DFW peeps, help!

rafm

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I got one of the dreaded emails today....2 cats needing to be rehomed because the owners had a baby.

I absolutely can't take them right now and am reaching out to rescues to see if I can help them find a no-kill shelter. Does anyone have any recommendations? Do you know of any groups currently accepting cats?

I'd appreciate any help.
 

feralvr

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So sad to hear that these two cats are losing their home because the owner's had a baby.
WHY???? I have heard this so many times and the cats can do just fine with a baby. Do you know these people? Can you talk some sense into them that they do not have to rehome their cats?

You are doing the right thing, by just making calls and trying to help this couple find a home for them. Most places are really full up, especially this time of year. You could suggest they put up some picture flyers at vets, groomers and pet stores. I sure wish they could work it out and keep those two cats. Very sad for the cats because if they are older, then they will probably live out their life in a shelter or worse......
. For the cats
 

mrblanche

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Originally Posted by RAFM

I got one of the dreaded emails today....2 cats needing to be rehomed because the owners had a baby.

I absolutely can't take them right now and am reaching out to rescues to see if I can help them find a no-kill shelter. Does anyone have any recommendations? Do you know of any groups currently accepting cats?

I'd appreciate any help.
Call Cat Matchers. They do great work. Centered on the north side of Dallas, but we give them kittens all the time.

Catmatchers
 

callista

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Are you absolutely sure they need to re-home their cats? Can you talk them into trying the cat/baby combination?

When I was an infant, my parents had a cat named Kattike, a big old yellow male. He never bothered me, and I never bothered him. Babies and cats can co-exist easily. Maybe you could get those people over here and have us explain to them how a cat and a baby can live together in peace.
 

lovely2011

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Did you try Texas Cares? I am pretty sure they are in Carrollton.

Did you also try convincing them they can have cats AND a baby? This kind of thing makes me overly furious - my parents had a cat when I was born, and when I have children, I will have my kitties. I really don't understand why people give their cats away when they have kids. Poor things.
 

callista

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Yeah. It really does a child a lot of good to grow up with animals. I learned how to be gentle with small creatures--and that, if I weren't gentle, the small creature would give me a good thwack with the paw, and I'd deserve it! I guess it's probably smart to keep the cat's claws clipped if there's a toddler in the house, though. If the toddler pulls the cat's tail and the cat whacks the toddler, you don't want kitty claw marks on the kid.
 
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rafm

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I will contact both those rescues....have not heard of them. Thank you!

As far as trying to explain to them that they can have a baby and a cat.....I do not know these people, the email came from a friend of mine (the same one that sent me the email about Bogey, who we ended up taking in). They are her neighbors and when I went off in my reply email she said that the baby was a preemie and it's lungs weren't fully developed. I don't have kids so I don't know if it's still BS or not but they won't keep the cats.

Thanks again for the suggestions everyone.
 

lovely2011

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Originally Posted by RAFM

They are her neighbors and when I went off in my reply email she said that the baby was a preemie and it's lungs weren't fully developed. .
If the baby's lungs aren't fully developed yet, chances are, it would still be in the hospital, and not at home. And clearly they are the types of parents who'll end up with kids with all sorts of allergies because they remove EVERYTHING from the home, even the immune system boosting things.

I hope you find a home for the cats! And I hope the parents come to their senses and realize they made a mistake.
 

callista

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They do let you take a preemie home before it's as strong as a full-term baby, but really not by much. The baby has to be breathing easily, drinking from a bottle, gaining weight steadily. Maybe he's still small when they send him home, but he has to be healthy and obviously growing well. They're pretty paranoid when it comes to preemies.

What that has to do with a cat, I have no idea. It's not like they're going to be keeping the dusty litter box under the baby's crib or anything. That's the only possible health hazard I can think of in relation to a cat. And as far as taking care of a baby goes, the minimum time investment for a cat is about three minutes a day to clean a litter box and fill up food and water dishes. I know new parents are busy, but really--three minutes, for the sake of a fellow living creature? Surely they can spare that.

*Sigh* I think this must just be one of those stupid superstitious cat-sucking-the-baby's-breath things...
 

mrblanche

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I think people are just too finicky these days, and their overprotectiveness actually hurts the kids in the long run. I know it hurts the pets.
 

feralvr

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Continuing to send mega vibes for these poor two kitties!!! I get quite sad when I hear of people getting "rid" of their older cats for these reasons. Again, I sure hope they can find a new home soon.
 
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