I get so frustrated sometimes......

[nancyjac]

.....with cat owners who bring their older cats to the shelter or worse yet, just turn them out because they are starting to have some health problems or just aren't as active and playful as they use to be and the want to trade them in for a younger model.  For the most part, these cats become very depressed in a shelter environment, especially those that have been one owner cats for many years.  And we just don't have the budget to provide long term medical care for these cats.  We have a senior to senior program where we waive the adoption fee for people who adopt older cats, but even with that, they just aren't very adoptable because of their age.  Even rescue groups will rarely take them because often one owner cats  older just don't do well in a multiple cat environment.  We have several at the shelter right now in the 8+ year old range, and I am not very optimistic about their chances.  We have the space to keep them right now, but when kitten season hits again and we have a space crunch....well if I can't get them adopted or rescued by then, their outcome just doesn't look good :-(

[nancyjac]

Hi Pip,

I have read several of Teia's adventures and always enjoy them.  Great idea using her story at the shelter.  The older cats we have aren't downright aggressive in any way, but like Teia, this is such a major environment change that is more difficult for them to trust both people and other cats.  Cher, the 10 year old that was adopted earlier this week, was adopted by a vet's office.  She will be "supervising" the staff there.  For now, she mostly just keeps and eye on them from her bed in the corner behind the reception desk, but she seems pretty content and comfortable in her new surrounding.

[Piparskeggr]

Heya;

My wife and I took in an elder cat 19 months ago, the semi-famous Miss Teia Honey.

Teia was 10 1/2, a former street cat rescued by the folks from whom we got her.  She bit and scratched Anita and I, hid, growled and charged at the other 3 cats we have...all in all, the formerly abused, feral cat we were told to expect...I'll be starting a new thread with the latest Teia update.

Use her story with folks at your shelter, an older cat, even a difficult one, can be brought into a new family...

Take care and thank you for trying to help the kitties.

Pip

[PikaPika88]

In the real world.  It happens to human being as well.  Seem likes the elderly, no one wants to care for or fit into a children's family.  Lucky we have Social Security, medicare and pension.  If without those welfare, I think most of the elderly life could be similar to those older cats in the shelter.

If you put one old sick cat in the shelter with welfare support (like $50.00 a week for food, free unlimited health care, concession for the care worker involve with this cat activities).  Do you think the people walk in will adopt this cat or the young kitten without welfare?  

[opus88]

oh I am so happy for the one that did find a home...........the other poor ones are likely traumatized. like putting us senior people into a locked caged and loosing our homes.....I'd be ill too..
God bless these poor unwanteds of the world...♥

[nancyjac]

Good news and bad news today.  One of our 10 year old cats was adopted.  However, we have another 10 year old cat that was brought in by animal control that looks like his skull was bashed in.  He may not make it.  And 2 of the 8 year old cats that were owner surrendered are now sick.

[wvtxpen]

A senior to senior program is great.  I live in the NorthEastern Part of West Virginia and went to a PetCo store.  While in there shopping for cat supplies, my wife was looking at the Animal Humane Society that was showing off Kittens.  The problem is when they talked to my wife they said that they had so many baby kittens and older cats that were ready to deliver, that they could not keep up with them or even give them away fast enough.  They told my wife that the kittens that were in the store with the Adopt-A-Kitten sign would be euthanize if no one adopted them.  They had about 14 kittens.  I adopted 3...Minurve (Mini for short) a small black female, and brother and sister Kittens (Frodo & Lilly).  Of course, free doesn't mean free when you deal w/the humane society...you have to pay immediately for license, having them fixed (which you are reembarsed for) but all together, it cost us $125.00 that day...most we got back after several months.  It is sad...as I have told before...I have a lot of land and woods, people dump older cats on our property.  Some are in bad shape.  We do what we can.

[AppleBr]

Disgusting, indeed!
Some people are not ashame to tell another person s/he is seeing for the first time in life that the followingt day from her husband burial,she had his dog's house ( brick one) destroyed and sent the poor ones to addoption!!!
I 've got shocked hearing that - even prefering cats, I would never do that!
Btw, woman has no animals now - better this way... Sigh..

[ProudMumToBe]

It is sad but unfortunately people seem to be doing this a lot with all type's of animals.
I strongly believe You should need a license to be a pet owner likewise with mothering, there seems to be a license for everything else

[Jade59]

I know there are many rewards with volunteering at shelters, but so much sadness, as well.  I've known alot of pet owners who don't consider their cat "one of the family" so it's easy for them to do this when things get a little tough or the pet starts to have health issues.  It's too heartbreaking to think of a senior cat who grew up with a family and just dumped off at a shelter with the owner never considering the animals feelings.  If I ever adopt again, it would be an older kitty.  

[opus88]

aww this is so heart breaking to read.......just as people age and require more medical attention they do too. done away with like a piece of garbage when they no longer live up to their expectations...just at the point in their lives when they need something back from us.......shame on us!!!!!