Rescues: are they too picky?

jcat said:

Our no-kill shelter turns down about 50% of potential adopters. I personally probably turn down closer to 75%. IMO, that's not being too picky given the amount of love, time, money and sometimes heartache we've invested in the cats or kittens (there are very few dogs). We love those animals and want them to have long happy lives with a good "match".

The people most likely to be turned down are those looking for indoor/outdoor cats. The rule of thumb is that people have to live at least 150 meters (164 yards) from a busy street. It's not easy to meet that requirement given the population density in this area. People lie about it all the time, too - they apparently aren't aware that we check out distances using Google Maps, and even if that looks okay, somebody drives to their address and takes a look at traffic, the number of parked cars on their street, whether there's a bus or truck route nearby, the number of dogs being walked, etc.. One very unpleasant aspect of shelter work is having to scan, and sometimes photograph, cats that have been run over by cars so that their owners don't spend weeks, months or years wondering what happened to them. Do that often enough and you're very choosy about location.

Granny's 85 years old and has her heart set on a kitten, or maybe the one-year-old? The 7-year-old is way too old? The daughter/son/niece/grandson will take the cat if she dies? How about if I show you J., E. or T.? They're all senior cats whose owners died and who have poor adoption chances because they have to compete with the cute kittens. It's too bad that the relative who promised to take them wasted no time before dumping them here - no time, not enough room, the new dog attacks cats, etc..

Kids should grow up with pets, I absolutely agree. Your sons and daughters are adorable and boisterous. We've got a number of cats that love the kids who come to visit here and would make great companions for them. Oh, you've fallen in love with the timid little calico who jumps at her own shadow? Sorry.

Your little girls' hearts are going to be broken if they don't get the Golden Retriever? He's great with kids. Who's going to walk him? Oh, your 8 or 10-year-old will be completely responsible for that? It'll be good for them to get the exercise, and you don't have the time yourself? There's just one little problem - I'm 5'6" tall, weigh 123 lbs., have plenty of experience with large dogs up to and including Saint Bernards and Great Danes, take that dog for a walk most mornings, and can barely hold him when he sees a bird, horse, cat, etc.! Sorry.

You're looking for a pair of kittens to be indoor-only cats? Perfect! You live on the third floor and have a balcony - you'll be securing that so that the cats won't fall and get hurt? No? Your last cat never fell or lunged for a passing bird, so it's unnecessary? Sorry. Here's some literature on high-rise syndrome and how to secure a balcony. You're welcome to come back once that's done.

One of your cats died and you'd love to have C. as a companion for your other cat - she looks just like the one that died. The trouble is that C. doesn't get along with other cats at all, but I can show you some other tabbies that do. Oh, it has to be C.? Sorry.

I could go on and on. There are also people who came in looking for an adult "beginners'" cat and ended up with two kittens, the 60-year-old who wanted a certain 10-year-old cat but adopted a 2-year-old because the former rejected her and the latter absolutely wanted to go home with her, the woman who took a pair of semi-feral siblings, figuring the male was friendly and the female needed a home even if she wanted no contact, and ended up with the female following her around the house, sleeping with her, cuddling on her lap every night.

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Crazy4Strays said:

Donutte, those amounts are really funny. I can easily spend $100 per month just on cat food!

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jcat said:

@Crazy4Strays It's not "perfect" we look for, but "suitable for that particular animal". The application asks whether people own or rent, and whether they have the landlord's permission if the latter. My husband and I have some rentals and have sometimes been asked to give written permission when our tenants have applied to adopt pets. I find that reasonable. There are boxes to check regarding other pets, ages of any children ,indoor or outdoor and employment status, plus questions like what people intend to do when they're away on vacation, are hospitalized or otherwise incapacitated. They have to show legal ID. Not being employed outside the home isn't going to immediately disqualify anybody. Some pets are unsuitable to be left alone for long hours. The interview is far more important and is done as a "chat" while showing them around and watching them interact with the animals. Part of it is you telling them about the animal(s) they're interested in - likes and dislikes, little quirks, any history you know. It's not 3rd degree.

All shelters are no kill here, and an "unadoptable" animal will have its home there till it dies of old age. Except in the quarantine section, there aren't cages at our shelter. That obviously has an impact on the adoption policy. A large overcrowded shelter with cages is going to be more under pressure to adopt out its inhabitants as soon as possible

There are differences within the shelter, too. I'm there most days of the week and directly involved in day-to-day care, so I know the individuals better than somebody who's only there one or two days a week. I'm far more apt to say I don't believe a certain match will work out (or vice versa). The shelter head always seems to know somebody's boss, neighbor, etc., and has been doing this for so long that sometimes it's the second or third time people have adopted through her. That affects her decisions. None of us want the pet to go through the stress of adjusting to a new home only to be returned.

The shelter doesn't turn over title to the pet until a follow-up is done. That may be because a kitten hasn't been neutered yet, or simply because there's some doubt that the resident pet will accept the new one. Pets with chronic health problems may have "permanent foster" status so that the vet bills are covered by the shelter rather than the adopter. It's not black and white.

The pet's status as a surrender or stray plays a big role. Unless there are definite indications that the animal was abandoned, e.g., witnesses, it's in a box, a "found" animal is held for six weeks before being introduced to the public. According to federal law, the owner has six months to claim the pet, provided he or she pays all expenses incurred. Therefore, the adopter can't be given legal title to the pet till that period has elapsed. Regulations and practices are going to vary according to where the shelter is located, of course, but they exist and are something an adopter has to accept. It has nothing to do with being picky, but following the law.

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