So I filled out the application, turned it in, warned my friends that they’d be getting calls inquiring about my qualifications as a cat owner and to resist making jokes concerning Koreans and eating dog. It took a WEEK for the agency to get back to me. They said they’d been busy, but that they appreciated my persistence. They asked about my previous vet and my roommate a bit, and told me they’d call me back by Thursday or Friday (this was Monday).
Well, it’s Friday. And no call. I called them this afternoon, and no one picked up. I then (regretfully) informed them that unless they got back to me by tomorrow, I would assume that they had not approved my application and that I would seek an adoption elsewhere.
I really, really want that kitten, but this is ridiculous. You’d think they would meet me at least halfway if they wanted that cat to have a good home.
(PS - Kyla, I live right next to that Borders, near Lawrence and Wilson )
This is insane. I volunteer as a foster parent for a rescue group here, and have somewhat mixed feelings about the adoption process (and the funds allocation, but I won’t go into that). We certainly don’t do credit checks, and we respond immediately to adoption requests, but one of the cat ladies insists on doing home checks, and doesn’t want to approve applications if the people have too much nice furniture or breakable things because she’s worried that if those things get damaged the cat will be punished or something. Lunacy. I have a feeling that we’re going to have issues when it’s time to adopt out my new foster kittens.
I think the problem you run into with these save the animals groups are that often the only people passionate enough to start and run such an organization are just a tiny bit crazy. Despite disagreeing with the polices of the one I volunteer for, I don’t especially want to start my own shelter, you know? And in the end, a lot of good is done. I hope you get your kitten, **HazelNutCoffee. **These groups, odd as they may be, really need the money (ours does, anyway).
HazelNutCoffee, there is a shelter out in the NW suburbs called Kay’s Animal Shelter (I think it’s in Arlington Heights). We always adopted our cats from there…they are terrific, but don’t make you jump through quite so many hoops. If you have a car to get out there, I would highly recommend them.
There are rescue organizations that seem to have as their main goal finding homes for animals.
There are rescue organizations that seem to have as their main goal judging potential families and deciding that if you won’t raise your animal in the same way they would, you are obviously a bad person and undeserving of the animals in their care.
The first sort of rescue agency does good work. The second sort drives people to puppy mills and Craig’s List “kittens in a box because we didn’t bother to fix our cat.”
Wow. My family adopted a kitten from the Humane Society 20 years ago–we had to pay $15 and promise to have it fixed when it was old enough (which we did). I think if the words “credit check” or “home visit” had come up, Mom would have said, “Forget it!” (and that kitten would have died 16 years before its time…it was not a “no-kill” shelter.)
Would a shelter really rather put a kitty to sleep than send it to a home with nice furniture and breakables? Are human adoption agencies turned off by that sort of thing?
My roommate and I went to the Anti-Cruelty Society today and got her a cat. They are much more efficient and helpful than Precious Pets is. They took our application, interviewed us, checked our lease, went over the rules, then gave us the cat. It took less than an hour.
I thought about getting a cat there as well, but I decided to stick it out a bit more. If it takes this long for everyone I imagine that a lot of people grow frustrated and give up in the middle, and this kitten deserves a good home, not that tiny cage it’s cooped up in at Petsmart.
Well, if it’s a Russian Blue, I would probably stick it out, too. We adopted one from Kay’s when I was a kid and he was the best cat ever. A GREAT personality, and beautiful, too.
It is really a shame that some rescues not only seem to be disorganised but the ones that are that way have way to many limits on who they will allow to adopt.
If you really have your heart set on that kitten then I would hold a little longer. I hope it all works out for you.
This kind of story makes me sad. I married into a family of purebred dog owners, and I’m looking forward to the day when I can bring home a loveable mutt and let them see how wonderful it feels to save an unwanted animal. Maybe I’m biased, but I grew up with dogs that had been rescued from shelter fate, and it’s stuck with me. I can’t wait until I’ve got the home space to adopt a dog of my own, so I can empathize.
Anyway, HazelNutCoffee, you’re very admirable for sticking it out, and you totally deserve the cat. Best of luck.
Hmmm, I did one of those petstore rescue adoptions recently and I think I just gave generic answers like “I expect to spend about what I do on my other two pets”. One of the questions on my application was “how will you keep your cat entertained?” and “how did you choose this cat”?
To the first I said something like “lots of cat toys” and to the second I said “I didn’t, she chose me” (true story, she got me from across a huge pet food warehouse, the way a sharpshooter from the old west guns down a bad guy!).
As to the “what if your pet develops bad habits” question (similar to your litterbox one), I think I answered something to the effect of going to the experts and the vet.
Please keep in mind that many shelters and rescues are run 100% by volunteers who have full-time jobs (or two or three), families, school, etc. It is possible they are not getting back to you quickly because they are understaffed and overfilled with animals needing attention.
I know ideally they’d get back to you quickly; just keep in mind it’s not possible all the time. The majority of shelters I’ve ever worked with (in 15 years of rescue work) are only concerned with getting the best possible home for the cat and aren’t psycho about it. But most of these places have no money and no employees and depend on volunteers for EVERYTHING. Volunteers who aren’t getting paid sometimes think it’s okay to just disappear at the last minute, or just don’t think that this is a job even though they aren’t receiving a salary, and it’s just as important to show up for volunteering as it is at their “real” job. And sometimes things get backed up from this.
Good luck finding a kitty; I am sure you will end up with a wonderful one.
I adopted my kitty from the North Shore Animal League, and they had quite a thick application. They called for references! But the entire process still only took about an hour. The things you’re describing are ridiculous.
My favorite question was “Where will your cat sleep?”
Well, it’s a cat, so my response was “Probably everywhere.”
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