 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / December 2004free kitten to good home
I have an 12-13 week old male kitten. I got him for my fiance for christmas but unfortunatley our daughter is allergic to this little guy. We are giving him away to anyone with an open heart and an open home. He is grey in color. He is very playful, in good health, and he is excellent with children of all ages. He will also be leaving with what ever food and litter is left. If you are interested please call me, Cindy, at (613)729-6684 Thank you. >I have an 12-13 week old male kitten. I got him for my fiance for > christmas but unfortunatley our daughter is allergic to this little [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > me, Cindy, at (613)729-6684 > Thank you. This won't help you find an adoptive home, but I do think some other people might learn from this experience. (1) Never give a pet as a gift to another person unless you are sure that is exactly what they want and can care for. Far too many pets are given as gifts, then given away and abandoned, either because the recipient really didn't want the animal or can't take care of them. (2) It is especially a bad idea to give an animal as a gift at Christmas or other holidays because there are too many activities. It is too easy to neglect the newcomer simply because "there is no time." (3) With children, it is important to have them play with the cat/kitten you are considering to make sure they will react well with each other and to weed out any potential problems (such as the allergies you mentioned). The age of the child is also important. Not all children can adapt well to pets -- they may love them, but be unable to handle them correctly. It would be perfectly normal for a cat or kitten to bite or scratch in self-defense if the child is too aggressive, and that can result in injuries to the child or tragedy for the cat (who will be incorrectly labeled as "mean"). One last note: You didn't mention the area where you live. It could be helpful to anyone interested to know where you are located (although you did give a phone number, and that helps). MaryL >One last note: You didn't mention the area where you live. It could be >helpful to anyone interested to know where you are located (although you did >give a phone number, and that helps). That is an Ottawa Ontario number. -mhd > I have an 12-13 week old male kitten. I got him for my fiance for > christmas but unfortunatley our daughter is allergic to this little [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > me, Cindy, at (613)729-6684 > Thank you. "free kitten to good home" ads attract psychos. Try to get as much information from the callers as possible, then tell them you'll call them back. See if they're listed. Phil >> I have an 12-13 week old male kitten. I got him for my fiance for >> christmas but unfortunatley our daughter is allergic to this little [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Phil We should alert this person that "free kittens" can often be used for bait, snake food and other nasty things. Never give a kitten or other animal to someone you do not check out thoroughly. >>> I have an 12-13 week old male kitten. I got him for my fiance for >>> christmas but unfortunatley our daughter is allergic to this little [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > bait, snake food and other nasty things. Never give a kitten or other > animal to someone you do not check out thoroughly. In fact, this is one reason why it is usually better to charge a reasonable fee -- not to "sell" the kitten but to cover basic costs already incurred, such as veterinary care. Someone who is willing to pay is unlikely to want the kitten for these nasty reasons. MaryL > >> I have an 12-13 week old male kitten. I got him for my fiance for > >> christmas but unfortunatley our daughter is allergic to this little [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > bait, snake food and other nasty things. Never give a kitten or other > animal to someone you do not check out thoroughly. Good point. >"free kitten to good home" ads attract psychos. Try to get as much >information from the callers as possible, then tell them you'll call them >back. See if they're listed. > >Phil I've found that a good barometer is to ask for the name of the vet they've used, and talk to them. YOu can tell a lot about what kind of pet owner they are that way. Thank God there's no HIPPA regulations "yet". Might not be practical in large cities or large vet practices, but around here it's worked pretty well, since all the vets know me via the Humane Society they're pretty willing to share info. Sherry > >"free kitten to good home" ads attract psychos. Try to get as much > >information from the callers as possible, then tell them you'll call them [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Sherry That's a good idea, but what happens if the caller says "this is my first cat, I don't have a vet yet. Can you recommend a good one"? What do you do? Private placements are more difficult than shelter placements because people accept and expect the shelter to ask a lot of questions and want to see some ID. I think most people would be reluctant to give personal information to someone giving away a kitten. The most nerve-racking part about this business is that you'll never really know how an adoptor will treat the cat. Home checks are very difficult to enforce. In the UK home checks are a legally enforceable condition of adoption. I really wish the US had similar legislation. I should be happy about adoptions - but instead that's when I really start to worry. Phil >That's a good idea, but what happens if the caller says "this is my first >cat, I don't have a vet yet. Can you recommend a good one"? What do you do? Gawd Phil, I don't know. I hate placing kittens. Let's see...what do I do...ask a few questions, then LET THEM TALK and don't interrupt. More people have hung themselves that way than I can even tell you. They get nervous, then start throwing in little anecdotes like... "We used to have a kitten, but our rottweiler killed it." STRIKE THREE YER OUT. If it were me, and the prospective was too hesitant to give me personal info., i.e. landlord's name & no., vet's name, SS#, I wouldn't adopt to them. But that's just me. And again, I hate placing kittens. I hate the second-guessing, the nightmare scenarios I always work up, the "what-ifs". Sherry sriddles@aol.comkitty (Sherry ) writes > I hate placing kittens. Let's see...what do I do...ask >a few questions, then LET THEM TALK and don't interrupt. More people have [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >info., >i.e. landlord's name & no., vet's name, SS#, I wouldn't adopt to them... I'd also ask why they are looking for a kitten, if they prepared for it...I'd ask a couple of "what would you do, if..." questions. If they want a kitten so their 2 year old can grow up with a pet (but have no clue how to kitten proof a home or that one can't let baby pinch kitty's tail), I'd either discourage the adoption or spend an hour counseling the family. > sriddles@aol.comkitty (Sherry ) > writes [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > the > adoption or spend an hour counseling the family. Excellent point! I adopted Amber (RB) from what I would consider to be an abusive situation, yet this couple talked about how much they "loved" her. They had a 13-month-old toddler who would grab poor Amber by the tail and pull her around the room, and the parents did nothing to stop it. Then they wondered why she spent so much of her time hiding under the bed. They had also had her declawed on *all 4 paws,* yet they were planning to put her outside if they could not find someone to adopt her because they were expecting another baby. They kept Amber's food and water bowls in the kitchen and had put up a baby gate to prevent the toddler from reaching the cat bowls. Now that they were expecting another baby, it was "awkward" for the mother to have to unfasten the cat gate every time she wanted to enter or exit the kitchen. So, poor Amber (without claws) was about to be placed outdoors. Luckily for me, the woman's cousin called me and asked if I would consider adoption. Well, once Amber settled in and got over her fears, she turned out to be a truly angelic little cat. She compensated pretty well for the lack of claws, but there was always a clear difference between her coordination and that of my other cats. She also developed arthritis and eventually would not use the litter box because of the pain (and I learned to simply accept that and clean as best I could -- it certainly was not her fault). I just don't understand people like that. :o( MaryL > > sriddles@aol.comkitty (Sherry ) > > writes [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > MaryL Now that's a case I would have ended up in court over - either as the plaintiff or more likely the *defendant*. That's two cats you saved from dreadful fates. Catdom is a better place thanks to you. Phil >> > sriddles@aol.comkitty (Sherry ) >> > writes [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] > > Phil Thanks, Phil. Each of my cats has in some way been "rescued" from an undesirable situation, and each one has proved to be a genuinely loving companion. MaryL carstan101@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER >"...I adopted Amber (RB) from what I would consider to be an >abusive situation, yet this couple talked about how much they "loved" her. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >outside if they could not find someone to adopt her because they were >expecting another baby. I only pray that fate comes to haunt this idiotic couple. > carstan101@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > I only pray that fate comes to haunt this idiotic couple. In fact, it did -- and in a very tragic way. The husband died (at age 39) less than 2 years later. MaryL > > carstan101@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER > > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > In fact, it did -- and in a very tragic way. The husband died (at age 39) > less than 2 years later. Clearly he displeased the Cat Goddess. >I'd also ask why they are looking for a kitten, if they prepared for it...I'd >ask a couple of "what would you do, if..." questions. If they want a kitten [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >the >adoption or spend an hour counseling the family. Absolutely right. You can't base too much on the adoption agreement questions. People "know" the "right" response. And people lie. And people are just plain ignorant and uneducated about pets/babies. They have this "Lassie & Timmy" mental picture and are just clueless. We had a lady ask for a CHOW puppy "to grow up with" her 6-month-old baby. Sheesh. And no baby/toddler *ever* gets a kitten from me. I've seen a *few* very young children who were extremely gentle with cats, but even then, I'd only place an adult cat. I've heard of too many kittens smooshed in the recliner, killed in the dryer, etc.etc. Sherry Sherry > And no baby/toddler *ever* gets a > kitten from me. I've seen a *few* very young children who were > extremely gentle with cats, but even then, I'd only place an adult > cat. My family had a puppy and a kitten when I was really little. I can't really remember the dog, who got hit by a car when she and I were still pretty young. But the cat grew up with me and lived to be 17, so she was with me the whole time I was growing up. She was wonderfully sweet and sensitive and was especially good with children -- she would tolerate things from babies and little kids that she would never tolerate from anyone else. Of course we did everything we could to protect her from indignities. I always thought that maybe she was good with kids because she was raised with a baby. --Catherine & Rosalie the calicohead >My family had a puppy and a kitten when I was really little. I can't really >remember the dog, who got hit by a car when she and I were still pretty [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >--Catherine >& Rosalie the calicohead I'm sure there are families like yours. But for every family like yours, there are ten who just stand there and gush when little Johnny comes in the cat room and picks up kittens by their heads. Baby kittens are too fragile for toddlers. Sherry > Absolutely right. You can't base too much on the adoption agreement > questions. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > etc.etc. > Sherry Our rescue stopped including "indoor-only" in the Petfinder write-ups because people were saying "Oh I see you want indoor-only" and we didn't know if they were sincere about it or not. You're right Sherry, the best thing to is let them talk! They will either hang themselves, or you'll start getting the warm fuzzies. Our adoption counselors are really good and can usually go by gut instinct on people. The "warm fuzzies" people will usually offer up anything you want, they will come in with their vet records, deed to the house, pics of past cats, etc. "Red flag" people freeze when you ask for a vet reference or landlord letter. > I've heard of too many kittens smooshed in the recliner, killed in the > dryer, > etc.etc. One of my foster litters was 3 adorable little girl kittens, and I remarked to the volunteer who brought them in how it was unusual that they were all girls. Then she told me that there was a fourth but he got smooshed in the recliner before she could get them out of that house. The volunteer found these losers from a "free kittens" ad. They had already given away one litter from another cat, and wanted to give away this momma cat because she was "mean"! She calls them and tries to get the kittens in before they are all given away and gets the mom and any other adults fixed.  Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG > You're right Sherry, the best > thing to is let them talk! They will either hang themselves, or > you'll start getting the warm fuzzies. There are still going to always be the bad placements, even after all of that. I hope that is rare. <sigh> I still wonder about a former foster cat of mine, Rudy. That was right around the time I kept Shamrock (who was a foster). Rudy was returned to me a month after he was adopted. He was a totally changed cat. Tortured by grandchildren. I was new at fostering, and the adoption coordinator came with me for the home visit. The woman passed, but we must have missed something in that visit. He's part of the reason I don't do it any more. A little fuzzy life depended on me. SignatureCheryl > >That's a good idea, but what happens if the caller says "this is my first > >cat, I don't have a vet yet. Can you recommend a good one"? What do you do? [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > rottweiler killed it." > STRIKE THREE YER OUT. Shuuuuush. That's the secret.... but I do it covertly. I "mingle" with the people looking at the cats and dogs and don't let them know I work there. Usually I start the conversation: "Is this your first cat (dog)?". One idiot told me "I have no luck with cats, the last one got hit by a car and two others just disappeared". Okey dokey. I start rubbing my neck until I make eye contact with whosever at the desk, then I give her the finger-across-the neck sign. Its true, if you let the people do the talking, you'll find out more information than if you asked a million questions. > If it were me, and the prospective was too hesitant to give me personal info., > i.e. landlord's name & no., vet's name, SS#, I wouldn't adopt to them. But > that's just me. ...and me. My cat... my rules. And again, I hate placing kittens. I hate the second-guessing, > the nightmare scenarios I always work up, the "what-ifs". > > Sherry I always second guess my approvals - can't help it - drives me nuts. I second guess my denials almost as much as approvals. Sometimes I feel I may have deprived a cat of a loving home - but if I approved the adoption, I'd worry I made the wrong call. Talk about Catch 22. Fortunately, I don't handle adoptions that much anymore - my placement rate was down to 10%... and falling. Reading posts like "my cat is bleeding all over the place and I'm getting sick of cleaning up the mess. What should I do I can't afford a vet?" doesn't help my faith in human nature. If I was younger, I'd go back in the Army and volunteer for combat -- its easier on the nerves.... Phil > Shuuuuush. That's the secret.... but I do it covertly. I "mingle" with > the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > make eye contact with whosever at the desk, then I give her the > finger-across-the neck sign. We have a new secret weapon at the shelter, one of our volunteer's daughters. She's about 14, and is good at talking to the public, especially the kids in a family cat shopping. Kids are honest. She knows what we are looking for in a potential home and will report back to the adoption counselors if she has any info. Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG >> Shuuuuush. That's the secret.... but I do it covertly. I >> "mingle" with the [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > potential home and will report back to the adoption counselors > if she has any info. Awesome!!! She's a keeper!! SignatureCheryl > > Shuuuuush. That's the secret.... but I do it covertly. I "mingle" with > > the [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > looking for in a potential home and will report back to the adoption > counselors if she has any info. That's great! Hey, whatever it takes. Sometimes it feels like we're in the industrial espionage business, doesn't it? Like we're trying to steal some secret information! LOL! Phil >That's great! Hey, whatever it takes. Sometimes it feels like we're in the >industrial espionage business, doesn't it? Like we're trying to steal some >secret information! LOL! > >Phil Ever stole a cat, Phil? Come on....be honest. :-) Never mind..I just bet you have. :-) Sherry > >That's great! Hey, whatever it takes. Sometimes it feels like we're in the > >industrial espionage business, doesn't it? Like we're trying to steal some [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Sherry That depends on what your definition of "stole".... I've never stolen a cat, but I have rescued a few.... Phil >> >"free kitten to good home" ads attract psychos. Try to get as much >> >information from the callers as possible, then tell them you'll call [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > Phil I used to do home visitations for the city animal shelter when I was on the board of directors for the Humane Society. Shelter staff would give me a list of names to visit, and I would make unannounced visits. We were instructed *not* to insist on seeing the cat if the owner put up any objections, but I usually did not have any problems. If we saw conditions that were unacceptable, someone from the shelter would make another visit accompanied by a sheriff's deputy. Again, the volunteers did not try to confiscate any animals. Everyone who adopts from the shelter is required to sign an agreement that permits this type of visitation. On the other hand, I am sure that there must be occasions when the homeowner refuses to permit anyone on the property -- and there probably are not many "teeth" in the agreement to require it. MaryL > >> >"free kitten to good home" ads attract psychos. Try to get as much > >> >information from the callers as possible, then tell them you'll call [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] > > MaryL The people who would voluntarily let you in usually wouldn't be the problem - its the ones that don't. Its difficult if not impossible to get a warrant without probable cause -- Most judges aren't big on hunches. The repossession clause is also difficult to enforce without a conviction on animal abuse. Phil >> >> >"free kitten to good home" ads attract psychos. Try to get as much >> >> >information from the callers as possible, then tell them you'll call [quoted text clipped - 75 lines] > > Phil That's true. I think we did some good because there were often people we could help with advice on how to better care for their cats, but I was never a first-hand observer of the really abusive situations. Most of them were reported by neighbors or passers-by, and then professional staff would become involved. As you said, it's difficult to obtain a conviction (and even harder to get a penalty with real "teeth" in it). MaryL > That's true. I think we did some good because there were often people we > could help with advice on how to better care for their cats, but I was never > a first-hand observer of the really abusive situations. Most of them were > reported by neighbors or passers-by, and then professional staff would > become involved. As you said, it's difficult to obtain a conviction (and > even harder to get a penalty with real "teeth" in it). You have a good point. Sometimes it looks like person is negligent or even abusive when really, they just don't know any better or they've never been taught. I sure learned that here. Also, I think a lot of vets don't want to spend the time educating their clients; with some, getting information out of them is like pulling teeth. I've met people who thought training a cat not to poop on the floor meant rubbing their cat's nose in the poop. They weren't doing it to mean - they honestly believed that's how you train a cat not to poop on the floor. OTOH, there are those who just don't care. I don't think there's a phrase I hate more than "its just a cat". That surely brings my Sicilian blood to a rapid boil. I've known some AC officers that would try to educate the 'offenders' rather than bring them to court or take the animal away. But they seem to be a dying breed and usually well seasoned. Its very difficult to support a family on an AC officer's salary. The young ones seem to be too gung ho - maybe the authority goes to their head. I'm afraid to involve AC because I never know which will show up. Phil >I've known some AC officers that would try to educate the 'offenders' rather >than bring them to court or take the animal away. But they seem to be a >dying breed and usually well seasoned. Its very difficult to support a >family on an AC officer's salary. The young ones seem to be too gung ho - >maybe the authority goes to their head. That's what we're seeing too. Also, municipalities are always tightening their budgets, and they always look to animal control. They won't spend the money for training seminars, etc. We paid to have two officers sent to a 3-day workshop about more humane euthanasia methods. I'll spare the details of what they were currently doing. We thought it was duty to our mission statement to spend the $$$$ on that. The City council just didn't care. Sherry |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.