Reasons why...

[moosmom]

I decided to start this thread after going through Petfinder.com to show you what kinds of REASONS people give up their animals. I'm sure if I took my blood pressure right now, it'd be through the roof.

"She was given up by her owner because she had too many kittens"

This little "ditty" is of Inkspot, the beautiful long haired black cat I am head over heals in love with. She was adopted back in March, but returned because...

"because her owner didn't have enough time to take care of her"

UGH!!!!!

Here's another one...

"She was brought to us along with her mother (Mama Cat) because her owner had to move and the new place has a dog"

So get rid of the damn dog!!!!!

"My buddy, Larry, and I were brought to the shelter because our owner could no longer care for us."


Right now I am literally SICK to my stomach. I don't even know why I bother going into Petfinder.com, it depresses me so much.

So the BIG question here is why do people get pets and then give them up because they have a baby, don't have time for them anymore, are moving where they don't allow pets???

I just don't understand it.

[rg_girlca]

Donna, don't even try to understand why people do what they do. You will just drive yourself crazy.
It truly boggles my mind also when I hear the stupid, idiotic, reasons for people giving up their pets.
It is very, very hard, for pet lovers, whose animals are part of their families, to understand people who say, "Oh it's just a cat, or it's just a dog." These statements, and many others, just make my blood boil.

HELLO PEOPLE, believe it or not, but these precious animals have feelings too. Do they not feel pain....YES ...Do they not sense fear....YES .....Do they not feel rejected or unloved...YES ....
I could go on and on with this.

I have had many shouting matches with some of my neighbours in the past to no avail.
In the long run Donna, unfortunately there will always be people in this world who will think it is just a cat or dog.

[Laura's Babies]

I am with you on that Moonsmom, the reasons are so weak. We had 3 beautiful, fat little kittens brought into the shelter yesterday by a older couple. He said they just HAD to go, the wife didn't want to bring them but he said they HAD to go..."Oh, but we did give one away and we kept one!"... As I took the last one from them and walked to the back with it, I told the poor terified little baby "If they could see HOW you will have to live now, they would take ya'll and run back home with you!!" The lady ran out the door crying... If people would just go look at how they look in cages, they would NOT do that to them..

When they came in, we had Chole out and was passing her around, loving on her. She came in with her brother, he was adopted and she was not. All the play has left her beautiful little body and she is so depresses that it breaks your heart.. I told them Chole's story and how heartbreaking it is for them before I took the last one from them...I am hoping the least I would have accomplished was that they get Mama cat spayed!!

[jenluckenbach]

here's one for you. I just read it on petfinder's classified ad section

"We need to get rid of the cats because we have toddler twins and the cats have not been declawed"

[smokey the elder]

I do the rescue line for my group one day a week, and my blood pressure goes through the roof!! Because of all the excuses, I am reluctant to adopt to the following: couples expecting; people who are itinerant; people not in a long-term relationship; families unless EVERYONE agrees. I have had failed adoptions and calls on the rescue line because of all of these.

[moosmom]

What REALLY gets my goat, is when someone calls me desperate for me to take their cat. When I tell them that I don't take in owner surrender cats, they get nasty and threatening and say things like, "Oh well, I'll just have to dump it on the side of the road." OR, "Fine, I'll let it loose and fend for itself." Or, the best one is, "I'll have it put to sleep."

My come back to any of these stupid remarks is, "You wanna kill your cat lady, it's gonna be on YOUR conscience, and you'll have to live with YOUR decision."

*click* goes the phone.

[catmandu]

I knowvwhat youmean,Moosmom,I think that people get Cats,because they had one,when they were young,and dont know how to take care,of them! Jack webb,saud atht people wanted rights,but not responsibilities,and with Pets,it seems to be true!

[Don Juan's mom]

I live in an area where the housing is VERY tight, especially for those of us who don't have a lot of $. I was lucky to find an apartment with a landlord who loves animals (and contributes to animal welfare charities). But this building has only eight units, and most of the others have no-pets policies. A person who makes a responsible effort to find a new home for his/her animal, or even takes it to a good shelter, shouldn't be condemned as if the animal was just dumped at the side of the road.

Also, one of my sisters had her daughter's cat declawed AFTER trying all of the alternatives. She was tired of seeing her toddler son looking as if he'd been mauled. (Her daughter brought the kitten home without permission , but my sister let her keep it anyway.) I'd hate to think of what the no-declaw croud would say to that, but the alternative would have been a shelter.

Liz

[moosmom]

Don Juan's Mom,

I wasn't condemning anyone, really. I was talking about the people's REASONING for getting rid of their pets. Like the woman with her two small children, walking into a shelter with a 15 year old cat. Her son, clutching the cat sobbing, begging his mother NOT to leave the cat at the shelter. HER reason??? Because the cat didn't PLAY with her children anymore. That's like getting rid of Granny because can't jump rope with the kids anymore.

Declawing is an entirely different issue on this board which I would rather avoid altogether. I will only say that I am totally against it. Kittens CAN be trained to use a scratching post. I have 8 to prove it.

[catlady1945]

I know what you mean. I just saw an ad in the paper - someone giving up a cat because of a new baby.

We had a cat one year before our first child was born; it never occurred to us to give up the cat. Just for the record, the cat was not all that interested in the baby. He would just go about his business, but would sometimes lie down near the baby. We always kept the baby's room closed at night, however.

I am not sure if people are lazy or stupid or a little of both.

I volunteer at the Humane Society and this being a military town, a lot of military people adopt when in the area, then dump the animal when they move on, only to do it again in another place.

[kitten645]

people not in a long-term relationship;

Hey! I resemble that remark!! I'm not in a long term relationship and am completely devoted to my boys! As a matter of fact, sometimes I think I'm not in a relationship because frankly I prefer to spend the evening quietly at home with them rather than making small talk with people I'm not that interested in! It's also very difficult to find someone who loves animals as much as me. That's why I love it here at PT!
If anything, I'm amazed at the people who turn their animals in because "my husband won't "LET" me keep it" That is absurd. It should be a mutual agreement to have or not have animals. Not about one person "making" anyone else do anything.
Claudia

[moosmom]

Claudia,

"my husband won't "LET" me keep it"

That's another one that really pisses me off. I don't need anyone's permission to have a pet, let alone a mans.

[CatDad]

Here's one for you:

A cat was given up to a shelter because it kept sitting on the owners car.

I saw that when I got Bob. That has to be the worst excuse I have ever seen. I guess it was good that she was there because the owner had to be a complete moron. I guess he was too stupid to keep the kitty out of the garage. Some people are just too dumb to live in my opinion.

We almost took her just because of that, but she had to be the only kitty and we were planning on getting another.

As a follow up, I understand from the shelter that she was adopted by a nice family and is very happy now.

[QueenScoopalot]

I think the best one I've ever heard is from a friend Pat who used to run a shelter. One day a snotty looking woman walks in and declares "I'm remodeling the house, and the cat doesn't match"! Then the piece of work spots a kitten and asks about adopting the kitten!!! She was shown the door quite abruptly! I don't give out my phone number for the reason that it's handed down the line, and I get calls from idiots wanting to get 'rid of the cat'! I almost always will take the cat/cats as I know all too well what the alternative will be if I don't. I'd rather get the cat prior to it being pregnant/injured/emaciated etc. And usually these are the ones who won't hesitate to dump Fluffy on the streets. Can we abolish the term "GET RID OF" please?? I correct people all the time...you get rid of trash, not living beings. *sigh*

[smokey the elder]

Originally posted by kitten645
Hey! I resemble that remark!! I'm not in a long term relationship and am completely devoted to my boys! As a matter of fact, sometimes I think I'm not in a relationship because frankly I prefer to spend the evening quietly at home with them rather than making small talk with people I'm not that interested in! It's also very difficult to find someone who loves animals as much as me. That's why I love it here at PT!
If anything, I'm amazed at the people who turn their animals in because "my husband won't "LET" me keep it" That is absurd. It should be a mutual agreement to have or not have animals. Not about one person "making" anyone else do anything.
Claudia

My bad...I should have added, commitedly single! Sorry about that. I've adopted many cats to singles (M and F) and it often works out really well.