Friday, September 16, 2011

Pet Finder's Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable Pet Week, Sept 17-25th


As a former breeder, I thought about how I should talk about adopting 'less adoptable' cats, knowing that one of my greatest fears is that one of the kittens I bring into the world will somehow end up in a shelter, dumped there without me knowing; turned over with no history, no explanation of any behavior or health issues so that even if it does get adopted, the new owners may not take care of it either...

In fact, that happened to me once but luckily the story has a happy ending, but part of it was because I pursued finding this kitty...The original owner had two kitties from me, a mother and her daughter. The daughter kitty developed a urinary tract disease called FIC (Feline Interstitial Cystitis). The owner kept in touch with me and cared for her cats well, with help and advice from me.

Then she suffered a series of nervous breakdowns and was hospitalized on occasion and eventually moved in with her son and daughter-in-law. Through all of this, she had friends take care of her cats when she was unable to.

But on the last time she was hospitalized, her son took the kitty with FIC to the shelter and just dumped her. He didn't tell them of the FIC or give them any information as to how to get in touch with me (as I would have arranged for them to come home to me).

When she got out of the hospital, she was devastated and afraid to call me as she knew how much my cats meant to me. But after many months, she got up the nerve to contact me. She told me that they had adopted them out, but of course they couldn't tell her to whom.

I was sad though could not be angry, except with her family, but fortunately in the town she lives in there was just one shelter. But it had been over a year since she was relinquished to the shelter and I wasn't even sure if she had really been adopted or if that was some story her son made up to make her feel better.

I wrote to everyone on the shelters contact list...AND one of the veterinary assistants at the shelter hospital had adopted her and she called me! My heart rested easier! We talked and talked, and she is happy and healthy and her new owner now knows how to get in touch with me should they have problems! And the other kitty this woman had from me, passed away a few months later from congestive heart failure, and in a way I was relieved, as I didn't have to worry about her any longer. She didn't have a easy life either...

...And the next two kitties could have just as easily ended up in a shelter, too, as their owner was having their home foreclosed on and was having to find someplace to live. But she contacted me, saying she was needed to give up her cats to be able to afford to live and finding a place that accepted pets was difficult.

She flew Skiddy and Trevor back to me and they were both older with health issues and I thought I would have them for the rest of their lives, as I couldn't ask someone to take on caring for their heart and asthma issues.

But a woman contacted me a year or so after they came back home to me, and she was looking to adopt a Cornish Rex through rescue and I told her about them, not really thinking she'd want 2 old cats with major health problems...

But she came to meet them and me and decided to adopt Trevor, but I was reluctant to let Skiddy go as she was frail and I thought Trevor could still have some good years left...As it turned out, about 6 months after she adopted him, he was diagnosed with nasal carcinoma (he had lived most of his life in a home with heavy smokers!) and had to be euthanized before a year had passed.

Skiddy remained with me and lived out her days in comfort and ease (she was painfully shy, so she was my 'guest bedroom kitty' and she was happy and content there).


SKIDDY

TREVOR

Then everyone who has been following Curlz and Swirlz for a while knows of Nani...Nani of the Pink Kitty Wig fame and who will always be my 'Avatar'...



Nani has a rescue story of her own to tell, too. I did not bring her into this world but brought her into my home to be a future momcat. She was a very successful show cat but when she retired to become a mommy, we found out she had developed HCM, the inherited heart disease that took Pixie and Luxor and Kismet from us.

Her breeder did not accept responsibility for her, and so I spayed her and was fortunate to find a young man who was willing to adopt a second Cornish Rex and care for her health problems...but 12 years later I get a call from this man, now married to a woman with multiple dogs and cats and he said Nani was aggressive with the cats and he needed to give her up.

Again, I was glad he contacted me, instead of turning her into a shelter. I didn't bring her into this world, but I was there for her, this time paying for her flight home to me as he refused to accept that 'penance' for not giving her a furrever home.

When I got her back, she had multiple setbacks--she developed fatty liver disease and was difficult to treat due to her severe heart condition. But she pulled through that, and was happy taking 'Skiddy's' place as the guest bedroom cat, because yes, she would stalk and fight with my cats, too...but I wouldn't have given her up because of that!

As it turned out, a couple nearby that have a cat from me, had a friend who was looking to adopt a Cornish Rex, but because of her involvement with small dog rescue, she wanted one that no one else would adopt...

Oh my, could I let Nani go? Knowing her heart problem was so severe that she could succumb to it at any time. Could I feel ok about her living with kids and dogs and would she be happy?

But they lived close by, and they came to meet her and fell in love with her. I said ok, we'll give it a try, but that they would just be 'fostering' her and I would take care of her medical care. Nope, they wanted to take that on, too!!

They gave Nani a loving home for over a year, before her heart gave out, and they found her lifeless at the bottom of the stairs one morning. We all morn her loss, but we all feel glad that we 'made her acquaintance' and that she had a happy life in her 'golden years'...



Here's some links to posts about Nani, including her Memorial post:

http://furrydancecats.blogspot.com/2010/02/fenway-nanjizal-bay-of-furrydance-july.html

http://furrydancecats.blogspot.com/2010/02/help-nani-win-photo-contest-pleeze.html

http://furrydancecats.blogspot.com/2010/02/nanis-winner.html

So, there are my 'Rescue' stories on four kitties I accepted lifelong responsibility for. I kept my promise to be there for them their whole life. It is part of my contract that if for ANY reason, someone has to give up a Furrydance cat, that they contact me so I can bring her back to the home they were born in.

I think most people who have filled out my 4 page adoption application and waited many months for a kitten and I have gotten to know well BEFORE they get their cat, know how much my cats mean to me. But people change, lives change, divorce happens etc etc and oftentimes the pets come out on the losing end, too!

I have lost track of 2 cats due to divorce, and I still keep looking for them, googling names, searching facebook, calling the references they listed on their adoption applications...to no avail. But I will never stop thinking of them or checking on Petfinder and craigslist and stay active on all the Cornish Rex Yahoo groups just in case they show up there...but in 21 years of breeding cats, those have been the only 2...

I always get sad when I see Cornish Rex in rescue, because to me it often signifies that the breeder was not there for that cat, either because the person giving it up did not notify them, of they had no interest in taking the cat back, or did not keep in touch with the person they sold the cat. I have also been involved in rescuing 3 cats that I did not breed, because the breeders were not 'there' for their cat. And I was able to rehab and rehome all three and keep in touch with their families still!

Once I started looking around on Petfinder, looking for just one special needs kitty to talk about, one that kept being overlooked...it was pretty overwhelming how many kitties in need there are!

So, I narrowed my search to Cornish Rex, and while there were 8 Cornish Rex seeking homes, these two boys, Ringo Starr and Bravo Zulu , touched my heart with their story (10 years old and with dental issues and with a known history but with a breeder 'not there for them'...) and thought I would 'present' them here on my blog as so many of our followers are taken with this breed, and just because they are purebreds, doesn't make them any less needy of a furrever home.



If you think you might be interested in these Cornish Rex in need of a furrever home, here is the link to their Petfinder page:

CLICK HERE TO MEET Ringo and BZ!


16 comments:

  1. It always breaks our hearts when we think about just how many animals are in need in the world.We find it especailly sad when seniors are given up because they are that much more difficult to place and they need so much more love, attention and care than a young kitten does.Our two senior fosters are more work than the rest of the gang put together but we are so happy we can love them in their golden years.

    Good on you that you care without limit for all of the cats that have graced your life!

    the critters in The Cottage

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bless you, Teri. All of our kitties are "rejects" in one way or another, and despite some of their eccentricities we wouldn't trade 'em for the world.

    ReplyDelete
  3. all i can say is "I wish...I wish...I wish..." and that seems pretty pathetic. They are all so beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Being a less adoptable cat myself (because of my black furs) this post means a lot to me. Mom isn't a breeder but she has rescued so many from the neighborhood. Most have just stayed here with us, but mom does place kitties with friends and coworkers and she too always offers to take the kitties back if ever there is any issue. She feels a permanent bond with each and every one of them.

    Pee Ess...us black furred kitties are the BEST!

    xoxo Cory

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sad stories, but with good endings. We are so glad you that you made the decision to always be there fur your kittehz. They is lucky kittehz, fer sure. That being said, mommy is in dire need of sum Disco! Please post pics of His Royal Delishusnuss soon! hee-hee. Haf a pawsome day and great post!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Teri, I am so glad I found this post. I did one today too about the black cats. and intend to do one about adopting older cats. All the kitties and cats here were all feral cats, so they are pretty much unadoptable here where I live.
    You are such a good person to keep track of all the kittens that you have born there. I did the same thing you did, and went on Petfinder to find a cat to talk about, and there were so many, I couldn't decide. Loved hearing about the cats that you found. Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I also wish..very much for I love the Rex cats...Cornish and Devon. I am deeply saddened by some of their stories. They and any other cat does not deserve what too many of them have to deal with. Cats are innocent and yet they pay a terribe price for uncaring owners. It never fails to bring me to tears.

    ReplyDelete
  8. If anything happens to my human, I am supposed to go back to my breeder - the only problem is, my human has NOT put this in writing! She needs to do that, and please remind humans that when they make out wills and other documents like that, to remember to put something in there about their pets. Otherwise, who knows what uncaring relatives or worse, a lawyer might do?

    ReplyDelete
  9. You´re a lovely and carefull momm!!!!
    I wish that none of your babies are brought back for these situations.
    My Luan (British Shorthair) was a case of a purchaser who neglected to care for him, and the creator rescued and donated to me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. we are so glad you posted this - it shows just was responsible breeders should be doing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is a wonderful post. I am so glad that you are always there for your kitties. Both of my kitties are rejects because of their health problems. I really need to get on to Petfinders to do a post of my own. Thank you for the inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Fantastic post for Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week! Love it!

    So glad to have met you!

    Jaime
    ThoughtsFurPaws

    ReplyDelete
  13. Teri, you rock. You just rock.

    Gerry & Oliver

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm glad you chose to help those animals. And I thank you for treating those people with dignity and respect. Remember, we may not agree with what others do, but we do the animals no favors when we treat their humans shabbily.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh Teri. It just breaks my heart, but thank you for being there and being so dedicated to tracking down your 'babies'.
    This is a wonderful post.

    ReplyDelete
  16. You are such an amazing soul. I am so honored to know you. Thank god for people like you who understand that this love for our animals is a life-long love and responsibility. I appreciate what you do! OXO

    ReplyDelete

Thanks everso for stopping by. We love visitors!