To Keep Her or Not To Keep Her???!

roxsam

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Not sure if we should keep a kitty nor not! I know you can't make a decision for me but maybe you can help!


In April I found four 7 day old kittens that I have raised. They are 12 weeks old now, one got adopted last week, one is going getting adopted by my dad tomorrow. So there are 2 left. One of the kittties that is still here (Stitch) had been my favorite since the very beginning. I fell in love with Stitch right away and she has only grown on me (and DH) more and more! We were thinking of keeping her, and had pretty much made that decision, but then my dog got sick. We spent A LOT of money on him and now he requires monthly medication for life. At that point we decided not to keep Stitch since the money it would cost to keep her had just gone to the dog. Well...the more we have her the harder it gets,we just love her SO much! We figured out 1 more cat wouldn't be too much extra and we would just have to adjust the budget by a little bit. The only thing that would be hard is if she, or anybody else, had an emergency and needed medical care that wasn't planned for. We could pay for it, it would just not be easy...

SO I am just not sure what to do! I'm trying to not let my heart get in the way of a smart decision, but I am just worried about finances if we had some kind of emergency. The reason we started thinking of keeping her again is my bday was a week ago...and DH said that my bday present from him is that we can keep her!

Also, (this may sound weird) but our cat, Roxy, has always been our on and only cat. So she has gotten all the attention...and I am hesitant about Stitch b/c I feel bad for Roxy! lol.
t5r

Any input??

THANKS!!!
 

jugen

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Can't give you any imput because I'd just have to keep her. That's what I've done with all my cats, so I'm just a little one sided. Cali was supposed to be one we found a new home for, but well things worked out in my favor (of course) and she's here because once they enter, I can't let them leave. Hence the no more cats rule. 6 is enough. But I have the money to care for them all, so 6 is fine, a little tight, but not over budget. And if they need emergency care, I have the money to do that. So well, if this helps, great. If not, hopefully your heart will lead you in the right direction.
 

laureen227

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has Roxy met Stitch? if so, do they get along? if not, perhaps you should try an introduction before you decide...
 
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roxsam

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Originally Posted by laureen227

has Roxy met Stitch? if so, do they get along? if not, perhaps you should try an introduction before you decide...
Yes they have met, Stitch is fine with Roxy. Roxy hisses at Stitch, but she does this with any new animal. She hated Samson at first at now is becoming his friend, and I had a roommate with a cat once, and after a month of hissing and growling they became best buds.


Asking crazy cat people if you should keep a kitty
Bella713 - (Maybe subconsciously I want people to tell me I can keep her,
)/ But SHHH, don't tell me that's what I am after! lol.

I guess other people telling me they would keep her does help my decision!!
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by mews2much

I would keep her.
if you can handle it financially & space-wise, so would i.
of course, i have 3 that i 'acquired' in a similar manner!
 

arlyn

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I would keep her and either start squirreling extra money away for vet emergencies, or get your pets insured.
 

lotso'cats

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I went through a similar situation about a week and a half ago. My husband saw a kitten who was thrown from a car and it happened on a friday he was ok except for a broken leg and no shelter could take him until that Wenesday. Needless to say I got quite attached to him BUT we have 7 cat's already and two of them are 9 years old and a kitten would be too much for them. Plus the kitten had medical expenses and I would have rather kept any money for the kitties I already had.

It was sooo hard to give him up bit I knew it was the right thing to do. One thing I kept in mind he might have been my first rescued kitty but he probably won't be my last...and I can't keep them all (as much as I would love too.)
 

glitch

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Keep Stitch!! HoBoJax was a rescue, I swore I was going to give him away once I nursed him back to health since we already had 2, but I changed my mind and have learned that just like you can never afford to have a baby, somehow you always do! Im Voting for keep Stitch!
 

lorina

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I'd keep her.


Adding a second cat is less of a finacial strain than adding one single cat if you didn't already have one. It's more like ... one and a half cats.
A medical emergency can happen at any time to any one of them, but isn't likely to happen to all at once. (I better knock on wood here. :p) Stick ten or twenty bucks a month in a savings account. And there's always something like CareCredit if absolutely necessary.

As far as Roxy being your one and only... I felt that way, too, when I only had my old girl Sheba, and found Gypsy. But Gypsy needed me. And then I felt that way with Gracie, and then... by the time I found the kittens, I knew I having multiples was just fine. There's always enough love to go around, no matter how many you have. As long as you have the time, money and room for more, go for it.

I have four now, plus a dog, and they all get their own special time with me. And there's plenty of time when none of them want to bother with me at all, so I'm pretty sure no one feels neglected or shunned.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by Lorina

There's always enough love to go around, no matter how many you have. As long as you have the time, money and room for more, go for it.
just like w/human children - new love is created for each new addition!
 
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roxsam

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Lorina, thanks for your post!! It was nice


I am getting so close to that three letter word! (that would be Yes, lol). I will let you know tomorrow!

This is the 2nd litter I have raised, so I have been able to let 6 of them get adopted, so at least I know I am strong enough to let them go...I guess Stitch is just special for some reason!

I will post a decision and a pic tomorrow


Thanks all!
 

kalikat

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I would probably keep her. I was in a similar situation when Blossom came along. She was 3 weeks old when my son rescued/found her. The vet who runs a cat adoption center in his practice couldn't look after her & told me to bring her back when she was 8 weeks old. Needless to say after looking after her for 5 weeks, I couldn't part with her.
At the obedience club I go to quite a few members have & recommend health insurance, one member pays $48 per month. If it were me I would have a special bank account just for the pets. If nothing happens, you have a little nest egg.
 
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roxsam

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(Drum roll please...)


WE HAVE A NEW ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY!!! Stitch is now officially in our family! We thought long and hard about it, weighed out everything and when it came down to it...we couldn't part with her! We probably will try to get insurance or add more to our "do not touch unless emergency" account.
Thanks for all who gave me the strength to say YES, lol!

Now...I have a multi-cat household for the first time (well on my own, I had 3 when I was in HS but that was different as my mom didn't listen to me on what to do for them..!)!!

Here is a picture of Stitch! The first when she was a baby and now when she is 12 weeks old!






 

zorana_dragonky

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Awwwww! Stitch is such a cutie! Congratulations on giving in and making your home a more awesome, cat-filled place!


We are all backing you up.
 
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roxsam

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Originally Posted by zorana_dragonky

Awwwww! Stitch is such a cutie! Congratulations on giving in and making your home a more awesome, cat-filled place!


We are all backing you up.
lol, THANKS!! We are very excited also! I think it is neat that I will have a kitty that I bottle fed! Roxy has gotten a little lazier in the past few months..maybe having a kitten around will help her too!


And our Stitch and Samson (our dog) already love each other , so cute
 

naia

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Congrats on your decision. Stitch is going to bring so much joy to your life as you will bring to hers. SHE IS SO ADORABLE!!!!! I want to cuddle with her. Please give her a big hug for me!
 
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