I told a LIE

[Luvchefmic]

RitaE I agree with all you just said , however, there was a card on the cage there was no guessing game re this cat Re-the poster that you were answering YES it's just that simple to avoid so much hassle in the long run

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I admit I have only read your first post.
If you call your vet and explain the situation, won't he "help" you out?
I'm sure mine would.

Can you say "unethical"? Not a vet I'd want to go to.

I would wait for a response and then say that you checked the wrong answer by mistake. And then you can say you misread the information on the cat and thought it said that she was good with dogs.

What?? So more lies are going to "fix" this? What a disservice and disrespect to the people who do animal rescue work - and the animals themselves.

And we wonder why it's so hard to adopt...

OP, this is not the right cat for your family. Bringing a cat like this into your home with two dogs when you KNOW the cat does not do well with dogs is really not a good decision. As others have said, find one who can truly become a part of your family. In the long run, it will be easier on your daughter.

 

[Sultana]

Of course really. The Foster group has an animal with a Special Need. All it takes is a little 3 x 5 card on the cage door that gives the message "I'm a great cat but I will hate your dog." Our Shelter actually has a laminated form that goes outside the cage with little checkboxes and anybody walking by can get the information from the first sighting. Animals name and likely age, and breed guess filled in at the top.

Then a series of checkboxes about any sort of known circumstances. Good with Kids, Good with other Animals etc etc. Single Pet Household only…

Then people don't have to play a guessing game and let their kids fall in love with a Cat that won't be coming home with them.

And then all those busy, busy, busy martyred Foster volunteers just saved themselves the time of making 3 Referral Phone Calls on an adoption that isn't going to happen. Which will give them MORE time to work with good possibilities.

Yes, our shelter also has those cards for each animal.
But they don't screen the potential foster families.
I guess they assume that people are smart enough to read the cards and figure it out for themselves if an animal would be suitable.
Unfortuantely, not too many people there says are "smart", lol!

 

[Poohbug]

OP-I appreciate you are willing to admit you made a mistake and are fixing it. I can't believe how many people are telling you to cover up a lie with another lie. We all make mistakes and you are setting a good example for your daughter.

This cat would not have been a good fit for you anyway. I know your daughter connected but the cat will not be happy. Even the sounds of barking can freak my cat out. You are getting the cat to provide emotional support but it won't be able to do that with dogs so close.

I agree with the previous poster about getting a cat with Maine Coon if you want a lap cat. My kitten is 1/4 Maine Coon and she lets my kids pick her up and cuddle her like a baby. Does not bother her at all.

Good luck on finding the perfect cat for your daughter.

 

[mom2rtk]

Look for a cat with some Maine Coon in it if you can . they are extremely friendly and real lap cats.

We have been told that one of our cats has some Maine Coon in it. He is absolutely the friendliest lap cat you will ever meet. I can be sitting at my desk with my knees up to my chest, and he will STILL worm his way onto my nonexistent lap!

OP, I can only assume you have learned your lesson and used it as a teaching moment with your daughter. Seriously though, there are SO many cats out there in need of a good home, many of which are capable of living happily with dogs. No need to push the envelope.

 

[mom2cinderella]

I'd try to find her a ragdoll cat if you can. I had a Birman that was sooooo loving.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This cat would not have been a good fit for you anyway. I know your daughter connected but the cat will not be happy. Even the sounds of barking can freak my cat out. You are getting the cat to provide emotional support but it won't be able to do that with dogs so close.

So true - if the cat has an aversion to dogs and hears dogs on the other side of the door, it will probably be in a constant state of anxiety and will not be the same type of relaxed, bonded cat the daughter experienced before. Also, the dogs may be more anxious as well if they hear a cat hissing and such. They will smell the cat and the stress hormones its giving off, which will wind them up causing them to whine, scratch at the doors, bark, pant, etc. Pretty exhausting to live with after about five minutes.

We rescued a cat and her kittens here from under our shed in the middle of winter and no matter how hard we tried, the cat would just not warm up to our dog. The dog was fine, it was the cat who was unhappy. Very unhappy. She was welcome to stay here but ultimately she was better off in a dog-free home, which she still enjoys today. My SIL was in the exact same situation this winter and had to make the decision to send the mama cat she rescued to a dog free home - and they are a huge cat family.

On the daughter side, we have been looking at rescue dogs for over a year now. There were some who might have worked out but for us looking at the bigger picture and knowing it would be a lot easier on everyone to find one who was a great fit rather than trying to force one who we knew probably wouldn't be but wanted to try anyway. It was hard watching the disappointment in everyone, like the time DS had tears rolling down his cheeks as we were leaving the shelter but there was NO WAY I could have adopted the dog we'd seen. (He was a two year old 114 lb German Shepherd who'd never been trained and was jumping on the guy from the shelter's shoulders who was staggering under his weight. With my German Shepherd unable to walk anymore and needing a lot of assistance, there was just no way I could do it. But DS really wanted him, etc.) In these difficult situations, adult heads - not hearts - have to prevail. Point being that now DS is completely enamored with the dog we chose and realizes he's a much better fit for our family than the other dogs we'd considered.

 

[OceanAnnie]

You did the wrong thing for the right reason. I'm sure it was very hard when you saw they had bonded and you probably felt desperate.

Don't beat yourself up about it. You admitted your mistake. It took a lot of guts admitting that mistake on this board!

You do want a cat or kitten that will do well with dogs. It would be a hard life for all involved (especially the cat and dogs) if you overlook it.

Your daughter will bond with another cat.

It will all work out.

 

[Lanshark]

I have three Maine Coons, a Great Pyr and a mutt. The cats are the most lovable I've ever had and rule the roost.

 

[NotUrsula]

Maine Coons are sometimes so loving that they can be pests. I've had them for years, and they simply do not know the meaning of boundaries when it comes to personal space, though I've not had too much of an issue training them to stay off food-prep areas. They also tend to be big on head-butting, so if you don't like a cat literally getting into your face, don't get a Maine Coon.. (Our current cat actually "hugs" people. He will stand on the bed on his hind legs and put both front paws around our necks so that he can head-butt us.)

One other thing about Maine Coons -- they usually have a very strong hunting instinct, and while this keeps them exercising, it also means that sometimes there will be blood if they get hold of a bird or squirrel or goldfish. If you are squeamish about the idea that your cat really wants to kill small things, a MC might not be for you. (Also, IME, no hamster, guinea pig or rabbit is safe; they will practically tear through walls to get to them.)

Personally, in the situation with the shelter, I'd just tell the truth, that you did it for emotional reasons in your concern for your daughter, and that you've come to the realization that it was definitely a misguided thing to do.

I agree with the other folks that asking your vet to guide you to a cat is a good idea. If he or she knows a shelter that they work with, he will be your reference for them, and the shelter will usually take that and ask no further questions. I don't really deal with large shelter operations anymore because they have gotten too dictatorial. While I always will honor the shelter's recommendations re: the animal's reaction to children or other animals, beyond that I will not allow them to attach strings to an adoption. Once I have paid the fee and taken the animal into my care, their involvement is over.

 

[Allison]

Of course really. The Foster group has an animal with a Special Need. All it takes is a little 3 x 5 card on the cage door that gives the message "I'm a great cat but I will hate your dog." Our Shelter actually has a laminated form that goes outside the cage with little checkboxes and anybody walking by can get the information from the first sighting. Animals name and likely age, and breed guess filled in at the top.

There was a card stating that very thing.

 

[Hannathy]

(Also, IME, no hamster, guinea pig or rabbit is safe; they will practically tear through walls to get to them.)

.

Our Maine Coon loved our guinea pig! they were buddies. In fact once when the cage fell off the stand and opened He came and woke us up to come downstairs because something was wrong. Never touched Moose, and could have since the cage was completely open. He is a good hunter, but seemed to feel the pig was not in this category.

 

[DMRick]

You did the wrong thing for the right reason. I'm sure it was very hard when you saw they had bonded and you probably felt desperate.

Don't beat yourself up about it. You admitted your mistake. It took a lot of guts admitting that mistake on this board!

You do want a cat or kitten that will do well with dogs. It would be a hard life for all involved (especially the cat and dogs) if you overlook it.

Your daughter will bond with another cat.

It will all work out.

Nicely written. They'll prob work with you to find you the perfect cat.

beyond that I will not allow them to attach strings to an adoption. Once I have paid the fee and taken the animal into my care, their involvement is over.

Then it's good you aren't dealing with the rescue groups that have 'strings'. Every rescue group in our area has the same rules. The kill shelters have different criteria, and I'll send people there if people don't like our rules..at least a cat that might be put down, will get a home. Ours are never put down. We are small but we do have a binding contract. It states 3 things: 1. the cat has been rescued from outside, you promise to keep it inside (there are cases where this does not have to be adhered to, but we talk to the people about it), 2. you promise to not get it declawed, 3. you promise to return the cat to us if you no longer want it. If it's within 30 days and there was a cost involved, we'll return that.

Every cat/kitten we've taken in has gotten a great home as far as we can tell, so it works for us.

 

[DMRick]

It's not easy being with a rescue group. We really don't mean to give you hurdles..we just want what is best for the cat and it's interesting what we sometimes find out when having these little 'chats'. We are skeptical..volunteer with us for awhile and you'll see why. I won't go into it here, but not everyone is a good home...that's why we have over a 100 people on our do not adopt list, shared by all the groups.

Plus you know those cats that pee in bad places, or the ones that need expensive surgery? The feluke or FIV positive ones? The ones found out in the snow with their ears and toes frozen off, the ones found with cigaretter burns on them? When we have room we take them in..a lot of our money goes towards surgery. We have about $225 in each "normal" kitten by the time it's ready to be adopted. The kittens are $80 and the cats are $50. That's a lot of fund raising and grant writing as well as begging. We work hard for these cats and we have to be careful. Some of them end up being perm fosters, because no one wants them.

So if people think we make you jump through hoops, please offer to volunteer with us and you'll soon see why. The reward? When that perfect home does come along, after we've set up cages, sat for 5 hours in Pet Smart and listened to a zillion stories about everyones cats, past cats, neighbors cats, their cats health problems (even the ones who died 10 years ago), all with a smile and interest, and then find out the person already has their limit of cats LOL.

Well said Rita.

Of course really. The Foster group has an animal with a Special Need. All it takes is a little 3 x 5 card on the cage door that gives the message "I'm a great cat but I will hate your dog." Our Shelter actually has a laminated form that goes outside the cage with little checkboxes and anybody walking by can get the information from the first sighting. Animals name and likely age, and breed guess filled in at the top.

Then a series of checkboxes about any sort of known circumstances. Good with Kids, Good with other Animals etc etc. Single Pet Household only…

Then people don't have to play a guessing game and let their kids fall in love with a Cat that won't be coming home with them.

And then all those busy, busy, busy martyred Foster volunteers just saved themselves the time of making 3 Referral Phone Calls on an adoption that isn't going to happen. Which will give them MORE time to work with good possibilities.

And the landlord call, when we find out cats aren't allowed!

 

[Hannathy]

I don't really deal with large shelter operations anymore because they have gotten too dictatorial. While I always will honor the shelter's recommendations re: the animal's reaction to children or other animals, beyond that I will not allow them to attach strings to an adoption. Once I have paid the fee and taken the animal into my care, their involvement is over.

I agree totally with you!! I will not have anything to do with our local humane society because of this and neither will a lot of people. Tons of letters to the editor. They are ridiculous, having you sign that you will feed a certain brand of food, yeah right! It's better to have those cats sit in cages for months rather than go to a loving home that heaven forbid doesn't feed the right food!! You can't get a dog if your yard isn't fenced in. Sorry have had dogs all my life and never had a fence, Yep better to put them down than have a home without a fence.
I love animals probably more than people most of the time but they are still my property and I'm not signing that I will only feed a certain food. They should check the vet references and even personal ones but what you feed it or if you have a fence is your business. And since they still have animals getting hurt by people who adopt them kinda proves all their hurdles don't work anyway doesn't it? You think someone who is low enough to hurt an innocent animal isn't going to lie and sign a paper they have no intention of keeping?
Luckily there are a few rescues who care more about the animals finding homes than their egos and power trips. We got our dog from a great one, no home visit, filled out the paper work, gave our vet reference and took her home as soon as she could leave her Mom , weighed a whopping 8 pounds and now weighs 87. All my cats have always been strays or rescues. But couldn't have got a single one from the local humane society.

 

[DMRick]

And since they still have animals getting hurt by people who adopt them kinda proves all their hurdles don't work anyway doesn't it?

I don't understand..your rescue groups send out their animals after trying to be so careful and the people who adopt them are hurting them? How would you know that..is that something that keeps happening in your area? If so, then the rescue volunteers need to be retrained. What a shame after what so many of these animals have already gone through (as I mentioned above, how some of them come to us) before they were rescued.

We send free food home with our adopted cats (thanks to pet smart), but after that, it's up to the new parents to pick their food. Our cats are not in cages, except at adoption clinics. They are in foster homes and most have the full run of those houses. Thats how all of the rescues are in my area. We also pull cats and kittens from the kill shelters (as do many of the local rescue groups) when they call us because they are often over crowded. The kill shelters in our area have a high adoption rate, thank God. Of course it's about to be harder, since kitten season is upon us, and even through we do almost 200 spay and neuters a week between us, we just can't convince everyone to get their cats fixed. Every cat and kitten we adopt out, as well as at our kill shelter has been neutered or spayed.

Sorry to hear your shelter is so bad..sounds sad in your area.