopt???! My boy was free and my girl £20. Both had been spayed to.


How do you think shelters/rescues can operate if they can't ask for a reasonable donation/fee for their animals? They have premises to maintain, staff wages, veterinary costs, as well as food for the animals, toys, bedding, utility bills, etc.

It's nto a question of £70 being alot to some & not others. If can't afford £70 then maybe you can't afford a pet. I'm not being harsh but what if your new cat suddenly became ill - could you afford veterinary treatment?


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

But I dont understand how you would expect rescues to survive if they didnt have minimum donations to cover their costs?

I dont know much about cat costs

But for example I have a foster Chinese Crested Powderpuff at the moment, he has come halfway across britain, over 300 miles, in four different volunteers cars, he has been microchipped, neutered, vet checked and wormed. 
So vet fees already over £100, petrol and peoples time well that just is priceless, youc an claim petrol but most do not. 

We are run from foster homes so do not have premises costs (probably the biggest cost to most rescues ), but then of course there is the smaller things that you dont think about like the amount of phonecalls that it has taken to coordinate this dogs journey across the country to his forever home.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

I recently adopted Whisper from cats protection. I paid £75 and she was NOT neutered. I was a bit shocked and also felt it would put some people off adopting from them when you can get kittens for free or a much smaller charge. She was vaccinated and micro-chipped though and I was paying for the cost of keeping her for the first 9 weeks of her life. I didn't mind paying as it helps them to rescue other needy cats but I can understand how some people would not be willing to pay that much.


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2012)

i suppose i might be suffering a bit from culture shock because it's a while since i've had to be involved with this sort of thing, as my old girl was fairly maintenance free in her last few years.


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

doujyr said:


> i think this thread could become divided between the haves and have nots :001_rolleyes: to some, £70 may not be much, to others it's an awful lot!


Its nothing to do with that so no need to roll your eyes.

£70 is a lot of money to me, but I can also see when an animal is coming already with all that veterinary attention etc it is actually a saving in the long run.


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

wind1 said:


> I recently adopted Whisper from cats protection. I paid £75 and she was NOT neutered. I was a bit shocked and also felt it would put some people off adopting from them when you can get kittens for free or a much smaller charge. She was vaccinated and micro-chipped though and I was paying for the cost of keeping her for the first 9 weeks of her life. I didn't mind paying as it helps them to rescue other needy cats but I can understand how some people would not be willing to pay that much.


Now that isnt on I dont think, did they give you a voucher or anything to get her spayed at a later date?


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## Nancy23 (Feb 7, 2012)

Cleo38 said:


> How do you think shelters/rescues can operate if they can't ask for a reasonable donation/fee for their animals? They have premises to maintain, staff wages, veterinary costs, as well as food for the animals, toys, bedding, utility bills, etc.
> 
> It's nto a question of £70 being alot to some & not others. If can't afford £70 then maybe you can't afford a pet. I'm not being harsh but what if your new cat suddenly became ill - could you afford veterinary treatment?


Look I ran a rescue for rabbits,chinchillas and guinea pigs for 2 years so dont go preaching to me about cost, I bloody well know, BUT When I decided to help the animals I knew what it would cost and I payed for it all myself, vets,food,beeding,cages,runs... all I was bothered about was finding new homes for the little ones not trying to make back my money coz comeon if I charged £30 a guinea pig who the hell would rescue?!
Some small home run rescues may need to charge that much till they get on their feet, but the big ones dont need to be as steep esp the RSPCA.


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Nancy23 said:


> Look I ran a rescue for rabbits,chinchillas and guinea pigs for 2 years so dont go preaching to me about cost, I bloody well know, BUT When I decided to help the animals I knew what it would cost and I payed for it all myself, vets,food,beeding,cages,runs... all I was bothered about was finding new homes for the little ones not trying to make back my money coz comeon if I charged £30 a guinea pig who the hell would rescue?!
> Some small home run rescues may need to charge that much till they get on their feet, but the big ones dont need to be as steep esp the RSPCA.


I am not preaching, I am stating facts - surpising if you ran a rescuce that you are not aware  Maybe if you stopped being so defensive (for wahtever reason!) you would understand that

Of course it's about finding new homes but it's also about generating enough money to cover costs to continue doing good work - it has to be, it wouldn't make any sense it it were any different


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## Ali82 (Mar 19, 2011)

doujyr said:


> i think this thread could become divided between the haves and have nots :001_rolleyes: to some, £70 may not be much, to others it's an awful lot!


I can appreciate what you are saying but it's a drop in the ocean if you consider how much it costs to keep a cat over it's lifetime. My cat probably costs me more than that each month in food, litter, insurance etc and that's without considering the likes of vet trips.

Personally I feel the fee is reasonable, it is about what you would pay for vaccinations and neutering.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

babycham2002 said:


> Now that isnt on I dont think, did they give you a voucher or anything to get her spayed at a later date?


No they didn't offer a voucher, but I know some people can get them. I was willing to pay that amount so didn't question it. I obviously did get her spayed when she was old enough and had to provide proof to cats protection.


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2012)

Ali82 said:


> My cat probably costs me more than that each month in food, litter, insurance etc


what?!??! 



Ali82 said:


> Personally I feel the fee is reasonable, it is about what you would pay for vaccinations and neutering.


well given i'm looking to adopt a middle aged/older cat then neutering should not be part of the equation, and i do kindof feel i'm actually doing them a favour by offering one of those cats a loving home.


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## Ali82 (Mar 19, 2011)

doujyr said:


> what?!??!
> 
> well given i'm looking to adopt a middle aged/older cat then neutering should not be part of the equation, and i do kindof feel i'm actually doing them a favour by offering one of those cats a loving home.


Then why not consider Preloved, Ad Mag, local paper etc? There's plenty of older cats out there that people are looking to offload for a nominal charge / free.

There are certain assurances that come from using a reputable rescue but these come at a cost and in reality the fees they ask will rarely if ever cover the rescues costs.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Yes indeed, there are two lots of people looking for homes for cats right now.

Liz


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## rocco33 (Dec 27, 2009)

> and i do kindof feel i'm actually doing them a favour by offering one of those cats a loving home.


But you're not doing them a favour. You may be doing the cat a favour but not the rescue.


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## welshjet (Mar 31, 2011)

wind1 said:


> No they didn't offer a voucher, but I know some people can get them. I was willing to pay that amount so didn't question it. I obviously did get her spayed when she was old enough and had to provide proof to cats protection.


Our CP is the same with kittens, vouchers if needed and also the proof part

Doujyr - Ours were both £50.00 which we had no hesitation in paying, we also made a separate 'donation' - albeit less than what their adoption fee was. Both were neutered and both had only their first jabs when we saw them/they chose us. We had the option of leaving them there for a few more days and having their 2nd booster part done free or taking them to the vets who work with the CP, having the injection free but paying say £10.00 for the consultation, or taking them to a vet of our choice and paying ourselves for the jab and sending the vac certificate back to them. We took them home and took them back to their vets and just paid the extra consulation fee.

When we had them we also 'bought' carriers off them, which were ones that preivous people had taken cats into them in. Both were in fab condition and only cost about £5.00

I think, working it out, with they toys, and crochered blankets we bought, it came to about £100 each.

Personally didnt have qualms about paying this to know both cats were done, jabbed and also had been checked by qualified vets to know that they were free from illnesses and anything which you cant see on just looking at them.

They are a charity at the end of the day and like all of us, are suffering themselves with higher bills for running it and daily expenses.

Just bear in mind, yes you can get kittens/cats cheaper and perhaps even free but it could cost you more in the long term, the same can be said for pedigrees, unfortunately sometimes you may come across one that is not all they seem


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

I think it is also worth bearing in mind that your donation is also helping other animals within the shleter not just the one you are taking home. some of the animals that go in to the centres are in dreadful conditions & require alot of veterinary treatment before being rehomed which will cost the shelter £££'s.

The rescue shelter I have got my cats & dogs from had a dreadful case a while ago Rusty (I know it's a dog story in the cat section but it was heartbreaking)

They also had to cope with multiple pregnant cats being bought in (I think they were removed from a house in a neglect case) & had little room for them all as they already had high numbers of cats in at that point.

When one of my dogs was bought in by his previous owners he had multiple fattly deposits (one was huge) which all had to be tested to see if they were cancerous, he then had an op to remove some of them, received his vaccinations, flea treated & wormed & they also provide life time support for any problems we may have had behaviour wise - not bad for £110!!


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2012)

Ali82 said:


> There are certain assurances that come from using a reputable rescue but these come at a cost


that's a good point. thank you for that.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

doujyr said:


> what?!??!
> 
> well given i'm looking to adopt a middle aged/older cat then neutering should not be part of the equation, and i do kindof feel i'm actually doing them a favour by offering one of those cats a loving home.


You may think you are doing them a favour, and I think most first time adopters will have the same thought, that the shelter will be falling over themselves with gratitude. In reality, it is not like that and you end up feeling they are doing you a favour by even allowing you to go see a cat, never mind take one home.

I remember the days when the few shelters there were, like Battersea Dogs Home and the RSPCA, gave away the animals and they didn't much care who to. And they didn't charge a fee. But over the years they have found this does not work and they only end up getting the animal back.

Cats Protection in Cambridge charge £85 by the way. £70 is really not a lot.


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2012)

newfiesmum said:


> You may think you are doing them a favour, and I think most first time adopters will have the same thought, that the shelter will be falling over themselves with gratitude.


i was about to say i'm not a first time adopter, but given the last time i adopted was 18 years ago i suppose i might as well be! :laugh: i can't honestly remember what i paid to the shelter (Blue Cross), if anything.

times change


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## loubyfrog (Feb 29, 2012)

IMO I think £70 is not a lot to pay for all the future loving years you will spend with your choosen cat.

Also you will know that they are vaccinated,neutured & have a clean bill of health.

Like everything else over the past years cat food,vet bills,vaccinations,heating costs etc have unfortunatley gone up in price so the rescue centers have to up the adoption fee to stay afloat.


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## Lumboo (Mar 31, 2011)

A £70 fee often covers the cost of vaccinations, flea treatment, worming, vet checks and neutering and in some cases micro chipping as well.

It also helps potential owners to properly evaluate the cost of lifetime ownership. Cats in rescue are not bargain basement creatures and shouldn't be treated as such. They need a loving and forever homes and having an adoption fee ensures funds are there for the next rescue cat.

Sounds like a good fee to me and if you are that hard up then I would re-consider getting a cat which is a lifetime committment. Blimey, in some areas the cost of two months of insurance is more than that!!


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## Lumboo (Mar 31, 2011)

Thanks for the negative rep on my post doujy, but it neither snotty nor patronising but merely stating facts.

Vets fees have gone up tremendously over the past 10 years and insurance costs have in some cases doubled in the past few years - even without claims. If you don't believe this, then read a post that is currently on the Cat Chat section with members complaining about this.

Cats that go through rescue are health checked. Who do you think covers this cost? The vets don't do it for free.

If rescues didn't try and cover the costs of each cat that comes through their system they would soon close down. All animal charities have suffered financially in recent years due to the recession, yet the amount of cats through their system have gone up for the same reason.

£70 is nothing compared with the overal cost of caring for a cat, especially if you did your research and realised that the average cat spending 2-3 weeks in the care of the centre has cost the charity around £150.00 before it is handed to you.

By all means negative rep - it will not stop me from attempting to state facts that don't always want to be listened to!


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## rocco33 (Dec 27, 2009)

Not sure why you got bad rep, but have to agree. It annoys me when people think they are doing a rescue/society a favour by rehoming. And while £70 is a lot of money for most, especially in the current climate, it ia drop in the ocean when compared to the costs of keeping a pet. It would not cover half the cost of spaying at my vet surgery. It would just about cover injections, a health check and one lot of wormers.

Why is it people want something for nothing. You either value having a pet or not.


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2012)

well it seems to me that people are missing the wood for the trees. you would think that there are more poeple looking for cats than there are cats!

so fine for the lucky few who make it into a no kill shelter. but what about the many who don't? or who are kept for a week then killed because no one wants to adopt them because of the price tag?


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## grumpy goby (Jan 18, 2012)

Im amazed people expect rescues to run on absolutely nothing - most rescues simply wouldnt exist if they made 100% loss on every rescued animal as they would go bankrupt. 
At least when they reclaim *some* of the costs (not all) through adoption donations it gives them a boost to be able to house, shelter, feed, neuter and assess the next poor soul that comes through the door.


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

doujyr said:


> *well it seems to me that people are missing the wood for the trees. you would think that there are more poeple looking for cats than there are cats!*
> so fine for the lucky few who make it into a no kill shelter. but what about the many who don't? or who are kept for a week then killed because no one wants to adopt them because of the price tag?


No, I think people are looking at the bigger picture 

Personally I would rather cats were pts than passed round from home to home, not being properly cared for, having illnesses ignored because people can't afford to treat them - what sort of life is that?

As I have said before, if you can't afford £70 then how would you be able to afford veterinary treatment should the cat become unwell or have ann accident, even with insurance you will have to pay an excess.


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## grumpy goby (Jan 18, 2012)

Also, worth pointing out id say alot of cats taken in are sick in some way, and so vet costs will pile up.

My friend rescued a kitten (DIY rescue, not through an organisation); it was unwanted litter from a farm, and spent its first 8 weeks in a barn. 

In 2 weeks shes obviously paid for jabs, food and litter etc... on top of that the cat has a cold or something so shes had to pay out for antibiotics and vet visits.

In 3 weeks shes spent more than £70 on a cat that was free to collect. Neutering costs and microchipping costs are still to come (plus additional vet fees til its better)

Perspective?


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## Aurelie (Apr 10, 2012)

Are these suggested donations or charges? Leaving to one side the question over being able to afford vet bills etc, if someone expressed an interest in adoption but couldn't afford the full fee because they were on a pension or whatever, surely as a suggested donation rather than a purchase price the shelter would be obliged to take a smaller amount in some cases?


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## Lumboo (Mar 31, 2011)

Aurelie said:


> Are these suggested donations or charges? Leaving to one side the question over being able to afford vet bills etc, if someone expressed an interest in adoption but couldn't afford the full fee because they were on a pension or whatever, surely as a suggested donation rather than a purchase price the shelter would be obliged to take a smaller amount in some cases?


As a rescue volunteer, if someone stated that they could not afford the donation fee would you not then wonder how they would afford a sudden vet fee though? It isn't something you can leave to one side as it is one of the reasons a lot of sick cats are dumped at rescue in the first place - lack of affordability.

When we got our kittens we were asked all sorts of financial questions and I understood it wasn't to judge us but to see whether we had truly considered every aspect of cat ownership.

Sadly these days vets fees are sky high so affordability of this, or making provisions through insurance is a very valid point. If you question £70, which you are being told has covered a few essential health items for the cat whilst in rescue care, then what will you question further down the line if your cat needs treatment?

A Gumtree BYB might not care about the answer, but rescue charities who see the same reasons for giving up a cat being given day in day out will care deeply.

To put into perspective, Wilbur was ill with a simple UTI a fortnight ago. His diagnosis and treatment so far has cost me almost £200.00 already. In London it probably would have costs even more. Loads of cats get UTIs. It isn't that uncommon, yet the cost for treatment is more than 3 weeks worth of shopping for us.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

I have been reading the replies to this thread and wondering just why any one would question paying £70 for a rescue cat?
Are they considered not to be worth £70 In most cases they are health checked/wormed/vaccinated and neutered and come with a certain amount of "back up" from the rescue.
Buying/acquiring a kitten or cat privately,in most cases all you get is the cat,it is going to cost a hell of a lot more than £70 to have all the necessary vaccs/worming/neutering done and rarely will there be any advice available in the coming weeks ,should you need it.


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## Aurelie (Apr 10, 2012)

Lumboo said:


> As a rescue volunteer, if someone stated that they could not afford the donation fee would you not then wonder how they would afford a sudden vet fee though? It isn't something you can leave to one side as it is one of the reasons a lot of sick cats are dumped at rescue in the first place - lack of affordability.
> 
> When we got our kittens we were asked all sorts of financial questions and I understood it wasn't to judge us but to see whether we had truly considered every aspect of cat ownership.
> 
> ...


You are absolutely right, it is impossible to leave finances aside.


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## ebonymagic (Jun 18, 2010)

My kitten cost me £80. That included all injections and fleas and worms and when she was old enough, her spay.

I don't think its a bad price to pay considering you have to pay lots more for cats from breeders.


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## peterbsh (Nov 2, 2011)

Well What to Say... I volunteer a shelter at least one day a week, more if work is short. We have about 70+ cats and kittens in at the moment and depend on the adoption fee to be able to have the policy of one out one in. Sadly it is more in than out, all cats have vet checks,jabs,flea treatment,and of course the snip if required... We buy cat litter by the ton to get the best price possible, food both dry and wet in large quantities cleaning products, heating.....the list goes on.....we dont get any large cheques through the post to help.....:frown5:

Petrol was probably £1-50 a gallon 18 years ago look at it now....


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

doujyr, I do feel for you. It must be so hard to come to grips with losing your beloved elderly cat. I applaud your wish to adopt another older middle aged cat and hope you soon manage to find 'the one'
I am afraid you are realising that things have changed over these last 18 years, veterinary care for companion animals has changed dramatically...unfortunately fees have risen in proportion!
£70 doesn't go very far these days whichever way you look at it, and certainly would really only cover basic vet checks for a cat ending up in rescue.
I really hope you find a new companion soon and look forward to reading your updates.


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## ameliajane (Mar 26, 2011)

I can understand why rescues have to charge but if it's too much for you you could try somewhere else. I had my cat from a relatively small, private rescue and they did not charge at all, in fact i was very surprised as they did not even ask for a donation (although i did give them £50 anyway).


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## broccoli (Jul 1, 2011)

doujyr said:


> i think this thread could become divided between the haves and have nots :001_rolleyes: to some, £70 may not be much, to others it's an awful lot!


the first 2 vaccinations cost £60+ ( many rescues arrive without proof of jabs..so need both) and a health check etc, easily £70 min

if that initial outlay seems too much, but you know you can afford food, vets etc - have you looked for small local rescues?

one near me that i fundraise for, have low adoption fee to encourage people to take on their cats - they have to cover all other costs by fundraising
- its run out of 3 houses atm, but has rehomed over 100 cats

many stay in contact and help out with fundraising and food donations, bric a brac for stalls etc

if you think you could help after too, look for little rescues - you will really help out in the long run, even if you cant right now.


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## Goldstar (Nov 12, 2011)

It would cost a lot more to buy a kitten, then have him neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and health checked so £70 is very fair IMO, plus you get to adopt an unwanted little kitty and get repaid with the love and devotion he gives


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