Hi - I forgot to mention that I do consider myself lucky in a
relative, half-empty/half-full kind of way because if it were not for
the cats, I would never stop crying. Some people said we should get
rid of most of our cats when my mother got sick, but there were not
many we would want to give up that would make good pets. And of
course we all know that the good shelters are full and have long
waiting lists.

I am committed to these cats (in more than one sense of the word!), my
only fear is if something happens to me, what will happen to them.
Guess I should re-evaluate my life insurance policy...

Michele



"Agua Girl" wrote in message ...
Whenever someone starts out by saying " I can't imagine"....I usually
respond with "lucky you". I know it's unfathomable for some of
us to think about giving up our animals after 7 years but life has a way
of throwing curve balls and you never know when you may be in the
position to do something "unfathomable". My step mother got very very
sick. She has always been a huge cat lover...like crazy cat lady type.
At the time of her illness she was down to just 12 cats. Obviously with
her so ill and my dad taking care of her, it was impossible to continue
to care for 12 cats (and two dogs) so they had the unenviable task of
finding homes for 10 cats, some of whom they had for 5 or 6 years.
They kept the two oldest and did find the others homes. The fact that
anyone is LOOKING for a good home for their cat should be enough.
With so many just dumping them off on the side of the road I don't think
we should judge those who at least try and re-home them. I can't imagine
what turn my life would take that might put me in that position. It won't
be kids ...errr...maybe I shouldn't say that (knock wood) but one never
knows so until then..... :-)

AG
"onebyone" wrote in message
...
Michele, I have to laugh out loud at your last sentence! For years when
people would ask my husband and I when were we "going to start having
kids"?
I would tell them they we weren't, because "we were afraid that one of our
children would have allergies to our cats, and we would have to put the
child into Foster care". The looks on their faces were priceless! LOL

Michele, you are my kind of person!!!


"Michele" wrote in message
om...
I don't understand how people can have 2 cats for 7 years, invest in
their medicals, etc., and presumably really love these pets and then
just decide that it's time to have kids now and let's get rid of the
cats and move on to something else "more important" (people usually
consider humans outweigh animals in the scheme of things). I realize
that people's priorities should be addressed before animals' (if I had
a kid who was sick and a cat who was sick at the same time, I would
take the kid to the pediatrician before I would take the cat to the
vererinarian), but if you know that SOMEDAY you might start a family
with which the animals could be incompatible, THINK for a minute. Get
an older animal, or hold off until you have a place without so many
"space limitations". ALWAYS I hear these situations after the fact.

I know that some of what I have said may rub some people the wrong
way. But I have 22+ cats (all spayed/neutered/rescued/strays), and I
always say to people that I won't have kids (I am spayed/neutered
myself anyway) because if the kid turned out to be allergic, I would
have to give the KID up for adoption.

Michele