What Were The Humans Thinkin’…?
Nobody seems to talk about this too much, so I decided I would. It’s about what sometimes happens to us adult cats when humans rescue us from shelters. We are returned for some of the oddest reasons..so this raises a question in my mind…
“Just how much do humans think through what it means to adopt an adult cat?”
I know that adopting an adult cat…meaning one that is a year old or older…is different than adopting a young kitten. The kitten doesn’t have as long a history of life events as we adults do. And of course, the older the cat, the more life experiences (good and bad) they have.
That means we usually need lots more adjustment time when we get a forever home…and we toally need our new family to help us out lots.
So here’s my “nit to pick”…I totally agree that animal shelters need to allow humans to return adult cats if they don’t work out in the new home…otherwise the cat would just get dumped on a street…but I have to wonder what humans are thinkin’ when they take an adult cat home and return them for reasons like these…
Spreckles was 18 mos. old, loved to play, loved peeps, enjoyed other cats and totally loved a good lap and lots of pets
RETURNED: after a couple weeks, the family returned her ‘cuz she was “too affectionate”…Huh?!
Fred was 10 years young…loved to play and Oh Cat! What a lap dude! And he was drop dead gorgeous…he was a Norwegian Forest Cat…everyone knows these guys are pretty hefty and that was Fred…no small cat he…so, gets adopted by a retired couple who come lookin’ for a Maine Coon cat or one big like that…
RETURNED: after less than 48 hours ‘cuz he was TOO BIG! What!!??
Peep and Bo…brothers and 8 years old. They were dumped at the county shelter ‘cuz their family moved and didn’t get a new place where they could keep the cats. So they were saved by my former shelter, a private no kill non-profitshelter. So this ladie wants them, has the shelter hold them over the Christmas holidays ‘cuz she has company and she wants their arrival to be as free of stress as possible. I thought, now that’s very nice, Huh? She visited them several times before she could take them home.
RETURNED: after a month or so ‘cuz they were to difficult to manage…they were having some adjusment problems and took it out on each other…back they came. This is Peep…
Ashley…she was about 12 months old…and loved to play, cuddle and be with people. Just a real sweetie.
RETURNED: twice! mostly ‘cuz she was too playful! She was 12 months old! Don’t human know we like to play until we are really really old??
I guess I am just asking humans to think through what it means to adopt an adult rescue cat. It is tough on us when we get returned for reasons that could have been thought through before taking us to a home and giving us hope that we have found our forever family.
That’s just my opinion…my thoughts…I’m gonna go take a nap now and think more about “why humans should adopt adult rescue cats”…maybe I could talk about that ‘cuz I really do think we are worthwhile.
Catch’ya later, Savannah
Savannah's Paw Tracks 
It breaks my heart. Returning them to the shelter is alot better than dumping them on the street but adoption should be taken seriously. That should not be a spur of the moment decision. “Too affectionate”? I would love for Pookie to be too affectionate! She can be so hateful but I’d never part with her for that. I love her no matter what and there’s no way I’d do that to her. It has got to be stressful for the kitties that are returned, maybe most of them are better off not being with those families who adopted them and took them back. I wish all these kitties wonderful, loving forever homes. Great blog Savannah!
The “too affectionate” really floors us. Most beans love that in a kittie.
What a great blog Savannah! It’s not fair to the cats to get their homes up at having a forever home only to be dumped back in a shelter for sometimes the silliest reasons! “Too big??”……”Too playful?”…….ya gotta wonder sometimes.
Kitty hugs, Sammy
isn’t it just crazy Sammy! I have to find a way to help my furriends at Kitty Corner where I came from…they are all adult cats and some have special needs like Ms Chloe who has a condition called stomatitis which can be easily cared for, but poor baby only has her 4 canines left!
You’re a very good and kind kitty Savannah to care about the cats still waiting for their forever home back at Kitty Corner. Let’s hope they ALL find those homes real soon – especially Ms. Chloe!
Kitty Hugs, Sammy
thanks Sammy, I just have to figure out how I can help them out using my blog, Twitter and FB
You would think that peeps taking on a cat from a shelter would be ready for what they’re taking on rather than those who give in to an impulse buy from a pet shop? You’ll never understand peeps Savannah, cos we don’t understand ourselves. 😦
how trued, how true…sad, but true. I just want them to think of the cats before they drag us home and then return us…’course returning is better than them just dumping us in some other neighborhood…all so sad for the cats
I think lots of times, peeps just DON’T think. I don’t know why… they’re just peeps!
Nerissa from Nerissa’s Life
but don’t you think they could just think ahead…like ya want a Maine Coon cat type…those dudes are huge…so you get a Norwegian Forest cat from the shelter and return him for being too big!!! Oh Cat! He is SMALLER than a Maine Coon!! Slaps paw to forehead and shakes head in wonderment!!!
This is just so true. And as the Little Prince once said, you are forever responsible for what you tame. Not that there aren’t times when an adopted kitty must be returned. But think very hard about it before taking him or her, and before returning her or him.
Dad maybe all the peeps should read the Little Prince and treat all the animals they have like he does the red rose…just sayin…they out’ta understand the “forever responsible for what you tame…”
argh! It’s peeps like these that is the reason there are 13 cats here…at least these guys went back to a shelter and not dumped like our crew.
I know, I know..better to return..but sheesh! Cats think ahead…can’t people? And we luv ur 13 (: