Pets who get passed along ...

We see a lot of this in Hartford. People have pets - mostly cats and dogs - they get tired of them and "pass them along". It really gets my goat. One of my neighbors had two dogs in the summer. One was a very sweet little thing that had been "passed along" to them. I met them last week and they didn't like the fact that the dogs had to be walked for bathroom purposes! They "passed along" both of their dogs to god-knows-who. There's a lot of very ignorant people in Hartford.

There's a lot of ignorant (and or uncaring) people anywhere. Mike (MRBlance) has written about animals surrendered to the shelter simply because they no longer match the color scheme of the home. It's horrible!

At least they are being rehomed and not dumped or sent to shelters.

Today a girl at work asked me where she could drop off her 7 year old declawed cat she's had for 5 years. She has a friend holding it for her now, but her friend's cats wont let it eat and it cant fight them because it's declawed. Apparently she gave it up because it makes her youngest kid sick (has CF). Dunno why she adopted a puppy then?

I already have one of her cats living outside, we renamed her Evil Kitty (she's vicious now, probably because the older kid used to practically abuse the cats in the house) - she dropped that one off almost 3 years ago, I told her to come get it or it stays outside, she said she came to get it and couldnt find the cat so it's still here. It's bitten/scratched Rob badly once, and his mom twice. Wont bring it to the shelter because I know they'd put her down. She told me she couldn't take that cat to her new apartment because animals weren't allowed, yet she brought the previously mentioned declawed cat there, as well as a grown Labrador, then adopted another puppy after that

I told her to call the no-kill fostering shelter here for the senior cat, and hopefully someone will find a home for it.

Some "people" shouldn't have pets! If they don't care/want their animals anymore (if they ever did) then do they care about WHO they pass these babies to? That's what would concern me. Yes, it may seem better than dumping them off somewhere--but only if the people taking over the care are decent people. I have taken cats that were passed on to me, and of course they were treated like little kings and queens!! I've even took a cat that I saw being abused..just took her right out of the abusers' hands, got in the car and drove off. Some people should NOT have pets!!!!

That is frequently what we see anymore up here--except that what happens is they get dropped off at farms around us. What bugs me is that many times we have farmers who do not even look after what they have properly --- so what happens? The poor cat, or dog, end up killed on our roadways and et cetera.

Grumble Grouch Mumble Snort

I agree with Bellaandme some people just shouldnt have pets.

Around here at the moment there seems to be a lot of stray dogs, ok some may be lost but I am sure a lot have just been dumped in the countryside to fend for themselfs. A lot of the cats that I have had have been thrown out from somewhere.

I did have one dog, Chester, that had been passed on to me by a friend that had cancer as she could no longer cope with him, the problem was that poor Chester had already lived in 3 other homes then with her, making mine the 5th
and he wasnt even a nasty dog just a bit demanding. People just dont think things through, they just think oh how nice to have a cat or a dog (or anything else) then when they get it and find that it makes a mess, needs exercise, needs attention, rips the sofa, eats the tv zappa and needs love then they decide that its no longer fun and the poor animal has to go

I live in the Philippines and there are lots of stray dogs and cats. Foreigners who come to live here for a few years, take pity on these animals and take them in. However, when they go back home, they either pass them to other expats and locals, or abandon them back to the streets. It's rare for one to take the pet back home (mostly due to the strict quarantine laws in their country). Should they have pets? In their hearts, they want to do good and they are saving animals, at least for a while.

Many years ago I worked at an animal shelter, and it took all my strength to keep a neutral expression with some of the people who came in with their animals, giving them up. The ones who had excuses like they couldn't potty train them, or they didn't have time to take care of them, or one of the worst I've ever heard was that the animal didn't match the new furniture - it made me ill.

It burns me up that people do not think ahead, and do not consider a pet as a permanent lifetime companion. Like the family a few doors down from me had a baby last year. I can tell already that their dog, the dog they got two years ago, is being neglected, by the amount of time it now spends outside barking nonstop. The dog wasn't behaving like that, and wasn't outside as long, before the baby came.

Someone here posted at least the ones who get passed along are finding them a home, which is true. But, it still gets my goat.

Sometimes there are circumstances, serious circumstances, that cause people to give up their pets, like illness preventing them from caring for an animal, and it's understandable. But, many times it is because the people just didn't consider a pet to be a permanent member of the family, therefore is easy to give the pet away. Very sad.

We have a bad situation with stray cats in my neighborhood, and I know that a few have been dumped by local residents (many are feral cats). I know of one cat who was left behind by the family when they moved. In my fantasies, I would love to kick THOSE people to the curb and see how they like it.

Yep, some people should be barred from having pets.

I'm done ranting. Although, I can imagine there are some folks who would like to rehome some of their human family members too...

There is no WAY I could work in a shelter because I am jaded enough just fostering for one. It is reason like this that I prefer animals to most people.

Originally Posted by Sherry526

Someone here posted at least the ones who get passed along are finding them a home, which is true. But, it still gets my goat.

We have a bad situation with stray cats in my neighborhood, and I know that a few have been dumped by local residents (many are feral cats). I know of one cat who was left behind by the family when they moved. In my fantasies, I would love to kick THOSE people to the curb and see how they like it.

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Sounds like York, PA has a lot of the same problems that Hartford, CT has. I agree with your first paragraph. Yes, they do get a new home, when passed along, but what kind of new home and for how long? This is what gets my goat too. If you get a pet, keep a pet.

My neighbor got a rooster yesterday. It hasn't shut up in 24 hours. I'm hoping it gets "passed along."

I know what you mean though. I own a pet sitting company. I get calls all the time from people looking to rehome their pets. I stopped being nice about it years ago and started explaining the reality of shelter life and what happens to animals that go there. I don't know why I'm surprised. No one is willing to commit to things anymore. If I get an animal it's here for life, period. We're all in this together and we work through whatever issues arise.

Originally Posted by howtoholdacat

My neighbor got a rooster yesterday. It hasn't shut up in 24 hours. I'm hoping it gets "passed along."

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Jennifer, you sure are a pretty lady. (Looked at some of your blog.)

Primula, I drove up to your neck of the woods back in 2003 to get my dear Harley, the greyhound! (sorry for the side note not about cats,everyone). I went to WAG, Inc. aka We Adopt Greyhounds.

Anyway yes, York isn't great about the cat problem, at least my neighborhood, but I think it's a problem in other areas of York because my mom, when she was still physically able, used to feed feral cats at the local Pizza Hut in her neighborhood also in York.

There is a mentality about it though - spaying and neutering isn't done like it should be. And, lots of people are letting their cats outdoors, which in this suburban-close to the city line neighborhood is a BAD combination - cats running around and not spayed/neutered. I know it goes on because of the nature of my job I speak to many people here in the neighborhood, and I hear all the stories.

I try to nicely tell people to spay/neuter their pets and explain why, but more than not I find that the people I am explaining to will NEVER "get it." For whatever reason, many just don't want to expand their opinion on how cats should exist, and they'll never understand how their actions of letting their nonspayed/nonneutered cats run around contribute to this problem of strays. The light bulb just doesn't go on. And, the excuse of "I can't afford it" I hate to hear it--hey neighbor, if you can't afford to spay your cat, then you can't afford your cat OR your cat's endless number of litters!

Working in a shelter was about the worst job I ever held. It wasn't a no kill, and the stress was too hard for me. I didn't even last a year. Even though I knew that euthanasia was the kindest deed some of the animals ever had in their tortured life, I just couldn't take being around it.

Changing attitudes about animals - this country has more pets now than ever, but education, I wish, would catch up.

Done my rant for this post

Originally Posted by Sherry526

Working in a shelter was about the worst job I ever held.

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I'd love to volunteer at the CT Humane Society, but I know I would not be able to handle it. It's a no-kill, but just to see abandoned, misused and lonely animals would totally kill me. One of the (few) animal control officers in Hartford told me recently she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown, her job is so stressful. I donate monthly to the ASPCA to assuage my guilt for not doing more.

I volunteered at a no kill also and you're so right. It's sad to see the abandoned animals. Depressing. Made me depressed about humanity. For me, it was easier than working at the shelter that euthanized though--out of the two types.

Both very sad, but necessary kinds of work. God bless the people who hang in there and do it every day.

The thought about Pirate my one eyed cat was that the 13 year old boy in the family gouged Pirate's eye out, after he had killed the family's rabbit and puppy. Sounds like a future serial killer doesn't it?

The cruelty officer at the shelter where I worked took Pirate from the family and he became adoptable, and that's how I came to adopt him. He was going to be euthanized to make space for incoming cats.

Pirate is the good thing that came out of my days working there.

Originally Posted by Sherry526

The thought about Pirate my one eyed cat was that the 13 year old boy in the family gouged Pirate's eye out, after he had killed the family's rabbit and puppy.

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How the hell could a cat kill a puppy? I saw the picture of Pirate and could not believe anyone could gouge out his eye. Sickening in the extreme.

^I think she meant that the boy first killed the puppy and rabbit, then abused the cat. (Would make more "sense" to me).

People....they disgust me.

Originally Posted by NorthernGlow

^I think she meant that the boy first killed the puppy and rabbit, then abused the cat. (Would make more "sense" to me).

People....they disgust me.

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Some of these kids also turn into psychopaths later on in life. There are a lot of mentally disturbed people out here any more---and a fair number of them did not get treatment for their issues either

Originally Posted by NorthernGlow

^I think she meant that the boy first killed the puppy and rabbit, then abused the cat. (Would make more "sense" to me).

People....they disgust me.

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Duh, of course that's what she meant! Dreadful story.