trying to rehome a cat and having a horrible time

I'm moving - I'm a university student and I can't afford an apartment of my own any more. I'm moving to one room in a house and I can't take my cat.

I found her a home with a decent sounding guy, he let me call his vet as a reference and let me come look at his place, but he'd never had a cat before and already had a dog. My cat is very easygoing and I thought that once she got used to the dog, she'd at least tolerate it.

I brought her to his house, feeling horrible. She was very scared, she hates travelling in the car. I left her there, and half an hour later he calls me back to say that she's still hiding and had taken swipes at the dog. I told him that she'd need more than half an hour to get used to the place, but he wanted me to come and take her back so I did.

I got her home and I think she peed in the cat carrier. She also has sticky spots on her fur. She's finally starting to wash herself now, an hour or so after we got home.

I need to find her a new home, and soon. I'm moving and can't take her with me. I don't know what to do. I've read people advising to get the cat put down if it comes to that, but she's only 7. I don't want to put her down.

This is her.


I'm in Southern Ontario.

Poor baby, she looks so sweet. I'm sorry you have to lose her. That's sad. If it were me, I would take her to a shelter. Granted, it's not the best but she would at least have a chance to go to a good home. The shelters where I am really screen people well before they give them a kitty.

Do you know how I can find shelters near Hamilton, Ontario? The only one I know of is the SPCA and they're not accepting cats right now. I'm trying to e-mail rescue organizations but so far no one will take her.

As far as I can remember as per the landlord tenant board, and the rental company that we rent from, Ontario has a law against denying a tenant a pet (non exotic). This was all 3 years ago, but I've been fairly active in the rescue community around here (dogs) for the past 5 years, so I'm pretty sure I would have heard something about it if it had changed.

Many landlords in Ontario will write it into the lease, even though it is actually illegal to do so (as per landlord tenant board lawyer). Of course, if you sign a lease that says no pets, the landlord will find other reasons to evict you.

Now to the student housing - is it a large house with landlord on site? Or is it that you're renting a room in a house (say 2-5 rooms) with the landlord being offsite? If it's the later, they rarely come around (in my experience, 4 years living in student housing). As long as the other tenants are alright with it, then you really wouldn't have problems (going from your other post that said you could keep her confined to your bedroom).

Have you tried a felaway diffuser/spray/collar? It seems to help the vast majority of cats, from the reviews.

It's a six room house and the landlord comes around once a month. The other housemates are also not ok with the cat roaming the house.

I don't know if a feliway diffuser is needed. I think the only reason she urinated in her carrier is because she was so afraid.

Jeh,
Are you sure there is only one place? That doesn't seem right. There is no Humane Society? Have you searched the internet? Asked people? When are you moving? Could there be a chance that you could take your kitty with you for a short time, until you can figure this all out? You could keep her in your room for a little while. There has to be some place that will take her. Check "no kill" shelters in your area. I'll look too.

There is the Burlington Humane Society. I don't know how far that is from you but it's there. Call them. And call the SPCA. Ask them if they know where you can take your kitty. Tell them you have no choice and have to have a place. They may help you. I would think they would anyway. That is what they are there for. Let us know how you make out.

I used Petfinder.com to find a list of cat rescue organizations and I've e-mailed 20 of them, all the way from Hamilton to Toronto. I hope one of them can take her. I will call the Burlington Humane Society when they are open, but I would rather she goes to a rescue organization if they answer. I tried the SPCA and they aren't accepting cats.

I'm getting some responses from the rescue organizations that are basically villianizing me for trying to find another home for my cat, which is not helpful right now.

Try not to let people get to you. I know that some of them make you feel awful. I took a stray cat to our Humane Society once and they made me feel horrible. I couldn't keep the cat. I already had two, and they weren't getting along that great. I searched for the kitty parents on my own before I took the cat in and they still made me feel terrible. Just stand firm with them. You have no choice. That's all you have to tell them. Remember this though, when you are feeling like you want another kitty. Once they are yours they are your responsibility and that's sometimes hard, as you are finding out.

I myself just want to say that you are doing a great job of trying to do what's best for your pet.

Hi there... I am so sorry you are going through this...
Just an idea - Since Ontario has this law against denying pets from living in a place: Could you take the kitty with you? I know she could not roam the house, but she would be ok in you room only... Cats ARE ok in small spaces... you'd be surprised... You can create vertical spaces for her - maybe a cat tree, shelves and such. Put her food and litter box in there, and she would have you. That is all she would really need...
Just an idea... Your roomates wouldn't even notice she is there...
If this doesn't work, I hope you find a home for her... I know how heartbreaking this must be for you... I am so sorry

I never ever recommend that anyone take their pet cat to a shelter (of course there may not be a choice for strays). Kill rates for cats are around 75% at many shelters. . .any cat over 6 months old really doesn't have a chance, especially if she's shy around strangers. Even a lot of "no-kill" shelters will kill a shy cat for being "unadoptable". Unless you had to join the Witness Protection Program or something like that where you HAD to leave in 5 minutes, I could never justify it. And, in many cases it would be more humane to have your vet put her to sleep rather than sending her to languish in a cage at the shelter for 2 weeks before being killed among strangers. Do everything in your power to keep her. . .cats can be quite happy living in one room.

I adopted my girl Tess from a shelter last September. She was 2 when I got her. She had been at the shelter for 9 months before I came along. She is the third adult cat I have adopted from a shelter. I know many people who have adopted adult cats. My brother just did in December. A 1 year old female. I'm sure shelters are all different. Ours here keeps the cats for a very long time. You could come right out and ask them when you speak to them. And of course you would see the place. There's really no perfect answer to your problem other than finding your kitty a home.

I'm sorry you're going through this. I'm sorry your kitty is going through this. I'm sure you have asked everyone you know. Ask again. I wonder too if you have considered keeping her in your room. The poster above who mentioned it (sorry, don't remember the name) is correct in that you can make really good use of vertical space. And she would still have you.

I want to support the point that not all shelters are the same. My 5 cats all came from a shelter, where I volunteer. My cats had been there between 9 months and 3 years. The youngest was over 3 years old. It truly is a "no kill" shelter where medical care is provided by a full time vet and 4 techs. They even send cats to medical specialists at times. They keep cats as long as they live, if they don't get adopted. Hundreds of adult cats are adopted from there each year. They keep cats with FIV and even FIP exposed. They only euthanize very rarely, in cases to end suffering.

So, there are good shelters, and I hope you can find one, if it must come to that. To me, cats are like children, and I can not imagine making the choice to end their life. Nothing would be worth that to me. I could not live with it.

I hope you can find a place for your cat.

Robin

Originally Posted by bastetservant

I can not imagine making the choice to end their life. Nothing would be worth that to me. I could not live with it.

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Taking a cat to a shelter that is not truly no-kill (and they are very rare, for cats especially) is the same as ending the cat's life in any other fashion. The only difference being that the owner isn't there to see the cat's death, and doesn't even have to know about it, so they can delude themselves into thinking the cat was adopted.

Originally Posted by Willowy

Taking a cat to a shelter that is not truly no-kill (and they are very rare, for cats especially) is the same as ending the cat's life in any other fashion. The only difference being that the owner isn't there to see the cat's death, and doesn't even have to know about it, so they can delude themselves into thinking the cat was adopted.

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The sad reality is that sometimes people have no choice.

Originally Posted by Willowy

Taking a cat to a shelter that is not truly no-kill (and they are very rare, for cats especially) is the same as ending the cat's life in any other fashion. The only difference being that the owner isn't there to see the cat's death, and doesn't even have to know about it, so they can delude themselves into thinking the cat was adopted.

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I know of several no-kill shelters within a few miles of me. So it depends on where you are.

Robin

I feel very sad for you but understand that sometimes these situations do arise in our lives and these changes must take place regardless if we want them or not. I have much empathy for you and know how painful this must be. You probably already did this.......but I would call everyone I knew and spread the word. Post a flyer and her picture at surrounding vets, pet stores and groomers. You can even contact some pet sitting places. Sometimes they know of a client who is looking for a companion for another pet. If you could find a no-kill shelter, even if you had to make a long drive, I would use that as a last resort. She is sweet enough and very pretty that she might just find a home and quickly. I hope you can find her a home, she is absolutely adorable

Have you put her on facebook?

Originally Posted by Ligwa

The sad reality is that sometimes people have no choice.

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The choice would be to have the cat humanely put to sleep by their own vet, so that it dies peacefully with people it knows. Not terrified and alone, killed (possibly in a not-very humane manner---shelter cats are rarely given the same consideration as the pets of paying customers) by strangers at a shelter.

Originally Posted by bastetservant

I know of several no-kill shelters within a few miles of me. So it depends on where you are.

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It does depend where you are. . .larger cities have more resources than smaller towns. But how many of those shelters are open-intake? How many take owner surrenders? How many take cats at all? Finding a truly no-kill shelter with an opening for a shy cat is the hardest part.

Willowy, I'm sorry your experience with shelters has been so bad. But really they are not all so terrible. At the shelter where I am involved, and others I know alot about, owner surrendered cats are taken in every day. At times the shelter is very full, however cats are abandoned there, found on the doorstep at 6 a.m. (in cardboard boxes or carriers) very, very often. So even if the shelter is not accepting adult cats at the time because of space, some people find a way. And, again, all the cats are cared for for the rest of their natural lives, if they aren't adopted.

To condemn this poor cat to death, at the prime of life, for no reason, but just because the owner's circumstances have changed, and not give her a chance for a new life in a home with love, well, I don't believe you mean that. You can't.

And shelters I know of that are "truly" no-kill are located in northern Illinois farm country, 50 miles or more from a big city. So even rural areas can have such places.

Robin