Do they even stand a chance of being adopted?

white cat lover

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I'd like some input. I've been fostering Damita & Chico for almost 9 months now. I've had them since February. Here's their petfinder bios:

Damita
Damita was born in the summer of 2000. She absolutely LOVES to get her tummy rubbed, purring loudly once you do. Once you rub her tummy, you are her friend for life. She walks up to people saying “Scratch my tummy!â€. Damita loves to play with toys. She does definitely prefer noisy toys that are brighter in colors. She seems to be getting the hang of playing with wand toys with feathers on them. Damita does have limited vision, but exactly what her range of vision is we do not know. She has never had any trouble getting around. Sometimes she takes things slow, but she knows her way around the house. Damita has been able to get herself up on the couch itself as well as on the back of the couch. Damita is absolutely fascinated with doors and the little spaces under them, reaching under the doors to see if she can find anything. She has learned to come when her name is called and fingers are snapped. She gets called for dinner this way. Whenever someone sits on the couch, she is right there with them. She loves to snuggle with people on the couch and “watch†television. Damita is looking for the purrfect home with her best friend, Chico, as they do almost everything together. She is spayed, up to date on shots, housetrained, and uses a scratching post. Damita would prefer a home without any children. It isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t that she does not like children, it is that they can sometimes be overwhelming for her. She is in foster care, so if you are interested in adopting Damita and Chico, please e-mail or call to arrange a meeting!

Chico
Chico is a friendly, sweet, and petite young man. He thrives on peopleâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s attention, and will politely meow to ask to get petted. He loves to be in laps, getting petted, or just near people. He is quite the snuggler. Chico doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t seem to have realized that he is a mature young adult cat, he still races around like a kitten. He loves to play with other cats. He likes to drag wand toys around with him, and loves to pounce on pom-pom toys. Chico is looking for a purrfect home with his best friend, Damita, as they do almost everything together. He is neutered, up to date on shots, housetrained, and uses a scratching post. He is good with other cats as well as dogs of all sizes. He would prefer a home without children as Damita needs a home without children. It isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t that they donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t like children, it is that children can sometimes be too much for Damita. He is in foster care, so if you are interested in adopting Chico and Damita, please e-mail or call to arrange a meeting!


Damita has now developed what seems to be food allergies, so she will need to be on Rx food or expensive food. I live in a rural area where most people feed Purina & don't care. The shelter here has very little success placing older cats, pairs of cats, or special needs cat. Damita is special needs, 6 years old, must be aodpted with Chico(or she poos on the floor), & needs a home w/o kids. These are two spectacular cats. I emtnion them all the time to people interested in adopting, but I have had many negative cooments. One person even said they didn't want a cat "who is almost dead".



In your opinion, should I just give up & adopt them? I can afford to have two more cats(I already pay for everything but the vet expenses). Even the shelter president(who always thinks on the bright side) commented that they are never going to get adopted.
 

consumerkitty

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Since you love them so much and you can afford to take care of them, why not adopt them. If you adopt them they will be together in a loving, forever home. You are an angel for taking such good care of them!!
 

asecretk

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Awww it sounds like you really love both of the cats and you know them better than anybody. I would not look at it as "giving up"

Look at it more you are giving both these babies a wonderful home with you and you would never have to worry that they went to a home where they may not receive all the love and special care they deserve.
 

callista

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I agree--cats with physical problems, and older cats, are often not adopted by the kitten-craving public. From your descriptions, you know them very well. It seems as though, perhaps, your home might be a pretty good place for them.

Is the problem that if you adopt these cats, you feel you will be unable to foster any others?
 

valanhb

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It seems pairs of cats are much harder to adopt out, especially when they are older. There is a pair of BEAUTIFUL cats at the Petsmart (with a no-kill shelter), Jack and Jill. They are littermates and have never been separated, so must be adopted together, and I think they are 3-5 years old (can't remember exactly). No health problems listed on the little intro sheet. Cats aren't usually in the display areas of this new Petsmart for more than a week - they get adopted fast - which is great! But Jack and Jill still sit there. They've been there for almost a month.
(I would love to take them both home, but we're still introducing Ginger, and Ophelia is not a happy little feral girl!)

I don't know that I would give up trying to find the right home for them, but I think you also already know that that home is going to be almost a miracle to find considering all of the adoptive "strikes" against them (pair, older, Damita having a disability and possible health issues). Obviously you are committed to them to have fostered them for this long.

Boy that didn't help much, did it?
All I can tell you is to look in your heart, think of Chico and Damita and what would absolutely be best for them. If you are the best thing for them and the best home for them, then adopt. If not, continue searching for a home for them that's just right for them. Miracles happen all the time.
 

katiemae1277

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Its obvious how much you love them Natalie, just adopt them and make them AND you happy for the rest of their lives
 
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white cat lover

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I talked to the vet tech when buying Science Diet z/d(allergy food) for Damita. She told me some very sad facts.
1) the only cat over 5 years of age the shelter here has successfully(meaning, not euthanized) adopted out in the past 2 years is Miss Kitty(A Persian).
2)They euthanize blind kittens(actually, they euthanized one this morning 8 weeks old)
3)Pairs of cats, on average, take 6 months longer to adopt out than single cats
4)The vet clinic gets people who have their pets euthanized because of food allergies.
I started crying standing there talking to her. She told me in her opinion, I was the best home for them. There is a chance that they could go to a rescue in the Twin Cities Metro Area, but....theyw ould have to be in cages. Damita doesn't do cages, that's why she's my foster cat.

So, I now have 5 cats. I have been told that I am no longer able to foster(by my parents). I am still the 3 day(maximum) bottle kitten momma. Me & several other people have passed bottle babies around, so I will still be able to help out there. Oh yeah, the shelter president threw up her hands & said "It's about time, ya moron!" when I told her we were going to adopt Damita & Chico.


So, I am proudly a foster failure! My only conern was my little sister, who is 15. She has startled Damita before. I had so hoped they could find a home w/o any kids where she would be completely comfortable, but once I graduate(Dec. 07) I will get my own apt. & take her with me.

Callista, one thing I had hoped for was to be able to be a long term foster momma for lots of kitties, but since I adopted D & C, I cannot foster anymore.

Hey.....Chico needs a new name! He was a Chico before, now he's not(he's finally grown out of his legs). New thread....


Thanks for the advice guys! I popped in w/o signing in to read what you had said before I said we'd adopt them.
 

gizmocat

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I adopted a four year old cat with food allergies and asthma. She's now well and healthy and looks much younger than her age. How dare anyone say that a six year old cat is 'almost dead'?

I think that the shelters should put up lists saying the pros and cons of the older cat versus the kitten. Sure, you don't get to see the cute fluffball. But you also get a well behaved and loving animal who knows what the litterbox is for and doesn't get into everything. I knew I wanted an older cat the minute I decided to get one; and if I ever get another, I'll also look for the poor creatures who are over 5 years old! Gizmo is a treasure, and I'd recommend nice older cats to anyone over a kitten, cute as they are.

Good luck with your two nice cats.
 

luckygirl

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I think you made an excellent choice. It was clear to everyone but you!
I don't know many people that would take in a cat with all those complications. You fostering them is proof that you are a wonderful kind soul, and I can't imagine a better "forever home" for them! Congrats!!!
 

gailc

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I concur with everyone -you made the best decision for these two.
They were looking for that special owner which turns out to be you!!!
 

booktigger

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Aww, bless you for adopting them - just a shame you can't foster anymore. I thought I was goign to end up keeping my long term foster as he was old with health issues, but happily after 14 months someone finally gave him a chance.
 

rang_27

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Good for you. Those are what I refer to as; they went to a "foster" home. I use the quotes around foster because you know they will never come back. I believe this probably is best for them. I always try to be positvie & say there is a home for every cat, but they have many strikes against them. So enjoy them!!
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

In your opinion, should I just give up & adopt them? I can afford to have two more cats(I already pay for everything but the vet expenses). Even the shelter president(who always thinks on the bright side) commented that they are never going to get adopted.
what would be the difference between your adopting them & just continuing to foster? if it's just on paper, & you'd really like them to find another home, then i'd say continue fostering with the realization that they may never leave you. if you really don't want them to leave, then adopt.
as far as how long you've had them - i think Chip was at the shelter/foster for at least 4-5 months before i got him. i didn't notice his bio at Christmas when i was looking, but i was looking at a ginger tom at the time who ended up adopted before i could even meet him. i decided it was a sign not to adopt a new cat at that time [probably a good decision since i had just had surgery]. when i started looking in March, there were about 4 boys that caught my eye - Chip was the only one i met.
at first sight! but they told me they had had him for a pretty long time - he was probably available at christmas, but i don't remember him.

ETA: now that i've read the rest of the thread - Congratulations!
 
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white cat lover

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Originally Posted by laureen227

what would be the difference between your adopting them & just continuing to foster? if it's just on paper, & you'd really like them to find another home, then i'd say continue fostering with the realization that they may never leave you. if you really don't want them to leave, then adopt.
as far as how long you've had them - i think Chip was at the shelter/foster for at least 4-5 months before i got him. i didn't notice his bio at Christmas when i was looking, but i was looking at a ginger tom at the time who ended up adopted before i could even meet him. i decided it was a sign not to adopt a new cat at that time [probably a good decision since i had just had surgery]. when i started looking in March, there were about 4 boys that caught my eye - Chip was the only one i met.
at first sight! but they told me they had had him for a pretty long time - he was probably available at christmas, but i don't remember him.

ETA: now that i've read the rest of the thread - Congratulations!
The one issue I was having trouble with is vet care. For me to foster them, the shelter MUST pay for vet care(some stupid rule being city run). However, they do not have the money to treat/vet two cats that simply are not adoptable. If they were at the shelter, they would have been euthanized long ago for not being adoptable. OK, so that was one of many issues(I have a lot of them, mostly focused on taking money away from treating adoptable cats). I was feeling bad about adopting them last night, but then I realized that there are kitties in the shelter who need the home more than Damita & Chico do, so by adopting them instead of continueing to foster them, I left two spots open in a home for shelter kitties. I think I will forever be doubt my decision, & think that I may have lost Damita & Chico their perfect home, but Damita is soooo special & really needed someone who understood her. She really needed a home with other cats, so more than just her & Chico. What are the odds of finding a home with 3+ cats(particularly in a rural are like this)? The more I think about it, the more I come up with requirements for a perfect home, and then I realize that my home is perfect(well, minus the little sister, but I wouldn't mind giving her away
).

Just FYI-I get my next 3 foster "bottle fed" babies on Saturday. I use the term "bottle fed" in quotations as they are like 4-6 weeks old(from 3 different litters). They just need a little extra TLC so I am bringing them home from Sat-Tue eve. I worked it out so that I can bring home one kitty(or set of kitties) once a week so they get some "out of the cage" time. My parents told me I am kniving(sp?). I just grinned.
 

sharky

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I am so glad you finally adopted them....
 

callista

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Hehe! Looks like they got you wrapped around their little furry paws!

Good for you & them!

Got pics?
 
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white cat lover

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Callista, I've posted pics in Fur Pictures..."my new additions & a name needed" is the title. I'm going to have to put more in my photobucket of funny Damita. I settled on their names. Damita Mae & Dorian Grey(formerly Chico). Today I just know I made the right decision. I don't know why, but when I woke up Ophelia was mauling Dorian & he was loving it. Damita was draped over my legs & both my feet were asleep. I was really warm, but didn't want to disturb Damita. ....sigh.... Deep down I can't regret my decision because I know they will be safe, loved, & here with me. So, Friday I am going to the pet store to get collars(new ones for them), toys, check out their food to see if they have anything(damita's allergies), & I've got to order some ID tags.

Apparently, since I decided to adopt Damita & Dorian, another glad decided to foster the herpes kitten & is considering either fostering him until he gets adopted of just adopting him. I was told I am a bad influence on other foster people.
 
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