Grrrr! Cat rescues!

Iain_L

theoretica wrote: »

I am trying to work out when it would be kind to adopt a cat. How long would you experts advise I leave between adopting and going away for the weekend or longer?

Hi theoretica, not an expert, but to me this is pretty much a "How long is a piece of string?" question. It would depend upon the cat that you adopt and also the arrangements that you put in place for their care while you are away.

Can't really give an idea, but whoever you are looking to adopt from should be able to advise if they know more about the cat.

Iain

Iain_L

ANGLICANPAT wrote: »

Imagine if YOUR cat was a house cat, or only used to a very rural setting . Out of interest , how many people would rehome their cat to a home alongside a busy main road and not leave their friend there with a heavy heart ? Be honest now.
No saying - well yes I would,

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except not THIS one as she has no road sense;)

Shelters have in most cases no idea what environment their cats are used to before being taken in .Could be timid house cats streetwise moggies, or countryside cats. They rescue, comfort, nurse, often hand feed, build confidence, and care deeply for them , sometimes for many months or years. Im not surprised they turn down homes beside major roads , especially when previous pets have died on them.

That was a serious question , I really am curious to know how many of us would home their own much loved cat to alongside a main road providing the new (unknown to you) owners were nice, seemed kind and promised only to let the cat out the back door?

I'll answer your question ANGLICANPAT; I wouldn't dream of homing any of my own animals to a place next door to a main road if I could possibly help it.

We moved house from next to a rural B-road after having a cat hit and killed on the road (this was 6 months after losing a dog on a road as well, which is guilt I'll carry with me for a very long time). Our animals all now live in a rural idyll , with plenty of land to roam about on, and the cats would have no road sense at all, but are used to going out at will.

You should just see the state of MILs wallpaper if we ever have to drop the cats off with her when we go away :rotfl:The cats go stir crazy if they can't get out.

I know that when our CP branch look at rehoming we have to sometimes accept the risk factor, but you do your best to match the cat up to the environment. Even then, there is always the nagging "I hope X (insert name of cat) will be ok there" thought going through your mind, particularly if you have spent a lot of time with the cat in question.

Iain

lucyAM

I had such an issue trying to rehome a cat last year. Nowhere would consider us as I have a 3 year old child and I wasn't home 24/7.
They didn't care that I've had cats all my life, and my daughter has grown up with them, and honestly, what has me being out for a couple of hours a day got to do with my adequacy to look after a cat?
I gave up in the end and never got a cat - as I didn't want to buy a kitten.
The shelters are over-run and yet it's so difficult to access them!

Being by a main road doesn't necessary mean anything with cats. I lost a cat 3 years ago after he was run over - and we lived in the middle of nowhere by a road that wasn't busy at all.