Giving up Stumpy

I moved to the US from Australia in November last year and had to rehome our kitty as she was getting old and didn't think it was fair to try and bring her over. We got her a fantastic home where she is spoilt rotten.

Since I've been at the shelter I've seen some amazing kitties who I'd love to adopt, but our apartment really isn't set up for a full time cat (we can deal with it short term, but definitely not long term), and we plan to leave the US for Europe in a couple of years then move back to Australia after a few years in Europe. For these reasons it's really not fair of us to adopt a cat over here, then have to give it up sometime soon, especially as we really don't have the space for one. I also don't want to get attached to a kitty then have to leave it behind again.

Anyway, so we're currently fostering a gorgeous, sweet kitty named Genevieve, who we've nicknamed Stumpy, and I've completely fallen in love with her. We've only had her for a week, but she is just the perfect kitty. Despite her broken pelvis and other problems, she has been the friendliest cat, and I swear she thinks she's people too. She follows us everywhere, and likes to be near us. When we sit down, she doesn't lie all over us constantly and demand attention, but curls up next to us with a paw resting on my husband or myself (or both of us!), and will lie on our lap if we encourage her to. She's incredibly soft - especially for a brown tabby, has an incredibly inquisitive nature, while still being a bit shy, and is just handling all of her problems so well - a real trooper. She loves to play, and just purrs non-stop and is the most contented kitty.

Problem is that I'm going to be completely heartbroken giving her up. We fostered a mother cat and her 5 kittens for 5 weeks just recently which was so much fun. The mother was an amazing sweet cat, and the kittens were absolute sweethearts, and you can imagine how attached you would get to them, but I wasn't too worried about giving them back, I knew they would find good homes (and our neighbour ended up adopting the mother). So to not even want to keep any of them, or any other cat that's come through the shelter, and to fall in love with this beautiful girl after less than one week, you can imagine the sort of impression she has made on me.

I'm feeling all teary writing this and I'm not a particularly emotional person. I'm taking her back on Monday to the shelter and it's going to be horrible Just wanted to write about it somewhere that people will understand what I'm going through.

You can see from the pics below how well she's settled in. She treats the place like it's hers I'm going to miss her so much

It is hard to give up foster babies...I've cried buckets before.

You're absolutely right, though, about not adopting a cat right now...imagine how it would feel after two years? Both you and she would be heartbroken. You've given her a good start after whatever trauma she has suffered!

Oh, it must be so difficult to give up such a doll. Just remember that all the joy she gave you will be appreciated by someone new. You wouldn't want to hog her, right?

So are you giving her up to an actual owner or just back to the shelter? If you are just giving her up to the shelter, can you ask that if she isn't placed that you get first "dibs"? Sorry - I don't know much about fostering...

Would it be really impossible for you to take her with you when travelling? If she is so attached to you both then it may be that it would not be so much trauma for her. I know people here who have come from the US or Britain with their pets, and have moved back with them after two or three years. One even did that from New Zealand! As she is a special needs kitty and has found a wonderful home with you, it seems a shame to giver her up.

We are giving her back to the shelter, and if we wanted to adopt her we would get first dibs. I don't want to put her through months of quarantine as well as the flights every time we move. We also want to go travelling while we're in new countries, so are often away for long weekends or a week at a time and the poor thing would constantly be left in someone else's care. It would be very selfish for us to have a cat at this time of our lives. She's a people cat and would get lonely.

And like I said we don't really have room at the moment. The bathroom isn't big enough for a litter tray and food bowls, the kitchen doesn't have space, and everywhere else is carpeted, and in public areas (loungeroom, dining room etc), and not where we want to have that sort of thing permanently.

I've met so many wonderful cats since I've worked at the shelter, and I know once we settle down we'll find another gorgeous kitty who needs rescuing. It's still just a bit sad though...

Originally Posted by sarahp

We are giving her back to the shelter, and if we wanted to adopt her we would get first dibs. I don't want to put her through months of quarantine as well as the flights every time we move. We also want to go travelling while we're in new countries, so are often away for long weekends or a week at a time and the poor thing would constantly be left in someone else's care. It would be very selfish for us to have a cat at this time of our lives. She's a people cat and would get lonely.

And like I said we don't really have room at the moment. The bathroom isn't big enough for a litter tray and food bowls, the kitchen doesn't have space, and everywhere else is carpeted, and in public areas (loungeroom, dining room etc), and not where we want to have that sort of thing permanently.

I've met so many wonderful cats since I've worked at the shelter, and I know once we settle down we'll find another gorgeous kitty who needs rescuing. It's still just a bit sad though...

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It's great that you've thought this through, and made an intelligent, thoughtful decision. If more people would really assess what's good for their "future kitty", and made a mature decision based on that, there would be less cats in shelters.

It's still hard, though, giving them up!