Animal shelter visit yesterday

[sasvermont]

I went with a friend, to visit a shelter so that she might find a cat for her new, small apartment.

There were at least 80 cats there to select from and boy was it heart breaking at best! I wanted to bring home at least three of them and thought hard about it. I resisted, as I know I have reached my limit. The shelter was full of folks looking for pets, so I thought that was a good sign. I suspect more pets come in, than go out. Unfortunately.

My friend was rather vague about her decision about the cats she liked, so I left. I have not a clue as to whether she was really serious about getting a cat at this point and was getting frustrated about her not coming to a decision right away. I am like that. It's now or never type of person. Also, I had my dogster in the car with the a/c running and could not stay very long.

I just don't know how folks can give up perfectly good animals. I don't get it. Yes, I know there are circumstances that prevent one from having animals...ie nursing home, armed forces etc. etc. but really. I would try to find someone on my own. Many of the animals were strays. Some were in bad shape, fur wise but there were plenty ready willing and able to be taken home on the same day. They spay and neuter BEFORE you take them and build that into the price of the animal.

I didn't visit the dogs. Way too tempting. Prue would love a playmate. I am not sure she would like to share the big bed or her food with another dog. She would like to play with one, I am sure.

My heart goes out to all the pets that sit in shelters. I promise, IF I ever want to get another cat or dog, I will go to a shelter. My pets usually live such long lives, that I doubt if I will ever get more pets. We shall see.

Well, I guess the next best thing to adopting is donating. So please donate to your local shelter. I am sure they all could use a few bucks to ease the crowding.

It will takes me weeks to get over the visit. Really.

[katladyd]

I do not go to shelters unless I am there to adopt one myself. I have gone with people who end up going home without adopting and it makes me furious!!!! When I am in the position to get another cat, I am at my limit now also, I will definitely go to the shelter and adopt one. There are some wonderful furbabies there just begging for a home.

[cassiesmom]

Every time I visit Harmony House I want to bring all the kitties home! Harmony House is no-cage, no-kill and they have a good group of regular volunteers that care for the cats-- including playing, petting, scritchies and lovies. That makes it much easier for me to go there.

When I go to Petsmart I have a route to the cat department that avoids the room where the adoptable kitties are. If I look at them I want to bring them home with me.

[Taz_Zoee]

Every time I visit Harmony House I want to bring all the kitties home! Harmony House is no-cage, no-kill and they have a good group of regular volunteers that care for the cats-- including playing, petting, scritchies and lovies. That makes it much easier for me to go there.

When I go to Petsmart I have a route to the cat department that avoids the room where the adoptable kitties are. If I look at them I want to bring them home with me.

The shelter where I volunteer only has cages in the back. When the animal is up for adoption they are in a nice "condo". And the only way I could work there is that it is a no-kill shelter. Volunteers go in daily and just sit with the dog or cat and play with it or read books to it. The dogs get walked regularly as well.

At my PetSmart the cat adoption area is way on the other side of the store. I only have a problem when I take the dog to get groomed. It is right next to the grooming department.

Well, my friend that is adopting a kitty from my shelter should be going today to get her little girl! (I had posted a thread about URI's the other day) I'm so excited for her. I just hope she gets there in time and someone else doesn't snag her up. She is a cute teeny little Snowshoe mix (thats what she's listed as). She basically looks like a siamese with white toesies. :D

[mrspunkysmom]

I went with a friend, to visit a shelter so that she might find a cat for her new, small apartment.

My friend was rather vague about her decision about the cats she liked, so I left. I have not a clue as to whether she was really serious about getting a cat at this point and was getting frustrated about her not coming to a decision right away.


When I went to the Animal control Open House for their new facilities, I met a lady that was looking for a cat. She had to have an exact replica of a previous cat. It was frustrating. You don't want people to take a cat they don't want, but that's putting a lot of pressure on the cat, too, when the new owner expects a different behavior from it.



I just don't know how folks can give up perfectly good animals. I don't get it.


I don't get it either. Throw away pets. :mad: That's how I ended up with Jane 2 years ago, and now Emily and Bob. They were being thrown away. :mad:

I do go see the kitties at PetSmart, but since I have Emily and Bob now, I don't stay as long.

I had a nice visit at ACS but it was heart wrenching to see all those lonely kitties.

[IRescue452]

Unfortunately, cats breed like cats; which is worse than rabbits. And so many people are willing to share their homes with unspayed female cats. I don't know how anybody does it. When my mom first adopted Pixel and she wasn't spayed she drove us nuts for weeks until the appointment. We weren't sure if her last owners had her spayed or not until her annoyingness answered the question. I know somebody who had 6 unspayed females. How does anyone do it? I don't think too many cats get adopted either. People give kittens away for free by the dozens. That's a whole lot more motivation to the average person than spending money adopting. In my area, they have free or discount adoption days for cats all the time just to try and move them to homes before they're put down. I don't know how anybody gives up their animals like a piece of used furniture though. People are heartless.

[tokolosh]

I don't get it either. Throw away pets. :mad:

I had to look for an apartment several years ago in my city, and guess what the landlords' number one showstopper was? No pets. It took me months of hunting and some serious other concessions to find a place that would allow us to have Limpet - and he went and changed his mind/forgot his original willingness anyway just this summer. If she hadn't happened to die just before he did it, I could be one of the people you're being so unthinkingly contemptuous of here.

It's easy to say things like this but I sometimes think people maybe don't try very hard to get it before they get on the blame. I guess it eases the way we all feel when we see a shelter full of cats, but imo it's unfair to many perfectly serious, dedicated pet owners who find themselves looking at difficult realities and having to make hard choices about them. Fact is, modern city life isn't really geared anymore to let people make room in their lives for their pets. Cats in particular here, for some reason. I've encountered landlords who were prepared to allow some kind of dog, but not a cat.

[chocolatepuppy]

tokolosh, I seriously doubt shelters are full of cats because someone had to give them up for a good reason. Maybe a few of them, but not most.

Anyways, I got three of my last four dogs from the shelter. Didn't bother me too much because I knew one was coming home with me. As for my cats, when I recently adopted my cats Angel and Tessa, the rescue inside Petsmart made it very easy. I really didn't want to go near the dogs at the shelter, I would want one and two is my limit right now.:(

[tokolosh]

tokolosh, I seriously doubt shelters are full of cats because someone had to give them up for a good reason. Maybe a few of them, but not most.

I guess it depends how you define a good reason, really. And it probably also depends a lot on the region. The major ones here seem to be 'moving and not allowed pets' and 'cat not happy since baby was born'. Sometimes 'new work demands; can't care for it properly anymore'. The thing is, a lot of these factors really aren't as much under most people's control as it might seem. Not every move or every change in job conditions is made for selfish reasons. A lot of them aren't even 100% voluntary. For instance, the only way anyone can absolutely permanently guarantee not being in the 'have to move' position is if you owned your own freestanding, one-family house outright. That way it would be your call alone and no landlord or strata council could change the game-plan on you, and you'd never have to trade down to meet a cheaper mortgage. As for the 'new baby' thing - well, I don't know. It seems really draconian to say 'you can't ever have kids once you get a cat in case it doesn't work out', but once you're in the situation, what do you do? You can't give the baby back. Doesn't mean you didn't try to pre-think things, or that you give the cat up lightly.

I agree you have to think hard before you take on a pet. And there are a lot of 'hidden' responsibilities that you should know about and be honest about before you do it. But a lot of the time you just don't know what might be coming at you. A lot of people do do that thinking and make that decision in the best possible faith, and then find themselves gotcha'd in spite of it. These are pretty uncertain times.

To be truthful, I've never given that much thought to it. I've got different things to walk around 'just not getting' most of the time ;) But I'm a bit surprised at the hostility towards people whose pets end up in a shelter. I would have thought if you do have to let a pet go, that would be the most responsible option around and might even deserve a shred of credit. I wouldn't trust myself more than I'd trust the SPCA to screen out potentially unqualified adopters for instance, and it sure beats just dumping them.

[mrspunkysmom]

If she hadn't happened to die just before he did it, I could be one of the people you're being so unthinkingly contemptuous of here.

...... Fact is, modern city life isn't really geared anymore to let people make room in their lives for their pets. Cats in particular here, for some reason. I've encountered landlords who were prepared to allow some kind of dog, but not a cat.

I wasn't being contemptuous. It was a statement. I don't get it. I didn't treat the lady mean when I took Emily and Bob and I don't think ill of her. She explained her reasons. She was being sort of responsible up to the point she threw an indoor cat outside. She did ask for help at least from me afterward. Her rationale is something I do not understand. I didn't argue with her, because she had made a decision that her life would be better this way.

I wouldn't abandon my pets. I have given some away when circumstances weren't good and I tried my best to make sure it was a good fit.

I think it is about choices and responsibility. I've never had to make the choice between a child and an animal, so I can't speak to that, but I can speak to being unemployed and bad times. Back then I switched to a store brand food and Spunky was sick with kidney stones 3 weeks later. Eating popular food makes him throw up now. He won't eat it unless I give it to him now. Back to the kidney stones. I found a way to stretch my money so he could get some good food. It was either that or give him up. And I couldn't be sure the new people or shelter could or would spend the money to keep him healthy.

I think people decide what is important. And pets take a low priority position. Sometimes children do too. I know a lady that bought accessories for her cell phone that I gave her but she couldn't buy the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal.

I think emotions run high here because most of us are on the receiving end of throw-away pets. I am at my personal limit and so are my two "oldest" kitties. Others will adopt more. I donate food and money.

As for apartments and kitties versus dogs: I've always found that cats and small dogs are allowed. They create less mess. And dogs require and impressive amount of time.

I think some of this is that times are hard and people (bosses, landlords, etc.) don't feel the need to be nice anymore. Are there some landlords that won't allow pets at all. Yes. I just don't think it's that prevalent. However, pet deposits for rentals have gone through the roof. And that can be a factor for some people.

Again it's about choices. You make the choice to keep the pet, develop a relationship, etc. At least surrendering the animals saves the animal from suffering on the streets.

[tokolosh]

I think emotions run high here because most of us are on the receiving end of throw-away pets.

Yeah, I think that's true. And it's completely understandable. I get the same overwhelmed, emotional, pressured feeling when I go to shelters and see them all. You feel helpless. But when I think about it more carefully, I realise most people didn't create the cats that they give up or 'throw out'. My impression is that most relinquishing owners didn't even passively 'allow' them to be created, in the sense they weren't the ones who were personally responsible for spaying or neutering the parents, and didn't do it. They just took on a cat that already existed and would have existed whether they'd done it or not. Often kind of against their will, because it was a cat that needed a home and they felt they 'had to' do something.

These people do what they can, for as long as they can, but sometimes they can't do it for the length of a cat's life. And yes it's true - sometimes they just decide they don't want to anymore. It still seems kind of arbitrary to me to harsh out on those people, really. Why not get harsh on the ones who don't own cats, never want to own cats, and don't intend to ever make changes in their lives that would make room for a cat? At least the first group of people provided a home and some care for PART of that cat's life. I don't know if that's better or worse, frankly. But if you get too doctrinaire about it all, it seems to me like you end up alienating or intimidating even those people who were willing to try. It's not fair to lump them all in as 'throw away' owners. The real issue is a) there are too many cats and b) there aren't enough people whose lives have room for a cat. To me, those are systemic issues more than individual ones.

Failing to spay or neuter, and/or spending fortunes to buy designer kittens from breeders when there are so many cats already here that need homes - those are my two 'don't gets', I guess. And when I say 'don't get' it's just a euphemismistic way of saying I don't think it's okay and I can't personally think of any reason that might change my mind. For all I know there is one and I just haven't come on it yet, and my judgemental attitude is just ignorant. But that IS creating more cats, or feeding a dynamic that creates more cats.


As for apartments and kitties versus dogs: I've always found that cats and small dogs are allowed.

It really isn't true here, im cat-owning opinion. You could probably get away with saying you smoke more easily than you could with having a pet, with some of the people around here - because they can tell you to do that outside. And dogs are heavily in fashion in this city (which I think is a major mistake in itself, given the constraints of city life and the kinds of stuff a dog needs). So people are more prepared to accept dogs partly because they're dog-friendly themselves and more disposed to empathise with a dog-owner's feelings. Plus they don't think of dogs as destructive. They do see cats that way. Cats pee on things. Cats scratch stuff. And besides, cat people are loopy. I'm giving you the prejudices there ;)


I think some of this is that times are hard and people (bosses, landlords, etc.) don't feel the need to be nice anymore. Are there some landlords that won't allow pets at all. Yes.

Very true. But I do think it's prevalent. The whole of North America is going for a dive, if you read the papers ;) Things trickle down and and around in all kinds of ways that aren't easy to trace.


You make the choice to keep the pet, develop a relationship, etc. At least surrendering the animals saves the animal from suffering on the streets.

Sure. And down the line you find yourself faced with a different set of choices - and you don't have any choice about having to choose for that second or third or fourth time. I understand what you're saying and I did it too. But I've been there where it's genuinely hard, and I wouldn't judge someone else for making a different call.

[chocolatepuppy]

I guess it depends how you define a good reason, really. And it probably also depends a lot on the region. The major ones here seem to be 'moving and not allowed pets' and 'cat not happy since baby was born'. Sometimes 'new work demands; can't care for it properly anymore'. The thing is, a lot of these factors really aren't as much under most people's control as it might seem. Not every move or every change in job conditions is made for selfish reasons. A lot of them aren't even 100% voluntary.

I agree you have to think hard before you take on a pet. And there are a lot of 'hidden' responsibilities that you should know about and be honest about before you do it. But a lot of the time you just don't know what might be coming at you. A lot of people do do that thinking and make that decision in the best possible faith, and then find themselves gotcha'd in spite of it. These are pretty uncertain times.

I'm not a child and am fully aware of the twists and turns of life. Been there done that, more than once. With pets in tow.



I wouldn't abandon my pets.

I think people decide what is important. And pets take a low priority position.

I think emotions run high here because most of us are on the receiving end of throw-away pets.

100% agree!

[luvofallhorses]

People are full of excuses giving up their pets. Some I WILL give an exception for, such as the dog or cat being in danger of being hurt or being dumped.. I work at a shelter, I see people dump their pets EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. and it's heart-breaking. We have had cases of dogs being tied or thrown over our back fence at the shelter or kittens and mom in a box duct-taped shut on the front door.

Most of the cats we get in are not owner turn ins, they are strays same as the dogs. For me, it depends on the reason but I could never give up my pets they will go everywhere we go when we move or whatever but we are never moving so there is no reason for us to give them up. I understand nobody is perfect, but pets are for life.

I could see in some situations if a person is in danger in a domestic relationship and they need to give up their pets and go to a shelter. That I will give an exception for but atleast 80% of people make up lame excuses..

Also - I personally like all the dogs and cats at the shelter I work at. :) They each have unique personalites and I love working with them. Miagi & Tiger my cats were rescues and my dogs Dixie and Rudy were rescues as well and I am blessed to have them. Buster my hound was not a rescue, we got him before I got into rescue though and Angel my other cat wasn't a rescue either she was in a free ad but I am happy to have them in my life too. :D

[tokolosh]

I'm not a child and am fully aware of the twists and turns of life. Been there done that, more than once. With pets in tow.

I don't feel safe ever saying I'll 'never' do something. It's far too easy for me to imagine myself standing in just about anyone's shoes :D

[chocolatepuppy]

I don't feel safe ever saying I'll 'never' do something. It's far too easy for me to imagine myself standing in just about anyone's shoes :D

It seems you like a good disscussion. I don't. I come here to enjoy myself.:D I NEVER said NEVER. Only saying I'd go the extra mile to keep my pets. Many do not, therefore, shelters are full of animals being PTS every day. Satistics prove that, I don't need to discuss it. ;)

[catmandu]

:(:(:(
I feel badly when I see all the Great Cats who would make a Great Friend and Companion.
There are so many Great Pets out there , and it is sad that we have to put so many down.:(:(
And with our economies doing badly , I have a feeling that things are doing worse for Our Poor Lost Souls:(:(

[sasvermont]

I think I mentioned in the original post of this thread, that there are some folks who have real reasons for taking a pet to the shelter. I would try my hardest to find homes for my pets, but of course, if I were ill and not able to dial the phone or con friends into taking my pets, there would be no choice but to take them to a shelter or rescue.

Many, many of the animals in the shelters around here are strays and from hoarders. Rural areas lends itself to hoarders. No one can see what's going on until it's too late. Dogs, cats.... animals in general.

I just wish people would spay and neuter their pets. Bunnies included. The shelters around here won't give you a pet unless it's been fixed. I am not one to "fix" a pet before six months, but the shelters do it early on, to prevent adopting out an unfixed pet....oh well.

More people need to be educated about how to take care of their pets. If they can't afford to take care of them, they shouldn't have them. That includes good food and vet care.

There are a few folks on this forum that spend their last dime on their pets...and I wonder how long they can keep it up before they have a real big problem. I try to keep my number to match my income. Same with having children, as far as I am concerned. You shouldn't have any more children than you can afford to feed and clothe.

Well, I trust that everyone reading this knows the difference between being responsible and not. We are just airing our views here. No one here is abusing pets and HOPEFULLY everyone spays and neuters their pets.

Please don't get angry with anyone posting the opinion. We are all entitled to one....whether you agree with it or not.

Please, please spay and neuter your pet. Unless you are earning an income from breeding, there is not a good reason not to! Be responsible and don't create any more unwanted pets in this world.

[Miss Z]

People are full of excuses giving up their pets. Some I WILL give an exception for, such as the dog or cat being in danger of being hurt or being dumped.. I work at a shelter, I see people dump their pets EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. and it's heart-breaking. We have had cases of dogs being tied or thrown over our back fence at the shelter or kittens and mom in a box duct-taped shut on the front door.


The same thing would happen at the shelter I used to volunteer at. People so cowardly that they daren't even show their face to the people at reception. I suppose, though, even they beat the lowlifes that abuse, starve, and abandon pets in their homes and on the streets, where they are less likely to fall into the care of the RSPCA or other animal organisations. :( :mad:

Sallyanne, I can sympathise with feeling frustrated at your friend. I can recall people who were quite clearly just on a 'day out' during my days at the shelter. They used to irritate me so, as in order to take them around the place (the policy was that a member of staff had to be with visitors at all times, since people have silly habits of sticking their fingers in cages... :rolleyes:), we'd be taking time out of our schedules that could be used for cleaning up, walking dogs, socialising animals, etc. We were always run off our feet as it was.

Now I'm sure your friend would have no intention of causing anything like that, but perhaps if she is not fully committed to getting a cat then it's something worth mentioning to her. I can understand that some people take time to find a cat that is right for them. But if the commitment to rescue is there in the first place, it definitely makes it more worthwhile for the staff to work to find that cat.

Also, thank you for reminding people to donate to shelters. Certainly in the UK, they are having a very tough time, and 'my' shelter in particular has laid off a lot of staff since I left in September 2009.

I've sent donations through the post to them a few times, when I can afford to do so. It's important also, to send the money directly to the shelter. I'm not sure, again, if this is the case overseas, but many shelters here are under the 'patronage', shall we say, of the RSPCA, Cats Protection, etc. With regards to the RSPCA in particular, money sent to the charity doesn't go to the shelters. It funds their campaigns and their inspectors, which, whilst important, is not always what people think their money is being used for.

[Lizzie]

I work with a woman who has two cats, one of whom she adopted only months before she and her husband went through the adoption process for a child. They first fostered and, a year later, adopted twin girls. The children have a few medical problems, one of them being asthma from cats. Her husband has medical problems and is slated for a kidney transplant this year, to be donated by my co-worker. She has a very responsible job and often works at home extra time. At every twist and turn of fate, every problem, this co-worker has worked out how to deal with everything and the cats are still living happily in her home.

I'm fostering a cat right now who was a turn-in to the no-kill shelter where I volunteer. The reason for surrender was that the couple had a baby and couldn't care for the cat any more. The cat, Siren, went out to a store for adoption but didn't eat. She is one of the shyest and most stressed-out cats I've met. For the first two days, her pupils were completely dilated and she didn't eat anything. Then she began eating a very little if I was in the room keeping her company. She's only just started to eat when I'm not keeping her company. Last night she used the armchair in her room for the very first time and it almost made me cry to see her relax and enjoy comfort. Before that she lived, and slept on the windowsill. She loves human companionship but seems confused about receiving attention, wanting it and then not wanting you to be too close. It was right that she be given up to the shelter, I know, but all I can think about is the selfish sods who couldn't give attention to a cat as well as a baby.

I'm another who couldn't go to a shelter without adopting a cat. Proof of this was when I went to an adoption center for a local animal control recently to look at a seriously disabled cat and ended up adopting not only him but two other cats who looked like they wanted to tear down that doors to their small cages.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I know my limit and I'm at that limit right now. I also believe in adopting animals from shelters or rescue groups. Luckily in CA the animals have to be spayed or neutered before you can adopt them. I do like to look at the cats whenever I'm in a Petsmart though. Last Sat. I saw some very cute kittens at Petsmart and two of them really tugged at my heart. One was an orange marbled kitten and the other was mainly white with some orange. They're short haired and also brothers so I think it said that they should be adopted together. If I hadn't already adopted Alani & Blaze last year,I'm pretty sure that these boys would've been going home with me.;) It's so hard to resist but as I said before, I know my limit and my current cats wouldn't be very happy with any more new additions either.

[katladyd]

I KNOW I am at my limit! Neither Mac nor Ming get along with Kimba and that doesn't look like it's changing at all. They don't fight as much as before, but that is because Kimba tries to stay out of their way now. I will give it a few more months, but I may have to rehome Kimba. It's not fair to any of the cats to have to live this way. Still, they do seem to be working it out. I just know that I have no room for any more cats in my apartment. My dream is to have a large house with lots of room and have as many cats as I can truly take care of and love.:love:

[mrspunkysmom]

None of the kitty krew get along with Emily but they are working it out. She is learning her place and how not to annoy Sam. The others are learning to play with Bob or rather Bob is learning how to play with them. And it's wishful thinking, but perhaps Spunky is learning how not to be a punk. It is a work in progress.

I didn't intend to keep Emily and Bob, but once I realized that adoption would be iffy, I knew I had to accept the responsibility for my decision. And I don't regret taking them from that lady. They're a hoot.

To me this is all about commitment. I made a commitment, a promise and I have to honor it. I know that sometimes life throws you lemons and you have to make arrangements but many people quit far too quickly. I teach school and I see it all the time.

A co-worker recently rescue a Yorkie. He found it wandering the highway near his neighborhood. He called to him and he came right to him. He thinks the dog lived a street or two over as it is a yippie dog and he has heard it before. He put up posters and no one has called to claim it. He's working on training him now so he can get along with his Scottie, who was a breeding mother in a kennel he adopted from the owner a few years back. She's still shy and the Yorkie is assertive.

I like dogs, but I don't have dogs because I know how much work they are. This is not to say that kitties aren't a lot of work. :D

Just my opinion.

[jennielynn1970]

Well, I guess the next best thing to adopting is donating. So please donate to your local shelter. I am sure they all could use a few bucks to ease the crowding.


You might want to look to see if they have a "WISH LIST" on Amazon. So many of us shop online these days, you can look up your local animal shelter and see their wish list, purchase right from Amazon, and have it shipped right to the shelter!!! It's a great idea to do this I think, and it can never hurt when you're up late, not knowing what to buy for yourself, so you can just take that extra $50 and buy something for your fave shelter.

[tokolosh]

More people need to be educated about how to take care of their pets. If they can't afford to take care of them, they shouldn't have them. That includes good food and vet care.

I guess this is my major reason for thinking a shelter or the SPCA is actually a better option than canvassing around among friends if I personally needed to re-home a cat. You just helped me to clarify this :) In the short term a shelter looks less caring because it's basically an institution. No cat would pick it over a home, I bet. But I know they know more than I'll ever think of about what a new cat owner should know, and they have practice at matching people to cats, facilitating the transition, remembering all the important stuff and making sure it's communicated. So in the long run I think my cat would get a better deal if I went that way. It's just too bad it isn't feasible to ask a donation or fee for taking someone's cat and caring for it until it gets a new home - the service they provide is so valuable and they're taking it on. But I can only imagine that would deter a lot of people and lead to more 'dumps'.

[luvofallhorses]

An institution? :rolleyes: The cats are treated VERY well where I work, I wouldn't call it an institution but the cats can get stressed easily and stop eating and die. We have 3 rooms where the cats are free-roam after they are checked out by a vet, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered. They aren't all in kennels 24/7.

Of course a REAL home would be better but we all know we cannot save them all and realistically there are not homes for them all thanks to BYBs and irresponsible owners. :( I know my limits, everyone should have a set limit being a pet owner IMO.

[tokolosh]

Also - I personally like all the dogs and cats at the shelter I work at. :)

It's been weird and a bit rough for me mooching around shelters this time around, trying to get myself accepted as someone they might be willing to give another cat to, some day down the line. At my local place which is the only one I can get to on any kind of regular basis in 'adoption hours' and still keep a job/say hi to my kid once a day, you really can't get to know any of them to any special degree. I find myself chickening out in the most awful way and cravenly pretending I see and appreciate the special spark of personality in each 'special' cat. Because I don't want them to decide I'm not really fuzzy enough about cats and strike me off ;)

But the fact is, you can't see it. I know it's there, in each of them. But infection and illness is such an issue there (overcrowding) that you can't interact with them enough to find it. On some days they ask you not to even put your fingers against the cage mesh to see if the cat takes an interest in your overture. On a good day, you can get them to unpadlock a cage so you can reach in and offer some scratching and stroking, but they ask you to only do this with one cat per visit, not do it unless you're washed like a surgeon and draped in a clean towel (which they have to fetch). And you can never, ever allow the cat to touch the floor, supposing it does show an interest in you.

It must be really frustrating for them as well, because all the reasons are so important. I was snarky and frustrated at first, but now I get it and I regret that. But I find I've been back there five or six times in the past barely-one-month, and I come away every time knowing that I haven't really made any connections that would let me adopt any of the cats that I've 'met' with a clear conscience. I just don't know who they are.

[tokolosh]

It seems you like a good disscussion. I don't. I come here to enjoy myself.:D I NEVER said NEVER. Only saying I'd go the extra mile to keep my pets. Many do not, therefore, shelters are full of animals being PTS every day. Satistics prove that, I don't need to discuss it. ;)

I didn't at all intend to spoil your enjoyment by opening this up, and I am sorry if it's worked out that way. Not that I think this should or could change how you feel, but I really didn't bring it up just to create a 'good discussion' or for the fun of winding anyone up. I wasn't trolling, in other words. I find myself having to have what you call good discussions sometimes, just because I've said something that startles someone without meaning to, and then I find myself trying to clarify or re-present whatever I said. I don't enjoy it much. I kind of do it for a living and I'd rather have other kinds of fun when I'm not being paid. Back to the wall is not my idea of a comfortable posture, but neither is chin on the ground.

You didn't say 'never', you're right, and I misquoted in a way that implied that you had. You quoted someone else saying they 'wouldn't' do something and said you agreed with it, and in the context of the whole controversy I went and interpreted that as being as good as saying 'never'. So I apologize for that. Although come to that, I'm not sure I feel all that safe saying 'wouldn't' either, sometimes ;)

I came here for the same reason as you, but I think maybe we're very different kinds of people where pets are concerned. I've found myself wondering recently if I've simply made a mistake, and wandered into a place that is designated for people who devote themselves seriously to rescue and fostering work, and I should just butt myself out. Because I've always assumed I was a fairly average, perfectly acceptable pet-owning citizen as far as responsibility and ethics and loving my pets and all of that goes - pretty good, actually, compared with the average bear. But two weeks or whatever it's been of reading and occasional conversation here has got me wondering if I'm actually just scum in human form, a lot of the time.

Which is why I said something here, basically. I had this assumption that it was okay to be here because you're a perfectly ordinary private citizen who loves their pet. But I wouldn't intentionally walk into a place that was expressly set up for people with stronger views than mine, and then start explaining to all of them why I don't agree. I haven't been here long enough to really figure out yet if that's what I've done - but if it is, it wasn't intentionally.

[luvofallhorses]

Well all shelters are different, but we make sure the dogs and cats are healthy and will put them down if there is no hope if they get terribly sick but we do try to help them rather than put them down.

Some shelters don't even go the lengths for the animals like we do, we don't put them down if they are sick we try to get them through it but a shelter situation is so hard on cats, they are very sensitive animals and can get sick at the drop of a hat. We clean EVERY single morning for 4 hours.

Cleaning cat rooms, walking the dogs and cleaning their kennels
(and walking them all day to get exercise in the play yard which is huge.), and we do the same thing every day to make sure the whole place is clean it's never ending. Washing dishes everyday, cleaning litterboxes, etc. and tons of laundry.

Also, we have a list of cats that get canned food in a kennel rotation each day for the ones that need it. They also get meds as needed and the dogs get meds as needed.

I'm not saying my shelter is perfect, but we do what most shelters won't do. That's what's so great for having a donation fund so we can help the ones that get sick unexpectedly or hit by a car or need a leg amputation, etc.

Most shelters are non-profit so they don't always have the funds to help sick animals and they are over-crowded. Sometimes we have to say no to people, we don't always take owner turn ins as we are an animal control facility but we do try to help them re-home the animals.

[dehlers43]

I am not in the rescue/foster biz like many others here. I too am just an ordinary pet owner doing the best I can.
I'd like to put my spin on this "discussion"..... :)
Some areas of the country have been hit harder by the economy than others which could cause people such hardship they feel they must give up their pets. In other areas, there seems to be a pervasive culture of viewing animals as nothing more than disposable toys. Some shelters are like heaven on earth for animals and others are awful. Some are no-kill but many more routinely euthanize thousands of animals each year.
I guess what I'm trying to say is this: the pet dumping, relinquishing situation varies so much from city-to-city and state-to-state we should keep in mind that, depending on where we live, our experiences will not be the same. Perhaps we could keep that in mind and "cut each other some slack"...:love:
OK, I'm now stepping down from my soapbox.....:D

[tokolosh]

Cleaning cat rooms, walking the dogs and cleaning their kennels (and walking them all day to get exercise in the play yard which is huge.), and we do the same thing every day to make sure the whole place is clean it's never ending. Washing dishes everyday, cleaning litterboxes, etc. and tons of laundry.

I tell you, I've come to understand the workload and what's involved in running a shelter after making repeated visits, in a way that I didn't when I was just a walk-in who got lucky in the first half an hour, our first time around :) When we got Limpet from the same place in 2000, there were no restrictions on interacting and I'm ashamed in hindsight to think how scornfully I carried on when we discovered within a couple of days that our 'SPCA certified healthy' new cat had anaemia, a sinus infection and a bad kennel cough. Can't have it both ways, but I've only come to understand recently that there is a 'both ways' to it.

[chocolatepuppy]

It's been weird and a bit rough for me mooching around shelters this time around, trying to get myself accepted as someone they might be willing to give another cat to, some day down the line.

But I find I've been back there five or six times in the past barely-one-month

Seeing as you cannot have a cat at this time and seeing as you are going to the shelter frequently, have you considered volunteering with the cats?

[pomtzu]

I don't visit shelters - it hurts my heart to see all the wonderful animals that are there thru no fault of their own, and then I wonder which ones will be saved and which ones won't. It really depresses me. I know that I can't bring any of them home with me, since we have set a limit here - my 2 dogs and my son's 2 cats. His cats are Petsmart adopted kitties, and every time I take Sparky to be groomed at Petsmart, I do have to check out all the kitties that are there (they are right next to the grooming salon - darn) :(. I have seen some beauties there that I would absolutely love to give a furever home to, but I have to leave them behind and hope that they will soon find the perfect person for them. So again - I leave somewhat saddened by the experience. I wish I wasn't so much of a marshmallow. :(

[Pinot's Mom]

I have just read this entire thread; it has reminded me I owe the Baltimore SPCA a visit. That shelter is where Pinot came from. She was supposedly left by someone who was older and couldn't care for her (at the time she was approximately 10 months), but I take any story told to a shelter with a certain grain of salt. I don't choose to fault people who leave their pets at shelters; at least they're not turning them onto the street. I also don't see myself ever turning a pet in, as they are my children, but you do not know what the future holds. As to the illnesses in shelters - yes, they are most certainly an issue. This is inherent to the environment and mostly cannot be helped. Pinot was one of the victims of this. She was EXTREMELY ill when we adopted her but hid it well. My husband and I have said this over and over; she chose us because we could afford to make her well and give her a comfortable place to thrive. They know somehow; I'm convinced of that. She is now, and has been since we first saw her, our treasured daughter.

Now, back to my original point; I owe the shelter a visit. I have, since Pinot's adoption, tried to regularly check their "wish list" on line and give to the 'pantry'. This is one of the services of the shelter. They keep a stock of pet items for the elderly who cannot afford to properly take care of their pet. They can come in, take stock from the pantry, no questions asked. I think this is just one of the valuable services of this shelter. So, thank you for this reminder! I'll go there next week.

By the way-I'm just a regular pet owner, too, and my only involvement in rescue is forwarding information and rescuing one very cute tabby girl! :) Oh wait - she rescued us! ;)

[mrspunkysmom]

I guess this is my major reason for thinking a shelter or the SPCA is actually a better option than canvassing around among friends if I personally needed to re-home a cat. ....... It's just too bad it isn't feasible to ask a donation or fee for taking someone's cat and caring for it until it gets a new home - the service they provide is so valuable and they're taking it on. But I can only imagine that would deter a lot of people and lead to more 'dumps'.

The only reason I would not take my cats to the shelter is this area is generally high kill. This is practice in the Southern rural areas where animals are viewed as property. I live on the county border and visit the shelter in the county where I work. They try not to kill but do not always have that option.

There is a surrender fee at any ACS in our area. And if your animal is lost, you have to prove it has been to a vet and up-to-date on shots or there is a hefty fine plus cost of vaccinations in order to claim it.

This does lead to dumping. Sadly :(

I'm sorry to hear about that the shelter in your description. I've been to shelters that worked the same way and they ended up being a high kill shelter.

However, the adoption area in the ACS is very clean and you are allowed to take cats out of the cage and hold them. There are always personnel around. You can touch more than one cat during a visit. I know there is an enclosed dog park to walk the dog so I assume you can get a dog out of the cage, too.

The pets are not allowed out of the hospital building until healthy, which probably helps.

This is a new facility and I think it's great. :love: I have given wet cat food for seniors a few times.

I should probably go visit the facility in the county where I live, but it's actually further than the city where I work.

We have very few vets in the area that give you a break on spaying and neutering. Only ACS and Humane Society and one doctor do that. Another traveling vet does it also. So lots of kits and pups are born. :(

We need a good TNR program.

And vets only take in strays that they find.

[tokolosh]

Seeing as you cannot have a cat at this time and seeing as you are going to the shelter frequently, have you considered volunteering with the cats?

I have. It's been a constant impulse :) The other thing I've been considering seriously IF it turns out we're allowed one more cat is fostering instead of adopting - at least till we meet our own next special magical cat. This shelter is so intense about no-contact because they have to be. They have absolutely no isolation room left and they're desperate for foster homes where they can place anyone who is sick. So if I had a space and they thought I'd be okay for doing it, it would be a way of contributing instead of just taking from them. But that's moot anyway at this point.

My main issue with volunteering directly is being dependable - as in, same day same time for the same length of time every time. I'm not, but I don't really want to discuss the reasons in here. So I do this sort of half-assed compromise at the moment which I kludged up to fit my personal circumstances, and I usually go there to spend time on one particular cat who would be adopted in a heartbeat if she were just a little more used to interaction and a little more confident with people. At first I was going because I thought we'd be able to take her ourselves, but I don't have much hope of that now so I do it for other reasons.

[chocolatepuppy]

tokolosh, have you tried working on your landlord? All of the typing you do on here, maybe you could talk him into letting you have a cat.;) Perhaps explaining how you would have the cat 'fixed' and keep your place clean. Sort of like being your own reference. After all, you already had a cat he seems to have forgot about.;)

[tokolosh]

tokolosh, have you tried working on your landlord? All of the typing you do on here, maybe you could talk him into letting you have a cat.;) Perhaps explaining how you would have the cat 'fixed' and keep your place clean. Sort of like being your own reference. After all, you already had a cat he seems to have forgot about.;)

Yeah, I covered that base when we had the conversation. All of 'em ;), plus I painted a rending picture of us sitting and crying into our cornflakes until we can have another cat. It was just a week after Limpet had died. He's a nice guy who likes us and was sorry to have to refuse, but a tricky person to handle in this way. He's type who feels awful about saying no, but you have to be careful not to bully him. He's been bullied all his life, is my read on him. Perfectly nice, almost pathologically gentle man who takes fifteen minutes to tell you he has to come in and turn off the hot water for twenty seconds.

If you push it too hard with people like that they just lock down completely to protect themselves, and then you're out of the game. He was kind of swayed, I think, but he said he had to talk it through with his wife, which is perfectly fair as she's the actual one who said No Absolutely Not Never Again after trying to get cat smells out of the carpet from a prior tenant. I'm a coward about calling to find out what the verdict is, although in one way it doesn't matter since I don't think I am in 100% good-to-adopt-again mode yet emotionally, and I'm learning stuff here and at the shelter that's probably better in the long run. When all you've ever had is your own personal private cats who picked you as much as you ever picked them, there's a whole other world of factors you never get any experience with.