Suspicious Rehoming

[busterbluth]

I came in here hoping to get some advice on what I'm finding to be a rather odd situation.

We had a male cat named Addis for about two years. Over the past few months my sister started having severe allergic reactions and after trying out different methods that didn’t have much of an effect, we decided to give him up to another family. We put up an ad on Kijiji in which we highlighted that Addis likes to spend a lot of time outdoors and doesn’t get along very well with young children (under 3) and other animals. We also stated that we would like to see the home he’ll be going to in order to ensure he’ll be in a good environment where he’ll adapt and be cared for. A month ago we got a response from a lady who was interested in taking Addis. She stated that she has two children, 4 and 6, no other pets, but did have pets in the past, and would have space to let him outside in the summer. So we arranged for her to come see him. She pet him and held him for a while and seemed to get along well with him. Addis is very friendly with strangers. At that point she said she is interested in adopting him and would like to take him back that same night because her family was very excited to meet him. We asked if we could drop him off instead but she said it was getting late and assured us we could come visit at a later point to see how he’s coping. We were hesitant but eventually caved and decided to give him away that night. While we did put a fee of a 100 dollars in the ad, we were caught up with the emotion and putting his stuff together that we didn't ask for or take any money.

The second day my sister, who was his primary caretaker (not the one with the allergies), felt guilty about giving him without first ensuring he will be in a good home. So she contacted the lady to see how he’s coping and requested that we come check-in at some point. She responded saying he’s been hiding most of the day.  Regarding the visit, she said that Addis needs time and she’ll have to run it by her husband before allowing a visit. A couple of days passed and we didn't hear from her.  I felt odd at her hesitance to allow us to visit, so this time I initiated contact and asked if she would be interesting in giving (or selling) Addis back because my sister was devastated with it. I'll admit that was not a very smart move. She refused and said her boys were getting attached to him and she won’t take him away from them. I said that’s understandable, wished them all well and ended the correspondence there. 

Last week, a month after she had taken him, I sent her another text message to see how Addis is adapting. I never got a response. That is when it occurred to me to try and look her up on Facebook. I was able to find her account and noticed right away through her public pictures that she has two dogs. I also noticed in her recent pictures of her family, Addis is in none. 

The fact that she has dogs and led us to believe otherwise, her reluctance to arrange a visit and her failure to respond has me concerned.

 So am I being paranoid or does this sound odd to anyone else ? I'm trying to think whether I should pursue this further by trying to contact her again? If so what would I say?

Any input would be much appreciated 

 

[catpack]

Whomever was the rightful owner of Addis can reach out to the lady by phone and setup a time visit. State that it was discussed at the time of adoption that a home visit would be required. If she doesn't return your call, You can decide whether to do a surprise visit or not, but be careful with the latter as things can get ugly.

Legally, I'm not sure what you can do since there was no formal agreement made.

 

[busterbluth]

The latter isn't really an option, because we don't know where she lives.  

 

[natalie_ca]

Unfortunately you gave him to her, and you have no recourse now.  I hope he's in a good home and is doing well.  But there is really nothing you can do about it now, regardless of whether his home situation is good or not.

 

[busterbluth]

 
Unfortunately you gave him to her, and you have no recourse now.  I hope he's in a good home and is doing well.  But there is really nothing you can do about it now, regardless of whether his home situation is good or not.

I'm afraid you are right. I have no idea whether he is in a good home. The lady may have lied to us about having other pets, she may have given him to someone else, I don’t know. But what I do know from our correspondence is that the lady seemed genuinely nice and I doubt she would actually harm an animal.  Also, she was very stern in response to my attempt to get him back. She said her kids were getting attached to him and she won’t even consider it. I believed her and that brings me some comfort.