Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: indescribable
  • Music: Glee, "Rio/Hungry Like the Wolf."

Free Adoption Days: today and tomorrow.

Today and tomorrow, PetSmart is hosting their Free Adoption Days, on which pet adoption fees are waved for qualified applicants (ie, you have a pulse, a home, understand how not to starve an animal to death, and seem even halfway-corporeal, because we have way too many animals in need of homes). The PetSmart near me, in Concord, California, currently has some absolutely beautiful cats looking for their forever homes. One, Regent, is terrified enough to be hiding in his litter box. Another, Junebug, has already had her adoption fee reduced twice, but as an all-black cat, her odds aren't great.

Cats wind up in shelters for a lot of reasons, and very few of them are "because s/he was a bad cat." People lose their jobs, or move away and don't take their pets. Kids leave for college. People die. People lose the wherewithal to feed themselves, much less an extra, meowing mouth. And in all of these cases the cats, who have no idea what's going on, wind up suffering for it.

Amazing cats come from shelters. Adult cats who don't need to be trained; kittens who have all the world in front of them. Cats whose personalities are already plain when you meet them, making it so much easier to find the right cat for you. Cats who need you.

I've been very upfront about why none of my current cats are from shelters, and why my lifestyle and emotional needs are better met by reputable breeders. But if you don't fall into this category, and feel that there might be a cat-shaped hole in your life, go and take a look at your local shelter.

This post brought to you by the California Dammit Why Can't I Take Junebug Home Oh Yeah Alice Would Kill Her To Death Committee.
Tags: cats
  • Post a new comment

    Error

    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    switch
    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    Your IP address will be recorded 

    Help
  • 153 comments

melchar

June 10 2012, 01:26:15 UTC 5 years ago

All cats I've had have been shelter kitties. Most were emotionally or physically harmed before getting to the shelter. As an example, my current cat was obtained when she was [about] 4 months old. She was the kitten who walked up to me, out of the bunch in the cage, hooked her paws [claws onlt catching clothing] and demanded I take her home. 'Dusty' is a drab 4-color calico [grey, brown, orange - mixed to look like a dust-bunny - and a white underbelly].

She has been bulimic since I got her [gulping food and barfing, sometimes more than 4x a day]. After checking for allergies and intestinal problems, I found a vet who diagnosed her at age 6 - with food anxiety and recommended no-grain kibble be available at all time and to give her a teaspoon of food about 6x a day. This has reduced barfy-ness to doing so less than a dozen times a week.

Dusty is now 21 [and a half] years old. [Yes, I've cleaned up after her the entire time.] She's been a totally indoor kitty and I ascribe her longevity in large part to that. She is not a very friendly creature, but as best I can help, she is happy and healthy [barfy-ness notwithstanding]. I fear she is reaching the end of her life and I'll be looking for another cat soon[ish]. Life just requires there be at least one kitty in it.

melchar

June 10 2012, 01:31:23 UTC 5 years ago

*Thumps self on head vigorously*!!

Sorry - the above comment was made to -validate- NOT getting a shelter kitten. I've never had one that was not damaged in some way. More adult cats are likely to have been cared for by more responsible owners, but the kittens are more scarred by early events. So getting cats from responsible breeders will give you a better chance IMO of gettting a well-adjusted cat.

I think lots of prospective cat owners don't think ahead to the problems their shelter-kitties may have and do not give them the special care they may need because of this. That was kind of my point....

seanan_mcguire

June 10 2012, 18:17:20 UTC 5 years ago

Yeah; sometimes you just can't do shelter cats. I'm glad that you understand the reason both options need to exist.

melchar

June 11 2012, 05:00:27 UTC 5 years ago

I very much understand both options. I would like any kind of cat, but recognize that my own brand of OCD makes me a better fit with a special-needs kitty. I'm too darned stubborn to give up on them.