Has anyone put a pet up for adoption?

[MichelleCarmen]

Unfortunetly, with much sadness, we are putting two of our cats up for adoption.

We originally had one cat, a kitty I''ve had since I rented my first apartment and she is now 14. We planned to get one or two more cats to add to the family, which my husband surprised me with bringing home the summer before last. Three was enough for us and we were content.

The problem began when the guy renting our rental began abusing his cat (which was the brother of the two cats we adopted), so we took him in. Four was too many THEN, but we fell in love with him and have kept him. Then in the summer, a gorgeous carmel/black tabby started hanging around our house, and he was so devoted and purred every time he saw us, so we neutered him and I called everywhere seeing if an adoption agency would take him, but nobody had any room. So, months later, he''s still here and sort of a family pet. He cuddles and sleeps with us, but doesn''t have a good raport with the other cats.

Five is simple too much cat to deal with. Cat hair, liter boxes, food consumption, etc. We have 1.23 acres, but this only means the cats track in dirt constantly!

My husband is placing two of the cats up for adoption. The most recent cat, the tabby, and one of the original two new kitties he brought home. I guess I haven''t had the time to "love" the tabby. I pet and cuddle with him but always knew he''d be put up for another family. The other kitty, though, I love and I''m heartbroken over the prospect of giving her away. She is such a sweet cat and purrs as soon as I touch her, BUT she doesn''t cuddle often and I worry that the people who adopt her won''t be pleased about this. I would keep her but adopt out the tabby, if I had my way.

Does anyone have any advice about how to find good homes? My husband says he''ll base his decision upon how the people sound on the phone. . .

I guess I''m just looking for a bit of support among a great group of pet loving people. . .

Thanks.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

MC, my guess is that you will have trouble finding homes for them. You might have better luck if you give them to one of the humane societies that go to pet stores and that kind of place to let people see the animals. We did adopt two dogs that way one time, but they were pretty wild and continually jumped over our fence, so we had to take them back. Don''t feel bad. It would be terribly hard to provide care for that many cats.

 

[bee*]

I haven''t put any animals up for adoption personally but what we always advise people at our clinic is to firstly vet them as your husband has said, by seeing how they are over the phone.
Also, if it is possible, check out their new home. Are they going to a family etc.
Make sure that they''re aware of vaccinations, healthcare, feed etc.
Tell them to keep the new cat locked in for at least two to three weeks so they get used to their new environment.

 

[zoebartlett]

I''m sorry MC! What about trying your local animal rescue league? That''s where we got our female kitty when she was 9 weeks old. Maybe you could try putting signs up at different places that allow postings, maybe your library, your kids'' school, etc. That''s how we got our other kitty. I agree that taking care of that many cats would be hard, so don''t feel too bad. Easier said than done, I know...

 

[Kaleigh]

I hope moremoremore sees this, she''d have lots of advice for you.

I know it''s a hard thing to do, I pray they go to loving homes.

 

[scarleta]

MC it must be so hard for you right now.I would consider humane society as diamondseeker suggested.They will find them good homes.There are many cat lovers and they visit humane society to look for one.Hope they find really good homes and really soon.People who adopt a pet ( like yourself) will look after them. You are making the right decision on this one.

 

[Independent Gal]

When I was a child, we had to give away our beagle for adoption. We simply didn''t have enough room to let him run around. My brother and step-dad didn''t think through what breed to get. Anyway, we found him a farm family that really wanted a beagle, and they had acres and acres of room for him to run free. We went to visit them to check it all out, and then they said we could come see the dog anytime, which we did a couple of times, until my mom realized it was way to hard on my poor brother.

Anyway, I think the dog was much happier in an appropriate environment.

Five cats is a LOT. You should not feel bad about trying to find them another home.

Why not advertise on craigslist?

 

[Gypsy]

I voluteered with adoptions at a shelter in NJ. On the side John and I took cats and dogs, strays that had 'adoptable' personalities that we'd rescue to our shelter and put them up for adoption. It was hard but with four cats and a dog, we had no room. We were very lucky to see them all go to great homes.

It kind of depends on the season. Right now is a little rough, with the Christmas returns coming in. And Spring kitten season is just terrible. Do you have a no kill shelter or group near you, preferably one that fosters at volunteer's homes if they are overloaded?

 

[Independent Gal]

I know this is just stupid and naive, but I''m having trouble reconciling the phrase "spring kitten season" which kind of sounds like my version of heaven

with the world terrible.

Oh yes, all those adorable kittens! Springtime! And kittens! Terrible! Just terrible!

I''m kidding. I know what you mean, and why it''s terrible.

 

[kellyfish]

You might want to try a cat rescue in your area/region. You can often find them online. My fear is that an adult cat given to a no-kill shelter will stay in a cage indefinitely as adult cat adoption rates are sadly low. I''ve seen this at our local & very nice humane society shelter. It''s a hard, lonely existence--even if the trade-off is not being killed. Many cat rescues often have the cats live in open, yard like confinements until adoption. It may be a more tolerable existence for an adult cat--unless they are really cute. I totally understand your dilema, however!! If you place an ad, use catchy and desciptive adjectives to describe your cats to get people''s attention over the usual ads....keep us posted!

Perhaps a previous poster rec''d it, but would your vet allow ou to put you cats in his office for adoption? My vet adopts-out lots of animals this way & he benifits because he gets the animals usually as patients....I have adopted 2 cats this way.....

 

[AmberGretchen]

Try contacting local cat rescues near you and see if they will let you do a courtesy listing under their auspices on Petfinder.com. Hopefully they will also help you to screen potential adopters and decide what is an appropriate adoption fee to charge (if you give them away for free they will most likely end up in a bad place - sorry to say it but every rescue expert I''ve ever talked to strongly cautions against giving pets away for free).

As others have said, adoptions of adult cats can be very tough, and as you experienced most rescues and shelters are badly overcrowded. It would help a great deal, I''m sure, if you are willing to foster the cats until they find a home - it would really be the kindest thing for everybody, especially the poor cats as going into rescues or a shelter would be extremely stressful and their odds of adoption are just as high if they can stay as fosters with you but be listed online and in vets'' offices etc...

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Oh, this must be soooo tough for you!

My elderly parents moved from my childhood home into a small condo last May. My brother and I did everything we could to place their 9 yr old German Shepherd with a new family. We spread the word through friends, inquried with rescue organizations, put ads up on craigslist, etc.... we got a few bites, but nothing panned out. I was sick with the thought that we'd have to take Juno to the pound. But we kept trying and bugging everyone we knew. Finally, on the actual day they moved out, we got a call from the local German Shepherd Rescue group, that they were able to take our dog. I cried with relief!! My brother volunteered there for a bit, and I sent a donation. We learned just before Thanksgiving that he had been adopted.

My advice- spread the word and communicate regularly with your local rescue groups. We didn't take no for an answer from the rescue group that eventually took Juno. We just kept on trying and trying, checking in with them every week, updating them of our situation. We also promised to help out by volunteering and supporting their efforts- that went a looooong way.

Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I''ll call our vet Monday morning. . .I didn''t know they would assist in adopting out pets!

Our no-kill shelters do not take cats AT ALL! There are two ferral cats that run around our neighborhood and we called everywhere and the no-kill facilities refused to take them! We''re extremely limited and if it comes down to it, we''ll keep the cats and they''ll never be taken to the pound. I won''t allow that.

Thanks for your support.

 

[movie zombie]

i had 9 cats....all strays....at one time. my advice since you have property is to build a cattery of some sort. i personally ended up with the 9 as i bond very quicly and cannot take a cat to a humane society.....

it is preferrable to meet the individuals and see how they interact with the cats in question rather than just making the decision based on how they sound on the phone. cats used for research are often obtained in this way: from unsuspecting individuals that are looking for a home for their cat. cat has become used to humans and being handled and is easier to use for experiments.

not trying to make you feel worse or lay a guilt trip on you. i''ve made many trips to no a no kill shelter to find the right cat. and while i was interacting with the cats, the staff was watching me to make sure i was on the up and up. they even went so far as to deliver the cat to me to make sure the living situation was good.

movie zombie

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 2/3/2008 3:52:54 PM
Author: movie zombie
i had 9 cats....all strays....at one time. my advice since you have property is to build a cattery of some sort. i personally ended up with the 9 as i bond very quicly and cannot take a cat to a humane society.....

How horrible about the pet research! I had NO idea. We cannot do a cattery, though, as it''s just more than my husband and I can take on. With our kids being 5 & 7 and my DH planning a career change we are at our limits. I don''t want to take additional time away from my kids to take care of cats. That would be something I''d LOVE to do when they are older, but we also have loads of work maintaining our yard and there is only so much I can do.

My husband is going to the vet tomorrow to talk to them about adoption ideas.

 

[diane5006]

I once had to adopt out 2 cats (severe allergies) I was fortunate to find a pet adoption group my area...they did a great job and I got to see a picture wiht their new family....

There are lots of groups...depending on where you live...it may be more work to find them...and most should appreciate that they are neutered or spayed already...

Some of the best ways to find them ( I am sure some of these have already been suggested)

www.petfinder.com will give you a list of rescue groups in your area...with links to there webpages...which should help you a bit

Your local Petsmart should have a group that uses there facility that you can contact...

Last of all your or local vets may let you set up a "please adopt me" cage at their office...

Best of luck

 

[kellyfish]

You can adopt out these cats! Ask everyone you know. There are people who will take them, though it may take a while. Finding a home for even one would be a relief I bet! Don''t give up as it sounds like it is a strain & your family is important.

 

[Lynn B]

Oh, MC, I''m sorry you are going through this. I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you and your family.

You have been given some great advice. I have one additional suggestion which at first may sound rather odd, but please hear me out!

Try calling all of your local nursing homes and personal care homes! I am serious. Many of these facilities nowadays are quite pet friendly, and may be very receptive to accepting one (or even both) of your cats. I have actually placed TWO cats at two different local nursing homes, and the results have been FANTASTIC!

In the first situation, someone I know found himself in the position of simply having *too many* pets, and really felt that one of them needed to go, and he decided on the adult calico cat. I called around and one of our local nursing homes had just had a pet death and was HAPPY to take her.

The other occasion was a cat who was abandoned by my son''s home. She was a very loving adult cat, but extremely small, and she had obviously been badly abused or injured in the past. Her nose and the lower part of her face (and jaw) must have been broken at one time, and the injuries healed leaving her with a very crooked little nose and face. Her purr and breathing sounded labored and "rattly". She looked and sounded quite pitiful. We took her to the vet, though, and amazingly, despite all she had been through, he gave her a clean bill of health. SO, I got busy again, and found another local NH that agreed to take her. It is a wonderful home, and she kind of became their "mascot"... a symbol of someone who had overcome terrible odds and survived. I thought it was such a testimony to their NH, proof that it doesn''t matter to them how you "look" -- it matters *who you are*. It was actually very moving!

It took a LOT of work and a lot of calls to eventually find these two homes that would take the cats, but it was certainly worth it. Each cat got a wonderful, LOVING home... they are adored and pampered by the NH staff and residents. Each cat got spayed, they get ongoing excellent medical care, and they have really become a part of the "family" there. In the first case, there are other pets in the facility, (a dog, 3 cats, fish and a bird!) and in the second case, she is an "only pet".

Each nursing home requested a recent vet visit with a "clean bill of health", which we did not think was unreasonable and we were happy to provide. We gave each cat to each home free of charge (we even "delivered"!); we also gave provided (starter) food and litter, toys, carrier, bed, etc., and then they assumed all responsibility for the cat(s) thereafter.

I know it isn''t the answer for every pet needing a home, but it is an avenue to at least consider for *some pets*. And any pet that can find a good home (even a bit of an unorthodox one!

) is a good thing, right?!

 

[diamondsrock]

Lynn that is a great story! I''m sure those cats give so much love to the residents of the homes and vice versa. It''s a win-win situation for all involved.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update. Yesterday the tabby cat was adopted by a young couple . They compared him and the girl cat we plan to adopt and chose him even though he was squirming and wouldn''t sit in their laps.

I''m so relieved since this was the cat who we always knew would need a new home (and I never really developed a relationship with him because of this). I''m also relieved that they didn''t take our other cat since I want to keep her. She isn''t very social and only lets us pet her...she NEVER sits in our laps. I just don''t think another family would be satisfied with her.

Thanks for your help.

 

[scarleta]

Glad to hear that MC.I hope that everyone of your little ones will find a loving home soon.They deserve it..