Cat Adoption... Input please!!

[nerdrock]

I'm sure some of you remember Stan, our sweet boy that we lost back in October to FIP.

Anyways, Mike and I are now ready to adopt a new kitteh to add to our family. We saw a sweet torti girl at Petsmart today, she seems like she'd really fit in here with our family and the dogs. She's fairly high energy (according to her profile), just over a year old, she's been at the rescue since she was 9 or 10 months old, she's mouthy (play bites), and just seems to love to play. I was playing with her through the bars of her cage, whenever I'd take my hand out she'd grab it with her paws (claws in) and bring it back in to chew on some more. If I played rougher with her, she would play rougher back (bite slightly harder but still obviously play biting and hold my hand tighter, getting her back feet in and "scratching" at my hand with her back feet, claws in). But there is something that's making me say no about her. I really like her and I think she would fit in well. Her adoption fee is $150, which isn't bad. But it's also the same Petsmart that we adopted Stan through down to the same cage that he was in, although it is a different group that's there right now.

We were at a different pet store to get some raw patties for the dogs because we don't have the time to prepare our own raw right now. Mike knows one girl that works there and I was telling her about meeting the tori. She said that there's another group here in London that they actually foster for (there's a bunch of kittehs running around), they're having a "sale" (sorry, don't know what else to call it, lol) where their adults are only $25 to adopt. I have emailed the head of their rescue because I know all the cats aren't on their site and I thought she would be able to send a mass email out to the foster homes to see if there was a cat that would fit what we wanted with them. I just sent it today so I'm waiting to see what she says when she emails back.

Both rescue groups have their cats fully vetted and are reputable rescues. I don't want to say that price is having an effect on our decision but $25 for an adoption fee (through two of the rescues here) vs $150, that's a big difference for money to spend on things like food, vet, toys, etc.

Any advice or input? I asked the ladies at Petsmart today and they said that that group is there for the month, so if she is still available we'll be able to do it through them up until the end of the month.

 

[Willowy]

I would say that you should find the kitty that's right for your family, and don't worry about the adoption fee. Paying less won't do much good if the kitty doesn't fit in at your house. But of course, if the less expensive adoption group has a kitty that's right for you, all the better! Worth meeting their cats, at least.

 

[ducman69]

I donated more, but both my kittens were $35 together. The adoption fee is really nothing though if within reason. Spent $250 in vet bills the first month.

I would never be rushed into a decision based on such a small investment, when vet costs can easily eat that up in no time, and statistically speaking if you get a young cat is a relationship that will last longer than the average marriage.

I spent a couple months before these two found me, but it was at Petsmart actually through CAPs, the last place I had thought to look and that was after entertaining the prospect of $1500 for two ragdoll kittens.

 

[kailie]

Originally Posted by Willowy

I would say that you should find the kitty that's right for your family, and don't worry about the adoption fee. Paying less won't do much good if the kitty doesn't fit in at your house. But of course, if the less expensive adoption group has a kitty that's right for you, all the better! Worth meeting their cats, at least.

I agree with this 100%!

The torti kitty sounds precious though, and it sounds to me like she chose you.

I wish you luck with whatever you decide!

 

[nerdrock]

Thanks for the replies. The Torti girl is precious, she's young, very pretty and seems like she would be highly adoptable - unless people are taking her mouthy way of playing as aggressiveness. I'm really not sure what is holding me/us back from getting her - there's just something. I don't know if it's the fact that she's in the exact same cage as Stan was in the exact same place, although as I said it's a different group that's there right now. It's the same feeling that we had with Stan and perhaps because we lost him so soon that's what's making me feel this way. We don't want to adopt another kitty only to have it for a few months again. The only problem with the girl at Petsmart is that she's not in a foster setting, she's always been in a cage with the rescue or out playing with the other cats and because she hasn't been in a foster setting I don't know if they know her like a foster would, know what I mean? I would hate to adopt her and bring her home only to find out that she would be completely stressed here with the woofers.

I'm still waiting on a reply from the other group with the sale, if they don't have anything that would fit with our lifestyle we'll probably go adopt the Torti girl.

Mike and I are both sick today, we were going to go back and look at her again, but now we're staying home and I have to go to work this evening. I have a dog show tomorrow so I won't be able to go visit her again until Monday but we'll see.

I just hope the lady that I emailed at the other rescue doesn't think I'm crazy, lol. I swear I wrote her a small novel.

About the adoption fee, I don't believe that $150 is too much, that's not what I meant. It's just that the local humane society and another rescue group are adopting their cats out for $25 during February and quite often the other groups and humane societies around us will have "sales" like this throughout the year, but this one never seems to. When they are both doing the same things for the cats in terms of vet care, and some of the rescues with the "sale" are foster based ones, if we can find one that we love and is suitable here I would rather spend the $25 to adopt than $150 because I can use all that extra money on things for the cat. Know what I mean? I'm not trying to sound cheap, lol, although I can see how it comes off that way

 

[jenwales]

I'm guessing the $25 is due to overcrowding? That amount wouldn't begin to cover altering/shots/deworming, etc. I think I'd probably make a decent donation to help the shelter/rescue recoup a little of their investment. Better to help more kitties!

Anyway, go with the cat that captures your heart. We all have that moment when you just know the cat belongs to you. If it's the tortie, go get her.

I get the expenses of getting a new cat, though. We just adopted one through the same rescue we've gotten all of ours through. The adoption fee is $135 and I spent $111 on his initial vet visit. Then toys, new litter box, etc. It adds up!

 

[darlili]

While I wouldn't let the amount of the adoption fee make my decision, I bet the 'sales' are due to overcrowding, or for the pets that have been there a long time, or for the more senior pets. The shelter I got my two from periodically runs 'sales' on, let's say, black cats (because black cats often lanquish in a shelter for absolutely no good reason), bonded pairs, senior cats, etc. Of course the adopter goes through the same interview that applies to any fee level. Heck, my two were at the shelter for several months because they were about 3 years old - not kittens anymore, you know.

But, I missed the sale, but don't mind at all four years down the road.

This shelter also lets senior citizens in our county adopt one pet for $1 - it's sort of help seniors on a fixed budget get over that initial sticker shock...sometimes older folks don't realize that $125 or so is really a minimal fee for vet check, shots, neutering, and chipping.

Let your heart guide you though - we all know that feeling when we've been adopted by a cat.

 

[bastetservant]

First of all I want to say how sorry I am you lost your dear cat Stan to FIP. That a particularly insidious disease. No wonder the same cage at Petsmart where you found him would give you the willies.

I volunteer at a shelter, and sometimes help potential adoptees to find their cat. If you are unsure, it is wise to go back again one or more times. Take your time, until you are sure. If the tortie is gone before you decide, then I think she was not meant to be yours. I do think adopting a cat at her age is commendable. Kittens do, usually (unless they are black) get adopted. It's the grown up cats that often languish being left behind.

As far as the sale, my shelter has sales frequently, and that's because of too many cats. However, never is it as low as $25! Of course all the cats there are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, defleaed, microchipped, disease tested, etc. The normal fee is $150 for cats under 7 years. They estimate that to get all this done by a vet would be $300. Sometimes the sale price is as low as $75. It's $50 for the older cats. Also that low for senior citizen adoptors. And if you adopt two cats together, it can be $50 for the second one. Another shelter I'm associated with charges $95 for cats under 6 months, and $35 for those older than that. They also have sales, occasionally. And, again, because of too many cats.

It's worth looking around and finding the cat that most appeals to you. This cat, hopefully, will be a long term committment, and you should be sure.

What fun, getting a new cat! I'm jealous.

Robin

 

[ducman69]

Yeah, I'd rather buy toys and food for my cat, but really if you think of it as a charity contribution which is what it really is, then it doesn't sound so bad. Its not like buying a TV or anything where you're just lining the pockets of some executives in Japan, as you know the money is going towards caring for and adopting out more needy cute furballs in your neighborhood.

Originally Posted by jenwales

I'm guessing the $25 is due to overcrowding? That amount wouldn't begin to cover altering/shots/deworming, etc. !

I think it is, and with the current economic climate, I am always reading about how low the adoption rates are around here at least. The alternative is not only very undesirable, but its not free either.

The groups tend to have a lot of volunteer workers and receive discounts at clinics and donations and sponsorships from the pet food industry from what I'm told, and personally I think the only reason you don't see more FREE cats is simply because it attracts the kind of crowd you don't want to adopt out to if at all possible.

 

[bluerexbear]

Here is the breakdown of what I have spent on cats lately: As you will see...the adoption fee didn't matter a bit (it was mid range price-wise) and sadly, the vet bills for the cat that wasn't well from the shelter and the vet bills for my old cat who caught the giardia from the shelter cat and is still fighting for his life way outweighed the adoption fee. Do your best to make sure the cat is HEALTHY, steals your heart, and isolate her/him for the first 1-2 weeks to easily guide her/him into living with the doggies.

Adopted Rex: $79
Took Rex to the Vet: $139
Bought litter box, toys, etc: $45

Adopted Bear: $79
Took Bear to the ER vet for diarrhea: $154
Took Bear back to reg vet for diarrhea: $139
Bought meds for Bear: $86
Bought meds again for Bear: $27
Bough big dog crate because Bear was so sick and needed to be confined: $94

Took Blue to the ER vet because Bear gave him Giardia: $490
Took Blue to regular vet for subQ fluids and more meds: $34 (I Cried at the office and the vet took PITY on me)'
Took Blue in for a fecal: $40
Took Blue to the vet today for Senior cat blood work, found skin cancer $322

Misc:

Litter - I could have bought stock in the company as many times as I have changed litter per day over the last month $200+
Meds for Rex, Blue, and Bear combined: $27
Gas back and forth to vet who is 1 hour drive away (ONE WAY) $200

Yeah...HEALTHY cat is key. *sigh*

 

[nerdrock]

I really do not want this to sound like I'm trying to make a big deal out of the adoption fee - I'm really not. I do not mind paying $150 as a donation to either rescue as an adoption fee. However, the one that is currently at Petsmart is not a foster based rescue, whereas the one that has the "sale" is. I am more comfortable going through the foster based one having working in foster based dog rescue. I feel that they will know the cats better and that they may have some that are living with dogs currently. With the other one, we wouldn't know until we brought the kitty home and the last thing I want to do is stress a cat out by bringing it home and then have it stressed it's entire life with us by having to live with a bunch of dogs that it doesn't like, know what I mean?

The rescue lady called today while I was at work, of course, lol. She wouldn't give Mike her number so I could call her back tomorrow so I guess she said she would call back on Sunday. We'll see how it goes, I don't want to waste people's time by having to go through the whole adoption process before I know if they have any that would be suited to our lifestyle so hopefully we won't have to do that first.

The one thing that I like about adopting through Petsmart is that you don't have to fill out applications and such, you just pay and you can take the cat home. I know that isn't ideal for rescue groups because of the people that take advantage of that kind of thing, but for someone like me it's good. We are good pet parents and we know what we're doing. We have been told by one group already that we would be declined if we tried to adopt through them because we have an intact dog. The intact dog is our show dog, I'm not going to neuter him so that I can adopt a cat, know what I mean? I think some of them need to take a closer look at homes that have intact pets and see why they have them before just denying them flat out.

I'm also hoping that the group that I contacted doesn't talk to the group that I used to/kind of still work with... there was one lady there that I really conflicted with in terms of personality and views on pet ownership. I had to lie to her about why we weren't fostering anymore just to get her to leave me alone. So if they ask her, then she's going to tell them that we can't afford to care for another pet and that we don't have the time. Kinda wishing I hadn't told her that now just to get her off my back, but at the time she was driving me insane and it was the first thing that popped into my mind.

We went back to visit the Torti girl today. She played with me a bit but was a lot less active than she was yesterday. I think I woke her up when I walked up to her cage, but she did play with me a bit and gave me lots of licks. There was a young family there that were also looking at the cats, I highly recommended her to them and explained that her mouthiness was just play and not to hurt. The little girl was about 8 years old and seemed to know quite a bit about cats, she was rattling off facts to me and was telling me about their cat that she grew up with that had recently passed. I convinced her to put her hand in the cage and play with Torti, she really seemed to like her and loved her mouthiness and play style. Maybe when we stop in there tomorrow they will have adopted her. The parents really seemed to like her as well.

 

[my4llma]

Go with a cat that you have a connection with. If something is telling you no about this cat, then maybe this cat isn't meant for you. Maybe another cat, that you haven't met yet is.

 

[sassylemon]

Yeah, go with the cat that you have a connection with. Doola my second girl, came from Petsmart. She just had this look in her eyes, when I took her out of the cage in the adoption room, she crawled into my lap (because I sat down) and started to purr. I let her stay there for a bit and then I put her back.

I went back to Petsmart every day to see this little girl. Mid-week I asked for her to be put on hold for me. Friday I went back to the store, for their adopt-a-thon with Skitter in tow. Skitter let out one little hiss at her and that was it. At then she just started to sniff her. At that point I knew it was meant to be.

 

[nerdrock]

Well the rescue lady didn't call yesterday

The weather here isn't too bad today so I think we'll take the dogs for a walk up to the little pet store in the village in the city that we live in (lol, complicated enough? We live in a little village in the middle of a city). The people that own it, or run it, or something, foster for the rescue that has the promotion on this month. I think they have 4 cats/kittens there so we can check them out - those cats would be used to dogs because dogs come to the store quite often. One person that works there knows Mike from music things that they were both in, so if she's working we can talk to her, if not I'm sure we can talk to one of the other people that works there about the cats.

I suggested looking on Kijiji, Craigslist or Freecycle to Mike, he doesn't like the idea too much. He's really afraid of getting another cat like Stan and doesn't want is to be in the same situation we were before so soon. Most of the time he wants to get another cat, but there are times when he admits that he's afraid to get another one because we lost two cats this past summer (Lois, my parents cat, and Stan). We'll see what happens.