Don't forget the "unadoptables"

When looking for you new companion, your new furr-ever friend, your new family member, please do not forget the "unadoptables", those less desirable kitties.

They deserve a home as much as any other. They may not be cute kittens, they may be shy, or skinny, or look funny.....but they are no less deserving of a furr-ever home.

The shy





The big & black & old



The old



The old with health issues




Please, don't look past them. You don't know what you're missing. You may not have 20 years with a senior kitty, but I've met some of the sweetest old cats ever. And special needs? Stop - look twice. Many won't require that much more care than you "average" cat. And any kitten/cat can become special needs. They shy, given a chance to adjust, are some of the most cuddly, sweet, & wonderful kitties ever.

They don't deserve to die because they aren't "cute" anymore. And for many, it is life or death.

I know. I took a chance on Ghost --- and he is soooooooo sweeeeettt!! OMG - purring and kneading and loves to sit in my lap and preaches and rubs all over me.... He is still tremendously timid and only ventures out of his bathroom lair briefly. I think if there were only one or two other cats... he would be out and about more.

ETA: It also pains me to look at CL and see so many people trying to rehome cats that are 8,9,10, 14 years old. If they take those cats to the pound they have a snowball's chance of making it out alive. I know that you know.

Natalie, you have a heart of gold. Always reminding people to do the right thing. You are truly an advocate for the kitties of the world. You get heartbroken so many times, but you keep on going. I wish there were more Natalie's in the world

Originally Posted by Pami

Natalie, you have a heart of gold. Always reminding people to do the right thing. You are truly an advocate for the kitties of the world. You get heartbroken so many times, but you keep on going. I wish there were more Natalie's in the world

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Two of mine were unadoptable... Lucky - she was shy... She was going to be PTS because of that, and today she is my heart kitty, my biggest love...
Hope is also shy, but getting better by the day... I might be keeping her, I am pretty sure this is the route I am going to take. I am not sure when I am going to be able to make this commitment, as I can't afford added vet bills if she needs it... So now she is a foster - but as soon as I get a job... I will adopt her.

I look at these guys & it's breaking my heart. They grey/white senior special needs boy has lost his will to live anymore....and he's barely 10 years old.

Aww! I would take one of those kitties ANY day!

Originally Posted by white cat lover

I look at these guys & it's breaking my heart. They grey/white senior special needs boy has lost his will to live anymore....and he's barely 10 years old.

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Poor baby What is the matter with him? And is he in a shelter? Foster home?

Shelter. There is no foster space for him. He doesn't do dogs, and I imagine he'd do a number on another kitty. I dealt with that once with Bea, for my sanity, I can't handle a kitty like that again.

Bless you- the world needs more people that take a chance like this. I've adopted 2 cats in my lifetime that were considered "unadoptable". Trixie was the first, she was 10 when I adopted her. She was a gorgeous snowshoe siamese, extremely petite, and literally knocking on death's door the entire short time I owned her. I rescued her from almost certain death, she was going to be inhumanely gassed. Even though I had to put her to sleep like 6 months after adopting her, I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world.
And then a year ago I adopted a 12 year-old tux, Taylor. She's a CH kitty (cerebral hypoplasia) and she definitely is the humor in my house. She was sitting in a room at the humane society for months, with no one ever showing any interest in her. I adopted her right after I had to put Trixie down, so I kinda knew that she was meant to come home with me.
(come to think of it, all of my cats were considered unadoptable and/or unwanted)

In my eyes, the "unadoptables" are the best

Ella was basically "unadoptable" because of her nose, and had we not agreed to foster her, she was going to be put to sleep to free up a cage. She had essentially been in shelters and cages since Katrina, over 3 years.

Her nose is still a problem, but she isn't; she gets more loving every day.

My current two, although not from a shelter, would be considered "unadoptable"--at ~8 weeks, they were semi-feral and covered in ringworm (there was a patch almost the size of the palm of my hand on Panther; I think I would have been reported by the vet if I hadn't mentioned that I just got them), and they're still highly skitty around everyone but me and Squirrel is moderately skitty even with me.

My cousin has taken in some "unadoptables" too, currently including a one-eyed cat (technically, he still had the other eye when she got him as a kitten, it was just so infected as to be a total loss) and a tailless cat with trouble controlling her peeing and pooing that someone stuck in a box and threw away on the side of a road out of a moving vehicle at something like 6 weeks. Her family also, several years ago now, took in a one-eyed dog that med students or something had been experimenting on.

For the "unadoptables" that get along well with other cats, the shelters could get them off the shelves by offering them as a free bonus when a cat that also gets along with other cats is adopted. Something like, "adopt a kitten, get a free old-cat parent for it!" I know a shelter that does twofers during kitten season so this wouldn't be totally unprecedented.

Everyone who adopts these babies are such good people. I know there are several on here who have including those above, Natalie, Katie and Ms. Freya and more, its such a beautiful things to give these babies a chance of love

If, God forbid anything happens to 3 of my 4, I will certainly adopt a senior. I rescued a very elderly male awhile back, and although he was with me for just a short time, he was a dear old fellow, and I have no regrets about giving him a loving home with plenty of food, comfort and love for his final days.
Thank you, white cat lover, for reminding us of these wonderful creatures, and how rewarding it can be to have one in your life, even for a short time.

Originally Posted by Pami

Everyone who adopts these babies are such good people. I know there are several on here who have including those above, Natalie, Katie and Ms. Freya and more, its such a beautiful things to give these babies a chance of love

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Thank you, Pami. I can say with complete certainty that these cats more than give that love back tenfold.

To anyone looking to adopt 'unadoptables' - they really do end up as some of the most loving cats you'll ever meet. I can't even imagine my life without my sweetie and my big buddy. I've had plenty of people tell me my cats aren't normal, I just tell them that cats redefine normal to suit themselves.

Thank you, Nat, for advocating for these cats. It eases my heart a little to know they're not forgotten.

Originally Posted by Ms. Freya

Thank you, Pami. I can say with complete certainty that these cats more than give that love back tenfold.

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I've very often said that since my cats have a shortened lifespan they have to cram all the love of a lifetime into whatever time they have It breaks my heart to see "imperfect" cats rejected, they deserve love just as much as any cute kitten- cute kittens grow up and develop issues too. If I ever stop taking in FeLV cats, I'll probably take on another special needs group

I adopted Sweetie two months ago. He was a rescue one and a half years ago, when he was discovered very thin and cold, and was taken in by a family. Unfortunately, due to a very serious illness, these people could no longer keep him. Sweetie had been living at local vet clinic for 4 months when I adopted him. This clinic takes in rescues and other needy animals.

Some things that made him less adoptable are that he is older (approx 3 years), a black cat and he has special needs. In the past he has had some problems with crystals in his urine, but he thrives on a special diet of Royal Canin, and hasn't had any more crystals for many months. I fully intend to keep him on his special diet, and I'm hoping for at least 14 long and healthy years with him.

BTW, Sweetie is the second older black cat I adopted from a shelter type of setting. The first was my RB cat Midnight who had been living in a shelter for 6 months and was 8 months old when I adopted her. I think some people are still afraid of black cats, which makes them less adoptable.

I should have posted this picture of Ella:



We have a crowd at the house right now, and she's hiding, but she'll get over it.

all my 9 furbabies are former strays. i don't care how old they are or their looks. i never got to pick out any of them, they always seem to somehow find me.

I am one who adopted an older kitty, she was a wonderful cat. Named Slimey (grrr) by her human who didn't mistreat her outright, just left her outside all the time in all manner of weather, and it did get to the point of being cruel, during an ice storm someone in the building let her in, and he said put her back out, that is where of course I stepped in. For an outdoor cat she was just the most friendly thing I ever met, just loved and loved on everyone. Slept under the covers with me. If I took a nap I would ask her, "You want to come nappies with me?" and she would follow like a puppy and snooze on my head, lol.
She was half blind and had no teeth, had been hit by cars and tormented by children throwing stuff at her. Her fur (semi long hair) was a bit ratty, had to constantly keep the matts off her since she had no teeth to groom them herself. She would have been put down at a shelter, no one would have taken her. But, the best most loving cat ever. I, well we (still with the ex at this time) only had her with us for 4 years before she passed at we guess 19 yrs old, but they were the best 4 years.

Even more proof that the ones people normally look past are the ones who are the true gems. This 7/yo black DSH is harness & leash trained - he acts like a dog!! (He's also close to being certified as office manager )





And my photogenic 13 y/o boy