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Parenting
DID you have pets before DC
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Re: DID you have pets before DC
I'm going to respond without reading all the responses here, so excuse me for that one.
?My parents re-homed two of their cats when I was born (they had 3) due to behavioral problems. ?At the time I obviously hadn't become involved in rescue, etc??and they didn't realize that the two problems they had could be worked through or how to do it (one marking outside the litterbox, one had started biting). ?My Dad has said that to this day he regrets the decision he made and wish they had made a different one. ?On the flip side, my parents did become more involved with rescue after that and I grew up with a number of cats and dogs. ?My brother and I loved growing up with Pets...its taught us a lot about unconditional love, commitment, responsibility, compassion, you name it. ?I can honestly say that I am a better, happier person for having a life filled with animals.
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Unless you have worked with a rescue or shelter I think its impossible to realize how few good homes there are out there. ?Millions of animals die every year because of it. ?I do work in a shelter and this year has been particularly bad....because of the economy more people are abandoning their animals and fewer people are adopting. ?Even a no kill shelter or a rescue is a hard environment for a pet. ?In a no kill shelter they spend very close to 24 hours a day in a cage, with lots of noise. ?Its scary and stressful, most cats who come from homes get sick immediately b.c. they're exposed to so many germs they're not used to. ?It usually takes 3 -6 months on average for them to get adopted. ?Adults are especially slow to be adopted.
Even if you do find a responsible person to re-home to, it can take a really long time and be a difficult process. ?I foster stray kittens and finding people I trust to raise them and keep them for the rest of their ?lives is very stressful and takes a lot of time and energy. ?I use an application to ensure that they won't declaw, will keep the cat indoors, and can commit to the cat for life. ?I also use a contract specifying that the cat has to come back to me, tomorrow or 10 years later, if they ever decide not to keep it. ?It still keeps me up at night sometimes, realizing that pet owners often change their minds and that they could wind up in a shelter without me ever knowing about it. ?After the application, we have people come by and meet them, we usually take a day or two to think about, then if we feel comfortable we let them come back, sign the contract and pick the cat up. ?Its the only way I feel comfortable that they're going to safe, loving homes and like I said, it takes a TON of work. ?There's also always that possibility that they could come back to us at any time.
Realize that even if you decide to re-home your cats and find a wonderful loving person, that there are two homeless cats out there who will not get a home as a result. ?There are not an unlimited number of homes in the world, millions of cats will be euthanized this year, next year, the year after. ??
We did go through a struggle when we found my second cat. ?our first cat was very aggressive towards him, would chase him and attack him. ?We wondered if this was the best place for him...but we also realized that as a shy, adult stray that few people would want him. ?We not only wanted him, but loved him. ?It has taken a lot of work on our part to make sure he is safe and not stressed out in the house, Sam has come to accept him. ?While he would probably be happier if he were an only cat, he loves us and we love him.
Also DO NOT POST THEM ON CRAIGSLIST WITHOUT AN ADOPTION FEE. ?We've had problems with hoarders picking cats up off there, people posing as responsible homes and selling the cats into medical testing facilities, and people picking them up and using them as bait in dog fighting rings.
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I'd genuinely suggest spending an hour and walking through a shelter before you give your cats up. ?I go twice a week for 3 hours to play with those sad faces (each cat for 10 minutes a day) and I still don't make it through all the kitties we have. ?We have one cat who was turned in for peeing outside the litterbox and have had her, in a cage maybe 4 times her size, for over a year.?
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
well the cats dont play. our cat lays at my feet all day and sleeps. at night will come and lay on me. he is happy. You can do things about the litter. put a little mat down. and honestly if you feel like you do not play with your cats enough, then why not just get rid of the dog as well? getting rid of 1 pet and not the others means you just do not want to deal anymore- and then you should just get rid of them.
so we have a dog and cat before having DS. they are my kids. the dog is our little princess. I am sure she is happy we had a boy because she can stay the princess in our house.
even though I do not get as much time to play with her, DS loves her and looks around for her when she is not around.
Right, because there aren't enough cats in shelters. And there are people lined up out the door to adopt them. Especially older cats.
Wellfleet said it very well. She's the true example of what a loving, responsible adult is.
Our dog of sixteen years died on Tuesday so this hit me especially hard. I know there are people out there who just don't care for animals. I just understand them.
Join our wiki and tell us what your baby eats for finger foods.
Join our wiki and tell us what your baby eats for finger foods.
And I wasn't looking for validation that they're a pain. I have a dog and he's staying....I suppose the cats are staying too b/c I know it would have been hard to get rid of 2 adult cats....thus my question as to how people got rid of them.
thanks to the 3 people who were understanding....somewhat
Join our wiki and tell us what your baby eats for finger foods.
LOL I LOVE this!?
And the backpedaling begins:
Not taking care of cats as much as you should is lazy. Nothing is preventing you from doing so except your lack of desire to make the effort; the very definition of sloth. They are not getting to be a nuisance; you're just tired of them because you have a kid now. Out with the old, in with the new.
Would I rather a pet be miserable in a current home? No. But guess whose job it is to make sure they aren't miserable? Yours! You adopted them. Your responsibility. It doesn't take much to keep cats happy; clean their litterboxes, take them to the vet, feed them and make sure they have water. Voila! Happy cats.
Even that seems to be too much for you, hence why you have been called out for being a lazy and cruel ***, who would prefer to take homes away from two cats in a shelter (leading to their death) than take care of the ones YOU adopted.
You asked how to punish your cats by kicking them out of the only family they have ever known because you have tired of your responsibility to them, the way a toddler gets bored with a new toy. And you are so chutzpadik as to insult others for not being understanding? Shame on you. You're disgusting.
Sadly, you're in good company. Here's where other cats ended up when their owners tired of them, just like you:
There is no way, no way, to ensure your cats won't end up dead in a freezer somewhere, jabbed with a needle while a shelter tech is holding them down with a piece of equipment called a "cat claw," unless you keep them yourself. People get tired of taking care of pets, as you have demonstrated. People lie, as you have demonstrated. And people are lazy and cruel, as you have demonstrated.
If you don't love your cats enough to make sure they have their basic needs met, how could you ever expect a perfect stranger to?
Congratulations. You are what is wrong with humanity. B"eH, you should live, and suffer.
wow. the picture of the dead cat bucket reminds me of the crazy guy in my city who drives a truck with 10 ft. billboards depicting aborted fetuses...it also blasts "god bless america" for that special touch...
I guess every cause has its extremist crazy.
maybe you should hang around outside of the shelters and scream obsceneties at the people relinquishing pets!
um whose side are you on???
if cats are going outside the litterbox, a top entry "cat genie" can often work miracles. ?I'd also try Rescue Remedy (herbal stuff you uy at GNC, put a few drops in their water every day), Cat Calmant (Petsmart, you put a capful in their water every day) or Feliway diffusers (more expensive, you plug them into the wall).
?
Realize that few people will want to adopt a cat with litterbox issues, if you adopt them out without disclosing the litterbox issues then you risk the chance that they might dump the cats in a shelter themselves when they figure out.?
Logic fail.