Some adoption places are crazy!
- Thread starter wrs
- Start date
Naughtygirlrlw
Life, Love & Everything in Between
I am from the U.S. and we too had to go through the whole procedure when we adopted our puppy Isis from the shelter. We had to fill out the papers, give them a list of at least 3 people for references, then go home and wait 24 hours while they checked everything out. I agree that it is really frustrating but you have to think that they only have the animals best interest at heart. I can't even imagine some of the stuff they see and the cases they get in and they just want to make sure that the animal is going to a home that works for both you and the pet.
mm_simb
Fish Addict
Well I'm from the US also and I agree with the home visits. They did that when I adopted Sky. They let me adopt her even if Simba did attack the lady's feet 
. As long as your current cat is well cared for, has all the vaccines, you have a regular vet to go to, and that your home is kitty proofed I think you'll be fine. They just want to be sure that this is going to be a forever home.
I wish they would do that in all the places.
. As long as your current cat is well cared for, has all the vaccines, you have a regular vet to go to, and that your home is kitty proofed I think you'll be fine. They just want to be sure that this is going to be a forever home.I wish they would do that in all the places.
Elisabeth83
Fish Herder
wrs said:
Nope I'm from Michigan...just been living in Sweden for a little over 2 years
pica_nuttalli
don't be a twit
frankly, i wouldn't mind it if "home visits" did become the standard over here. its a big step in the right direction and i think it would help cut down on animal hoarders, help catch/stop abusive owners, and encourage spaying/neutering. heck, i'm in favor of anything that will cut down the stray animal problem by even 1%.
but i think wrs' response to this situation clearly illustrates why "home visits" are not going to become standard for the US anytime soon. instead of being seen as a safeguard for the animal, the visit is perceived as an invasion of privacy and evidence of a lack of trust. for better or worse, we Americans have taken to heart that "a man's home is his castle" and i don't see us giving up on that ideal.
PS--Elizabeth, my respect for your command of the English language has just gone up a few notches. You write so clearly for an American!
but i think wrs' response to this situation clearly illustrates why "home visits" are not going to become standard for the US anytime soon. instead of being seen as a safeguard for the animal, the visit is perceived as an invasion of privacy and evidence of a lack of trust. for better or worse, we Americans have taken to heart that "a man's home is his castle" and i don't see us giving up on that ideal.
PS--Elizabeth, my respect for your command of the English language has just gone up a few notches. You write so clearly for an American!
Angel Lady
Pet of the Month Leader
I am from the US also and I wish they had rules like that here. Wrs I hope you get your kitty because I know you want one so bad. But here where I live people are mean to animals. They tie them up to trees and not even give them enough rope to have thier babies. Someone really done that to a horse here. All you see is animals standing beside the roads with no meat what so ever on thier bones wanting some food. This is why I have so many animals for. I have close to thirty cats. I am trying to rehome some of them. But people dont care here at all for animals...So I wish you luck with getting your new kitty. But it is sad about animals here in this state... 
SRC
Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants won'
Personally I don't think it's a bad thing to do a home inspection and take an application, but I also don't think it's altogether right either.
You have some people who are very private individuals and don't like others in their homes, and you have some people who can't take off work at odd hours of the day to meet someone at their home during work hours either..should that mean they shouldn't be allowed an animal? I'd think not.
People who are going to abuse animals on purpose generally aren't going to go to the trouble of going to an adoption agency, filling out paperwork, and paying money for it.
People who do that generally speaking (over here anyways) just get a "freebie" out of the paper or at the local store where a kid has them in a box giving them away. Not saying everyone who gets a kitten/puppy/animal that way is going to abuse an animal though. I don't think 90% of the people who get caught abusing animals meant for it to start in the first place. Most are just lazy people who "thought" they would take care of it..then lost intrest, and it goes downhill after that. That can happen whether you had a home inspection or just grabbed a stray off the street and stuck it in your house.
They come from both sides. I could put on a "good" show at my house then when the cat comes home..it turns to a different story. Invading someone's privacy is a little over the top IMHO...but it is their animal to do with as they please, so there's not much you can say about it.
Personally I don't think they should have my work information or my drivers license number (unless I wrote them a check) or my social security number..that's really none of their business. It's not like you are applying for credit.
When they start regulating who can and can't breed animals and start a mandatory spay/nueter program for all people not paying to be breeders or keep animals...then I might be more lenient to giving out my information in those circumstance. Otherrwise..I don't think it's their business.
I think your name, home address, homephone number, and a vet reference should be plenty of information. Of course, I am not one to give out my personal information without a fight either...I get tired of getting harrassed by telemarketers when companies sell your personal information (and yes, those type places will do it too..you have NO way of finding out..so why wouldn't they..it makes them money..employees can do it all on their own.. and no one is ever the wiser).
*********
WRS..try going, or calling, your local area vets and either look, or have them look, on there bulliten boards. People post free kittens ALL the time at vet offices. At least you know if you get one of those..that it won't just be roaming around creating more kittens or getting run over.
I think they charge WAY too much for animals at shelters. They are funded by the government and private sources to be run and operated...so charging $150 (like Petco does) is WAY over-rated for a stray cat. For $150 I could get a purebred kitten from a breeder (not that a purebred is any better thena mixed breed mind you).
I know they house and feed them..but again that is government funded (or atleast ours here in AL are..unless it's a private orginazation...and even then they can still apply for funding if they want too..one of my friends is opening one, that's how I knwo all that).
They are allocated funds for all that, plus they don't pay peopel to work there..it's a volunteer staff (even the vets). They want to push how many strays are in the pounds..yet they want to charge you more then a breeder would for a kitten/puppy....not very good marketing imo. Then all that ends up is the animal gets PTS because no one would spend the $$$ to adopt it. Which is worse though?
They say they are charging you for shots, wormer, and a spay/nueter..but for $150..I can get all that twice on my own. Plus, when you take it to the vet..if it's not the vet that gave them the vacc..they will want to charge you again..because the animal doesn't come with paperwork stating they have had the vacc's...before they will allow it to stay in the back of their facility with other animals when you take it in to have it's spay/nueter. That's kinda...not right imho.
I do support my local spay/nueter program though. I always buy a certificate from them to use at my local participating vet. Saves me money and donates to them as well. You can get a spay on a female dog for $56, male dog for $35, female cat for $30, and a male cat for $15.
You have some people who are very private individuals and don't like others in their homes, and you have some people who can't take off work at odd hours of the day to meet someone at their home during work hours either..should that mean they shouldn't be allowed an animal? I'd think not.
People who are going to abuse animals on purpose generally aren't going to go to the trouble of going to an adoption agency, filling out paperwork, and paying money for it.
People who do that generally speaking (over here anyways) just get a "freebie" out of the paper or at the local store where a kid has them in a box giving them away. Not saying everyone who gets a kitten/puppy/animal that way is going to abuse an animal though. I don't think 90% of the people who get caught abusing animals meant for it to start in the first place. Most are just lazy people who "thought" they would take care of it..then lost intrest, and it goes downhill after that. That can happen whether you had a home inspection or just grabbed a stray off the street and stuck it in your house.
They come from both sides. I could put on a "good" show at my house then when the cat comes home..it turns to a different story. Invading someone's privacy is a little over the top IMHO...but it is their animal to do with as they please, so there's not much you can say about it.
Personally I don't think they should have my work information or my drivers license number (unless I wrote them a check) or my social security number..that's really none of their business. It's not like you are applying for credit.
When they start regulating who can and can't breed animals and start a mandatory spay/nueter program for all people not paying to be breeders or keep animals...then I might be more lenient to giving out my information in those circumstance. Otherrwise..I don't think it's their business.
I think your name, home address, homephone number, and a vet reference should be plenty of information. Of course, I am not one to give out my personal information without a fight either...I get tired of getting harrassed by telemarketers when companies sell your personal information (and yes, those type places will do it too..you have NO way of finding out..so why wouldn't they..it makes them money..employees can do it all on their own.. and no one is ever the wiser).
*********
WRS..try going, or calling, your local area vets and either look, or have them look, on there bulliten boards. People post free kittens ALL the time at vet offices. At least you know if you get one of those..that it won't just be roaming around creating more kittens or getting run over.
I think they charge WAY too much for animals at shelters. They are funded by the government and private sources to be run and operated...so charging $150 (like Petco does) is WAY over-rated for a stray cat. For $150 I could get a purebred kitten from a breeder (not that a purebred is any better thena mixed breed mind you).
I know they house and feed them..but again that is government funded (or atleast ours here in AL are..unless it's a private orginazation...and even then they can still apply for funding if they want too..one of my friends is opening one, that's how I knwo all that).
They are allocated funds for all that, plus they don't pay peopel to work there..it's a volunteer staff (even the vets). They want to push how many strays are in the pounds..yet they want to charge you more then a breeder would for a kitten/puppy....not very good marketing imo. Then all that ends up is the animal gets PTS because no one would spend the $$$ to adopt it. Which is worse though?
They say they are charging you for shots, wormer, and a spay/nueter..but for $150..I can get all that twice on my own. Plus, when you take it to the vet..if it's not the vet that gave them the vacc..they will want to charge you again..because the animal doesn't come with paperwork stating they have had the vacc's...before they will allow it to stay in the back of their facility with other animals when you take it in to have it's spay/nueter. That's kinda...not right imho.
I do support my local spay/nueter program though. I always buy a certificate from them to use at my local participating vet. Saves me money and donates to them as well. You can get a spay on a female dog for $56, male dog for $35, female cat for $30, and a male cat for $15.
oneponygirl
Fishaholic
A lot of rescues want a home visit to see the the place is safe, that the living environment isn't being misrepresented, and that there is an actual family wanting the pet and not someone who is collecting cheap animals to sell to a lab for testing (very common). I don't mind a rescue wanting to visit my home to check us out nearly as much as I mind when they treat me like a criminal for wanting a dog or cat in the first place. I've been treated horribly by rescuers and THAT is NUTS! I can fully understand where the rescues come from in being a bit protective over who they chose to adopt to because they want the pet to have a good home but even more than that usually, they don't want the animal to be returned and have to go through the whole process again. It's expensive, stressful for the animals, and it makes them harder to adopt. Having the animals returned is one of the biggest reasons the rescues have made the process the way they have. I don't like it, not at all, but I can understand why they've done it.
pica_nuttalli
don't be a twit
*shrug* makes good sense for bonded adult animals. there's also significant benefits to adopting kittens in pairs; cats are best socialized by other cats. a kitten that is already a little mean will only get worse if it doesn't have another kitten around to help it feel more secure and to help it learn what's mean/nice behavior. even nice baby kittens can turn into mean young cats if they're isolated too quickly; play-fighting is the best way for kittens to learn that clawing and biting hurts. the fact that very, very few people realize that you shouldn't let a kitten do anything that isn't cute in an adult cat only contributes to isolated kittens never developing appropriate behavior. they don't understand that attacking feet from under the bed or biting a petting hand hurts--most of these cats just think that they're being playful.
very few kittens that can't be tamed once introduced into a calming atmosphere. cats value strongly a sense of freedom and the ability to retreat to "their own space". i retrieved my manxes from my grandfather's barn; he had been given them as breeder offcasts to be raised into barn cats. they were only about 6 weeks old (shame on that breeder) and were in a ~24x12x10 wire cage placed on a chicken coop. the orange one would cry incessantly if he thought a person was around while the grey one had fortified herself in their shoebox hide-away. she hissed at everything and clawed the crap out of me when i pried her from the cage to go home. at this point in time, the orange boy is incredibly shy and hides from anything different. little miss priss, however, insists on being petted when you enter the house, climbs in your lap anytime someone sits down and has apparently decided that she needs to play with my Dad every morning at 5 am. these attitudes are completely opposite of how things appeared when the two kittens were trapped and freaking out in that wire cage. admittedly, the patience and sense of laissez-faire necessary to calm a wild kitten isn't possessed by or appealing to everyone. but if you don't mind spending 2-3 hours just reading a book or watching tv in a kitten-proofed room for a month, *shrug*
i do however vouch for getting indoor puppies one at a time. my parents recently rescued 3 mixed-dog puppies from the boonies. let's just say that i am sooo glad to not be at home to clean up all the "accidents". after just three days of helping with that, i intend to never ever attempt to house-train more than one dog at a time.
very few kittens that can't be tamed once introduced into a calming atmosphere. cats value strongly a sense of freedom and the ability to retreat to "their own space". i retrieved my manxes from my grandfather's barn; he had been given them as breeder offcasts to be raised into barn cats. they were only about 6 weeks old (shame on that breeder) and were in a ~24x12x10 wire cage placed on a chicken coop. the orange one would cry incessantly if he thought a person was around while the grey one had fortified herself in their shoebox hide-away. she hissed at everything and clawed the crap out of me when i pried her from the cage to go home. at this point in time, the orange boy is incredibly shy and hides from anything different. little miss priss, however, insists on being petted when you enter the house, climbs in your lap anytime someone sits down and has apparently decided that she needs to play with my Dad every morning at 5 am. these attitudes are completely opposite of how things appeared when the two kittens were trapped and freaking out in that wire cage. admittedly, the patience and sense of laissez-faire necessary to calm a wild kitten isn't possessed by or appealing to everyone. but if you don't mind spending 2-3 hours just reading a book or watching tv in a kitten-proofed room for a month, *shrug*
i do however vouch for getting indoor puppies one at a time. my parents recently rescued 3 mixed-dog puppies from the boonies. let's just say that i am sooo glad to not be at home to clean up all the "accidents". after just three days of helping with that, i intend to never ever attempt to house-train more than one dog at a time.
The people said that it is best to adopt a kitten from peoples homes, so we are going to see two tonight.
I really hope they work out! One ios supposedly not so friendly, but the other is, and I know everyone else wants a lap cat, personally, I dont, so if there is one of each, we wont get them. But I dont like how the lap cats just stay on you forever and never move. What if you have to move? And especially if they stay on you at night, they could get hurt if you roll over or what not. That's why I prefer the one's thatw ill sit on your bed, but not on you.
I really hope they work out! One ios supposedly not so friendly, but the other is, and I know everyone else wants a lap cat, personally, I dont, so if there is one of each, we wont get them. But I dont like how the lap cats just stay on you forever and never move. What if you have to move? And especially if they stay on you at night, they could get hurt if you roll over or what not. That's why I prefer the one's thatw ill sit on your bed, but not on you.
pica_nuttalli
don't be a twit
unless its a very small kitten or a very heavy sleeper, the cat's not going to let you roll over it. at least not twice.
i've found that not letting the cat sleep with you when its very young (under 15 weeks) discourages it from trying to sleep on your face/neck/stomach/squishy bits. but that may just be my experience. it seems that as cats age, they don't like to sleep on things that move but they also don't like to change the habits they developed as babies. younger cats will however carry toys into bed with them so unless you want to wake up with their favorite furry mice underneath you, keep your door shut.
how old are the kittens you're planning to get? i personally would suggest that if the kittens are less than 10 weeks old, you try to get two of them for the reasons i mentioned above. of course, 3+ cats is somehow a lot more work than just 2, so i can totally understand how you might not want to deal with it. but older kittens are better suited to being separated from their littermates and it will save you a lot of elementary training (like using the litter box, not biting too hard, don't chew on wires, "no" means "hiss", etc) if the kitten is older. an older kitten is also calmer which is an awesome thing if it won't have an active playmate 24/7.
since you've already got a cat, i'm sure this is preaching to the choir but:
--don't let a kitten do anything that isn't cute when its grown. this includes playing rough with your kitten; that ball of fur wrapped around your toes is a lot less fun when its a foot long! if the kitten ever does anything that hurts/draws blood, stop playing immediately and disengage from it. maybe hiss at it a little; its really difficult to communicate on a kitten level beyond that.
--kittens do not understand the word "NO". yelling "NO" at a puppy works because dogs bark when they're angry and "NO" is a loud, abrupt noise. cats hiss. this means that yelling at a kitten just desensitizes it to loud, abrupt noises. hissing and swiping at the air near a kitten looks silly, but its a cat-like communication and it generally gets the job done. however, a squirt bottle can be utilized to train cats to understand the true meaning of "NO".
i've found that not letting the cat sleep with you when its very young (under 15 weeks) discourages it from trying to sleep on your face/neck/stomach/squishy bits. but that may just be my experience. it seems that as cats age, they don't like to sleep on things that move but they also don't like to change the habits they developed as babies. younger cats will however carry toys into bed with them so unless you want to wake up with their favorite furry mice underneath you, keep your door shut.
how old are the kittens you're planning to get? i personally would suggest that if the kittens are less than 10 weeks old, you try to get two of them for the reasons i mentioned above. of course, 3+ cats is somehow a lot more work than just 2, so i can totally understand how you might not want to deal with it. but older kittens are better suited to being separated from their littermates and it will save you a lot of elementary training (like using the litter box, not biting too hard, don't chew on wires, "no" means "hiss", etc) if the kitten is older. an older kitten is also calmer which is an awesome thing if it won't have an active playmate 24/7.
since you've already got a cat, i'm sure this is preaching to the choir but:
--don't let a kitten do anything that isn't cute when its grown. this includes playing rough with your kitten; that ball of fur wrapped around your toes is a lot less fun when its a foot long! if the kitten ever does anything that hurts/draws blood, stop playing immediately and disengage from it. maybe hiss at it a little; its really difficult to communicate on a kitten level beyond that.
--kittens do not understand the word "NO". yelling "NO" at a puppy works because dogs bark when they're angry and "NO" is a loud, abrupt noise. cats hiss. this means that yelling at a kitten just desensitizes it to loud, abrupt noises. hissing and swiping at the air near a kitten looks silly, but its a cat-like communication and it generally gets the job done. however, a squirt bottle can be utilized to train cats to understand the true meaning of "NO".
We went to the ladys today, and we like 3 of hercatys. The only thing is that they are in pairs, and we think we would want one from each,a nd we dont know if she would seperate them.
Plus, the male didnt have his distemper yet, he is having it some time next week.
Plus, the male didnt have his distemper yet, he is having it some time next week.
OohFeeshy
It's only forever; not long at all...
wrs said:
No, stray as in stray cat stray. Probably found on the street or something, I don't know. She's a big, grumpy thing, either she got out or was dumped because she was too big, ate too much or didn't like being touched.
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