Cat Adoption

[user1483981877]

Hi all,
we are in the process of trying to adopt a cat and I've had some difficulties in communication with the charity that we were trying to adopt through, either they are being really pushy or I hear nothing and it's putting me off them a bit to be honest and making me want to walk away. Am I being stupid though, as ultimately it is about the cat? I can understand that they are under quite a bit of pressure to rehome but I hadn't expected it to be quite like this. Any advice?

Is there a particular cat you like that you're trying to adopt?

If not, are there other local rescues you could try? I approached three and went with the one that was most helpful. They weren't pushy, just had a chat on the phone then did a home visit and suggested some cats that might be suitable. Never felt under any pressure.

Thanks for your reply. Yes there is a particular cat we like, but when I went to see her the foster home made a big deal of how much they loved her and wanted to keep her (they really went on and on...) and then when I asked to go back and see her they didn't reply to me. Then the placement officer now is being very pushy about doing a homevisit and 'getting it done' while to be honest I now feel like I am taking a cat away from people who don't want to let her go. It all feels a bit odd. I have arranged to go to see some different cats through a charity that so far feels far less complicated! Thank you for your advice!

Sounds odd; I'd look at other charities too.

user1483981877 Yes there is a particular cat we like, but when I went to see her the foster home made a big deal of how much they loved her and wanted to keep her (they really went on and on...) and then when I asked to go back and see her they didn't reply to me.

Then I'm sorry to say (speaking as an ex-cat-foster-carer) the fosterer probably does not think you are a good fit for the cat. Just because you want a specific animal does not mean you'll automatically get it.

For the charity I fostered for, fosterers had the ultimate last say, for whatever reason, including gut feel. Which is quite right - they know the animal and have lived with it.

Having declined 5+ applicants for one cat I was fostering, the home she eventually went to was perfect and I knew instantly that my choice to refuse others had been right. This was repeated on some scale with every cat I helped rehome.

There's no excuse for not replying though.

I think sometimes charities/fosterers find excuses for not rehoming cats. There's a cat on the website for the charity Harry came from who has been there 9 years. You're not telling me that there has been no one suitable to adopt him in that time?

Yes that is not great, but probably just a function of poorly run branch admin (although remember that they will probably all be volunteers with other lives too)

I can't say why for the 9 yo cat - perhaps he has special requirements or perhaps he is indeed just overlooked. People who have seen him there for ages might think there must be something wrong with him, for example (I don't know, just speculating).

My charity's local branch runs a "cat of the month" appeal in the local press and that regularly gets results for more tricky cats to home. Maybe you could suggest this to yours?

Is it a breed rescue? I know - from years of acquaintance - that some of the breed cats in rescues might be such that they could be unsuitable for an inexperienced adopter. They might have been recently bereaved, for example, or have special needs of various sorts (including behavioural issues.)

That said, there's no excuse for not responding. I know that many people dislike intensely any sort of 'confrontation' but still............

I can't say why for the 9 yo cat - perhaps he has special requirements or perhaps he is indeed just overlooked. People who have seen him there for ages might think there must be something wrong with him, for example (I don't know, just speculating).

I think a lot is to do with the rescue's attitude. DM enquired about the 9 year cat and they were funny with her about her age (she was 83 and deliberately didn't want a young cat) and wanted me to sign to say I would have the cat in the event of DM not being able to care for him. I wouldn't do that and they didn't seem interested any more and she ended up adopting from Battersea.

Could it be that the process can't go on until you have had the home visit and that everything is stalled waiting for that to be arranged? I foster cats, and prospective adopters can't go to meet the cat until after they have been approved on a home visit. That seems sensible to me since it isn't helpful to have people fall in love with cats that they are subsequently not allowed to adopt. I probably would not be keen to have multiple visits to see a cat if there was a chance that it would be a waste of time. I say this as someone who would not be approved for adoption by my own charity due to the busy road we live on.

I just find it odd now because I would completely accept if they don't think I am a 'good' fit for the cat, but now the placement person is being really pushy and telling me they want to get rid of the cat but I have still heard nothing from the fosterer's themselves so I am very confused. On the one hand they are telling me the cat is mine, on the other there is no contact. It just feels very confusing!

Why not just arrange the home visit? You definitely can't have the cat until you have the visit, they are encouraging you to get on with having it done, I'm not sure what the problem is. If, after you are approved, you decide you don't want the cat it will be easier to adopt another one because you will be already approved. The charity probably has a waiting list of cats needing rehoming, the sooner they clear a space with a fosterer the better from their point of view.