Cat advice anyone?

J

jdoll

Cathlete
here's the deal: my mil a cat that they completely neglect. they like to travel alot and leave the cat for weeks at a time to roam this big empty house all alone. dh goes over to feed it and change the litter box, but that's it. the cat is crazy. i don't blame him either. anyway, i finally convinced her to give the cat to someone who can care for it consistantly and provide a loving environment, but now that she agrees with me...we can't find anyone to take the cat. x( no one wants it and she refuses to take it to an adoption/shelter place for fear it will be put down... so it's over there roaming around and they will be gone for a long time......any ideas to find him a good home.........anybody want a cat in Texas????


this is just so saddening to me:(


jes
 
That is sad...Maybe you can put up a sign at a local pet shop or in a local newspaper - then screen the people and find the kitty a new home. People say that cats don't need people, but that's just not true. Our cat is one of the most social little guys ever. If we leave him home for a night alone, he's at the door chewing us out when we get home.

Good luck!!! There are lots of people who might like a kitty. I hope you find a good home for kitty.
 
Thank goodness your MIL refuses to take him to a shelter. My mom and dad did that (I can't explain why as it makes no sense to me for goodness sake), and I found someone who could take her, but the shelter killed her before the person could adopt her. It was AWFUL as they got that cat when I was 16 and she was a great help to me as a teen.

Ugh. Sounds like a tough spot for you guys right now. Have you tried talking to maybe a church or retirement community? Sometimes those can be good sources for loving homes.

The other thing is, we have 2 cats so I don't feel totally terrible for leaving every day (okay, I do feel totally terrible, but I think I could feel worse) because they entertain each other. If the house really is huge, could your MIL get another cat to entertain the lonely one? Probably not what you were looking for. Sorry!

I'm in CA so I can't think of anyone in TX I even know! ;)

Good luck on this one!! And thanks for caring- the world needs more like you!
 
Put sighs up everywhere you can think of, at the Pet Shop but also at the super markets, as a lot of times people buy their cat/dog food at the super market rather then going to the pet store, as it saves time. So don't think just put up a sign, as a lot of times you'll never know who will be walking by. :)

Also check with the vets in your area, a lot of times they have special adoption services where they'll help you find a good home for the cat. Or will take the cat and let it be an office cat until someone wants it. I know my vet does this. There are always cats up for adoption that are walking around and trying to lay on you.

Sorry to hear about the rough situation, I do hope you find a good home for the cat. If it's anything like mine, I truly feel sorry for that cat. As I know how upset and lonely they can get.

My kitty is co-dependant. He even tries to grab hold of my leg, like little kids do, every time I leave the house trying to stop me from going. Luckily, he's only left alone for about 5 or 6 hours max. Only during conferences he's left for 8 or 9 hours. And this is what actually makes me worried if I want to go on vacation. I don't dare take him to the vet and have him housed. He is so afraid of other people, that just taking him to the vet traumatizes him for a week or more. And if I have repair people in the house he goes nuts afterwards, nearly trying to kill himself as he summersaults off things in this frenzy race threw the house. There have been a few times I’ve actually had to dive and catch him as he was headed back first toward the ground rather then paw first.

Kit
 
Oh no, Kit, your cat sounds like he really needs you! My George grabs my feet when I pass by without paying attention to him. He also glares at me when I get in the shower, because he knows what that means. And sits looking pitifully at me when I'm getting breakfast and lunch together, and when I leave. And he's still there when I get home! He's got his sister to chase around all day, though. Except if she goes and hides under the covers, which she does every Wed. (scary mean garbage men) and Fri. (scary mean loud gardeners).

There are a lot of people who would benefit from a cat in their lives. I'm sure you can find him a good home!!
 
Do you really want me to answer this?!!

Cat's DO NOT NEED the attention dogs do. That is a FACT of life. If you are that worried about that cat, then get it a companion. DO NOT send it to an animal shelter. All they need from you is for you to water & feed their bowl & make sure their companion is compatible. You can acknowledge it whenever you get in, that is until they get tired of you.

ALL I see at animal shelter's are the older cats that some family has lived with many years and somehow, they moved on or something and their long time friend finally became inconvenient. All I see at animal shelters are these older, hearty, healthy, cats that suddenly someone didn't have the "time for". Guess what? Everyone wants kittens. So what happens to these "older members of the family?"

I hate to sound so passionate about it, but truthfully, I wish I had a place for all those older, mature cats that thought they were a part of these families until they were turned into animal shelters in hopes they would be adopted.

Marla
 
Marla-

I'm with you on everything except the fact that no cat needs as much attention as any dog. I think there are exceptions in both species!

It's heartbreaking. I couldn't talk to my mom for months. Good thing I was in therapy at the time- it really showed me how different I am from the 2 people who I thought taught me about the world- only to find out how wrong they were and are!!
 
I think Marla's idea is a great one. A companion cat would likely fix the problem if the cat could get used to another cat in the house. There are many ways to introduce the new feline slowly which is important. I also agree that all cats are different in terms of the attention they need, but cats can typically be left alone for up to a week at a time occassionally with no problem as long as someone comes in every day to feed them, change their water, clean the litter and give the cat some play time.
 
I also agree some cats need more attention then others. I had one cat who generally didn't like people, would come over once in a while to be petted and that was that. And she wouldn't care if you left her all day, or left her all week. I did that a couple times, with someone coming in to give her food and clean her litter they never saw the cat. They knew I had a cat as the food would be gone and the litter used, and was even going to call me to ask if I was joking about feeding my cat, as there wasn’t one in my house, as they were shocked no kitty ever came out. And even when I came back home, she wanted to be petted for about 30 minutes and she was done with me.

But do try to either find it a friend, or try to get it adopted. If it's already stressed out because your MIL left, it might not be the best time to introduce it to a friend. Uou may end up having to play with it, until she gets back then introduce a friend, as well as she may not be happy with *any* cat you find.

Kit
 
People who say cats don't need people have never had a cat. Our cats are so loveable and definitely make it known they need our attention. The one will yell at you if you're not paying attention to her. It's the loudest, most annoying meow I've ever heard. And if you keep doing what you're doing without stopping to hang with her, she hisses! She also lays right in the middle of whatever you happen to be doing.

The other one grabs you if you walk by without acknowledging him. That hurts because he usually uses his claws. He'll also do it if you stop petting him before he's ready.

The 3rd one is our most independent. She doesn't like the other 2 cats, but loves us. But she also gives us space. That's why she's my favorite. Plus she's the prettiest. (That's her with me in my avatar) She will also talk loudly to you if you don't pay attention to her when she wants you.

They are wonderful animals! Wish they wouldn't scratch the furniture and wallpaper, though. I refuse to declaw, though. Did that once to a cat and will never do it again.

I'd love to take your MIL's cat, but I'm too far away. Plus I already have a zoo in my house!
 
Just look at my Picturetrail & you'll see how many cats I have & have had. I have had cat's that act like dogs. My Fleury would come running whenever I called him but ignored my DH when he tried to give Fleury attention. He would walk into the room I was in & march right over to me to "kiss" me before he would start playing again. He was something else.

I still feel, cat's will get along better on their own than dogs. And I certainly feel that they will do a lot better on their own, maybe with a companion, in their long-time home than in an animal shelter glass enclosure where they will probably never see a forever home again.

Marla
 
Donna--I love your cat picture! She's got that "Oh the things I have to put up with just to get some food around here" look on her face! ;)

I have to agree with you, though: Cats are not really solitary animals. Of course, there are exceptions and some of them do fine that way. But most need companionship--either human or feline, whatever they are used to.

My poor late kitty was attached to me and only me. I used to work at home, and he would follow me around from room to room and howl and "talk" in a pitiful way if he couldn't be in the same room as me when he wanted to be. (Though heaven forbid that he come to me when I called him! He would only come running at the sound of food.) It broke my heart to leave him alone when I had to go back to working in an office--he would be sitting by the door when I came home every day. Fortunately, at that point my job shifted and I was able to work at home a few days a week, so he adjusted to that and was fine.
 
Uh, both of my cats are all over us all the time. They LOVE us---it's not just cuz they get food and water from us. I'm the only one that feeds them, but yet they always want to sit on the laps and cuddle with everyone else in the family. I have 2 cats, so they are companions, but they also really do love us not-so-useless humans.

That said, the vet is a great idea. We also have a shelter near us (in WI) that is a no-kill shelter. You could look for a specific shelter like that.

Good luck--it's so sad when people forget how much love and pleasure they got from their pet when THEY wanted it.
 
>Cat's DO NOT NEED the attention dogs do.

I agree with that. One reason I'm not a dog person (aside from the fact that they are smelly, and noisier than cats) is that they seem so much more needy than many cats (many, not all: my Scooter HAS to sleep with me every night, right up in my armpit).

All they need
>from you is for you to water & feed their bowl & make sure
>their companion is compatible. You can acknowledge it whenever
>you get in, that is until they get tired of you.

I don't quite agree there. Many cats do need more human interaction and attention than that. At least if they are going to progress beyond the stage of being like farm cats. All cats are different, however, and some can very well do with little human interaction. Some cats love people and hate other cats. Some cats love other cats and don't really dig people. Some cats love dogs. They are all quite different.

"It"?

>
>ALL I see at animal shelters are the older cats that some
>family has lived with many years and somehow, they moved on or
>something and their long time friend finally became
>inconvenient. All I see at animal shelters are these older,
>hearty, healthy, cats that suddenly someone didn't have the
>"time for". Guess what? Everyone wants kittens. So what
>happens to these "older members of the family?"

I volunteer at our local shelter, where I hear the most pathetic reasons people give for not wanting their pets anymore. Most recently, a couple brought in an older cat (in a lidded laundry basket that was shut with duct tape!) saying that they had just gotten a new puppy and the cat didn't get along with it. WTF? I could point out several flaws in their "reasoning" here, but I don't think it's necessary. And the shelter manager, because the shelter was full, said that the cat would have to be euthanized...and they said they didn't care. (People suck big time!). Oh...and they also have another cat...that they said they would "have to" bring in if the cat and puppy didn't get along!

The manager, who had spoken to them, said he wished I'd been out near the reception desk at the time (I was in the "adult cat" room, from where I can see the desk through the huge window with wooden perches), then I could have given them a piece of my mind (since he wasn't able to...but was REALLY tempted to!).

I think people should have to have a license (or MY permission!) before adopting pets (or perhaps human euthanasia in such cases?)
 
I like it. Let's institute a licensing system *immediately*. I think that would help a lot.

Kathryn, do I have your permission to own my cats, or do I have to complete an application in triplicate? I'll do whatever you require.
 
>I volunteer at our local shelter, where I hear the most pathetic >reasons people give for not wanting their pets anymore. Most >recently, a couple brought in an older cat (in a lidded laundry >basket that was shut with duct tape!) saying that they had just >gotten a new puppy and the cat didn't get along with it. WTF? I >could point out several flaws in their "reasoning" here, but I >don't think it's necessary. And the shelter manager, because the >shelter was full, said that the cat would have to be >euthanized...and they said they didn't care. (People suck big >time!). Oh...and they also have another cat...that they said they >would "have to" bring in if the cat and puppy didn't get along!

I want to cry when I hear stories like that. I had to euthanize my cat this past December (he was dying of kidney failure), and it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. How can people be so heartless? A pet becomes a part of your family and your life--it's not a toy that you throw out because you're tired of it.
 
I'll third that! People REALLY should have to at least go through the same kind of testing that they do for getting their driver's license! I have two dogs right now, but I've had cats too. I love them both and could never imagine getting rid of an animal because it was an inconvience.

Maybe we should set Kathryn in charge of Pet Permission Licences. I'm all for that. I'm certain if they pass Kathryn's criteria, they'll pass mine! LOL
 
A few thoughts...

Any animal will get lonely, if left alone in the house for hours or days on end. A cat can entertain himself for awhile, but boredom sets in. Even if you are out working your 8 hour a day job, they experience a certain amount of boredom. The best hedge against this is to get two cats (kittens) at the same time.

Introducing a new cat (or kitten) into a household with an established cat is NOT easy. It will take weeks if you have the patience to do it correctly. More likely, it will take months, years, or never for the older cat to truly accept the new addition.

I don't work for PetsMart. But I adopted a "rescued" cat there. Here's a link - http://www.petsmart.com/adoptions/partner_r_t.shtml - to the agencies they work with in Texas (you need to scroll down). These agencies have a mission of finding homeless cats loving homes. You might try this option.

Jes, I take it there is a reason you can't take in the cat?

Diane
 
Hi,

I worked for a veterinarian for 5 years and finding homes for cats is a HUGE problem. It is virtually impossible to find anyone interested in an adult cat--people want kittens. The other problem is that there are countless numbers of cats available for adoption. Look at it this way--at least the cat HAS a home. I totally understand how upsetting it is to think of the poor little thing being neglected, but at least he has food and a roof over his head.

Have you looked for a pet adoption center that promises to find a home for every pet? There are places like that but they can't always take the pet--they usually have about as many as they can handle at any given time. It's worth a look, though. Also, are there any kids that live near your mil? She can always hire some kid to come over and play with it--they could bring in the mail and water the plants, too. At the end of the day, this cat is far better off than most. Hope this helps.

Michele
 
>Kathryn, do I have your permission to own my cats, or do I
>have to complete an application in triplicate? I'll do
>whatever you require.

First, one does not "own" a cat, one cohabits with a cat.

My rules would be very stringent:

First off, you must agree that this is a lifetime commitment (and not meaning "until one decides to euthanize for their own convenience" but "until the cat meets a natural death or must be euthanized to prevent further suffering"). If this cardinal rule is not followed (with very few exceptions, like human becoming so deathly allergic to pets that their life is in danger! And in these exceptional cases, you must find a good home for said pet), YOU will be euthanized, by means which I will determine at that time. }(

All cats must be spayed and neutered.

No declawing.

No roaming unsupervised outside. (the cats, that is, not the people).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top