Animal shelter visit yesterday

[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. That's how I ended up with Jane 2 years ago, and now Emily and Bob. They were being thrown away.

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.

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.

[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.

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... ), 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.

[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.

[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?

[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

[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

It seems you like a good disscussion. I don't. I come here to enjoy myself. 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