Ugghhh Agravated!

[prosperia]

I started looking around for a kitten. Bringing Angel into our home made me realise that we had the room and woul love to welcome a new baby into our home. So anyway I was looking around on petfinder and found some sweet little babies I would be intersted in visiting, but the organization said "no dogs and no kids". Ugghhh! How agravating! I sent them an email. How can they limit themselves like that. I can provide a good home. So what if I have two dogs and a 6yr old. My cat has no problems with either. For every home like mine that gets passed up, its one less kitten they can rescue out of the shelters.

[RaisingRiver]

I totally understand and feel the same way when Border Collies are listed 'no kids, fenced yard'. I have kids and no fence - but don't have any issues with either. And I'm exactly the kind of person a rescue would want in an adopter.

 

Continue to contact agencies that list those kinds of no, nos - because you never know if they put that to weed out less then stellar adopters. There's always an exception to every rule.

 

Good luck.

[kelpiegirl]

One place to contact would be your local veterinarian's offices. Mine has two beautiful long haired tiger kittens needing homes.

Julie

[smileyzookie]

Humane Societys usually dont restrict like that do they? I know the ones around here are always FULL of kittys

[MrSnappy]

Well from a rescue's point of view, over 50% (sometimes closer to about 75%) of the dogs that *I* am rehoming are in rescue for a) biting the family child or because the family is too busy with their child(ren) to care about the dog.

 

Of course there are families with border collies that work out. Of course there are conscientious homes without fences that manage BCs (I live in one). But those of you who are families with children don't know how many requests to have dogs dumped on us come from families with children, where the children are the primary reason for the dumping.

 

So what is frustrating to you is just saving our mental health. for rescuers. Whenever I have puppies, if I don't make it *explictly* clear that we won't take applications from homes with kids, I get 40 something emails from people with toddlers who want to squeeze the adorable fluffy puppy, from people with zero regard for breed characteristics. Many of those people assume the fluffy puppies will not get over 10bs!! By making it explicitly clear I only get about half that number.

 

Prosperia, don't be aggravated by a rescue groups's policies - it's pretty presumptuous to complain about the policies of a group that is rehoming animals, simply because the policies are not to your liking.

 

Honestly, the amount that rescue groups get criticized for having policies at all really bothers me - you can't make everyone happy!

 

The local kitten rescue group always wants their cats to go in pairs. I don't want a pair of cats, I just want one. So when the time comes, I will look elsewhere for a cat. I'm not going to moan about the rescue group policies; it's their rescue and their cats. Clearly they have a reason for placing them with the criteria they have. Who am I to criticize them for their decisions? As long as it's what's in the cat's best interest, then it's perfectly fine - even if it doesn't work for me.

 

I don't know any rescue group that tries to sabatoge itself by having limiting policies in place.

 

RDM

[bc friend]

Originally posted by kelpiegirl:

One place to contact would be your local veterinarian's offices.

Julie

I second this option - my vet sometimes has litters abandoned in the clinic's backyard or doorstep, and usually has 1-4 adults she is trying to find homes for - she won't pts healthy cats or dogs so if the owners are determined to get rid of them, she finds them homes. And yes, I've adopted from her!

[shelb'smum]

you can take my evil 8 year old kitty!! who looks like a teenage kitten, but evil!

lol, I have always ended up with evil cats

I will third the looking at a vet clinic, ours always cats and kittens that I want to bring home!

[prosperia]

"Prosperia, don't be aggravated by a rescue groups's policies - it's pretty presumptuous to complain about the policies of a group that is rehoming animals, simply because the policies are not to your liking. "

 

RDM, we are talking kittens. Not full grown BC's who have specific needs. I understand that a high drive BC is not suited to a home with a 2yr old, and a dog that sees kitties as prey is not suited to a home with cats. But to generalize and say that none of their kittens are to go to homes with children or dogs is "pretty presumputuous".

[shelb'smum]

I have to agree!

that is just a silly rule, and they will either have people lying on applications, or they won't rehome that many kittens!!! I know very VERY few homes that do not either have kids or dogs!

is the rule kids in general? or is there an age limit? I can understand them saying 'no' to kids 5 and under, but to say NO to any family that has kids is ludicrous!

[Lunar]

I see both sides. I work in cat rescue so I see the morons that want to adopt kittens, I see cats getting dumped for idiotic reasons. But I also think that putting too many restrictions isn't good either. It's hard to walk that line, to decide what is right for your rescue - and for your sanity, yes. But it does make me sad that some of the restrictions turn away really awesome people.

 

But yeah, I'd contact the vets and look at the SPCA and local shelters. They have much fewer restrictions. I don't know if it's the same in VA, but here kitten season never really went away.

[kelpiegirl]

I'm with you Maria. There is a sizable difference between a cat and a BC. A good home is just that. IF the prospective owner has good references, vet check, healthy/happy pets/humans, I don't see a *really* good reason to obligatorily omit certain homes. If there is still some underlying worry, make sure the kid(s) come in, and see the interaction with the cat. I have to say that many times rescue groups DO get a reputation for being TOO selective- and I am not saying selective in a pejorative way, just that we can't all be the perfect 1 acre, fully fenced, home 24/7 no kid homes. Take each person as an individual case.

Having worked with rescue (as foster/home checker and having rehomed dogs), I can say, the MOST important thing I see is a complete dedication to the new pet, and willingness to accept/ask for help.

Good luck on your search Maria.

Julie

[Maralynn]

I understand that different groups have their policies in place for what they feel are in the best interests of the animals they have. I may not agree 100% with their, but it's their choice, not mine. They have to think worse case senario, and rules weed out those who are not commited to an animal.

 

When I was looking for 2 kittens, I couldn't get them from the local humane society because they were going to live in the barn. I did find a vets office that would have adopted out to me, but I ended up getting a couple of kittens off a farm. Well, my two "barn cats" have a room especialy built for them, eat high quality food (including raw), get tons of attention, are vaccinated and neutered, and probably lead a better life than 75% of the cats out there. But how was the humane society supposed to know my intentions when I said that the cats would live in the barn?

 

There are plenty of kittens out there that need homes. Keep looking, you'll find the right one

[bailey44]

Did the organization give an explanation as to why they have this policy? I'm with the others who said that a perfect home with no kids/dogs/perfect yard is hard to come by. I have the upmost respect for these organizations, but I honestly think that most cats--and I have had cats all my life, (rescues), benefit greatly from having the interaction with other animals and caring, loving children. I think it helps make them well-adjusted and flexible to change overall. There's such a need for good homes. I hope you find your new little friend soon! Charlene

[prosperia]

I emailed them, but no response yet. Its such a shame cause she was such a sweet looking little thing too. I checked with my local vets and one doesnt take any in, and the other only has one. The guy couldnt even tell me if it was a boy or a girl. I plan on heading up to the SPCA tomorrow.

[Lunar]

Good luck, Maria.

[Shetlander]

Certainly, a rescue has the right to make whatever rules they feel they need to. If you can't find a humane society or rescue to adopt from, I'd think you could get a kitten very easily for little to no money from regular people. It sounds terrible to say but cats are pretty much a dime a dozen. As a number of people have said, vets often have cats or kittens for adoption. A lot of pet supply places will have cats and kittens up for adoption at different times.

 

Or just mention to one or two people you're looking for a kitten. I wouldn't be surprised if you had 3 offers within a couple of days. At least around here, there's always a good cat or kitten in need of a home.

[juliepoudrier]

Maria, you are a responsible parent with a well-behaved child who knows and respects animals as you do. Unfortunately, you are probably more the exception than the rule. Please don't take one rescue's policies personally--isn't that what we always tell people who come here with complaints about various border collie rescues? The rescue organization has to be careful, and frankly I believe it's at least as likely for an unsupervised (or improperly supervised) child to seriously damage a fragile kitten as it is for disaster to happen with a pup. For all anyone knows, there's a good reason that particular rescue put that rule in place (just use your imagination).

 

In a couple more months, kittens will be everywhere and you'll have your pick. And as others have said, you can probably find one now, though I would hope that responsible rescues wouldn't be adopting out this close to Christmas. There's too much going on and too many hazards for kittens (swallowing ribbon, ornament hooks, etc.).

 

I've never had to actually look for a kitten--there always seems to be one in need who happens along, whether I really want another or not. That's how I have six after all....

 

Anyway, you imply you already have a cat (and I can't remember)--be sure to have any new kitten thoroughly vetted before allowing the two to interact. I learned the hard way with a kitten that was dropped off (with a littermate) at the vet office where I used to work. That kitten brought FIP to all of my mom's cats (I was living at home at the time)--only one escaped a sad fate. Now I keep any new kitten isolated until it can be tested for communicable diseases.

 

Julie W.,

As you can probably tell from my post I disagree with your comment that a cat is different from a border collie. A life is a life, and a kitten certainly deserves as much consideration from a rescue trying to find it a caring and loving and SAFE forever home as any dog, including a border collie, does. Granted, adult cats don't need the same level of care as a dog, but a kitten isn't an adult cat, and is certainly more fragile than a puppy in most cases.

 

J.

[Liz P]

I applied to adopt a cat last January. They called me after checking my references because they were "concerned." They wanted to know why I had an intact dog and why one of my dogs did not have his rabies vaccine. I stayed calm and told them to look at the whole picture, I had one intact dog out of many, I was responsible, I was active in trialing and in breed rescue. The older dog did not get his rabies because he was sick and couldn't have any shots.

 

The cat I wanted was a year old, crippled and feral, not exactly highly desirable. They gave me the cat. You can bet they were damn happy when I called them later to let them know that he needed bilateral orthopedic surgery that ran $3k to $5k and he was going to get it. They told me no other adopter would have done the surgery, that they would have just put him down. They sure are happy they took a chance on me, otherwise Rhys would be dead.

 

[nancy]

Liz, where are you and what rescue group did you use? My daughter is volunteering with one in central Massachusetts, so I'm curious.

[Liz P]

I live just east of Worcester.

 

This is the group I got Rhys from. I don't think they are taking in new animals, they have decided to put 100% of their effort into neuter clinics.

 

http://www.secondchancefund.org/

[Jordi44]

Gee, stop by we have kittens about 3-4 weeks old plus some older ones. Long drive for a kitten, though. I agree - check out your vet office. Even if they don't have one, they might know of one that needs a good home. I used to work for a vet office that would take kittens (a few occasionally), feleuk test them, vax, and find them homes. We charged a small fee - didn't even cover the cost of the test and vax, but it was cheaper than the shelter and got a nice kitten into a good home. Around here, there are "private" shelters - people that take cats in and find them homes - often feleuk tested and/or vaccinated.

 

I ran into the same thing when my daughter wanted a small, female dog (she was 4 at the time). She'd always been around animals of all types, but the small dog rescue groups anywhere at all near us had a strict NO KIDS UNDER a certain age rule - think it was at least 9 or 10. I see their point, but it is frustrating if you have kids, dogs, whatever. I suppose it's easier than trying to decide if this kid is ok or not - and saves arguments about why this kid/home is acceptable when another isn't.

 

Good luck - there's the perfect kitty waiting for you. If you're not against "paying" for a kitten, my daughter got a Ragdoll kitten (6 months old at the time) this fall - that cat is unbelievable. She follows my daughter around, comes running when she calls (daugter calls - not cat), calls for my daughter when she can't find her - I hate to say this - but more like the perfect dog than a cat. I'd been told they're wonderful, but wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I don't know if there are specific cat breed rescues like dogs, but Ragdolls are not your ordinary cat - although I've cried many tears over "barn cats" when we lost them.

[prosperia]

It did cross my mind that it might be a difficult search, it being so close to Christmas. You know, now that I think about it, I dont even remember the last time I saw a kitten before finding Angel. Not counting the wild barn cats on a friends farm. I guess thats a good thing. But I didnt know it would be such a search to find a kitten. I guess the sayin is true, never there when you want it.

[Beth G]

I can understand why you are upset. I wouldn't have made it through my hellacious abusive childhood if it wasn't for all the abused stray cats I took home and my grandmother helped me fix up when I was 4 and up....lol.

 

And the benefits these animals can have on children is amazing. Some children are wonderful with animals and it's a shame for them to miss out on the companionship just because maybe the majority of children aren't good with say cats (or BC's).

 

 

Though I can also understand why the rescues have these rules.

They are trying to avoid sending their animals into possibly abusive situations.

 

 

But rest assured,the right animal for you will always find their way to you when the time is right. Trust in them- they know how to do this.

[nancy]

Liz, where east of Worcester? My daughter is in Boylston. I grew up in Auburn.

 

And I can say "Wista" (we were on the south side) and "Awbin" (high school cheer: A-U-B-U-R-N AWBIN!. Heck, I even know that it's "Shewsbry".

[Bill Fosher]

A guide to the pronounciation of Massachusetts places:

 

As Nancy has pointed out:

 

Worcester -- Wista or Woostah

Auburn -- Awbin

Shrewsbury -- Shewsbry (note that the first R is lost)

 

And a few others:

Revere -- Riveah

Holyoke -- Hoy-yoke

Amherst -- Amerst (no H)

Shelburne -- Shellbun

Bernardston -- Bernstun