I've adopted from the Seattle/King County Humane Society and from Purrfect Pals, a rescue shelter, and I don't remember either of them talking about what I should do about accidentally hidden problems. Purrfect Pals will treat, free of charge for their lifetime, any illness related to an adopted cat's FIV condition if you bring the cat back to their shelter vet.

I have found "hidden" problems within each set of adoptions, but never considered taking the cat back - and I can't see anyone else on P.T. doing so. In a few cases, it was something minor like ear mites (the Humane Society adoptions) and in others something more major.

I had a geriatric panel done on Newcat right after I adopted her last year and it showed she was borderline hyperthyroid, a condition that is now full-blown and about to be treated (about $900). Purrfect Pals wouldn't have been able to afford to do such screening on all their senior cats, and I accepted that.

I'm taking Faline, one of the newly adopted FIV cats to my vet tonight to check on her chronic upper respiratory infection. I found a note about it within the paperwork but it wasn't on her front sheet history and no-one mentioned it at the time. She's discharging dried blood now and I'm concerned.

Blackberry's papers stated that he had lost an eye due to a cat fight. As I was walking to my car with the cats, the tech carrying Blackberry said that I should keep watch on his remaining eye because the other was removed due to glaucoma. A cat fight is a one-time accident, glaucoma is significantly different. If I'd turned around and handed him back at that point, I'm sure they'd have given me my money back and taken care of him for the rest of his life. I didn't even consider such an action.

I asked about Dallas' dirty and runny eyes while at the shelter and the tech said she could give me some ointment, though she forgot and so did I.

In other words, it's been rather haphazard with no-one meaning to hide anything. The only time I've heard a shelter mention policy in this regard is with the FIV cats.