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Putting your pets in a shelter..

post #1 of 30
9/25/03 at 5:02pm
Thread Starter 
Possibly a hot topic? This is something Ive been throwing around in my mind the last few months. Before I decided to get my cats, the main thing that was keeping me from doing it was the "What Ifs". For example, "What if 5 years from now Ive lost my job and house and cant afford my pets anymore...?" or "What if I get married in 10 years to a man deathly allergic to cats and cant stand mine?" or "What if the cats I get hate my daughter and bite/scratch/hurt her?"

Things like this... so then I thought, well I can just bring them back to a shelter. Theres such a negative opinion on people who do this, especially coming from myself. I even made a post about it elsewhere a while back, my opinion on why people give up their pets. Some reasons I still think are ridiculous and I look down on, sort of. Other reasons I can sympathize with. Anyway I finally decided on the right now and got my cats. If I always thinking about the possibilities of life I would never get any pets. What if I died in 5 years and my pets are ownerless? Ya know?

So anyway Im long winded Basically I want to discuss... give me your opinions on that. Am I wrong? Right? What? Im starting to look at it more openly... like any time you can own a pet and love it, feed it, take care of it in your home, Im all for that. And if sometime down the line in the future, some crazy thing happens and you have to find a new home for your pets, you shouldnt be shamed or feel terribly guilty about it. (Maybe just a smidge )Im thinking it could be considered long term foster care or something.

Those of you who are shaking your heads or vehemently disagreeing with me, tell me why. Do you still feel the people who do this are evil and mean and should never have gotten the pets in the first place? If so, how can you be so 100% certain you will never be in the same shoes? Im just curious, because if someone has a plan or something set up to ever avoid it Id like in on the secret

Maybe my topic will be a bit boring? I dunno... just been thinking about it and thought Id throw it out there to see who thinks what
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post #2 of 30
9/25/03 at 5:21pm
IMO, I took the responsibility of these animals so I need to follow through with that. I could NEVER give my cats up...no way, now how. I've already discussed that if anything would happen to me, that my cats will be my parents responsibility. They know how much my furbabes mean to me & I know how deeply they love them too. They would never give them up either.

If I would happen to marry a man & find out he's allergic to cats, he's just gonna have to deal with the allergies. That may sound rude, but that's how I feel. Plus, when I look for a man in my life my cats are one of the first things we would discuss. If he doesn't like cats or has issue with them, it's not going to happen. My cats are my life & the man in my life will have to accept that if he wants to be with me. I would understand completely if the roles were reversed too. As for kids being allergic or whatever, I don't know what I'd do. As much as I'd hate to do it, I would rehome them but I know that my folks would be more than happy to take them home too.

I agree..it'll be interesting to hear everyone opinions on this. Great topic!
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post #3 of 30
9/25/03 at 5:26pm
I could never give up my cats. If I died and hubby had already died, I would arrang with someone who loves cats to take care of my cats. I cannot just dump them in a shelter. It would break my heart not knowing what was happening to my cats.
Hubby is allergic to cats, but luckily, only mild and he takes zyrtec for that. He loves them to death as well.

This is a great topic, I agree, and I would love to see what everyone has to say.
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post #4 of 30
9/25/03 at 5:42pm
What can I say, I love my cats to death. If times got hard I would sell every item I didn't need (computers, stereo, TV, etc) in order to make do. After all people don't give away their kids when times get rough so why my cats? Vet care may have to suffer and I may have to feed them a less expensive food for a short time while I got back on my feet but they would be fed and loved. To be quite honest with you when times get rough they are the one constant source of love you can count on.

I haven't really thought about what to do if my wife and me die. Thats something I need to think about.
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post #5 of 30
9/25/03 at 5:48pm
The people that I feel are worthless as pet owners are the ones who dump their pets into shelters (or worse, on the street!) because they aren't cute anymore, because they scratch the furniture (when they don't have any other options to scratch), because the latest boyfriend/girlfriend sneezes when they come over, they urinate where they aren't supposed to one time, the pet gets sick and they don't want to spend any money treating it (not that they don't *have* the money, that they don't feel the pet is enough of a priority to spend the money) or any of the other stupid reasons people have. A pet is a serious responsibility, and while sometime those major life traumas happen, a responsible pet owner will try to work through the problem, will *find* a way to care for their pets, will look for other solutions besides dumping the animal in a shelter. If they cannot keep the pet, they will find the best possible solution - friends or family to take the pet, adopting with a contract, a no-kill shelter or rescue org.
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post #6 of 30
9/25/03 at 6:12pm
Heidi, very well said, and I agree completely.
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post #7 of 30
9/25/03 at 6:14pm
MamaKat: It's not rambling, you've put forth your ideas very well. Mind-provoking topic.

My opinion: True, no one can cover all whatifs, but if something REALLY crazy happens, the person has a responsibility to find a loving furrever home for their pets that's NOT the shelter. It's the least they deserve. It is truly disheartening when someone disposes of a pet without exhausting ALL the options first. In most cases, barring a person's death, solutions can be found that don't harm or dispose of the pet. No need to cover what I think of people who dump pets that are no longer 'cute' or silly sh@! like that.

Personally: my hubby and I will never part with our cats, whatever/however dire the situation. We look on our kitties as our kids, we adopted them forever. We have provisions and guardians (and backups) for them in our wills should we pass before them. Recently a lucrative int'l relocation has popped up, and I've done all the searching for procedures for taking them abroad. They're coming, or we don't go at all. End of story.
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post #8 of 30
9/25/03 at 6:37pm
My sister had to actually deal with something that's being discussed hypothetically here - she did marry a man who is severely allergic to animals. After the second or third trip to the emergency room, they realized they would have to live in a home without indoor pets. She had two wonderful cats, and she luckily was able to find a good home for them, but it was an agonizing decision.

This thread has made me think that coming up with a definite plan in case of catastrophe is a really good idea. I THINK that I have some family members that would take my pets if something horrible happened where we couldn't keep them; I think I will actually talk to them about it and make sure.
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post #9 of 30
9/25/03 at 6:57pm
Thread Starter 
Great responses so far Thanks for replying! I was hoping for some discussion and opinions on it.

Some more thoughts from me...
Ok, so the general opinion so far is not to "dump" them in a shelter. Agreed. I think the best possible option would be another home for them, or at least a no-kill shelter. Good point.

Now how about the cats currently in shelters that arent adopted, possibly in part because there might be people out there like me, who hesitate to adopt because of those What Ifs. I just did it anyway, even with out any guarantees of being able to keep the cat until it dies because I am a serious animal lover and wanted to love something as long as I could. It kills me to think of all the animals out there suffering or lonely or on death row who get no chance at all.

So the animals affected by that, isnt some time in a loving home better than no time at all? If Bob didnt adopt that cat and keep it for 4 years until unable to anymore? So the cat had 4 good years guaranteed rather than a possible euthaization while waiting in a shelter.
Thoughts?
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post #10 of 30
9/25/03 at 7:07pm
I consider my cats my kids, so I would insert the word "child" in any of the "whatifs" -- Would I give up my child if my boyfriend/husband was allergic? NO! Would I give up my child if I had to move and was having difficulty finding a place that would accept children? NO! Would I give up my child if he/she bit someone? NO! Have I made arrangements for my children to be cared for if I should pass away? YES! My babies will never, ever end up in a shelter. IMO, adoption is furever, just like if you had adopted human children.
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post #11 of 30
9/25/03 at 8:54pm
This topic makes me think that I should have a discussion with hubby about Amber. There is nobody I would want her to go to in case something happened. Nobody that would care for her like I would. The only thing I can think, if the worst did happen, is to set aside a trust fund and have her go to a shelter. Of course that is if the shelter will live up to my wishes and take care of her and not just take the money.

can this type of thing be done?

it is kind of bad not knowing any cat people in my life. my hubby is sort of a cat people, not really though. I wasnt either. now all of a sudden I am cat crazy!

TCS just makes it worse! (its a good thing ). he has come around a little but he thinks I am nuts taking pics like mad and coming here all the time. he considers it one of my 'phases'.

edit: Driving home last night after writing this post I realized that putting her in a shelter was the same as having her go to someone I didnt want her to go to in my family. I guess family is better than a shelter. I dont know. I hope it never comes down to it though!
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post #12 of 30
9/25/03 at 9:03pm
In life there are no guarantees. But I can guarantee my pets one thing. I will never put them in a shelter, no matter what. I don't care if I wake up tomorrow morning and find pee on my ceiling, I don't care if my husband suddenly starts itching because of cat dander. We rescued these cats and we bear the responsibility of taking care of them. I even have made provisions in case something happens to me, which I have to keep updating because the number of cats keep changing here all the time.

I hate shelters, I think they are overcrowded, they breed disease and despair. I would never put any of my cats in a shelter and I would never destroy a cat because it suddenly grew up and I can't deal with a mature cat, or it developed problems along the way (except for health issues) Because I rescue abused ferals, I have to from time to time make that big decision and have one put down. To me, putting a cat in an animal shelter, whether no kill or not, is sealing it's fate and I personally would never do that. If these places were so great, there wouldn't be so many rescue groups that go into these shelters to rescue rescued cats!
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post #13 of 30
9/25/03 at 11:49pm
I don't think I could agree more with harrythecat. I consider Spike my child, and I can't think of any situation in which I would give him up, especially voluntarily. If I were to die tomorrow, Spike would be going to live with my sister. (She does know this. )

If I end up marrying an allergic cat-lover, (he has to like cats... I can't see dating someone who didn't), he should promptly go get himself a prescription of Zyrtec or some other allergy pill. My last boyfriend was quite allergic to cats and it would set off asthma attacks if he didn't keep up on his pills and inhalers. He seemed to accept the fact that if he wanted to be with me, he'd have to embrace Spike and his Zyrtec as well.
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post #14 of 30
9/26/03 at 5:42am
I get Spike?!?!?!??! I WANT him, but I didn't know I'd actually GET him!!!
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post #15 of 30
9/26/03 at 9:21am
I would never give up Max. He is my child and sometimes (actually most times) I put his needs over mine. I have all kinds of food and treats for Max in the house, but hardly any food for me. I have made provisions for Max if anything were to happen to me. Max comes with some cash for his care if I were to die. He will go to my friend Sherry who already loves him (Max was a gift from her - she paid for the adoption fees). I own my home, so no one can tell me I can't have a cat. I keep a savings account for any emergencies that are out there, so if he gets sick, I will have the money to have him treated. There is no way he would ever go back to the Humane Society or shelter.
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post #16 of 30
9/26/03 at 10:11am
I made a commitment to my pets when I adopted them, and will do everything in my power to keep it. Both I and my husband are allergic to cats! We take allergy shots & meds. I've also had tough times financially before and always managed to keep my cats, even up to living in an apartment in a scary neighborhood with a hole in the ceiling and a leaky roof b/c it was the only one I could find that would allow pets. Past experience of financial hardship, combined with a knowledge of just how expensive and demanding caring for older pets can be, is what keeps my kitty population down. I will not take in any more, except on a foster basis, because I currently have the maximum I can care for properly.

I can, however, sympathize with people who must rehome their cats because a child is severely allergic. A severely allergic child can die from athsma attacks caused by cat dander.

What if you become homeless? What about military people that must choose b/w long periods of quarantine for their pets in poor conditions and finding their pets another home?

Some no-kill shelters may be very bad, but the ones here are very nice. The cats have a building to themselves in which the ones that get along can roam freely - they even have a huge outdoor enclosure. I adopted my dog from this shelter, and while I was there I saw many other people there adopting cats & dogs. They screen potential owners very carefully, too, which is plus.

Of course, they are a last resort - I do believe that people should do everything possible to keep their pets, but sometimes there just isn't any other option.
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post #17 of 30
9/26/03 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally posted by meezermobile
After all people don't give away their kids when times get rough so why my cats
My sentiments exactly. My cats are my kids. When I met my husband, we had the "if you don't like cats don't bother dating me a second time" discussion on the first date.

My big concern is what would happen to them if we die. I am going to look into options around that so that they will always be protected.
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post #18 of 30
9/26/03 at 12:00pm
Quote:
Originally posted by MamaKat
Now how about the cats currently in shelters that arent adopted, possibly in part because there might be people out there like me, who hesitate to adopt because of those What Ifs. I just did it anyway, even with out any guarantees of being able to keep the cat until it dies because I am a serious animal lover and wanted to love something as long as I could. It kills me to think of all the animals out there suffering or lonely or on death row who get no chance at all.

So the animals affected by that, isnt some time in a loving home better than no time at all? If Bob didnt adopt that cat and keep it for 4 years until unable to anymore? So the cat had 4 good years guaranteed rather than a possible euthaization while waiting in a shelter.
Thoughts?
Of course some time is better than no time. I have taken in older pets and have had only a few years with them - you give them all the love you can while you have them and feel grateful that you gave something back to them - it's sad to have them a short time, but somehow fulfilling.

I have only once adopted from a shelter (a dog). She only lived 4 years with me but man those were great years! I have too many that are dumped by me or wander up to my house. If I can't adopt them out, they wind up with me permanently (thus I am Mom of Many).
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post #19 of 30
9/26/03 at 12:26pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Jillian
I get Spike?!?!?!??! I WANT him, but I didn't know I'd actually GET him!!!
Apparently we need to discuss this further as I thought you knew this. Of course you'd get him.

Sorry, back to the topic.
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post #20 of 30
9/26/03 at 12:50pm
If you had a baby and you ment a man that didn't like kids would you get rid of the kid to keep the man??? Pets are a life long commentment. When you get a pet you are to take care of them for there whole life. They are not disposable, they are not something that you can just decide that you are tried of or that something else in your life is more important. I do think it is horrible when people dump cats in shelters, leave that at vets offices or dumb them on the street. Just because they can't talk does not mean they don't have feelings.
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post #21 of 30
9/26/03 at 3:06pm
I wouldn't give up my cats for any reason. Two years ago, I was confronted with a situation, where I had to make a choice. I had been living in an apartment buidling for 8 years, with my cats, and the owner of the building passed away, and his son took over, and decided he didn't want my cats in the building. He told me to get rid of them, like they were just property. I couldn't understand his attitude, since he had a dog, which he seemed to love, but he wouldn't change his mind. I told him, I couldn't get rid of them, they were my babies. He said, I had a choice - get rid of them, or move. So, I moved. It wasn't easy, because finding pet friendly buildings aren't easy, nor are they reasonable in rent. Also, in 8 years, the rents in Los Angeles sky rocketed. But I found a place. The rent was twice as high as what I was paying, but the building was pet friendly, and that has made my life a lot easier.

If I lost my job, and became homeless, I would try to have a friend or one of my sisters or brothers keep them, until I got on my feet. If worse came to worse, I'd have them on leases and live on the streets with them. I would not, and could not ever give them up.
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post #22 of 30
9/27/03 at 12:55am
I could never give Patches away - i would take care of her
the best i could under any circumstances
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post #23 of 30
9/27/03 at 6:25am
Thread Starter 
Ok, so just about everyone has said they could never or would never give their own pets up and put them in a shelter. Got that part. But I think MomofMany was the only one who answered the rest of my discussion. (Thanks MomOfMany ) Anyone else have any thoughts on that? Im really curious as to others opinions on it as well.
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post #24 of 30
9/27/03 at 9:07am
Ok I think your talking about adopting animals from the shelter that have little chance of being adopted. Well I have thought about that as well. My wife and I where discussing the next cat that we get would be an adult cat from the shelter. When we got cheeto I saw this beautiful cat in the display area that looked kind of Himalayan. He was the only adult cat that I could see, there probably was more. I really wanted to get him because I knew it would be hard for them to find him a home, but we decided instead to get cheeto.

That cat left a lasting impression on me all of them did really. I wanted to adopt him but I guess getting cheeto was the best thing for us at the time. I'm fairly confident that the next time adopt I would at the very least adopt an adult cat. When you think about it, adopting a "high risk" cat or a cat with very few years left would be kind of emotionally draining. However as with cheeto the feeling that you saved them and gave them a few more years is worth every minute. I hope I answered a bit more of your original post.
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post #25 of 30
9/27/03 at 9:14am
I think it would have to be an extreme case in order for me to agree with someone putting up their pet for adoption. But even then I would encourage that person to rehome their cat rather than just dump it off at a shelter. To me if you just take your cat to a shelter it shows that you don't care where it ends up. But most reasons I just don't understand, for example if you lost your job would you give up your kids because you can't feed them? If I lost my job and couldn't feed my cats I would be calling every shelter, foster program, animal lovers and anyone else I thought I could help help from. I would ask for donations of food and litter, and in return I would offer my time since I wouldn't be working. As for allergies I think it's a cop out, I have allergies but that doesn't stop me from keeping my cats. I take medication as well as a nasal steriod, an inhalor plus I clean my sheets and air fliters often. I had a parter who was very allergic to cats but with allergy shots and a nebulizer my partner was able to be around my cats. To me my pets are my children, they are a lifelong commitment just like having a child.
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post #26 of 30
9/29/03 at 1:52pm
Well I'm to be moving sooner or later, and my kitty found me, but I still take complete responsiblity for him. If for some reason I can't take him with me when I leave, I've arranged to pay someone to take care of him until I can. If for some reason something would happen to me, I have made arrangements with my parents to take him, or as a last resort my brother and his wife. I wouldn't put him in a shelter, but I'm not getting anymore cats until I'm settled because of the fact my future is so uncertain right now. THat's my idea of being responsible. If bf was allergic he's take pills, too But I do think it's better and I do not criticize people for taking them to a no kill shelter because it's better than nothing. I know someone who drove 8 hours to the nearest not full no kill shelter, and I'm not gonna say she's a bad kitty mommy, she was just out of options and did the best she could do.
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post #27 of 30
9/29/03 at 2:03pm
I moved from Houston to Kansas City with 11 cats and 5 dogs. I called each city and county office to find out what their pet laws were before I chose a location to buy a home in. I then reviewed the subdivision by-laws to make sure they couldn't find a loophole and force me to part with them. Moving all of these guys was a pretty major feat in itself - flew in 4 cats on Continental, drove the rest of the cats up in 2 shifts and the dogs in a third. Good thing we had a large cargo van at the time! The thought of getting rid of any of them to make this easier didn't even cross my mind!
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post #28 of 30
9/29/03 at 3:14pm
Hmm, IMO, life is unpredictable, and just like marriage, moving, etc., you make the best decision you can with the information you have. 1) You should never try to wait to make a move until you know everything, because 2) you'll never know everything. So, I made the best choice I could and got Luna. If anything happens to me, my mom or Alex will care for her. She is insured, so her medical bills can be covered if she gets sick. And the reason I decided to only get one cat is that if anything crazy happens, I'm almost positive I can take care of one, but more than that could be hard.
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post #29 of 30
9/29/03 at 9:23pm
I agree with the majority. I could never give up one of my cats, ever. I would do whatever I could.. find friends, parents anyone that would take them temporaraly before I would give them to shelter

And as for moving, I would do whatever I could to find a way, a place that takes cats, no matter how far away it is.
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post #30 of 30
9/30/03 at 3:23pm
Quote:
Originally posted by MamaKat
Some more thoughts from me...
<snipped>
Now how about the cats currently in shelters that arent adopted, possibly in part because there might be people out there like me, who hesitate to adopt because of those What Ifs. I just did it anyway, <snipped>
So the animals affected by that, isnt some time in a loving home better than no time at all?
Interesting thought! I'll have to think about this some more to see how I honestly feel about this. Initial thoughts: yes, some time is better than none. It comes with a BUT, though....

1. Adoption of an older pet. Here's a perfect situation for an older pet with a few years left.
2. They end up keeping them even when circumstances change because they can't imagine life without pet anymore.
3. They seek the best rehome for their pet because they really care about the pet's welfare.

Of course, 2 & 3 gets blown to bits when I hear of crappy people turning in pets to shelters because they didn't match their new furniture or paint, or peeing, or scratching. But the optimist in me hopes that for every person that did that, another 100 fall in love with their pets and never part with them.

How's that for rambling? Like I said, would have to give it further thought to come up with something more coherent.
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