Oh, Christine honey. Vent all you want to. That's the reason I had to quit
working the counter at the shelter. I had a hard time being polite. Or even
civil sometimes. The last straw was a woman who brought in a very small child
who was chasing the cats, picking them up by their heads & tails, etc. She'd
just stand there and smile. I took all I could before I stepped in and put a
stop to it, then I refused her a cat at all. She got really ugly about it.
Sigh. You're right. There are plenty of people out there who should not have a
cat at all.
Sherry

I'm guessing it was really more in her attitude than in her particular
comments.  Because a lot of cats could meet her "requirements"

Cats without behavior problems can usually be left eleven hours a day, many
cats aren't black, and there is nothing wrong with wanting a younger cat.
When you get a pet, you are making a huge long term commitment and there is
really nothing wrong with trying for a good match at the beginning.

So remember that while all of those cats desperately need loving homes, not
all will find perfect homes.  And that even someone who really gets your
back up might well be a loving owner once they make that commitment.

I'll give you an example.  I'm a good and loving pet owner.  But blue eyed
dogs give me the willies.  I won't touch one and I would never have one as a
pet.  Now I know perfectly well that is not a totally rational position, but
it does not make me a bad person or a bad pet owner.  And it would be really
unfair to the dog for me to get a blue eyed dog anyway given how I feel.

Jo

You're right.  There are definitely some people who should not have
pets.  Unfortunately for the pets, a lot of them don't know it.

--
Joy

"You can never do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it
will be too late." _Ralph Waldo Emerson

The thing that bugs me is that people like this *do* get pets.   The
shelters are overcrowded, so a person like this who doesn't come in
with animal blood all over her can easily leave with a kitty or dog.:P

Theresa
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com
alt.tv.frasier FAQ: http://www.im-listening.net/FAQ/

All I can say, Christine, is that at the shelter I got Marble from (PACT), the
woman you describe would *not* have been allowed to have an animal. Period.
Anyone who wants an animal from PACT, as well as having to demonstrate a
positive understanding of what a particular animal needs, has to have a home
visit to check thier accommodation over to make sure it's suitable. These
things combined are what PACT uses to base its decision on as to whether
someone can *adopt* an animal from PACT. No-one has the right to have an animal
- the welfare of the animal *must* come first.

Cheers, helen s

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i hope you told a staff member of her attitude.

Sadly, people like that are not uncommon. :-(