Just got back from Cats Protection re: adoption - am confused.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Ohhhhhhh look at all of them, thats as good as pics from Gillian 

[Dawn F]

so many grey cats!!!

[Bryony84]

You haven't seen a lot of cat until you've stood in Lesleys lounge with a packet of chicken!

That did make me laugh, next time you come round bring your camera - I can't feed them and photograph them at the same time, lol

I certainly will, we need some picture of a certain beautiful grey boy too! I have a pic of loads of them at food time from a while back on my mobile but the camera on it isn't great, I'll see what its like when I get home though.

Also.. awww, babies!

[LesleyW]

At the moment, this is the best I can do.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I think the main problem, unless you have some money is the cost of insuring muliple cats or the vet bills if you are not ensured.

Also as mentioned elswhere on Purrs today, the cost of feeding which mounts up per month, depending on what they decide they will eat.......monsters 

[LesleyW]

You haven't seen a lot of cat until you've stood in Lesleys lounge with a packet of chicken!

That did make me laugh, next time you come round bring your camera - I can't feed them and photograph them at the same time, lol

[Bryony84]

You haven't seen a lot of cat until you've stood in Lesleys lounge with a packet of chicken!

[shecat]

Honest 3 cats are fine, I have three and it works puurfectly. 

[Dawn F]

you just have to consider cost, if you can manage that there isn't a lot of difference - its only when you see them all together eating it looks like a lot of cat!

[Yvonne]

Helena, honestly, there will be little difference with two/three - you just take it in your stride

[tigerbaby]

 
Just running out of the house but to say that I will reply to all PMs properly (Lesley & Bryony - just got your now - thank you!)

Aww 3 cats! I would say yes but R might think that will be a bit much to take on.. we will see! Will get back to you all this PM.

[Dawn F]

I think helenas problem is that they won't let her have outdoor cats either because of the busy road!

just seen sharons note - surely you can squeeze in one extra helena!! 

[Hannikat]

I had this exact same problem I got around it because I never said indoor or outdoor and they never asked! the Homevisit lady commented how nice and big my garden was and I agreed. Didn't mention cats in it

[tigerbaby]

Hey guys,

I just briefly logged in and read all your replies 

Will go through your suggestions tomorrow and get back to you, and then I'm going away until Friday evening, so will have a think during this time.

I spoke to someone else earlier on who had exactly the same problem a while back and she ended up buying her pet from the Tree-site. I guess what angers us the most is knowing that we can offer a safe loving forever home, but that most rescues will not rehome to us anyway! Ie, if I mention Indoor cats they will say no, and if I say Outdoor cats they will say no too because of the road outside.

We will get there though, I am currently feeling awful stressing about it, and feeling a bit guilty towards Jameson because it is as if we are desperate for new cats. Which we are not. So I want to take a few days out and walk away from the situation, then come back and take things step by step. I just didn't realise it would be so hard to rehome indoor cats - I had truly expected rescues welcoming us with open arms.
Sigh.

Also thanks all for your PMs, I will get back to you too   

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

http://www.catchat.org/crawley/cgibin/prview.cgi?id=2008082901

Oh my if you are willing to take 3 this is the perfect match... All kittens... but indoor home at the moment .. very poor start in life... Rosemary is the homing officer for this CP branch and we network alot.. So i can put in good words.. Let me know what you think,,,, as they are extremely good in rehoming...They are of course Kent based

[Feline Costumier]

My Dave actually chooses to be more of an indoor cat, he's a big girly wuss who freaks out at the slightest strange noise when on the balcony so hasn't ventured into the garden for ages and even then has only done that twice, had to be rescued as he couldn't work out how to come back the way he went  He is perfectly happy, his lifestyle is his choice, not mine and I can't see how two kitties with each other for company and then you and Robin for entertainment would every be bored, unstimulated or unhappy. I think it would be a pretty magnificent life for two lucky furballs and if I was ever looking to rehome my maniac I know where my first stop would be currently.

[Mark]

I was just wondering if Sheppey still have a little of kittens.

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

I dont what area you are actually in Tigerbaby but i am willing to circulate a email to branches in our area who may have a pair of puss cats taht would suit the bill without the issue of indoor and outdoor and would be willing to at least  consider it..

Just send me a email of what you are looking for with details of how far you are willing to travel etc... and what kind of puss cats you are looking for..special needs, FIV or just plain in need of a home... If a branch responds and a HC can be organised with a local branch or whatever then we could get lucky..

No guarantees.. but it could be a start.

[Kirst]

I think Kirst was a satisfied customer and well out of our area 

Yup , travelled nearly three hours on a description only.............................well well worth it!! Sharon was brilliant , and I love my boys very very much.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I agree Mark and was gonna post that, and Ela seems to be very much clued up on their policy and if she will rehome cats as indoor cats, then reckon head office aint against it either.

I also think that the emotion of losing a best friend and needing someone to fill that hole, is more than enough to cope with and I have been there, so having to fight ludicrous petty burocracy which has no sense, is one step too many for some. That is heartbreaking.

[Mark]

I suppose one thing people can do is contact head office with their issues. Every SAFE home deserves a cat or 3  - I wonder what head office policy is?

[Kettle]

This thread has actually made me come out of years-long lurkdom.  I've been here on-and-off, unregistered and invisible, since a few months after the catchat forums went *vanish* that one time.  (Don't welcome me, anyone; you'll make me feel all awkward)

Tigerbaby, I'm on the opposite side of London to you, likewise near a very busy road. . . and I'm in exactly the same boat.   All the roads nearby are busy and want we want to adopt an indoor cat.  We're an adult-only home; someone is at here pretty much around-the-clock. . . and not one of the rescues I've spoken to will consider us.  I say "indoors?" and it's like I've suggested something unclean.

Anyway, I've called, emailed or visited rescues all around my area.  Some will consider us for FeLV/FIV/special needs cases, but nothing else. Goodness knows those kitties certainly deserve good homes, but I don't feel I can emotionally commit to a special needs case at this time.

At one point, after meeting a lovely, purring 2yr old tabby, I was told,  "You can't have her. There's nothing wrong with her! Keeping her inside would be perverted!"

I've lived in briefly in the US and seen that most cats can live a happy, stimulated life inside.  I'm not against outside cats. I just wish more rescues would consider indoor homes, too.  I'm here. There are cats needing homes.  My supplies are in and I've even knitted a cat bed.

And given it away, because I could find no one to use it. (It's gone to a good home though.)

I hope you have better luck soon, Tigerbaby.  Don't give up.  I'm certainly not going to... though as of last Friday, I'm putting our search on hold.  Hectic December will not be the best, calm and quiet time for us to welcome in a new family member after all --  and really, I need time to regroup my fairly crushed morale. 

There are still a few near-ish London rescues I haven't contacted yet. . . but now I'm out of Lurkdom, there may well be a January or February "indoor home; will travel" post appearing.

- - -
While I was writing this, a whole bunch of outraged post have appeared.  Which is nice. 
- - -

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

All this makes me so angry!

If they have so many cats they cant take others in and then will not home to a good home, what is the sense of any of this!  Next problem will be Christmas and they wont home just before Christams....Ok I can understand that but not in your case.

I am sure someone must have two kittens desperate for homes too but the prob of course will be the home check.....cos if they are only home checking for outdoors cats and you have this road, then you are bloomin caught again...................soooooooo stupid when so many cats and kittens need homes!

I cant remember exactly where you are but there are two other small rescues in Streatham, cant remember the names though.

I think to stop the pain, you should go onto the Cat Chat rescue map and pick all the rescues around you and email them, sayiing how you lost your beloved Jameson, and now you are desperate to fill the hole in your house by taking on two needy kittens as indoor now and outdoor later when you are able to move.

This will stop you dealing with them by phone and getting the same old banter and get them to say whthere they will home as indoor only.

What about Celia Hammond.......I know otherside of London but...................Also there is Battersea Dogs home.

[Liz]

Is there no rescue on here with 2 special little needy babes that could find there way to you

I'm sure that someone on here must have your ideal inmates - perhaps a journey may be necessary but I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem

Some CP branches have strange idea's, our local one here does thats why I am still doing work for my old branch 150 miles away!

[Cheesecat]

Im sorry but I think this is really really bad- on one hand we have cats DESPERATE for a home and someone to love them , on the other we have a loving owner and home available who are just dying to take in TWO cats.

And no-one seems to want to pair the two up??? Ludicrous!

This is exactly what I was thinking.... I can't believe you are having this trouble. Its sad to think that these branches are blinded by their own personal opinion and are turning away perfect homes purely for the reason that you want indoor kitties 

[Mark]

It is really annoying that some branches are so narrow minded in their approach - it gives us all a bad name. You aren't a million Miles from Canterbury - maybe Sharon could sort you out a brace of kits 

I think Kirst was a satisfied customer and well out of our area 

[Sabrina (Auferstehen)]

Oh I'm so sorry, we went through the same thing 3.5 years ago when we were looking for our first English cat (my American kitty Penguin wouldn't be shipped for a bit longer), the local Cats Protection wouldn't give me the time of day and didn't even mention, blind, deaf or disable cats - as I will not let my cats outside (Penguin and Little Girl both escaped when I lived in the US, Penguin came home after a week and little girl more than a month and I didn't sleep or eat the whole time).

I put a post on a board and about a day later a breeder contacted me about a 6 month old Burmese, we went and visited, fell in love and brought her home and that was that (she did have a pretty bad case of cat flu - but a trip to the vets cured that).

It wasn't until a few years later we discovered a local shelter (we got Smoke from there and were only told her name and age) but they have no policy for rehoming only you pick the animal and pay £50.

What i'm trying to say is don't give up hope, go on cat chat and have a look at all the rescues close and somewhere you'll find the perfect duo.

 

[Indys Mamma]

I really think that any home with constant loving attention, toys, scratching posts, company and love is better than in a pen/cage in a rescue where no matter how much the staff care they just cannot give as much one on one care as loving owners who work from home

[Kirst]

Im sorry but I think this is really really bad- on one hand we have cats DESPERATE for a home and someone to love them , on the other we have a loving owner and home available who are just dying to take in TWO cats.

And no-one seems to want to pair the two up??? Ludicrous!

[tigerbaby]

so have you been ruled out by everyone in your area because you are taking a sensible precaution against you cat getting killed??  how weird is that, when you could just walk into a pet shop

I know, I give up!

The irony is, I was told that because of the road we live on (busy) they wouldn't rehome to us anyway. So, we can't get an indoor cat from them, but we couldn't get an outdoor cat from them either!!

I remember one of the ladies at Croydon CP even told me to wait until we move somewhere better. Do they think I'm rushing out to buy the latest fashion accessory or something? It really feels as if we are looked upon as if we are doing something wrong.

[Dawn F]

so have you been ruled out by everyone in your area because you are taking a sensible precaution against you cat getting killed??  how weird is that, when you could just walk into a pet shop

[tigerbaby]

I just spoke to a woman from another rescue, she said as a general rule they don't rehome cats or kittens as indoors only. She also said that most rescues will give me the same answer - but that nothing stops us from buying cats from Friday Ad/internet. I said I would rather hand over my money to a charity! She said didn't encourage it as such, but that all cats in this world deserves a good home regardless where you get them from. Guess that makes sense, but I still would like to adopt from an actual rescue.

Don't get me wrong, she was very nice and we spoke for nearly half an hour. I tried to make a point that I also believe that cats should have free outdoor access in an ideal world, and said that in the future chances are that we will be able to let them out when we live somewhere else. But no luck!

So am not sure what to do now. Me and R will take a few days to think about what to do.  I don't feel like phoning around rescues to get the same answer, I know I've only spoken to 2 so far but  it has put me off already!

Thanks for all your replies.

[Cheesecat]

I agree that cats can be happy as indoor but cats + sun = 

Ours do that too! just on the carpet when the sun shines through the window. Cats in the sun are so funny 

[Dawn F]

so Ela out of interest if a person had had a cat killed or injured in the road you would allow an indoor only rehoming??

[Indys Mamma]

how can you not be devistated that you cat was injured not only once, but twice? at the same area too

poor baby

[Leanne]

This topic reminds me a bit of the lady who rang for a cat who lived near  a very busy road I asked it she wanted an indoor cat, and she said oh! no, when I suggested that she lived too close to the busy road for a indoor/outdoor cat she replied oh! its ok if the cat turns right outside the front gate it can go up the street and into the woods, it would only be in danger if it turned left. If you can suggest how to teach a cat right from left please let me know. Also  the phone call I received from a 'lady'  to see if I could help with the vets fees as her cat had been run over and broken a leg, I explained the position and knowing the area where she lived said 'I would advise you to keep your cat in we only home indoor cats in your area'. A few months later I received another phone call about the same thing and recognised the voice  and said 'I bet you will keep your cat in now'. she replied 'oh! it's alright it was the other leg this time'

Thats terribly sad poor kitty

[Ela]

This topic reminds me a bit of the lady who rang for a cat who lived near  a very busy road I asked it she wanted an indoor cat, and she said oh! no, when I suggested that she lived too close to the busy road for a indoor/outdoor cat she replied oh! its ok if the cat turns right outside the front gate it can go up the street and into the woods, it would only be in danger if it turned left. If you can suggest how to teach a cat right from left please let me know. Also  the phone call I received from a 'lady'  to see if I could help with the vets fees as her cat had been run over and broken a leg, I explained the position and knowing the area where she lived said 'I would advise you to keep your cat in we only home indoor cats in your area'. A few months later I received another phone call about the same thing and recognised the voice  and said 'I bet you will keep your cat in now'. she replied 'oh! it's alright it was the other leg this time'

[Ela]

Which is why its essential not to stretch the 'truth' and get something thats not suitable in the longterm!

I agree 100% the we should not stretch the truth when homing a cat, I think we need to tell it as it is warts and all, then we have a better chance of not needing to take the little ones back. I only wish many of the people who hand cats in to us did not stretch the truth.

[Mark]

It really is a balancing act. I don't know if you remember a while ago I was picking up a cat from a rural vet to take to a fosterer. While I was there, the practice manager said her friend was looking for a cat. The long and short is she lives in a village but on the main road going through it. She had lost her cat to the road and said she didn't want another wanderer. She was even prepared to return the cat if it showed signs of going round the front. It was a hard call but I agreed - we have that on our conscience if anything happens. As it was, the lady was very responsible and we really had no choice but to take a chance.

[Dawn F]

we were refused by a local rescue because of the next road along from ours being busy - I was livid at the time but guess where we found my poor Algies collar the day after he was killed - I know that rescues have a balancing act and I suppose because we sort of know Helena we feel a bit indignant on her behalf