Shelter experience?

My one cat hopefully didn't cross the rainbow bridge but he isn't in our house anymore.

2 weeks ago I took him back to shelter we got him at. He was around 8 years old and spraying everywhere and we got him a year ago.

The adoption policy said if you can't care for him to return him and I about had a heart attack when I started reading

up on shelters (a whole week later). I realize all the errors in my judgement, failure to look into the issue and my general ignorance on the subject.  I'd like to know from people that have worked in shelters what the general guidelines are (if they apply broadly across all shelters).

Are shelters supposed to give you something to sign, spell out their policy or ask about "last resort" options? I'm not asking for any legal action reasons or anything like that, I'm just generally curious. Its like the disclaimers on cigarettes about disease. Except I'm the idiot that was oblivious to the obvious. I think they should press you a little when you are trying to surrender a cat so you realize the consequences and that you aren't just putting the cat up for adoption and giving them a month to be picked out by new owners.

If they take the time to post his photo and put him up as adoptable they will give that cats a chance right?

Is there a reason some cats don't get photos at all?

Are the strays without names the first to go?

Is there an average timeline they are given?

The previous owner did not mention his spraying problem and we did, do they give some cats a longer chance than others based on behavior?  I heard owner surrendered are the first to go and lost cats get five days. 

I checked the site every day and a bunch of cats were in two weeks before him and are still there now. He was in for five days and we called and they say he got adopted, but can't give any owner info out or pass our info along to the new owners. 

Are shelters obligated or at least sensitive to telling the owner the truth if he was euthanized?

Sorry, that's a lot of questions and a lot to read, but it's weighing on me and I'd just like to know this stuff in general cause I'd prefer to save cats from shelters in the future. Plus If I know he's alive out there somewhere I'd like to keep the door open if his new owners return him. 

I'm not sure if I am fully understanding everything so if I get something wrong please, correct me. 

You are right that it varies from State to State (and even shelter to shelter) in how things are done. I am assuming the one you adopted from (and therefore relinquished to) is a kill shelter (meaning they do euthanize for space if necessary). 

In terms of an owner surrender: No, I do not believe in general shelters are required to show you any kind of paperwork or explain your decision to you. To be honest, most people don't want to know. And, if shelter employees urged them to reconsider there is a chance they would get angry (I have seen it happen and it's not pretty). You are one of the few exceptions who wishes they would have been told but in general, trying to explain what relinquishment means becomes a very nasty situation, and shelter workers don't have the time to go through all that with every animal who is dropped off. A shelter workers job is to make sure each animal has a safe place. They don't want to risk the owner taking the animal away and letting them go on the street or taking them somewhere even worse. 

The good thing about an owner surrender is that there is no "holding time." Meaning, the cat can be immediately put up for adoption. In the case of a stray they are required to hold them for a period of time (varies by State but anywhere from a couple of days to 2 weeks) in order to give potential owners time to come forward. I think this is what you are referring to in terms of first to go vs. being held for 5 days. It's not necessarily in terms of euthanasia order but in how quickly they can go on the available for adoption list. 

In terms of euthanasia, incoming cats are triaged in a sense from most adoptable to least. Those with severe health issues would be moved to the front of the list, as would older cats, pregnant Queens, and those with a significant behavioral problem. 

It's true your guy could fall in that list because of his urine spraying. But, to me, it sounds like he really did get adopted. If he had been put down they would say something more along the lines of "he isn't here anymore." But, the fact that they said he had been adopted is likely the truth. 

You could always ask the shelter to make a note in his file that, should the new owner call or, should he be relinquished again you would like to be contacted. That said, since you relinquished, you are likely banned from adopting from there again. But, it's worth a shot!

I can tell you really feel bad about what's happened and I'm sorry this situation is what it is. All you can do is look at it as a learning experience. Hopefully his new owners will be able to work with him on his behavioral issues, and hopefully in the future you may be less willing to relinquish. Regardless of what the future holds it's clear this guy has made a big impact on you, and I hope you will use the lessons you learned to help rescue cats in the future. 

I'm going to ask a mod to move this thread to a more appropriate location so that you can hopefully get more replies. If I didn't answer something fully or you have more questions then please ask them. I know some may berate you for your decision but I personally have a lot of respect for your ability to admit your mistake. That takes a lot of guts and demonstrates to me that you genuinely didn't know and would probably choose differently if you had it to do all over again. I hope you will use this learning expierence in a positive way in the future, and not dwell on the negative aspect. 

Best of luck. 

EB24's post was rather comprehensive and I agree and haven't  much to add.  However, having worked at shelters since I was 18, here is my further two cents.

1. Almost all shelters are kill shelters.  It doesn't mean they are bad places or heartless- it just means there isn't enough room. I highly suspect where you surrendered to is a kill shelter since the chances a no kill shelter or organization would have taken your cat are so minescule as to be ridiculous for many reasons that aren't relevant here but that I do love to rant about in my spare time.

2.  No, shelters aren't required to explain to you what is happening or make you sign anything at surrender at least not in any state I've worked in.  Sometimes, they will make you sign a sheet saying you did surrender but I've never seen anything you explained.  However (while you are clearly an exception) I think almost everyone who surrenders to a shelter knows on some level what they are doing.

3. Strays are definitely not the first to go. EB24 is pretty much right on the money about this too- the least adoptable are the first to go. Very sick cats, very old cats, cats who have been returned multiple times and cats with behavior problems that are more than minor are the first to go. Depending on the season, pregnant queens are often on that list as well. In the winter they might not be. On the flip side, cats under 3 years old or very friendly cats (assuming health) are considered quite 'adoptable' and are very unlikely to be euthanized quickly. A friendly 2 year old stray with no health problems is not going to be euthanized, at least right away.  A 12 year old who eliminates inappropriately or who has cancer may be euthanized immediately.

There is not really any average timeline.  It depends on the cat and it depends on how much space the shelter has.

4. Regarding photos, if a cat doesn't get a photo OR any description on the website, it is likely the cat was euthanized unless adopted very quickly.  If there is a photo, yes, it does usually mean the cat is at least being given 'a chance'.

5. Shelters don't have to tell the old owners anything at all, ever.  I don't see why they'd lie and say he was adopted though. In addition, while I agree it couldn't hurt to ask to be called if he's surrendered again, the shelter I work with would not call you and you'd be effectively banned as EB24 also says.

Good luck :/

Thanks for you replies. You're giving me too much credit though, I wasn't completely innocent of what went on I just had no idea how grim the outlook was and knowing what I know now, I would have been too embarrassed to bring him in the first place. I'll have to live with my poor decision. They did say they'll put our info on his file. You are probably both right his outcome. Why go to the extent of saying a family adopted him and that they were aware of his prior behavior. In the end it worked out, but it was reckless. I do like that he won't be confined to my basement. I always felt bad leaving him by himself when I went to bed. He really loved companionship.

That's a shame about the SPCA blacklisting people for what i've done. I'm not happy about how it all played out, but the cat did get a home for 13 months and $1800 worth of dental work which I'm still paying off. So I'd still say it was a net gain for the shelter and Jack.

Thanks again.

I volunteer at a shelter in British Columbia,Canada, and yes, shelter policies are different for different shelters. For example, the municipal shelter I'm with is thankfully no kill, but the BC SPCA kills tones of animals per week.