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#11
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I gave away my cats, I'm heartbroken
MaryL wrote:
"223rem" wrote in message oups.com... I will be moving from a house in a suburban/semi-rural area to an apartment in a big metropolis. Now my cats can go out whenever they want and in fact they spend more time outdoors than indoors. They love to roam, climb trees, hunt, etc. They'd probably go nuts if confined in an apartment. To my surprise, my landlord, who always pets my cats when he rans into them, offered to take my cats and 'give them a good home' in a barn on his 50 acre farm. They'll probably become "barn cats"! This guy is a honorable man, he's proven that many times, so he'll keep his promise. Well, I accepted his offer, and now I'm extremely sad... Was I wrong? What would you have done in my place? Well, since you asked for opinions, I will give you mine. Yes, I think you were wrong. I would *never* give up my cats. They are family, just like children -- and very few people would give up children. Cats are not disposable objects! Moreover, I have been through a number of "moving days" when I had to find an apartment that would accept cats. I had to give up on many apartments that I really would have liked simply because of adamant "no pets" policies. I no longer have to worry about that because I own my home, but *my* policy during the days when I was renting was "accept my cats, or I look elsewhere." Incidentally, cats adjust *very* well to apartment living. All you need to do is provide lots of toys, attention, scratching posts, and a climbing surface (such as a cat tree). Barn cats usually do not receive the type of attention that you have probably been giving your cats. They also usually have a shorter lifespan than indoor cats -- less nutrition, vulnerable to predators, traffic (even in a rural area), etc. Your landlord may have good intentions, but do you really think he will monitor their health, take them to a vet on a regular basis, provide good quality food (and not take the attitude that they can "catch their own food"), groom them, give them attention, and all the other little things that you have probably done without even thinking about it. So, my opinion is that you should try to retrieve these kitties, take them with you, and provide the type of indoor space that will give them a healthy and happy environment without needing to go outdoors. Personally, I think it will also make *you* happier since you said you are heartbroken over this decision. MaryL This has nothing to do with a gmail block... I blocked 223 a long time ago because he obviously doesn't give a crap about cats. This just proves it. He's not heartbroken. It's all about HIM, not about the cats. I hope 223 gets to go live in a barn. Grrrrrr. Jill |
#12
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I gave away my cats, I'm heartbroken
Thanks for the feedback everyone.
I may have use the term barn cats incorrectly; my cats may kill mice, but they only eat cat food. My landlord knows that. He also mentioned that the cats will be housed together with his puppies. |
#13
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I gave away my cats, I'm heartbroken
On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 19:30:48 -0700, "jofirey"
yodeled: "223rem" wrote: Well, I accepted his offer, and now I'm extremely sad... Was I wrong? What would you have done in my place? And I'm reminded why I blocked you in the first place. Just trying to upset everyone. Isn't this the guy who posted pics of what his cats killed? Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War |
#14
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I gave away my cats, I'm heartbroken
"Kreisleriana" wrote in message ... On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 19:30:48 -0700, "jofirey" yodeled: "223rem" wrote: Well, I accepted his offer, and now I'm extremely sad... Was I wrong? What would you have done in my place? And I'm reminded why I blocked you in the first place. Just trying to upset everyone. Isn't this the guy who posted pics of what his cats killed? Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War Uh, oh. I missed that (which would have led to an entirely different reaction on my part). Thanks. MaryL |
#15
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I gave away my cats, I'm heartbroken
"jmcquown" wrote in message ... MaryL wrote: "223rem" wrote in message oups.com... I will be moving from a house in a suburban/semi-rural area to an apartment in a big metropolis. Now my cats can go out whenever they want and in fact they spend more time outdoors than indoors. They love to roam, climb trees, hunt, etc. They'd probably go nuts if confined in an apartment. To my surprise, my landlord, who always pets my cats when he rans into them, offered to take my cats and 'give them a good home' in a barn on his 50 acre farm. They'll probably become "barn cats"! This guy is a honorable man, he's proven that many times, so he'll keep his promise. Well, I accepted his offer, and now I'm extremely sad... Was I wrong? What would you have done in my place? Well, since you asked for opinions, I will give you mine. Yes, I think you were wrong. I would *never* give up my cats. They are family, just like children -- and very few people would give up children. Cats are not disposable objects! Moreover, I have been through a number of "moving days" when I had to find an apartment that would accept cats. I had to give up on many apartments that I really would have liked simply because of adamant "no pets" policies. I no longer have to worry about that because I own my home, but *my* policy during the days when I was renting was "accept my cats, or I look elsewhere." Incidentally, cats adjust *very* well to apartment living. All you need to do is provide lots of toys, attention, scratching posts, and a climbing surface (such as a cat tree). Barn cats usually do not receive the type of attention that you have probably been giving your cats. They also usually have a shorter lifespan than indoor cats -- less nutrition, vulnerable to predators, traffic (even in a rural area), etc. Your landlord may have good intentions, but do you really think he will monitor their health, take them to a vet on a regular basis, provide good quality food (and not take the attitude that they can "catch their own food"), groom them, give them attention, and all the other little things that you have probably done without even thinking about it. So, my opinion is that you should try to retrieve these kitties, take them with you, and provide the type of indoor space that will give them a healthy and happy environment without needing to go outdoors. Personally, I think it will also make *you* happier since you said you are heartbroken over this decision. MaryL This has nothing to do with a gmail block... I blocked 223 a long time ago because he obviously doesn't give a crap about cats. This just proves it. He's not heartbroken. It's all about HIM, not about the cats. I hope 223 gets to go live in a barn. Grrrrrr. Jill Thanks, Jill. I had not picked up on that. I just did a brief google search and found a message where this person said he *left his cats alone for four weeks* but they were "fine" when he returned. Another message said "Should have put the cat in the car with birdie" when someone wrote about a sparrow getting into the car. Grrrrr is right. Those cats didn't have a home, they had an occasional place to visit. MaryL |
#16
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I gave away my cats, I'm heartbroken
223rem wrote: I will be moving from a house in a suburban/semi-rural area to an apartment in a big metropolis. Now my cats can go out whenever they want and in fact they spend more time outdoors than indoors. They love to roam, climb trees, hunt, etc. They'd probably go nuts if confined in an apartment. To my surprise, my landlord, who always pets my cats when he rans into them, offered to take my cats and 'give them a good home' in a barn on his 50 acre farm. They'll probably become "barn cats"! This guy is a honorable man, he's proven that many times, so he'll keep his promise. Well, I accepted his offer, and now I'm extremely sad... Was I wrong? What would you have done in my place? Depends upon how many cats we're talking about! If you have a lot of them, that may be a better solution than just taking two or three with you (which is rather like deciding which of your children to give up). However, My cats have mostly been indoor/outdoor when they could be. When forced to become indoor only, they've always adapted very well. (Except for Melisande's tendency to try to escape whenever I open the door.) Remember, a healthy cat sleeps eighteen to twenty hours a day. If they have food and water available, and plenty of toys to keep them amused, they really don't have that much unoccupied time to fill! (And of course, I wouldn't even CONSIDER an apartment that would not allow cats!) |
#17
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I gave away my cats, I'm heartbroken
223rem wrote: Thanks for the feedback everyone. I may have use the term barn cats incorrectly; my cats may kill mice, but they only eat cat food. My landlord knows that. He also mentioned that the cats will be housed together with his puppies. Oh swell! (I'm sure the cats will be overjoyed!) |
#18
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I gave away my cats, I'm heartbroken
MaryL wrote: Thanks, Jill. I had not picked up on that. I just did a brief google search and found a message where this person said he *left his cats alone for four weeks* but they were "fine" when he returned. Another message said "Should have put the cat in the car with birdie" when someone wrote about a sparrow getting into the car. Grrrrr is right. Those cats didn't have a home, they had an occasional place to visit. In which case, status as barn cats might be a step UP for them! MaryL |
#19
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I gave away my cats, I'm heartbroken
EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:
MaryL wrote: Thanks, Jill. I had not picked up on that. I just did a brief google search and found a message where this person said he *left his cats alone for four weeks* but they were "fine" when he returned. Another message said "Should have put the cat in the car with birdie" when someone wrote about a sparrow getting into the car. Grrrrr is right. Those cats didn't have a home, they had an occasional place to visit. In which case, status as barn cats might be a step UP for them! At least they'll be away from him! |
#20
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Thank you for keeping me around... (was: I gave away my cats...)
Thanks for not excommunicating from this newsgroup (via killfiling) for
my comments about giving away cats. OK, so everyone ignored my post, but at least I'm still included in other discussions! On second reading, I can see why people are upset about cats being given away to someone who will keep them as barn cats. I think that if you must give away your cats, then you need to be responsible about it and find them a good home where they will be loved and well cared-for. This doesn't sound like a great situation for them, I have to agree. I do think that giving away your pets is something you should try to avoid if at all possible. But sometimes it can't be avoided, and I don't think that's "wrong". I do feel quite strongly that there are situations where it is actually better for the animals to be rehomed to stable and loving people, if you can no longer provide that for them. I personally am not considering re-homing any of my cats, in case anyone was wondering! If Smudge and Licky were regularly drawing blood from each other, and making life miserable for each other and the rest of us - and if I'd tried everything to change the situation and nothing worked - I might have to seek a new home for one of them. But I'm not even close to that point, and never have been. Which reminds me, the Feliway seems to be working nicely on the general atmosphere around here. No, there's no cuddling and grooming going on between the sworn enemies, but the growling and hissing is greatly reduced, I haven't heard any actual fights at all, and I'm no longer waking up to find tufts of Smudge fur strewn on the living room rug. So, a definite improvement! Joyce |
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