Strange response to Petfinder ads

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

They are most probably written by someone whose English IS their first language.

It's all part of their tactic - trust me. I wouldn't send any of my details to them (inc your name).

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Sorry for making three posts to quote each different person, but I didn't see these reponses until later.
I also thought they were probably written by someone whose first language is English as well. I figured that was their way of disguising themselves or something. I don't see the reasoning behind it though.

We recommend classified to people who want us to take in their pets when we cant, but we get the exact same scam emails using Petfinder instead of classifieds.

I receive those emails regularly and simply click delete. If we post a purebred (something they can search for easily) we get even more so maybe if they are posted as Siamese mix etc instead of just DSH they get targetted more.

I've never received a scam email through regular Petfinder posts, but I receive nothing but scam emails from the classifieds. To each their own. I just know that I won't the classifieds again.

Is it possible for individuals to advertise on the regular petfinder or is that available only to organizations? I couldn't see any way to put my ads up except in the classifieds.

The Humane Society is opening a new shelter here some time in the next 2 or 3 weeks. I don't know if I'll have time to volunteer there (too many other volunteer activities), but I have told them I could be available to foster cats. That depends, of course, on making more room here by rehoming some of the ones I already have. Maybe they would be willing to post the kitties for me.

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

Is it possible for individuals to advertise on the regular petfinder or is that available only to organizations? I couldn't see any way to put my ads up except in the classifieds.

The Humane Society is opening a new shelter here some time in the next 2 or 3 weeks. I don't know if I'll have time to volunteer there (too many other volunteer activities), but I have told them I could be available to foster cats. That depends, of course, on making more room here by rehoming some of the ones I already have. Maybe they would be willing to post the kitties for me.

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It is not possible for individuals to post on the regular Petfinder that organizations use; however, this are ways for individuals to post there. You have to contact local rescues/shelters and ask if you could place a courtesy ad for an animal you're trying to rehome/adopt out. This is especially nice for Good Samaritans trying to find new homes for animals they might have taken in, since the rescues cannot always physically take in the animals themselves. You just state that it's a courtesy listing and have your contact info for people interested in adopting. The shelter has nothing to do with the adoption at all. The rescue I work with does allow courtesy posts. I think it also just looks more reputable when a person is connected with an organization. P

If anyone needs, here is a directory for animal shelters/rescues if anyone needs to contact somewhere to ask for a courtesy listing:
http://www.h4ha.org/shelter-directory/index.php (Just don't right-click to open things in a new page or tab, b/c it doesn't work for that site)

If I were you, I'd contact The Humane Society and tell them you're interested in fostering cats for them, but you cannot do so until you find homes for the kitties you already have. If you ask them for a courtesy post and make it clear you're not asking them to take in the kittens you have, maybe they'd let you do it since it would open up space for their cats. I'd also mention the trouble you've had with the Petfinder classifieds.

Thanks for the information, MissKitties. I did tell them when I offered to foster that I couldn't do it until I had found homes for at least three of my current kitties. I was thinking maybe the shelter could advertise for me, but hadn't thought about petfinders for that. Once the shelter actually opens up I'll contact them again to see if they'll do a courtesy listing for me.

I'm thinking that Goldy could be considered a rescue cat since she was a stray (not feral) that I took in last summer. I don't think I would have taken her to a shelter even if there had been one available. She had three kittens at the end of August. I plan to keep one of the kittens and am trying to rehome Goldy and the other two kittens.

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

Hello
My name is Mr Jerry Morgan, Am a businessman and i reside in BAKERSFIELD,CALIFORNIA.... I went through your advert on Petfinder.com and i will like to adopt the pet to my lovely family, so i will like you to get back to me with the present condition of the pet and tell me the asking price including the Pics of the pet and i dont want you to be bother of the shipping fees, so i will be glad to hear back from you..

I Awaits Your Quick And Sincere Response,
My Regards,
Mr Jerry Morgan For The Family.

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OK, if you cooperated, here's how it would go.

He would agree to a price for the cat.

He would send you a certified or cashier's check that is much too large, ask you to deposit it, and return the extra to him after paying for the shipping.

You would never hear from him again.

The check would turn out to be bogus.

And, had you actually shipped the cat, it would likely end up being delivered to an abandoned house or some such thing.

We regularly post "courtesty ads" on the petfinder website. We do however - require that any "courtesty postings" have the adoptions go through us. We screen them, basically.

What an educational thread this has turned out to be I am so glad that you have your TCS family to alert you about the scam....I shiver to think of other innocent victims being duped, and worst yet, the poor pets being shipped
Sending find-a-wonderful-home soon prayers & vibes out to Goldy & her gorgeous family

After half a dozen of the spam emails I actually got a real one. I had a really good feeling about this one the second I opened it. She mentioned Lion by name, told me where she lives, and gave me a phone number. She also told me when she is going to be in my area and would be able to meet Lion and take him home with her if it works out.

I've spoken to her on the phone and it sounds very promising. I liked her answers to my questions. I still get to keep Lion for a couple of weeks because the (prospective) new mom and dad won't be here until Superbowl weekend. (Do I dare admit I had to look up the date because I didn't have a clue? )

Now I have to start putting together a scrapbook of Lion's first 5 months of life. I actually got a book about a month ago but haven't put any pictures in it yet.

Wow! Keep us posted. That would be wonderful!

Well, the couple are definitely coming on Saturday to meet Lion and they sound really excited about it. They've got their place all set up for a new kitty.

In the meantime I've gotten two more emails from people who want to adopt
Lion. If I could just get them interested in Goldy or Cali instead.

Good luck for Saturday - yeah it's hard when they get their heart set on a certain kitty. Maybe come and ask them to meet those two? It's worth a try. *shrugs*

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

Good luck for Saturday - yeah it's hard when they get their heart set on a certain kitty. Maybe come and ask them to meet those two? It's worth a try. *shrugs*

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I did try that with one of them who lives fairly close, but she wasn't interested. Maybe once I get Lion's ad off petfinder somebody else will look at the other two. I'd rather they go to someone who really wants them instead of taking them as a substitute.

For those who have been following this thread, just wanted to let you know Lion has been adopted. I started another thread about that.

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

I did try that with one of them who lives fairly close, but she wasn't interested. Maybe once I get Lion's ad off petfinder somebody else will look at the other two. I'd rather they go to someone who really wants them instead of taking them as a substitute.

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People can be very closed-minded about those sorts of things. I had a woman come by our PetSmart display yesterday and inquired about kittens. I said we have Petey and Andy - 4 and 5 mos respectively. No, she said she wanted a little kitten. They promised their son a kitten for Christmas. I said these are really nice kittens (Petey would make a GREAT companion for a little boy!)... but she refused to consider these "older" ones. I did advise her not to take a kitten younger than 10-12 weeks. She got this look on her face - I said you want a little fuzzball, but it is not in the kitten's interest to be separated from mom and sibs any earlier than that. Also , it's not kitten season, you will have more success in the spring if that's what you want.

Here is what people don't realize, sometimes your second choice ends up being perfect! And fuzzball kittens are only that way for a couple of months... then you have 15 years or so of CAT!

Originally Posted by AddieBee

...And fuzzball kittens are only that way for a couple of months... then you have 15 years or so of CAT!

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And those are probably the people who turn the cat in to the shelter -- or just dump it out the door to fend for itself -- a few years later because they are "no longer convenient." Can I say how much I dislike people like that?



Congratulations on finding a good home for Lion & good luck with the others!

Originally Posted by AddieBee

People can be very closed-minded about those sorts of things. I had a woman come by our PetSmart display yesterday and inquired about kittens. I said we have Petey and Andy - 4 and 5 mos respectively. No, she said she wanted a little kitten. They promised their son a kitten for Christmas. I said these are really nice kittens (Petey would make a GREAT companion for a little boy!)... but she refused to consider these "older" ones. I did advise her not to take a kitten younger than 10-12 weeks. She got this look on her face - I said you want a little fuzzball, but it is not in the kitten's interest to be separated from mom and sibs any earlier than that. Also , it's not kitten season, you will have more success in the spring if that's what you want.

Here is what people don't realize, sometimes your second choice ends up being perfect! And fuzzball kittens are only that way for a couple of months... then you have 15 years or so of CAT!

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The people who adopted Lion actually wanted an older kitten, not a tiny baby. They wanted a cat that was old enough to be well socialized, but young enough to grow up with their little boy.

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

The people who adopted Lion actually wanted an older kitten, not a tiny baby. They wanted a cat that was old enough to be well socialized, but young enough to grow up with their little boy.

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That's good. That means they know a thing or two. But as I said, people can be closed minded - "I only want an orange cat" or "I only want a KITTEN!!!" or "it has to be a male (or female)" or "I don't want a black cat" without considering the animal's age, personality, etc.