Working at a pet store is going to be my demise

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Laura - 22 Nov 2003 07:52 GMT

Hi
I work at a large chain pet store and I swear it's going to be my
demise, partly my fault though. The store partners with local humane
societies and they bring in cats for adoption. Well I've fallen in love with
one and I feel so sorry for it I think I might be getting it. My mom still
has to get my step dad to agree though. She really wants the cat more than I
do. I mean the poor thing is around 6 months or less and it pretty much
blind due to an eye infection it had as a kitten and has to remain with it's
mother since she usually follows her around, plus apparently they are both
good with dogs. If I were to get the two of them it would bring the grand
total up to 6 cats, 5 birds, 4 guinea pigs, 3 fish tanks, 2 dogs and one
ticked of step dad. I'm not sure if we will get her though, I have to find
out how much one of the other kitties is gonna cost me though, she has a
complex and the test are gonna run around 400 just to find out how severe it
is, plus it's Christmas. But my mother is trying desperately to get the 2 of
them since she feels so sorry so I may end up with 2 more cats not sure. I
just can't help seeing all of the poor homeless kitties in the adoption
area, I'd have a few more birds too if I could but my mother thinks we have
enough. All I can say though is thank goodness I get a discount on pet
supplies.

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philo - 22 Nov 2003 14:35 GMT

> Hi
> I work at a large chain pet store and I swear it's going to be my
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> enough. All I can say though is thank goodness I get a discount on pet
> supplies.

that is too many animals for one house!!!!!!!

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Laura - 22 Nov 2003 17:01 GMT

how is that too many animals for one house, well it's not even really a
house it's a townhouse. i mean they are all cared for, loved and taken to
the vet regularily. I would never get an animal i couldn't think i could
handle. They are also all spayed and neutred so it's not like i'm going to
have a whole bunch of kittens next spring.

> > Hi
> > I work at a large chain pet store and I swear it's going to be my
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> that is too many animals for one house!!!!!!!

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philo - 23 Nov 2003 20:03 GMT

> how is that too many animals for one house,

i am going to take *your* original post and trim out a few sentances ...
all the words are your own...so *you* decide :

I swear it's going to be my

> > > demise,

My mom

> still
> > > has to get my step dad to agree though.

If I were to get the two of them it would bring the

> grand
> > > total up to 6 cats, 5 birds, 4 guinea pigs, 3 fish tanks, 2 dogs and one
> > > ticked of step dad.

the test are gonna run around 400 just to find out how

> severe
> > it
> > > is,

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Kalyahna - 24 Nov 2003 01:59 GMT

> I work at a large chain pet store and I swear it's going to be my
> demise, partly my fault though. The store partners with local humane
> societies and they bring in cats for adoption.

How do you think those of us who actually work at a humane society feel?

Well I've fallen in love with

> one and I feel so sorry for it I think I might be getting it.

You need to know your limits. I'm sure you love each and every animal living
in your home, but you need to give some thought to the future. You won't be
living at home forever, and then where do the animals go? Do some of them go
with you, or which ones stay with your mother and step-father? How many of
them could you realistically take with you and be able to afford proper
medical treatment and proper nutrition? Are there any apartments near you
that allow for unlimited animals? Please consider what'll happen to those
animals in four or five years before you take home more.

I'm not sure if we will get her though, I have to find

> out how much one of the other kitties is gonna cost me though, she has a
> complex and the test are gonna run around 400 just to find out how severe it
> is, plus it's Christmas.

Focus on the animals you have now. That's what we have to do every day at
the humane society. I fostered a cat for eight months, and took her back a
couple of days ago. Certainly, by now she thinks of me as her human, but I
can't adopt her without breaking my lease (I already have two cats). Of
course I feel guilty, because it's all new and scary for her again, but I'll
be happy when she finds the perfect home. You'll be sad when those two sweet
cats are adopted, but you'll be happy as well.

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Cheryl - 26 Nov 2003 00:57 GMT

>> I work at a large chain pet store and I swear it's going to
>> be my demise, partly my fault though. The store partners with
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> You need to know your limits.

I have to completely agree. I will never try to make someone guilty
for not adopting an animal if they have doubts. In my case, I took on
a third because she was a feral and no one else would take her. It
was May when she was trapped, the kitten season just starting. I
already had 2 cats drowning me in vet bills with multiple problems.
When I took her, I had no idea what to expect. But she's already been
to the vet for UTI and is losing fur now so its going to be another
trip. Just after one cat got a dental and the older, sicker one is
going downhill. Never underestimate your limits and expect anything
and everything. Be prepared to care for them fully.

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Kalyahna - 26 Nov 2003 03:02 GMT

> > Well I've fallen in love with
> >> one and I feel so sorry for it I think I might be getting it.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> going downhill. Never underestimate your limits and expect anything
> and everything. Be prepared to care for them fully.

Interestingly enough, I took my long term foster back to the HS on Saturday.
I'd had her repeatedly since she was surrendered in March, so she spent
perhaps three weeks total at the actual shelter, in a cage. She's
practically my baby. She responds to my voice, but she's totally enjoying
all the attention from the various people that go into her office (that's
right... after eight months, she got an office instead of a cage!). That's
just background. The point is that after my lunch on Saturday, I walked by
and saw people in there with her, doing a "look." The girl who was looking
at her thought that our Top Ten list (for longest in-shelter cats) was for
the ten closest to being euthanized. She was well-meaning, and I respect
that, but I still had to explain that that's not how our shelter works, that
if she really wants a cat, she needs to consider what SHE wants
personality-wise in a cat, and look for that. I take FOSTERS because I feel
bad for them and want to give them another chance, but even doing so, I'm
aware of the possibility that it won't work out, medically or even
behaviorally.

And for another note of good news, Malcolm was adopted! I had the
attention-mongering boy for four months, brought him back to the playroom,
and he found himself a home within a couple of weeks. My only complaint is
that I specifically wrote down that I wanted to be notified of a pending
adoption, and the adoption counsellor didn't even look at the booking...
which I find fascinating, considering everything in the computer notes is
supposed to be written in the booking before the animal goes home. So I'm
quite angry with her over it, but hopefully the other cat in the household
won't bully him (he's a total baby despite being a very sizeable -and
completely muscular- male).

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Cheryl - 26 Nov 2003 23:27 GMT

> And for another note of good news, Malcolm was adopted! I had the
> attention-mongering boy for four months, brought him back to the
> playroom, and he found himself a home within a couple of weeks.

That is fantastic! Congrats and I hope he lives a happy life in his
onetruehome. :)

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