Tell me about getting rid of a bad animal.

[nevermore]

I hate my cat. She hates me, along with life in general. Since day one, she's been a complete terror-- attacking my feet, hissing at me and my company, eliminating on the floor whenever she sees fit, and being completely unpersonable in general. It seems that her goal in life is to eternally scowl.

I've come to the point where I'm just sick of it. I've dealt with it for three years and I'm just done. She does not enrich my life; she is a chore. I want to get rid of her so I can make room for an animal that I can pet and play with and enjoy.

I've put up with her for this long out of sheer guilt at giving her to the pound, where she'll surely be euthanized, but lately I find myself not even caring. It's humane and in the long run, it'll save her (and me, or some other unlucky owner) from years of an obviously miserable existence.

Obviously I'll try to find a good home for her first, though I can't imagine who would want her. And as disgusted as I am, I still don't know for sure I'll go through with it.

Tell me about your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad animal and what you did about it. Or, just tell me how you feel about this situation.

[Sunrazor]

This is going to sound terribly red-neck, but here is how we deal with such animals in rural Colorado. I have a .22 pistol and an old canvas money bag. I've only had to use them once, but when I was a boy my father taught me to never adopt an animal I wasn't willing to "put down." Fortunately, with that one exception many years ago, I've never had to shoot an animal (I wasn't willing to spend the $35 it would have cost to have a veterinarian to shoot sodium pentathol into its heart.)

My suggestion is to call local veterinarians, explain the problem, and ask if they will euthanize the cat. Surprisingly, many vets would actually rather put a cat down than have it live in torment, which your cat obviously is. It'll cost a few bucks, but it'll be worth it.

[Litoris]

While I can totally understand the situation, and I am not in any way suggesting that you keep an animal that you don't want -- what follows is a true story:

Years ago, a friend of mine had a cat whose temperment was exactly that which you describe in your cat. He was a hateful, angry little beast (well, not so "little", he weighed close to 10lbs) who hated her and everyone else within ten million lightyears of him. He would hiss, bite and scratch at anything that dared to think about his existence. She tolerated him, because he was so unbelievably gorgeous (long, jet black fur culminating in white at the tips -- so that he almost looked silver with giant blue eyes). She finally took him to the vet with the idea of having him euthanised. The vet asked her to give him 24 hours' worth of observation before he euthanised the cat (vet was also stricken with the sheer beauty of the animal) and she agreed. The next day, her vet called and asked her to come pick the cat up -- he knew why it was so angry. The friggin cat was allergic to everything. Dust, fleas, cat fur, you name it, this cat was allergic to it. It was so hateful because it was always in misery -- only because it had such a long gorgeous coat, no one could see the horrid rash it had going on underneath. Most animals will start chewing on themselves and become self-destructive when in pain, this one turned it outward. Once she gave him his allergy medicine regularly, he became the sweetest darling of a cat.

YMMV. As for getting rid of the animal, you could do the country thing and shoot the cat in the head, the city thing and take it to the vet to be put down or of course, craigslist is always an option. Heck, I would suggest using this post as your ad, I bet you'd have 20 people wanting the thing by the end of the week!

Good luck!

[Harriet the Spry]

Yes, looking into possible medical problems is a good idea. There is also kitty Prozac, which might help if it's psychological. There might be someone willing to take him as a barn cat. Also, in some areas there are no kill shelters that will keep the animals they take until they find a home (with perhaps some exceptions for health problems).

[Maastricht]

There might be someone willing to take him as a barn cat.That's a good idea. Many unsocial animals are very happy in a place where they don't have to interact with people and can hunt mice all day. You might want to try the "Who wants a mouser"-angle at Craigslist.

Don't feel guilty for not wanting to put up with the cat anymore. Cat's are individuals, and quite often, there just isn't a match between owner and cat. You have tried long enough. Your only moral obligation then is to find a place where the cat might be happy, and the tips given upthread offer a good place to start. You might think nobody would want such a cat, but some people might pride themselves on taming/socializing just such an animal. Or they might have a cat they want a companion for. Just advertise ! You might first call the local animalshelter for advice...

Remember; there's a darling cat somewhere out there who would love to live with you, and she can't untill you have found another place for HellCat, who is obviously unhappy living with you.

[alice_in_wonderland]

I used to know a cat with a disposition very similar to that of your cat. Tequila (not my cat, no I didn't name her) just needed the addition of another cat Butch (not my cat, no I didn't name him) and she settled right down and became a lovely affectionate cat. Perhaps you could shop around for another companion animal and introduce them. You never know - maybe Grouchy McGrouchpants will calm down.

I wanted to add that even if G McG doesn't calm down, you can always choose and option to get rid of him then, and already have your nice new kitty broken in, so to speak.

[Left Hand of Dorkness]

Also, in some areas there are no kill shelters that will keep the animals they take until they find a home (with perhaps some exceptions for health problems).
Quick note: no-kill shelters fall into one of three categories:

1) Limited Access Shelters. These places avoid euthanizing animals by being fairly selective in the animals they accept. The better ones only accept animals that they can find homes for quickly, so the animals don't waste away in the shelter for too long; others just limit animals by the number that they'll take, and by virtue of not selecting for quick turnaround, they quickly end up only with unadoptable animals.
2) Hellholes. These are the places that don't place numerical limits on the number of animals they accept, and the population quickly outstrips their resources, with the result that animals soon suffer from terrible overcrowding, with all the problems associated with it (disease, starvation, fights, neglect/cruelty from overstressed workers, etc.)
3) Millionaire's Hobbies. These are the rarest of the rare, shelters funded by philanthropists with a bottomless budget, who can take in any animal and provide it with good care.

The first type is unlikely to accept your cat. Nobody should take an animal to the second type of no-kill shelter. If you can find the third type, you've hit the jackpot.

Daniel

[vetbridge]

She does not enrich my life
I euthanize a few animals a day. For some, it is end stage organ failure, for others behavioral issues. If your pet does not enrich your life, I'd make an appointment with a veterinarian for euthanasia. Taking the cat to "the pound" typically is just a way to shift the burden.

ETA: also, what Daniel said.

[Lute Skywatcher]

The only real problem animal I had recently was a cockatiel. He kept biting his mate's feet whenever she wasn't in the mood and he was. Other than that, he was just fine. I ended up putting an ad in the local free weekly and he got a new home, hopefully one without any female birds.

[Uvula Donor]

Wow. You've tolerated that for three years? Whatever your final decision, you're a saint. I would have put a bullet in that damn thing years ago were I in your situation.

[stretch]

We too have a Bad Cat. He doesn't like anybody he lives with. Though strangers will get the loving cat treatment, he's only buttering them up to torture them later should they stay in the house. He sprays inside, and is generally grumpy.

He's 12 years old now and has been a grump for the last 10 years--when we moved into town from the boones and turned him into an indoor only cat. We haven't rehomed him because he is incredibly attached to our dog and he's got these issues that we don't want to inflict on others. Instead we compromised and let him go back to being an outdoor cat three years ago. Since then his disposition has improved so it was a win for everyone.

Of course, the other two cats wonder why they don't get to go outside, too. I made a deal with the other male cat--he can be the next outdoor kitty if the Bad Cat ever dies. Being as he's a cat, I'm not sure he understands we have a deal. The girl indoor cat doesn't really want to go outside, she just wants to be able to go outside.

[Cat Whisperer]

I love cats, and animals in general, and I think you should find a new home for your cat, or else have her put down. Animals *are* individuals, and I think you've got yourself a little sociopath there. We recently visited Jim's grandpa, who has a cat that we hadn't seen since he was a kitten. He has grown up into a real asshole of a cat - if he was my cat, I'd get rid of him, too. He sounds a lot like your cat. Miserable little sod.

[Bridget Burke]

Have you had cats before? Or is this your first one?

[levdrakon]

OP, is the cat outdoor or indoor or both? If you live in an apartment on the 10th floor of a highrise, I guess my suggestion won't work.

But, if the cat has access to the outside, I'd start letting the cat outside more and more. Maybe it'll abandon you on it's own.

Maybe this is a controversial suggestion, but in my experience, the best cats are ones which adopt you, not the other way around. Cats often really resent getting adopted. The cat may hate your guts for adopting her, but she could wander up to someone else's house, purr demurely and become the greatest cat ever. For someone else.

I'm not saying abandon your cat. Just give her the opportunity to abandon you.

My last cat adopted me and he'd obviously been neutered, cared for, socialized to humans - even had fantastic house manners. He just didn't like wherever it was he came from and decided he really liked me, my yard, and my house. I didn't steal him from anyone, he was free to go anytime, but he chose my house and that was pretty much that.

[Auntbeast]

My dog adopted a cat once. She would herd the cat into the house. The cat wasn't having it.

I'm actually surprised at the support you are getting for this, from what I've seen of other pet threads, they quickly devolve into hot, stinkin' messes.

I have an overdeveloped since of "I got myself into this mess-itis." and have had to get rid of a dog. I tried freakin' everything known to mankind to get the dog to stop peeing on the floor. She just wouldn't stop. I had gotten her from the pound and she was overdue to be euthanized, she had been overlooked, so I had the added guilt of that on top of a small apartment that smelled like dog pee constantly.

I found a no-kill shelter for her and made sure they knew she needed to be an outside dog, no matter how small, fluffy and white she was. She was flat out unable to be house trained. I still feel bad, but some things you can't fix. The important thing is you find a solution that is best for you AND your cat.

[Kalhoun]

My SIL kept two perfectly dreadful cats. When she died, I was all for the Dirt Nap for both of 'em, but we found a shelter right here in the 'hood that will keep asshole cats for the rest of their natural lives...segregated from the rest of the cats, if necessary.

If you don't have that option, I vote for Dirt Nap. I mean, who else would want an asshole cat?

[nevermore]

Thank you, everyone, for all your encouraging responses. I was expecting a lot of "OMG horrible selfish cat killarrrrrrrrrrr!!!", but I'm pleasantly surprised at how understanding you all have been. A coworker of mine overheard me saying I was considering putting her down if I can't give her away, and she was just morally outraged; she seems to think that we should suffer merrily away into eternity together if no one else will take her. But it's not as if I'm just callously throwing her off a bridge... I have made a real attempt to live with her and deal with her problems, and now I'm making the very difficult decision to admit defeat.

To answer some of the questions/comments here--

Litoris, it's funny you should bring that up, because she actually IS allergic to something, but I don't think that's what causes her to act the way she does. She gets little scabs on and around her head, which the vet says are due to a flea allergy, and they go away when I give her flea medicine. She was a monster before she ever started getting those, though.

alice, we actually tried that, and though she seems to enjoy the company of another cat, her eliminating issues have gotten many times worse. Since we got the other cat, we're lucky if she goes in the box 50% of the time. We have two boxes, but the other cat seems to like using both rather than just hers, whereas Shady (the bad cat) goes in hers only, but only about half the time-- the other half being wherever she damn well pleases.

vetbridge (and others): I think you're right. I hadn't looked at it that way, but it really would be sort of an out-of-sight out-of-mind solution to give her to a shelter. No one wants to adopt an animal who's crouched in the corner hissing and spitting. She'd end up being killed anyway, but only after a period of caged torture.

Bridget, yes, I've had cats before. Why do you ask?

levdrakon, she's never even been out except to go to the vet. And while it's a nice notion, I don't think it's entirely realistic to assume that letting her run away would result in her finding a new owner. More likely she'd hide until hunger forced her out, and then either get hit by a car, be eaten by a dog, or slowly die of starvation. That's not the kind of death I'd want for even this beast of a cat.

[Jodi]

Thank you, everyone, for all your encouraging responses. I was expecting a lot of "OMG horrible selfish cat killarrrrrrrrrrr!!!", but I'm pleasantly surprised at how understanding you all have been. A coworker of mine overheard me saying I was considering putting her down if I can't give her away, and she was just morally outraged . . . .

Then tell her to take the cat to save it from death. And if she won't, tell her to STFU.

[Sunrazor]

I euthanize a few animals a day. For some, it is end stage organ failure, for others behavioral issues. If your pet does not enrich your life, I'd make an appointment with a veterinarian for euthanasia. Taking the cat to "the pound" typically is just a way to shift the burden.

ETA: also, what Daniel said.(jumps up and down waving hand)

See? See?

[OtakuLoki]

Then tell her to take the cat to save it from death. And if she won't, tell her to STFU.


*ding ding*

Revenge, and gets you out of a bad situation all at once! :D


Seriously, after three years, any chance you might have bonded with the animal seems to be gone. I'm inclined towards the position that as long as you don't abandon the animal, now, to a life as a feral critter, you'll have acted as a responsible pet owner. That includes, trying to find a new owner (with full disclosure, of course), taking the cat to the pound, or euthanizing it at home or through your vet. As others have said, you've made an honest attempt to live with Hellcat, you don't owe it, nor yourself, anything more.

[shamrock227]

I am an animal lover and very dedicated to my pets and three years is way more time than I could have given to a cat like that.

Don't discount the shelter right off. There is a chance that you two just aren't a good fit for some reason.

My Samantha was in and out of the shelter 3 times (apparently, she was abandoned all three times) and was there for just over a year when I adopted her. It is still a puzzle to me why she was repeatedly abandoned and why no one adopted her for so long. She is just the cutest, sweetest, most cuddly little spoiled brat anyone could ever ask for in a cat.

So it's very possible that while she's a hellcat to you she might just be a cuddly sweetheart to someone else. (No reflection on you, of course, sometimes it just works out that way).

[Creaky]

Okay, where do you live? I can't stand the thought of a kitty cat being euthanized or taken to the pound, no matter how heinous she is. I think I'd be willing to try and work out any emotional problems. I no longer have my cat Miss Fritters as she went to live with my boyfriend, who no longer lives with me. Miss Fritters was pretty bad... bitey, scratchy and generally disfunctional, but we got along okay. I still love her very much and enjoy visiting. If you want to send me your kitty, she would be the only kitty in the house and would be really spoiled.

Would this kitty transport easily? I'm serious. I live in Maryland.

[Rilchiam]

As for getting rid of the animal, you could do the country thing and shoot the cat in the head, the city thing and take it to the vet to be put down or of course, craigslist is always an option.

Or the suburban thing: Drive out to the boondocks and leave the cat at the side of the road. Ta-da, you can say you took him to the farm and it's technically not a lie.

Sad story: When I was a kid, people used to do that quite a lot on our road. We took the cats; the people across the way took to dogs. One day, we got a call from Mrs. Across the Way, telling us not to be alarmed when we heard a rifle shot. They'd found a dog in the forest, you see, and a day later, determined he was hurt too bad to save. So they had to do the country thing, as you say. But at least the dog was fed and watered before he died. He spent his last night indoors, and was cuddled and had his ears scratched before the final curtain.

Otaku, why do you mention revenge? Do you know of some history between nevermore and the co-worker?

[Cowgirl Jules]

I euthanize a few animals a day. For some, it is end stage organ failure, for others behavioral issues. If your pet does not enrich your life, I'd make an appointment with a veterinarian for euthanasia. Taking the cat to "the pound" typically is just a way to shift the burden.

Thirded. I've put down an animal for behavioral problems (after quite a bit of work with her first, so get off my back y'all.)

I put her down for several reasons:

1) I do not believe in passing my problems along to someone else. I accepted the responsibility for that animal, and if I failed in raising a decent pet, then it's also my responsibility to take care of that.

2) I've worked in shelters. Many, many pets get killed in shelters too. That's a cop-out if it's an unadoptable animal, and takes the place of an animal that may have a chance at a good life.

3) The animal was miserable, I was miserable, my family was miserable... life's too stinking short to live like that.

You put the animal down, it's an uncomfortable decision, but opens up room for a good pet. I'd rather spend my limited resources on a pet that makes me happy. YMMV.

[Dangerosa]

We had one "bad cat" put down at a shelter - bitchy kitty from Hell. But he wasn't even made available for adoption. Took him in, explained he had litterbox issues and behavioral issues, they said "we can't adopt him out, he'll be put to sleep today" I said "that's reasonable. They charged me a "donation fee" that covered the blue juice and disposal. I added on a donation to double it.

[nevermore]

Okay, where do you live? I can't stand the thought of a kitty cat being euthanized or taken to the pound, no matter how heinous she is. I think I'd be willing to try and work out any emotional problems. I no longer have my cat Miss Fritters as she went to live with my boyfriend, who no longer lives with me. Miss Fritters was pretty bad... bitey, scratchy and generally disfunctional, but we got along okay. I still love her very much and enjoy visiting. If you want to send me your kitty, she would be the only kitty in the house and would be really spoiled.

Would this kitty transport easily? I'm serious. I live in Maryland.

I don't know if she'd do anything easily, but I'm sure it could be done. We could figure something out, I'm sure, and if it wasn't outrageous I could probably take on whatever it costs.

If you are serious about this, I will love you for life. I have some pictures of her if you're interested:

Shady 1 (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v347/ravenjetticon/?action=view&current=P1000177.jpg)

Shady 2 (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v347/ravenjetticon/?action=view&current=P1000191.jpg)

Shady 3 (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v347/ravenjetticon/?action=view&current=P1000210.jpg)

Shady 4 (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v347/ravenjetticon/?action=view&current=P1000400.jpg)

She's gorgeous, I know. That's why it sucks.

edit: I live in Austin, TX. Loooooong way from Maryland. :(

[elfkin477]

We never had a bad cat, but we did have a Bad Dog. My brother's first dog, a samoyed, turned out to be totally incompatable with my family. Mostly because we wanted living chickens and ducks, and she decided to go on a spur of the moment killing spree.

We lost 5 ducks, half the chickens, and gave the dog to a new home within 3 days. I wouldn't have been torn up if we'd had her put down instead, but we did manage to find her a bird-less home immediately, so she lucked out.

[Creaky]

I don't know if she'd do anything easily, but I'm sure it could be done. We could figure something out, I'm sure, and if it wasn't outrageous I could probably take on whatever it costs.


That is totally a pretty kitty, and in one of those photos she does indeed look scary. But let's see. Check your email! :)

[OtakuLoki]

Otaku, why do you mention revenge? Do you know of some history between nevermore and the co-worker?


I was just thinking of revenge for the asshatery of her comments on the situation. More a matter of letting the 'punishment fit the crime,' rather than any other actual crime.

[CrankyAsAnOldMan]

God, that is one beautiful cat.

I hope this long-distance adoption thing works out.

If it doesn't, my $.02 is that it would be cruel to give it to the shelter, even a no-kill shelter. The thing is obviously unhappy and probably mentally ill. In addition to passing the buck, as vetbridge said, you're also going to be putting the cat through stress and confusion by sending it to a new home, possibly a chaotic stressful one, for the rest of its life (whether that life ends in a few weeks, at a regular shelter; or for years at a no-kill shelter). Or what if it (somehow!) gets adopted from the shelter by someone who is less patient than you were when the problems emerge again, and they abuse it, or abandon it somewhere?

Don't do that to your cat. I think it is kinder and more humane to have it put down. Not because you're a mean person, but because the cat is clearly not happy, not capable of being a pet, and deserves a peaceful end to its misery.

[Cat Whisperer]

I <snip>
edit: I live in Austin, TX. Loooooong way from Maryland. :(
This sounds like a job for....KITTEN RAILROAD!!!! I suggest you or Creaky start a thread looking for Dopers to pick up, transport, and hand off the kitty from Austin to Maryland. (We've discussed this idea in previous kitten threads - here's a great chance to see if it could actually work!)

[nevermore]

This sounds like a job for....KITTEN RAILROAD!!!! I suggest you or Creaky start a thread looking for Dopers to pick up, transport, and hand off the kitty from Austin to Maryland. (We've discussed this idea in previous kitten threads - here's a great chance to see if it could actually work!)

lolz. Only dopers could come up with something like this. :p

As a general update, I talked with my girlfriend last night, and we decided that putting her down is not a viable option for us. When she's bad, she's very very bad, but when she's good, she's... not so bad. She has a few redeemable qualities (she does not hiss ALL day, and she does occasionally purr when petted), and I really do think she could make a good pet for someone with more patience and/or experience with grouchy cats. I think also that her elimination problems would get a lot better in a household with either no cats, or cats that are brought up from day one to use a different litterbox.

So, we're going to try really hard to find her a home here in Austin. I've posted an ad on craigslist and in one of the local publications, and I've already gotten a few responses. If the free stuff doesn't work, I'll pay for an ad in the actual newspaper, which probably gets higher readership than any free alternative. If that doesn't work, I'll move on to stuff in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and other places.

If after all that, I still can't find someone who wants her, well, maybe Creaky and I will be the first to try the kitty railroad! ;)

[Beaucarnea]

This sounds like a job for....KITTEN RAILROAD!!!! I suggest you or Creaky start a thread looking for Dopers to pick up, transport, and hand off the kitty from Austin to Maryland. (We've discussed this idea in previous kitten threads - here's a great chance to see if it could actually work!)

I'm in for 250 miles in the Southeast- anywhere from the Carolinas, Tennesee, and Virginia if you can't find a local home. (Maybe you could explain the same behavior issues in your local ad- there are plenty of crazy cat ladies (and fellas) who might step up to the challenge of making friends with demonkitty.)

[EmAnJ]

I had a female cat that was a total bitch, even had the sneer down pat. When I moved into my new house I asked my mom to take her for good, which she did. My mother has three other cats, and kitty was a terror to them, plus she would pee on clothes or beds.

Finally, after about a year, my mom caught her peeing (she's pretty covert) and noticed the pee was pinkish, so she took her to the vet. Turned out she had a pretty nasty and long lasting bladder issue that medication fixed up, and now she's a doll.

So maybe consider taking it to the vet to check it for health issues as well.

[Sailboat]

This sounds like a job for....KITTEN RAILROAD!!!!

lolz. Only dopers could come up with something like this. :p

Well, actually, my wife was involved with a loose group of volunteers who drove "legs" of long interstate journeys to move kittens from kill shelters to places where adoptive families had been identified. I can't remember the name of the group. I myself got asked to drive a leg or two when things got super busy. We called it the Kitten Underground Railroad...underground because some shelters are quite picky about adopting, and would have frowned on the interstate aspect.

I briefly googled for the group but instead came across this little piece of recreational outrage: click here if you can handle an outrageous story about bad people that ended well (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/crime/stories/MYSA061507.1A.tracks.kitten.37cb598.html)

Sailboat

[Dung Beetle]

This sounds like a job for....KITTEN RAILROAD!!!! I suggest you or Creaky start a thread looking for Dopers to pick up, transport, and hand off the kitty from Austin to Maryland. (We've discussed this idea in previous kitten threads - here's a great chance to see if it could actually work!)
I don't remember hearing about this before, but if we ever get a chance to play...I want in!

[Rick]

Shady 2 (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v347/ravenjetticon/?action=view&current=P1000191.jpg)
Jesus Christ that is Bucky Katt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Fuzzy) from Get Fuzzy.Bucky Katt is selfish, cynical, and lazy. His ears are nearly always drawn laid back flat on his head in a defiant, aggressive and unfriendly manner. He is also as stupid as he is unfriendly, at one time his I.Q. was estimated by Rob to be 1 after he finished a "smart test" in a magazine... Bucky is frequently depicted as possessing an abundance of disagreeable feline traits, such as anti-social tendencies, delight in random destruction and violence, hostility, and selfishness.

[Litoris]

I was going to suggest a kitty railroad, but I see it was already suggested. From the pictures, it looks like said cat is a Siamese/Siamese mix. That's really just their personality -- they're bitches. Takes a certain kind of person to live with them. I have had a couple, and I loved their hateful nature -- so much like me. They do make excellent mousers/barncats given the chance, though, so keep that option in mind.

[Cat Whisperer]

"Get Fuzzy" hijack -
Jesus Christ that is Bucky Katt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Fuzzy) from Get Fuzzy.
Do you remember the one where Bucky was caught snuggling with Rob? I've been reading the strip for years, and I think that was the one time that Bucky was anything less than a little psychopath. I love the depiction of Bucky as having no redeeming qualities whatsoever. :D

[Creaky]

So, we're going to try really hard to find her a home here in Austin. I've posted an ad on craigslist and in one of the local publications, and I've already gotten a few responses. If the free stuff doesn't work, I'll pay for an ad in the actual newspaper, which probably gets higher readership than any free alternative. If that doesn't work, I'll move on to stuff in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and other places.

nevermore, you are a wonderful, fabulous person.

nevermore and I have been exchanging emails. I was so relieved to know that Shady will be given another chance! I wrote nevermore the tale of my kitty, Miss Fritters and how my boyfriend and I had a similar experience with our poor antisocial kitty (and rightly so; she'd had a lousy life until Jeff adopted her). We too were really frustrated, but for a variety of reasons we were able to modify her truly heinous behaviors enough to uncover her really cool spunky personality. So we kept her and we get along great. My boyfriend and my parents and I share custody and Miss Fritters loves the attention.

So.... three cheers for nevermore for first trying to find a home for Kitty locally, because she also wants to make sure firsthand that Shady gets a good home. She also wants to be able to visit.

I can in all seriousness stand by if things ultimately don't work out. The Kitten Railroad is a cool idea. If Shady needs to come to Maryland in the end, we'll find a way.

Also, nevermore, I can split the cost with you of any advertising you end up doing if need be. You have no idea how wonderful and compassionate you are and that is a small price to pay for such kindness.