Is she cute or what?

[graciecat]

Oh I know, Francis sure is a cute little guy...I just love his little crossed eyes.
He's being fostered right now.

Yes, I agree Smokey Joe looks like a VERY big boy.

 

[badninjakitties]

Originally Posted by hurdyburdy

She is very beautiful and looks like a sweetheart.

I looked at the other cats they have... and the Siamese Turkish Van mix is also stunning.

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/...petid=10090795

The grey one Smokey Joe.. looks huge on that persons shoulder.

wow!!

He is GORGEOUS!! I can't believe that he hasn't been snatched up!!

 

[graciecat]

Just a tiny update.
Our trip to the shelter to see those two beautiful girls is off for today and proably off for tomorrow also.
We're in the middle of a snowstorm right now and it's supposed to turn into an ice storm later today and tonight.

Oh the joys of living in Westeren PA...gotta love the "Lake effect" snowstorms

but I'd never want to live anywhere else, I love winter

 

[graciecat]

It's been a while since I updated this thread.
I've been so upset by what happend that day at the shelter that I haven't wanted to think or talk about it.

I guess it's time that I do update and then just try to put it out of my mind.
Both girls were sweet, friendly, cuddley little purr monsters and Mason said if I HAD to have both I could...I was thrilled to death...at least for a little while.

I started to fill out the paperwork and they asked about our other cats...were they UTD with shots, checkups and were they spayed and neutered.
That's when the trouble started...Annabelle is spayed, Elliott is neutered but Gracie is not and never will be spayed.
Gracie and Lizzie (RB) both have/had some health problems...I've listed them somewhere...I think on the Crossing the Bridge forum when Lizzie died.
Anyway our Vet and two others from the same office flat out refused to spay either of them.
They told us that if they were put under that Lizzie would "probably" make it, but under no circumstances would they even think about putting Gracie under..they told us we'd basically be signing her death sentence.
At that time I asked about the risk of cancer in an un-spayed female, they told me that yes, that was a chance I was taking but the chance of them dying from cancer were far less than the chance that they would do if they were put under...so we didn't do it.

Sadly my sweet girl Lizzie did get cancer and she did die...but she had 7 happy years.
At that time I was so torn thinking I should have Gracie spayed right then and there..but again they told me no...our Vet who I trust beyond a shadow of a doubt told me that if Gracie and Lizzie were his cats he'd have made the same decision.

Sorry for going off topic a little there...but any way the shelter wouldn't let us adopt from them because Gracie isn't spayed, they wouldn't even let us explain why.
I was going to tell them to just call our Vet and let him explain it to them, but I thought "Forget it"...they won't listen to me, they aren't going to listen to him...I took the half filled out paperwork with me and we left...I didn't want them having my name, address NOTHING about me in their office.

The "Child" who was asking the questions looked to be all of about 17...I guess she thought she was oh so much smarter and knowledgble about cats because she worked there?
Bull poop...I've had cats in my life longer than she's been on earth...they've all been spayed/neutered.
You know, that is probably their policy but the world isn't always black and white there are gray areas and Gracie not being spayed is one of those gray areas...but she wouldn't listen.
Mason asked to talk to someone else...she claimed anyone who could change her decision was out to lunch.

As I was walking out the door I looked right at her and said "We did what was right for Gracie and Lizzie it was either take a chance that they MIGHT get a life threatning illness or send them to certain death."
"I'd make the same decision if it were one of my human children, and I hope you never have to make that kind of a decision for an animal or a human...because frankly if you were holding my life in your hands I'd probably kill myself" and we walked out.
I know I shouldn't have said that to her, but she was just so condesending.

She doesn't know us, she doens't know that we would have taken a second mortage out on our house to pay for treatment for Lizzie if it would have helped her...they Vet told us we could spend thousands and she still wasn't going to get well...she doesn't know that I went out in the middle of a road to save Annabelle...she doesn't know that Elliott had lived his whole short life outside until we brought him in...she doesn't know that my neighbor and I feed and Vet every stray cat that shows up down here...and find them INDOOR homes...there were 16 strays at one time, now there's just old Charlie...there will be more this spring, I just know it...she doesn't know about the cat we rescused from the neighbor and who now has a happy indoor him with my in-laws and she doesn't know what we did for Jack and Jasper...she doesn't know that in our "in case of emergency" plan for getting out of the house fast my Husband is in charge of the skin kids and I'm in charge of the fur ones...and trust me I'd rush into a burning building to save a goldfish...she doesn't know that our cats are in our will...she doesn't know us or the kind of people we are....because to her everything is black and white.

I thought about calling and asking to talk to someone else, but I won't because I know come spring someone will dump a cat or 12 down here and that's were we'll get our new furkid...we'll take in a stray....Gracie and Lizzie's Mother was a pregnant stray so that's were they came from, Elliott was a stray and Annabelle was a semi-feral our next cat will come right off the street, just like the ones we have now.

I'm sorry I ranted and went on and on about all the stuff I do or did for cats...I'm not trying to make us sound any better than anyone else because God knows there are plently of people on TCS who have done as much if not a thousands times more good things for animals than we have but it's just that she hurt me so bad, judgeing me as a bad pet parent without knowing all the facts.

 

[white cat lover]

Come here, I'll adopt to you!

We've even got a persian boy, 6 months old, with a recently amputated leg you'd take wonderful care of.

I'm sorry....but sometimes you do get jaded.....I'm 21 & have told people we wouldn't adopt to them.....I've declined applications before.....but there have been valid reasons.....this just seems so silly! They wouldn't even talk to your vet?!!?

Can you have your vet call in irate & explain to them? Or is it even worth it in your eyes?

 

[graciecat]

I hadn't even filled the Vet part out yet on the paperwork and when she heard that Gracie wasn't spayed she wouldn't even listen to anything else we said.
I did think about driving back over there, calling him on my cell phone from the parking lot and telling him what was going on and having him call and be on the phone with them when I walked in, but at this point even the thought of going back over there upsets me.

I know spring is coming and that's prime dumping season here, so I feel certain someone that's right for us will show up.

It just makes me sad to think about all those poor babies...dogs and cats...stuck in cages over there that could have good homes if only some people would listen to the whole story before passing judgement.
If she had a brain in her head she would have said "I'm sorry, that's our policy and I don't have the authority to over ride it, but if you'll come back later you can talk to someone else."
That would have made me feel less like she thought we were Michael Vick and his Wife.
If she would have done that and the person in charge would have said "I'm sorry, we can't make exceptions no matter what."
I would have still been upset, but I would have understood.

I think I may however call over on Tuesday and ask to talk to someone in charge...no matter what they say I don't think we'll adopt from them even if they would change their minds after hearing everything...I just want them to know how we were treated.

 

[mschauer]

Originally Posted by Graciecat

I think I may however call over on Tuesday and ask to talk to someone in charge...no matter what they say I don't think we'll adopt from them even if they would change their minds after hearing everything...I just want them to know how we were treated.

Please do call and speak to someone in charge. And please still consider adopting from them. The kitties shouldn't have to suffer because of one stupid person at the shelter.

 

[katachtig]

Originally Posted by Graciecat

I think I may however call over on Tuesday and ask to talk to someone in charge...no matter what they say I don't think we'll adopt from them even if they would change their minds after hearing everything...I just want them to know how we were treated.

As painful as the experience has been, please do this. They are losing potentially good homes by not listening and are missing opportunities for educating the public.

 

[eilcon]

I'm sorry this turned out to be such a negative experience for you.

Unfortunately, as Nat said, some rescue/shelter folks, do become jaded. Many also seem to lack people skills, which certainly seems to be the case here. There's no excuse for how you were treated! For your own peace of mind, the sake of the kitties and other potential adopters, I hope you decide to call the person in charge and share your experience. Obviously, some changes need to be made at the shelter.

I wish you were closer. I'd find you a kitty.

Seriously, when the time is right, one (or two) will find you. Bless you for caring and for all you've done for the cats in your neighborhood.

 

[graciecat]

Thank you all so much for your support.
I know if I lived closer to Nat or Eileen I'd have a new kitty faster than I could blink my eyes.

But, like Eileen said someone will show up here come Spring and probably bring a friend or two with him or her.

I thought I might have one this afternoon, Elliott was sitting in the kitchen window "Talking" to something in the ally.
I looked out and there was a little gray and white cat sitting in the ally next to the house at the end.
Five seconds later the Daughter of the couple who live there came out of the house picked up the cat and was hugging it and shaking her finger at it at the same time.
Her and her Husband are here visting and they brought their cat, Miss Kitty decided to try and make the great escape out the side door.
She's safely back inside now.

I probably will call over there tomorrow...after I take about 6 Xanax

I can't stop thinking about all of the dogs and cats that have been PTS there, simply because of that one girl...how many other good families has she turned down without listening to the whole story?
That's what breaks my heart, those dear little souls may be losing their chance at a good life or sadder still, actually losing their lives when there's no need for it to happen.
I hope she treats the animals better than she treated us.

I'm sure she's not a bad person, she just needs to get some people skills like Eileen said.