Getting cats back from animal shelter

Princess_Jane

I came in from work a couple of hours ago and found out my SIL had taken two of her three cats to the animal shelter.

Her parents have moved to France and she doesn't work, so she has been going over there for a month here and there.


She leaves for France again in the morning and we had been looking after her pusses while she was away, but she didn't like them having an indoor littertray and wouldn't get a catflap.

I'm totally devastated and cried buckets when I found out what she'd done. If I'd known I would have asked round and tried to find them a home.

The shelter is full to bursting and I just keep thinking of the cats being all scared and confused.

Her third cat is only 12 weeks old and is coming to live with us tomm.

Do you think the shelter would give me her other two cats back? She didn't tell them the cats were hers, so I don't know what on earth I'm going to tell them.

I know they ask for a donation for adoptions, which I don't begrudge at all, but I have about £2 at the mo'.

SnowyOwl_2

You could go in and say that you want to adopt the two cats, but would prefer to wait for a couple of weeks before they actually moved in with you. That'd give you a chance to get some money together. Or preferably for you to get some money off your sister.

If you don't want to rehome them yourself then perhaps it'd be worth your while going to the shelter and finding out about their rehoming policy and also their destruction policy. If they are half way decent they will only find good homes and won't have healthy cats put to sleep. Also find out if they will rehome the two cats together or if they'd be separated.

It can be surprisingly difficult to find a home for cats - unless you know you've got somewhere for them to go then leaving them with the shelter might be the better option.

Poor kitties....but at least they are safe for now.

pboae

Are you planning to keep them yourself or find them a new home? If it's the latter, you may as well leave them where they are now. The rescue will be better placed to find them a good home than you are, and they've already gone through the upheaval of being moved there.

If you want to keep them yourself go to the rescue and explain the whole situation and see what they suggest. They will want the cats in a good stable home ASAP, and if you can provide that, they will most likely let you take them.

Be prepared for them to ask though how you will pay for food and vet fees if you can't afford the adoption fee.

Princess_Jane

I'd love to offer them a home, but I have two cats already and have just taken on another one of SIL, a little kitten.

I think five cats would be a bit much for one small house, especially as I am out pretty much all day.

The shelter doesn't open until 1pm, so I'll have a think and call them.

I'm so annoyed I'm tempting to tell them what SIL has done, but I was worried they'd involve the RSPCA, then it would be another one of her messes me and my OH are left sorting while she sunbathes in France.

pboae

She's dumped her unwanted pets on a rescue because they no longer fit in with her lifestyle. Sadly it happens everyday, and the RSPCA wouldn't be interested. If she had left them unattended in the house for a month, then they would get involved, but not for this. So if you think you can give the rescue more info, do. The more info they have about an animal the easier it is for them to rehome it, especially when they have been rehomed through no fault of their own.

Princess_Jane

I sit in on a lot of RSPCA court cases with work and I know people can do some terrible things to animals, which I will never understand as long as I live.

I'll ring the shelter tomm, and me and my partner are gonna call in there at the weekend with a big stack of cat food.

I feel it's the least I can do.