screening adoptees....

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hondaruehs@aol.com - 19 Feb 2006 04:09 GMT

Hi Kitty Group,

I just got a call for a pair of kittens that are ready to adopt out in
the PHX AZ area. I was not "wow-ed" by the caller, she said she may
possibly be declawing them in the future if they claw the furniture and
if they attack her future baby... Strike 1.... I suggested she read up
on how inhimane it acutally is at "Max's house web site" and she
brushed right past it without asking anything about how to find the
stie.... Strike 2..... I asked if they are indoor only cats and she
said after they move from their apt and the cats are settled in they
will most likely be in/out doot cats... Strike 3..... I asked if they
had other pets and they had many pets (at parents house) in the past
including chickens!! but no pets now.

What questions should one ask to quickly get to the root of if they
will make a *very* good home and not just a good/fair home. All my cats
are family members, fixed, shots, and many are "brought back" from semi
ferrile by my spending endless hours with them. I am in no rush to get
them out but would like to reach good potential homes without taking
away from local shelters and groups. The more I can get into homes the
more I can help.

Any/all suggestions welcome please...

Thanks, Karl.
hondaruehs

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hondaruehs@aol.com - 19 Feb 2006 04:14 GMT

If one would rather respond in private my email is:

hondaruehs@cox.net

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D. - 19 Feb 2006 04:35 GMT

> I was not "wow-ed" by the caller, she said she may
> possibly be declawing them in the future if they claw the furniture and
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> said after they move from their apt and the cats are settled in they
> will most likely be in/out doot cats.

To me, the combination of 1 and 2 equal strike 3 and then some. They
cannot be declawed combined with being allowed outdoors. I hope there's
a better home out there for your guys.

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jmc - 19 Feb 2006 08:56 GMT

Suddenly, without warning, D. exclaimed (19-Feb-06 4:35 AM):

>> I was not "wow-ed" by the caller, she said she may
>> possibly be declawing them in the future if they claw the furniture and
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> cannot be declawed combined with being allowed outdoors. I hope there's
> a better home out there for your guys.

Agreed. Strike 1 would have been enough for me, especially when she
basically blew off the chance to be educated. She's going to get them
declawed no matter what anybody says. Unless she calls back on her own
after visiting Max's site, realizing the error of her ways.

By now she's probably figured out what you *want* to hear; if she does
call, you'll have to be sure she's actually been to the site...

jmc

If it was me, I'd say no, and find a better home.

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-L. - 19 Feb 2006 09:05 GMT

> Hi Kitty Group,
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> What questions should one ask to quickly get to the root of if they
> will make a *very* good home and not just a good/fair home.

You can't. You let them talk and you let them hang themselves. You
ask leading questions and the good homes will volunteer good answers.
You call their vet references, and any other refs you can get your
hands on. You visit their homes. It takes time and patience to find a
good home, but when you do it right, it is a "forever" home.

-L.

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Wendy - 19 Feb 2006 12:45 GMT

> Hi Kitty Group,
>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> Thanks, Karl.
> hondaruehs

You need to find out what happened to all the pets the parents had. Did they
get rid of some because they were inconvenient? Did they have pets who got
hit by cars? What kind of vet care did the parents provide for the animals?
Granted these people weren't (apparently) the ones making the decisions
about how the animals were cared for but it does give you insight into the
standards they were raised with. Unless you hear them indicate they thought
the parents were dead wrong in how they took care of the pets you can pretty
much figure that the standards of these people won't be that different.

Just from what you said already I'd be very wary of giving them anything
more than a stuffed cat. These are the type of people who get rid of the
animals rather than taking the time to address an issue.

W

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PawsForThought - 19 Feb 2006 15:42 GMT

> I was not "wow-ed" by the caller, she said she may
> possibly be declawing them in the future if they claw the furniture and
> if they attack her future baby...

I would absolutely NEVER EVER adopt out to these idiots! If you do,
you're just asking for these kittens to be mutilated :(

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Phil P. - 21 Feb 2006 19:14 GMT

> What questions should one ask to quickly get to the root of if they
> will make a *very* good home and not just a good/fair home.

I don't know how long you've been in sheltering, but after awhile you
develop a 6th sense about adoptives and learn to trust your instincts. If
you
have the slightest doubt, its probably right.

You can't base a decision based on questions and answers only because most
DNAs will tell you exactly what you want to hear. Ask them about their
present and past pets in a casual manner- not like you're questioning them.
Most DNAs will disqualify themselves if you let them talk long enough.

One last suggestion, don't ever give a person a reason for why you won't
place an animal with them because you'll only be teaching them how to get
around the next interviewer.

Placing an animal is most difficult aspect of sheltering. You will always
second guess every placement you make and many of the denials.

Good luck.

Phil

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