Had to give my cat to the shelter today, hoping it was the right thing to do.

[momrek06]

we had the exact situation ...... she was peeing all over the place... we had to put new carpet down.... then we did it again... after that, We reallyyyyyy thought about the options. I DIDN'T want someone to abuse her once they realized she was peeing, so with that in mind hubby took her to the woods and was painlessly put down. I loved that cat and had her for years. She just wouldn't stay in the box. and she was ruining not only the carpet but the floor under it, and we had spent so much money. We had too...

Oh my................

 

[tasha99]

Faster? How would you rather die? Out in the woods at the business end of a shotgun from the person you love, or in a quiet vet's office where you just drift off to sleep with your person holding you and petting your head? What if the first shot didn't kill? Sorry, I just can't wrap my mind around this backwoods thinking.. I also wonder what kind of person could carry out this act of violence on a pet they loved? I mean, the cat wasn't terminal, it had problems the PP didn't want to deal with.

To be honest, I think most pets would rather be out in the woods than at the vet's. The vet is a comfortable place for a pet owner, but my pets have always hated it. I think close range would ensure a good aim. I'm not saying I could do it, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that it's okay to have a vet give a shot, but not okay to "do it yourself" with love. Didn't they shoot Old Yeller? I think it's just citified thinking and hypocritical to think that just because someone takes care of it themselves, they don't care about their pet. Kind of like the people who will eat meat that was grown in cruelty because they close their eyes to our nation's farming practices, but criticize hunters.
(*edit, I'm also assuming there is a painful health problem here that can't be fixed, and not just ruined carpets. If it's just the furniture, I think the answer is to have the cat live outside and provide her with outside shelter.)

 

[RainbowBrite]

well LOL at my post getting so much attention....but I knew that when I posted, some would go overboard, just the nature of the (dis) beast lol but GAWD people though...

You are laughing out loud that people are upset that your husband killed your cat?

 

[Jennasis]

I don't have time to read further, but I get it. Some people here are criticizing you for having the nerve to do yourself what they would have paid a vet to do. Shotgun to the head or euthanasia at the vet's--same result, but actually getting shot would be faster.

I had to have a cat put to sleep for similar reasons years ago (pooping everywhere and the vet said there was nothing that could be done about it.) It was horrific, but my cat was in a lot of pain, and the cruelest thing to do would have been to "just put her outside" as someone else here suggested.

This was NOT a sick cat she had put down. This was a cat who was inconveniencing her/costing her money by peeing on her floor.

FWIW I would be outraged over someone having their pet euthanized at the vet's office as well if their reasoning was "he peed on my floor."

My MIL had a friend who wanted to put her cats down because they were marking the house. She said she'd rather they be dead than possibly seperated, which would possibly have happened if she rehomed them or gave them to the humane society. Both DH, MIL and I were horrified, and MIL no longer associates with that idiot.

 

[shortbun]

You know what's going to happen to an 8 year old cat at the shelter right?

My sister had her cat put to sleep because of the same horrible problem that she tried valiantly to tolerate. She didn't want her cat to go through the shelter stuff and then the euthanizing. I have to hand it to her, she was brave and it broke her heart but she had replaced all the carpet in her home, then she had people with power washers come in and spray and scrub her basement then paint with odor neutralizing paint. She put aluminum foil over every spot her cat peed and kept him in a fenced area when she was gone. He just got worse and worse. I think sometimes there is no solution.

 

[christiane]

OP, It sounds like it was a very difficult decision for you and I don't think anyone should fault you for relinquishing her.

However, I do hope you made it very clear to the shelter employees as to why you are relinquishing her. It sounds like this behaviour has occurred in more than one home & is likely to recur in a new home if adopted.

If the shelter is aware of the problem, they can seek veterinary advice on how to help her. They can also give full disclosure to any potential adopters.

If the shelter is not aware & she is adopted out & starts peeing around someone's house, they may become angry with her & she may become abused. Unfortunately this happens.

So if you haven't let them know, please do.

 

[luvwinnie]

not true the ASPCA will help in cases where there is no money.

Of course! oh, why did I open this thread??? I feel ill.

 

[luvsJack]

If you don't have enough money that you can barely feed your children why do you have a dog in the 1st place? Can't afford the vet bill? Don't own a pet.

In this situation they could have called animal control who would have taken custody of the dog and put it down humanly. Any shelter would have taken the dog and put it down, likely free of charge, since it was not adoptable.

There were many other options than shooting it.

Hey, I didn't own the dog; I didn't give them advice to shoot the dog; didn't even know about it until it was done. They thought that their only option was to either take the dog to the vet and pay the bill or to shoot him. They didn't have the money to pay the bill. It wasn't that way the whole time they owned the dog but their situation changed (as many of our situations have done in the past couple of years.). They loved their dog and wanted to keep him until the situation became that it was not safe to keep him.

Animal control was not an option as we do not live in the city limits.

Again, its not a choice I would make.

But, otoh, I don't think the person that makes that choice is the monster you all are making them out to be.

 

[Mish19]

well LOL at my post getting so much attention....but I knew that when I posted, some would go overboard, just the nature of the (dis) beast lol but GAWD people though...

LOL?! Yeah, we're the sensitive, overboard sort... Who do you think it was painless for? What a frightening thing it must've been for the cat. Unbelieveable, I know how hard it was to put down my 7 month old kitten with FIP, I just can't wrap my head around this. I'm going to back away as well.

 

[Cinderella94]

You are correct. ginna's posts on other threads lead me to elieve that "shock value" amd "attention" are two big "buzzwords" to her.

No surprise.

 

[Mish19]

Thanks to everyone who has offered support. I appreciate it.

I hope it is a matter of she wants to be the one and only pet, and that the shelter figures this out and can place her with a loving pet-less family.

I'm praying for the best and that someone will be able to love her even though she's a little off.

The shelter probably has animal behaviorists and it is a very good chance they will be able to help your cat.

 

[hornedfrog]

To be honest, I think most pets would rather be out in the woods than at the vet's. The vet is a comfortable place for a pet owner, but my pets have always hated it. I think close range would ensure a good aim. I'm not saying I could do it, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that it's okay to have a vet give a shot, but not okay to "do it yourself" with love. Didn't they shoot Old Yeller? I think it's just citified thinking and hypocritical to think that just because someone takes care of it themselves, they don't care about their pet. Kind of like the people who will eat meat that was grown in cruelty because they close their eyes to our nation's farming practices, but criticize hunters.
(*edit, I'm also assuming there is a painful health problem here that can't be fixed, and not just ruined carpets. If it's just the furniture, I think the answer is to have the cat live outside and provide her with outside shelter.)

As an animal lover, foster home for the local Humane Society, a vegetarian (b/c of humane issues), etc...I agree with you entirely. It is an ugly side of life...handling semi-domesticated animals that no one wants. Just because a human thinks a type of euthenasia is more "humane" (ironic word, no?) than another way...does NOT make it so.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Some cats are just like that. We have one who has been in our permanant shelter and up for adoption for years. Every home she's been in, including fosters, she pees where she'd like. There's nothing wrong with her and the rescue group has tried behavioral methods.

This cat just likes to pee where she feels like peeing.

I'm sure that just about any cat rescue group that's no-kill will have a similar cat on the premises who is up for adoption. For everyone who wouldn't dream of giving up a cat due to pee issues - give the cat rescue groups a call. They'd love to hear from you!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

OP: I am so sorry. I completely understand where you are coming from. I have a new kitten with litterbox issues. Thankfully switching to a clumping litter and using some attracter stuff the vet gave me seems to be working, otherwise I would be at a loss.

FWIW, it's not a lost cause that she will be adopted. Our beloved Kiki was adopted when she was 8. Her owners had given her to our vet to adopt out because they were moving and couldn't take her with them. The fact that she was 8 never even factored into our decision to adopt her. Hopefully somewhere out there is somebody who feels the same way and will adopt your baby.

 

[ginna74]

WOW, I am still the topic here??? I make one post here and am attacked by many MANY .. and I am the one at fault here. Welll I am sorry I didn't bow into the attack thing, I admit I should have left this thread when it became deaply personal. but How dare you say that I am evil and such and NOT expect me to respond and if I respond then I must be an attention getter. Give me a break. I do wish I would have kept it to myself now, I didn't know how bad the bullies would be.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

As an animal lover, foster home for the local Humane Society, a vegetarian (b/c of humane issues), etc...I agree with you entirely. It is an ugly side of life...handling semi-domesticated animals that no one wants. Just because a human thinks a type of euthenasia is more "humane" (ironic word, no?) than another way...does NOT make it so.

I disagree with you. When I took my dogs in to have them put down, there was some anxiety on their part, but the vet was quick with injections and it was very peaceful. A bullet to the head out in the woods is violent. The cat that was killed in the woods wasn't a terminal case anyway, just a bad situation for the PP. So doing this with love and affection doesn't fly with me.