I am at your mercy and I need help

[Samantha Puppy]

I'd like to preface what I need to say by saying this first: I love animals. I love MY animals. I take owning a pet very seriously and have never, and will never, think of pets as disposable. So I'd appreciate anyone who feels the need to attack me just hold their tongue. I am posting this in despair as all other feasible options have been explored.


I have to rehome Kimi and Maya. I have to.

As most of you know, Josh and I are in the process of selling our house. We've scored wallpaper, primed, painted, and cleaned every nook and cranny of that place to get it ready to be on the market. We spent hundreds of dollars having the rugs professionally cleaned. For two days in a row, we've had people come through the house. The feedback their agent gives ours is the same: "They loved the house. But there was cat poop on the floor in the (finished) basement." And that's that. There are three other houses up for sale on our block alone, so if people don't like ours they have three others to choose from and still be able to live in the same nice neighborhood.

We have been vigilent about cleaning the cat area. We scoop whenever we go down there. We've had her checked out at the vet and she got a clean bill of health. The vet attributed it to the hormonal changes going on in me. So Maya poops on the newly cleaned floor for prospective buyers to see.

Josh and I have been fighting (no, screaming is more like it) for the last week. He has had it. He has been extraordinarily patient with Maya over the last year and he cannot take it anymore. Half of me agrees with him. The other half just wants to wait until we get into the new house and see if that straightens things out. But I think I know the answer to that. Maya's problem isn't with the house or the litter boxes. It's with me.

In addition to that, Kirin is still going after Kimi. We stop it when we're there but the amount of time we're there has been majorly decreased. I'm at work all day and 90% of the time, we get a call from an agent who wants to show the house in the evening so we leave for that as well. We're gone more than we're there and the fighting is getting progressively worse. There aren't enough hours in the day to be able to keep an eye on Kirin and Kimi and to go behind Maya everytime she goes downstairs, to make sure she goes in the litter box instead of on the carpet. It's just not physically possible.

So I come to you in one of my darkest hours. I have got to rehome these girls or Josh swears he'll take them to the shelter. I don't know if he really will but I don't want to find out. Our county's shelter isn't a no-kill. These girls, while young, are not kittens and given Maya's problem, I'm afraid they'd be put down the next day. I can't bear to have that happen. I love these girls. I have tried to place them in local rescues, but they're full. I've tried finding places through networking (3 stipulations: 1) no declawing; 2) indoor only; and 3) any problems call ME first before just taking them to a shelter.). Nothing has panned out.

These girls are SO sweet. Kimi will follow you around and headbutt your hand for you to pet her. She will sit on your lap as long as you'll let her. Maya is more standoffish, until you lay on the bed. Then she's right up alongside of you and will stay there for hours if you stay there too.

Please do not kick me while I'm down. Do not question my intent or my love of my animals. I am sitting here at my desk at work, crying, because of this situation. This is TMI but I'm trying to get a point across - my body doesn't handle stress well. When I am under stress, I am just about chained to the nearest bathroom. That's been going on for over a week and has happened so frequently, I've torn a fissure down there and I am bleeding. The last time that happened was when my church burnt down two days before my wedding. I've lost sleep. I've tried everything I could. So please do not tell me I didn't try hard enough.

I am hoping and praying that someone with a better situation - more time to dedicate to Maya and no cats that go after Kimi - will be able to help me out. I trust the cat lovers on here and I would still love to be able to "keep in touch" with my girls and see pictures and hear stories.

Can anyone please PLEASE help me?

[critter crazy]

WOW! I am so sorry that you have to place your cats ina new home. But I now how you feel as I just had to place my 3 horses in a new home, and I know the heart ache that goes with that! I would never dream of lashing out at you, you are doing what you need to do. I just hope you can find a great home for your babies. If i could I would take them, as I lost my kittie last month, and would love to have a new cat. But that would be unfair to my other babies! Good luck and keep us updated!

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Anyone who "knows" you on PT will sympathise 100% with your predicament and will understand that it is because you love your cats so much that you are where you are right now

Is there anyway of having them fostered until you have your new place - then the pressure will be off a bit and Josh may consider giving them another chance?

I do hope you find a solution to this without too much heartache

[Catty1]

A lot of vets board pets. Would yours board your babies while you are selling your house? Or at least til you find homes for them.

If you have a fax at work, and a list of vets in the area, you might make a flyer regarding rehoming and fax it to all the vets, including yours, to post on their boards!

But maybe just board them at the vet for a few days, if you possibly can - that will remove a LOT of immediate stress!

HUGS - they will find loving homes!

Catty1

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Please don't feel so bad, you are a great cat-meowmie!! You only want the best for them, I feel that!
I cannot help you, but I hope you find new homes asap!!

[moosmom]

Samantha's Puppy,

Been there, done that!!! I feel your pain. There is nothing more heartbreaking than having to rehome your beloved pet. And I've done it many times. You've done everything you could. Cats do not like change, and I think waiting to see what will happen once you move into your new home isn't going to work either.

If you'd like, I can contact my friend at MCARN and see if they'd be willing to help with a "courtesy" posting.

I wish you alot of luck and love in your quest to find your furbabies furrever homes. If you need to talk, I've PM'd you with my number.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

When I was trying to find a home for Eddie, one of the rescues I called emailed me these "Tips for Placing Pets" Hope it helps - good luck!

By the way, Peanut has pooped on the floor ever since I moved in with Terry. When we tried to sell the house, one of my greatest fears was that the prospective buyers would come downstairs and find poop on the floor. I scooped the boxes every morning, but there was no guarantee she wasn't going to poop between that time and the time I got home at night after work. I mentioned this to our realtor and she was more than gracious in offering to scoop the poop before the prospects saw it. Of course this would only have worked if she was bringing the people through, not some other realtor. But Terry was so paranoid about other people coming through the house and possibly leaving the back door open that he would not allow a lock box. He said that either our realtor or we had to be there when someone came through. This might not be practical for you guys. See, Terry is a salesman and he's the one who really sold the house as people went through it. I actually think it's kind of goofy that the home owner needs to be gone when people come through because who knows the highlights of the house better than the homeowner? Fortunately the house sold within 24 hours of going on the market so we never had any issues with people coming in, but I doubt it would have sold that fast had Terry not been there putting on the sales pitch. ;-)

Anyway, don't beat yourself up about having to rehome the kitties. Sometimes things just don't work out and they don't get along. Inform everyone you know that you are looking for new homes because you never know who might know someone who knows someone who knows someone else that is looking for a cat.

Good luck with the rehoming and with selling the house!

[catmandu]

I was thinking taht too, if you could place them at a Vets until your house is sold, and then take them to your new place.
I wish I was closer as I would board them for you, n charge.
I hope you dont have to give them away.

[emily_the_spoiled]

Do the two girls get along well?

[Samantha Puppy]

They get along extremely well. They're sisters and have never been apart.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope that you'll be able to find a good loving forever home that will hopefully take both of your girls. I understand totally and have also had to rehome a cat before. Good luck and please continue to keep us updated.

[shais_mom]

I can feel your pain in your post.
I am sorry it has come to this.
Prayers on the way for you.

[jenluckenbach]

My memory fails me...........didn't the girls COME from a rescue group? Is there a contract that says they will take them back?

[CultureJunky]

I think boarding the girls somewhere would definately be the best bet. That way you know that they're safe, and you can come back for them when you've moved house. You can also visit with them in a boarding kennel.
I would think that would be best for them and you, less stressful for you selling the house and you don't lose them when you don't really want to.

[catland]

Yikes! if "no cat poop" had been a deal breaker - we never would have purchased the house we live in (they had cats but weren't diligent about cleaning out the litter boxes - we ended up tearing out all of the carpet. ).

If the real issue is just selling the house, then I agree that a temporary boarding or fostering could be the best solution.

I wish you the best