# Have You Noticed This With Shelter Cats



## Alex Harris (May 4, 2012)

With a story seem to get more offers to volunteer or adopt, those who are just 'normal' shelter animals? This doesn't really pertain just to cats, but all animals in shelters. I guess I am a little annoyed because we had 22 cats come in from a hoarding case earlier last week. Surprisingly all of the cats were pretty healthy and well socialized, the woman just go overwhelmed and actually called us for help. 

The cats were put on the facebook page and every one of them had a foster or adoptive home by Friday. My issue is that a lot of people came in to offer to foster/adopt the cats after we already had arrangements for them all ,but some of the staff did mention that we always need more fosters/ adoptive homes for the other animals as well, nobody was interested though.


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## mumof7kitties (Jan 27, 2013)

Yes! I hate that! And then there's those of us who diligently share babies who desperately need to be pulled from shelters into homes (foster or perm) to avoid being euth'd and most of the time it never happens. 

I don't know why they don't spotlight a dog and cat or other critter every day! Maybe then there'd be more luck!


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## CatMonkeys (Sep 27, 2012)

It's kind of sad when people are driven to get a pet because it has a dramatic back story vs the "regular" animals at the shelter who need a forever home just as much. 

My local paper usually has an article each week featuring an available shelter animal (most have "plain" histories like being picked up as a stray, nothing exciting like hoarding lol). I think it's a nice way to remind people that there are plenty of wonderful animals out there looking for a home. 


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## Jakiepoo (Jan 5, 2013)

Yup, the bigger and more dramatic the story behind the animal, the more people want them, unless the animal ended up with some sort of physical deformity that in no way effects the animals health or happiness. Then good luck, and good bye.

Our shelter doesn't seem to be to bad with this right now, but I think it's because they tend to be a little more picky with these pets.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

When I adopted Zenobi (shelter name Kravitz) I was told she came from a homless family. For some reason I wasn't convinced especially after I got her home and realised she'd been abused.

Recent to then, there had been a lot of publicity about homelessness.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

No matter what the reason, getting new homes for 22 cats in a week is wonderful for those cats.


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## mumof7kitties (Jan 27, 2013)

Jakiepoo said:


> Yup, the bigger and more dramatic the story behind the animal, the more people want them, unless the animal ended up with some sort of physical deformity that in no way effects the animals health or happiness.


Quite the opposite around here. Even the special deformed, burned, paralyzed, etc. get adopted if they have a dramatic background. 



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## misschloe (Mar 20, 2013)

I agree. Finding homes for 22 cats in the span of a week is amazing, regardless of the reasoning behind it. 

It's a shame not all shelter animals have the same experience. I occasionally browse the various shelter pages around here and month after month I see some familiar faces. I wish I was in a position to be able to foster cats, to at least be able to give them some semblance of a normal, loving home before they find their forever home. 

My home town features two pets from the shelter each week in the local newspaper. Here in the city the morning news program had an 'adorable adoptables' piece they would run one morning a week. I try to keep my eye on Facebook postings from shelters looking for homes for their critters, and since I am not in a place to be able to take one myself I try to share as many of the photos as I can to try to get these babies homes.


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

for me, my interest in adopting a cat usually increased if there was a lot on the information on him/her. i browed petfinder daily. i always enjoyed descriptions that said a lot about the cat, not just backstory but also personality and little quirks that the animal has. i think it helps people 'identify' with the animal more. there were a few entries on petfinder that just said something like "one year old very sweet. call now."


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## 3furbabies (Dec 7, 2011)

This is very common. At the shelter I worked at they had new segments on animals with sad stories. There would be tons of calls for people to adopt/foster/donate money that that particular animal but when you say they have a foster home lined up would you be interested in another. Almost all the Time they say no. Occasionally they spotlighted cats who were at the shelter a long time but usually ones with a sad story/past abuse would be featured. 


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

mumof7kitties said:


> I don't know why they don't spotlight a dog and cat or other critter every day! Maybe then there'd be more luck!


The shelter where I volunteer does this on a weekly basis, spotlighting one dog and one cat as their Pet of the Week. I definitely think it helps, because it reminds people that there are animals in the shelter and helps them connect with one pet's story on an individual basis.

That said, it doesn't have _nearly_ the impact of a single news story, because as with anything, it becomes routine. It can be hard for a shelter to recreate that level of drama on a regular basis, although I know that's cynical to say.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

It's even true in horse rescue.

Having said that, I think finding all those homes was amazing!

The Cat Shelter / Rescue I support has no time to keep their webpage updated and that is a real weak point as I think the more information there is (they're good on that) and the fresher it is (not so good there - the mother cat I found last year is still on the page and she was adopted months and months ago), the better chance there is of drawing in would be adopters.


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## Alex Harris (May 4, 2012)

We are definitely proud of the fact that were able to get those cats in a home. We weren't really expecting that to happen so quickly. It's kinda bittersweet though when you look around and see that some of the other animals have been waiting for several weeks to get in a home.


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## Tiliqua (Jan 22, 2013)

I have to wonder if a potential adopter that only wants an animal with a flashy / dramatic background story as opposed to any animal in need of a good home would really be a good forever home? That's really sad - I'm sure the shelter has a great screening process but it kind of makes you think that if they only want a good story to tell about how they 'saved' the poor animal and weren't going to get an addition otherwise, maybe that isn't the best reason to adopt.

I guess it takes all kind of people.... the rescue I foster for said most of the foster applications only want cute, fluffy kittens in that most adorable age period and aren't interested in fostering adults or kittens young enough to require a lot of additional care without the playing and kitten antics. I can't imagine what those applicants are thinking - wanting to foster when they are the cutest and most likely to get adopted only!


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

most people are shallow LOL. I won't deny it to a certain point--I've had three very attractive cats and one homely one. actually one of the attractive ones was filthy and only weighed six pounds when I adopted him. my husband said, "are you sure you want that cat?" "yes, why?" "because that's the ugliest cat I've ever seen." hahaha so after I bathed and put three pounds on coda, he was very handsome.

news stories always do that. they put pets at the news studio sometimes, and I think I've even seen them do it with children from foster homes. plus, the abused and mutilated dogs and cats are almost always adopted with hundreds of calls pouring in after they show the story.

there was just a story last week about two puppies being stolen from pet ranch in four days. one was maltese and the other was a Chihuahua. one guy took his kids in (and wife), using them as a distraction and stuffed the dog down his pants and walked out. (it was on security video--but they haven't been able to identify him.) so I guess some people would even rather steal a pet than adopt one. I've given up on some of the things people do making sense.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

It's pretty much true of_ anything_. Sad back stories get the help and support.

It is a little frustrating though, because you have to wonder how many of these people would have even wanted an animal otherwise.


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

Tiliqua said:


> I have to wonder if a potential adopter that only wants an animal with a flashy / dramatic background story as opposed to any animal in need of a good home would really be a good forever home?


I worry about that too. A dramatic story is a good way of getting people in the door, but it's not going to sustain the next fifteen or so years of a relationship. Feeling sorry for your pet is not going to motivate you through a difficult period of behaviour where you aren't sure if the pet even likes you, or a prolonged and expensive illness, or even year after year of mundane day-to-day care taking that is more often tedious than exciting.

Now, I'm certainly _not_ saying that all of the people who wanted those pets would be bad adopters. Quite the contrary. All of us need kick starts sometimes to turn thought into action, and I believe that there are animals who win our hearts not because they're meant to be our pets but because they're meant to lead us to our pets. Maybe this is just the motivating factor the person needed to adopt a pet and become a wonderful pet-parent.

I'm just saying that I'm skeptical about the ones who aren't even willing to consider another animal when they hear that the pet with the dramatic story is no longer in need. In those cases, I can't help but think that it's more about the fantasy of being the compassionate and courageous rescuer of a pet in need, rather than a desire to commit to a companion for life.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

gharrissc said:


> The cats were put on the facebook page and every one of them had a foster or adoptive home by Friday.


Your shelter should put all their pets on Facebook, with *good* pictures and sweet stories to keep going with the momentum.


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## Alex Harris (May 4, 2012)

Blakeney Green said:


> I'm just saying that I'm skeptical about the ones who aren't even willing to consider another animal when they hear that the pet with the dramatic story is no longer in need. In those cases, I can't help but think that it's more about the fantasy of being the compassionate and courageous rescuer of a pet in need, rather than a desire to commit to a companion for life.


Exactly This!



marie73 said:


> Your shelter should put all their pets on Facebook, with *good* pictures and sweet stories to keep going with the momentum.


We have a photographer that is also a volunteer,who was kind enough to donate her services to us. We are in the works now of getting all of our animals spotlighted on the facebook page so that they too can have their chance.


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## mumof7kitties (Jan 27, 2013)

I've volunteered for years as the photographer for the local rescues, not just the SPCA and humane society but the small ones too. I usually donate at least 2 evenings a week and 2 weekends per month. 

If all it took was a flashy back story, hire someone to make crap up! Lol. The kitty who saved an infant from cardiac arrest by alerting a passing car while the mom is passed out in a drunken stupor, or the dog who single handedly circumvented a robbery and caught the guy by knocking over a refrigerator full of jello. Lol. 

I can make something up! Ha. 


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I am not going to be popular with my thoughts so far on adopting animals with a past. I am noticing a distinct difference in the cats that were somewhat feral that I have compared to those I got as kittens. It hasn't been that long so I have hope that some of the skiddishness subsides.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

cat owner again said:


> I am not going to be popular with my thoughts so far on adopting animals with a past. I am noticing a distinct difference in the cats that were somewhat feral that I have compared to those I got as kittens. It hasn't been that long so I have hope that some of the skiddishness subsides.


I wouldn't say it makes you unpopular, but you are generalizing. The important thing when adopting a cat or any animal with a 'past' is to know that things will take time and effort, and that the cat may never be the most affectionate or never friendly to strangers. But then... _plenty_ of cats you get at kittens are the exact same way despite being brought up in a loving home. Also, plenty of cats with those 'pasts' get over them amazingly, and you'd never know they had a dodgy history.


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

cat owner again said:


> I am not going to be popular with my thoughts so far on adopting animals with a past. I am noticing a distinct difference in the cats that were somewhat feral that I have compared to those I got as kittens. It hasn't been that long so I have hope that some of the skiddishness subsides.


Like you said, though, you haven't had your cats for very long. That can change a lot over time.

For several years after I adopted Maisie (when he was two,) there was very big difference in how attached he was to me in comparison to Zephyr, who was a baby when I adopted him. It took him more time to warm up, settle down, and learn to trust.

Now, almost six years out from Maisie's adoption, there's no difference. Sometimes it just takes awhile for them to get over their past, but it's worth it to know you've helped them.


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