I started volunteering for the clinic I got my cat at back in January. Yesterday was my first day as "second volunteer" after completing my training, and the lead volunteer was much more lenient with adopters than previous lead volunteers I've met.
There was this really, really sweet cat there who had been rescued from the streets and just wanted to cuddle and be loved. He was all over my boyfriend (who also volunteers with me) and I for the first hour we were there. This guy then comes in, and immediately decides he wants the cat. It wasn't a love at first sight kind of thing....the cat actually continually walked away from the guy, and the guy didn't really seem to know how to pet him (he was a bit rough and patted him more than anything).
Full Disclosure: I was heartbroken because after hearing about him, I was intrigued because he was the cat I imagined getting before I fell in love with my cat. He greeted my boyfriend and I immediately when we arrived, and after spending time with him, we were planning to take him home when our shift ended. So at this point, I didn't like the guy, but thought it was for my own personal reasons - because when I had mentioned to him that I was planning to adopt the cat, but I obviously hadn't been able to take him home since my shift had two hours left, he told me to look elsewhere for a cat.
Anyway, after this guy fills out his application, he made a few weird comments. The cat hopped up into a cage, and the cat who was in there was swatting and hissing at him, while the poor boy sat there and took it. The guy was blocking me from the cages, and was laughing and saying it was the cat's fault for getting up there. I swooped in and took the cat down before he got hurt, and the guy told me I shouldn't have separated them.
Then, he brought in a KITTEN-SIZED carrier for a large, two-year-old adult male. The cat went in, but couldn't turn around. The guy then made a comment about how the cat will know he's in trouble if his wife puts him in there. Implying that maybe they put them in carriers when they're in trouble?!
This guy has two cats, and I lost sleep last night worrying that this guy will let this poor sweet boy get bullied, or maybe even keep him in his carrier instead of trying to properly introduce the cats and protect this new one as needed. To top it off, I did a little google search on this guy last night because I just felt awful, and although the name he gave us wasn't on our "do not adopt to" list, there is another name he goes by; a different last name both he and his wife use. Obviously, we didn't check the list for this last name, but I swear I've seen it on the list before.
I mentioned my concerns to the lead volunteer, but she said there wasn't much we could do at this point. My question is, what do I do now? The more I think about it, the more I know this isn't just me being upset because I wanted this cat. If he had been adopted to either of the two others who adopted yesterday, I would be sad that I didn't get to bring him home, but happy for him! I truly have a weird feeling about this. I don't want to throw yesterday's lead volunteer under the bus, but should I email one of the directors about my concerns? We do have language in our agreement that adopters must sign that states that we can make home visits to check up on the cats, and if the board requests the return of a cat in writing, an adopter must comply.
Also, should I stop by clinic (it's held at PetSmart, so no one is there outside of clinic hours which are 2 hours in the evening, except for a cleaner who comes in) and check the list for this other name/his wife's name? I'm not on schedule for the rest of the month, and I'm worried since I'm new that it would be weird, but maybe I could either stop in during the day, or stop into clinic tonight to check? I worry that I will seem over-dramatic, or that I am reacting to this personally, but I truly am worried about this cat....
Thanks if you read this far...Any advice is much appreciated!
There was this really, really sweet cat there who had been rescued from the streets and just wanted to cuddle and be loved. He was all over my boyfriend (who also volunteers with me) and I for the first hour we were there. This guy then comes in, and immediately decides he wants the cat. It wasn't a love at first sight kind of thing....the cat actually continually walked away from the guy, and the guy didn't really seem to know how to pet him (he was a bit rough and patted him more than anything).
Full Disclosure: I was heartbroken because after hearing about him, I was intrigued because he was the cat I imagined getting before I fell in love with my cat. He greeted my boyfriend and I immediately when we arrived, and after spending time with him, we were planning to take him home when our shift ended. So at this point, I didn't like the guy, but thought it was for my own personal reasons - because when I had mentioned to him that I was planning to adopt the cat, but I obviously hadn't been able to take him home since my shift had two hours left, he told me to look elsewhere for a cat.
Anyway, after this guy fills out his application, he made a few weird comments. The cat hopped up into a cage, and the cat who was in there was swatting and hissing at him, while the poor boy sat there and took it. The guy was blocking me from the cages, and was laughing and saying it was the cat's fault for getting up there. I swooped in and took the cat down before he got hurt, and the guy told me I shouldn't have separated them.
Then, he brought in a KITTEN-SIZED carrier for a large, two-year-old adult male. The cat went in, but couldn't turn around. The guy then made a comment about how the cat will know he's in trouble if his wife puts him in there. Implying that maybe they put them in carriers when they're in trouble?!
This guy has two cats, and I lost sleep last night worrying that this guy will let this poor sweet boy get bullied, or maybe even keep him in his carrier instead of trying to properly introduce the cats and protect this new one as needed. To top it off, I did a little google search on this guy last night because I just felt awful, and although the name he gave us wasn't on our "do not adopt to" list, there is another name he goes by; a different last name both he and his wife use. Obviously, we didn't check the list for this last name, but I swear I've seen it on the list before.
I mentioned my concerns to the lead volunteer, but she said there wasn't much we could do at this point. My question is, what do I do now? The more I think about it, the more I know this isn't just me being upset because I wanted this cat. If he had been adopted to either of the two others who adopted yesterday, I would be sad that I didn't get to bring him home, but happy for him! I truly have a weird feeling about this. I don't want to throw yesterday's lead volunteer under the bus, but should I email one of the directors about my concerns? We do have language in our agreement that adopters must sign that states that we can make home visits to check up on the cats, and if the board requests the return of a cat in writing, an adopter must comply.
Also, should I stop by clinic (it's held at PetSmart, so no one is there outside of clinic hours which are 2 hours in the evening, except for a cleaner who comes in) and check the list for this other name/his wife's name? I'm not on schedule for the rest of the month, and I'm worried since I'm new that it would be weird, but maybe I could either stop in during the day, or stop into clinic tonight to check? I worry that I will seem over-dramatic, or that I am reacting to this personally, but I truly am worried about this cat....
Thanks if you read this far...Any advice is much appreciated!
