Whom Should I Choose? (kind of long)

[spookzilla]

Hi all,

I could really use some advice on this one.

I'm fostering a sweet kitty who is about 8-10 years old. He had a nasty URI when I first rescued him but, touch wood, he's been fine lately.

I've had a hard time finding him a home but now I actually have 2 people who are interested in meeting him (I'll just call them A and B). 'A' has said she wants to adopt him from the info I provided and the website pictures (they haven't met). She has sent me several emails and seems very knowledgeable and interested. She also says she works as a vet tech (I can only assume what they tell me is correct, I don't know for sure) and has no kids. She also has 2 kittens at home that I don't think would be an issue since I have cats too.

Sounds perfect, right?? Well yesterday she sent me an email to say that her kittens have a URI. If everything is true then I wouldn't mind waiting a week or 2 if she wanted to put a deposit down, BUT BUT BUT

my question is how did the indoor kittens get the URI?? My fear is that if she works as a vet tech then she could be bringing home uri's (or worse).

The other person (B) emailed me a week or so ago and said they would be interested when they got the money for the adoption fee. They emailed me again yesterday and said they would now like to meet. I'm probably being paranoid but if you don't have money for the adoption fee, can you afford the vet bills and good food? Or were they just waiting for payday??

So what should I do?

If 'A' is what they say they are then I think they'd be a wonderful home except for the URI thing. She has said several times how much she would like to adopt him and seems really kind and loving towards cats. I don't know anything else about 'B', I emailed to ask if there are other pets or small kids in the house.

Any insight or input would be appreciated!!

 

[baloneysmom]

I was wondering how much the adoption fee is. I just got a dog but we were looking at him for two weeks because we needed to raise money for him. After buying food, crates, toys, collar, leash (I know dogs are more expensive then cats though) we were pretty much broke. We got him Thursday and wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t be able to afford a vet appointment for two weeks. So maybe its not all bad, but on the other hand that could be a huge red flag.

Also is it possible she got her kittens with URI already? Thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s upper respiratory infection? Both my cats have it and they are indoor, they got it from the SPCA.

Anyway, LOL I guess I am no help. Can you meet them and see how they interact. I wish you all the best in this situation.

 

[spookzilla]

Thanks Silvionc, I hadn't thought about the possibility of the URI's coming from the SPCA/shelter (I just assumed she had the kittens for a while). I'll ask when she got them.

I heard back from B and he said they have 2 other male neutered cats, 1 and 2 years old, no kids, is 18 years old and lives at home...not sure how that would work out, I think kittens would be a better fit...

 

[herbalheidi]

Maybe person B is a broke 18-year-old, but has parents who would help out when needed. Maybe it is the 18-year-old's responsibility to pay for the adoption fee so yeah he has to wait for a paycheck, but the parents would never let the kitten go without once it was in their home. -- just a thought

 

[white cat lover]

18 yea old....you MUST require the parent's permission. Trust me on that one. We often get legal adult kids living at home w/ parents who do not ask permission. Because the parents often do not want a pet or another pet.

 

[spookzilla]

Originally Posted by white cat lover

18 yea old....you MUST require the parent's permission. Trust me on that one. We often get legal adult kids living at home w/ parents who do not ask permission. Because the parents often do not want a pet or another pet.

I thought the same thing, what if he moves out next week...

Here's another part of the story: I emailed person A about her kittens and asked how long she has had them and where she thought they picked up the URI--she wrote back and said it wasn't a cold, it was diarrhea

and her vet said they aren't contagious. How can you confuse those? Especially if you are a vet tech??

I don't want to scare off a potential adopter, but I want to ask for the vet's name and talk to them. I just have a funny feeling something's not right. That's not unreasonable, is it?

 

[mews2much]

Thats a hard choice. Is there anyway you can get more info from them. How do you confuse a Uri with Diarrhea. I would ask for the Vets name of both A and B. Some people lie and say they have a Vet and never go to one. I am afraid to Adopt from the pound because everytime they have a Uri and the other Cats get sick. Indoor Cats can get Uris. My Coco did and she has never been outside. They also have got them from the Vets before.

 

[baloneysmom]

I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t think itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s unreasonable. For all three of my babies I had to fill out an application form and one of the questions asked who my vet was, and if I would give permission for them to call them to ask questions. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m guessing anyone who checked no would be a red flag.

Wow, diarrhea and URI are two totally different things…

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m guessing there is a nice way to go around asking. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not good at that LOL Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m too blunt and its true, you donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want to scare off potential adopters. Everyone on this site has great advice, Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m sure someone knows a way to ask in a non chase away way.

Good luck!

 

[white cat lover]

It's not unreasonable to ask to speak with their vet reference if they currently have pets. Many shelters do. Here, when you apply to adopt a pet we ask for a vet ref if you have had pets in the past 3 years or currently. We also ask for 3 personal refs. (Landlord/parent also, if you do not own your own home)

I'm sorry, but I'm not a vet & I know URI vs. dirrhea are two very different things!

However, she may have typed URI meaning UTI, I've had a UTI correlate to diarrhea before once.

 

[mews2much]

When we Adopted a German Shorthair Pointer from the pound there were maybe 200 questions. You also have to see one of their Vets with in three days of adopting the Dog. She did end up living 15 years.

 

[spookzilla]

Thanks for all the input, she did give me the name of her vet so so I think I will give them a call. I told her I was a bit confused (she said they had a "cold", not a "URI", so there's no mistyping for UTI there!) and I would feel better if I spoke to the vet (I tried not to sound accusatory, just confused

). It turns out it's the same vet as we use through the rescue organization so I already know them there. She also said we could wait until the end of the month if that would make me more comfortable. That would probably be wise as the kittens aren't vaccinated yet and she seems very anxious to adopt this guy--I'm thrilled she likes him so much but I don't want it to be an impulse decision that she'll regret tomorrow.

 

[spookzilla]

Ok, things got a LOT more interesting this afternoon. As I said earlier I had a funny feeling something just wasn't right...I was right. I called the vet and I mentioned her last name and he said they didn't have any clients with that name (it's an unusual name--maybe it was a fake) and he asked the first name, I told him and he laughed and said talk to the other people in your rescue organization, they are familiar with her.

He said he wasn't involved in it but they refused her an adoption before. I tried calling the other volunteers but haven't got a hold of them, I am very interested to hear what they have to say.

The moral of the story I guess is trust your gut and check up on references. I'm SO GLAD I called the vet, I would be devastated if I adopted him out and she turned out to be a "bad" choice. What I don't understand is if she wants a cat so badly and the rescue organizations won't let her take one of theirs, why doesn't she get a 'free' one? There are so many in the paper and online. Not that I wish a "bad" owner on any cat, but it just doesn't make sense.

On a positive note, I did get another inquiry about my kitty and this one sounds more reliable (a single woman with no other pets) but I will be asking for references!

 

[cc12]

Originally Posted by spookzilla

Ok, things got a LOT more interesting this afternoon. As I said earlier I had a funny feeling something just wasn't right...I was right. I called the vet and I mentioned her last name and he said they didn't have any clients with that name (it's an unusual name--maybe it was a fake) and he asked the first name, I told him and he laughed and said talk to the other people in your rescue organization, they are familiar with her.

He said he wasn't involved in it but they refused her an adoption before. I tried calling the other volunteers but haven't got a hold of them, I am very interested to hear what they have to say.

The moral of the story I guess is trust your gut and check up on references. I'm SO GLAD I called the vet, I would be devastated if I adopted him out and she turned out to be a "bad" choice. What I don't understand is if she wants a cat so badly and the rescue organizations won't let her take one of theirs, why doesn't she get a 'free' one? There are so many in the paper and online. Not that I wish a "bad" owner on any cat, but it just doesn't make sense.

On a positive note, I did get another inquiry about my kitty and this one sounds more reliable (a single woman with no other pets) but I will be asking for references!

Let us know how that goes. I am learning a lot from this thread about the kittens I will be having soon.

 

[spookzilla]

I wish I had a happier ending to the story but it is heartbreaking.

I spoke to the head of our rescue agency and she said that that lady was in fact a vet tech who worked at the clinic they used to go to. That's all she would tell me except that I shouldn't adopt to her.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, I found a wonderful adopter who checked out and loves cats. She took my kitty home on Friday and I got a call yesterday that he had escaped by pushing out a screen when she was at work. (I posted another thread about this). Words can't describe how horrible I feel. I fretted so much about who to give him to and when I found the perfect adopter he escapes. Probably if I had let him go to the other person he would be fine. PLEASE PLEASE send vibes and prayers so he can be found safe. I would give anything to find him safe and sound.

 

[spookzilla]

Waggles has been found!!

I posted in another thread how he was found after missing for almost a week. He's now resting comfortably in his old bedroom after eating a ton of food.