Picking a cat / fostering a cat

Hi,

Well, my last cat is now under observation at the adoption agency's
vetrinarian...He was very loveable and mushy - just purred and sat on my
lap, totally adorable.

Except he didn't eat. Best I could figure out was that his former owner
died, so he/she was elderly - kept him company and fed him goodies all day
(his papers said "grossly obese" from animal rescue).

I got a call from the vet today - the doctor left a message that it was
most likely liver disease. The representative from the adoption agency said
"Of course it was liver disease, that's what happens when cats don't
eat....

...It's sort of a chicken and egg thing - is the cat not eating because of
liver disease, or does he have liver disease because he's not eating.

In any event, stopped by another pet store, another agency has a set-up
there..This time I'm just fostering a cat till Friday..or longer. But he is
DEFINITELY going back! He's gorgeous, eats up a storm...Except when he lies
on the bed if you go to pet him, he hisses and scratches. But he loves to
be petted when he's walking around...Once he lies down - watch out!!!!!

No the kind of cat I'm looking for..I like the ones that like to cuddle..

So, when I'm looking around at shelters or adoption centers..What are the
ten warning signs that something is wrong behavior and health wise??

In the meantime, fostering is a nice way to get a cat into the house once
again..even if it's not a perfect match. There's no long term commitement
required...and if it works out, you can keep the cat..

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