This is too important not to share.

I posted this note on Facebook this evening.  I also wanted to share it here because, well, it’s just too important not to share.  People need to be made aware!

First off, before I go any further, I’d like to say that I have a lot of friends who cross post for animals in need, and I have the utmost respect for them in trying to save animals from the death penalty.  I also have the utmost respect for those who volunteer their time in Shelters to help find new forever homes for the animals that come into their care.

 

However, our recent experience with adopting an animal wasn’t a happy one like it should have been – because the volunteer gave us the wrong information.  This is so so important.  If you volunteer in a shelter, or any other place where you are trying to find an animal a new home, PLEASE, make sure you give out the correct information to anyone who is interested in adopting from you!

Last Saturday, my husband and I went to a shelter in a big name pet store (Name of the store and shelter withheld) here in Canada, to adopt a cat.  We already have two female cats who get on extremely well together, and they are very social cats who love attention.

We saw a beautiful Orange Tabby cat with what we call rings on his tail and legs.  He was a 5 or 6 year old neutered male called Ginger.  As soon as we set eyes on Ginger, we knew he was ‘the one’.  The volunteer took us inside to meet him, and explained a little bit about his circumstances.  Ginger had been with one family all his life.  They had recently had to move, and their new apartment complex did not allow pets, so they took Ginger to the Shelter in the hopes that he would find a new home.  He had apparently been in the Shelter for 4 weeks when we saw him.

Ginger had a few issues with people due to his circumstances.  He was scared and stressed out.  The volunteer was delighted that we were interested in him.  She explained that he was currently not enjoying being touched by people and would lash out.  Indeed, both myself and my husband received a few well timed blows to our arms when we didn’t pay attention.  I asked her how he was with other cats, explaining that we had two females at home.  She said they thought he would be okay as he started to settle in. WRONG!   We were told to keep him in the pet carrier for an hour when we got home with a blanket over it, and then to let him out.  This was WRONG!  He should have been isolated for at least a week!  And after that, he should have only been allowed to see our cats, not have contact with them until the hissing and spitting had died down.

So, happy with our new pet, we paid the $145 adoption fee, and brought Ginger (renamed to Raffi) home with us.  We did as the Volunteer told us, put a blanket over the carrier, my cats circled it, sniffing and occasionally hissing, and then went into hiding.    When we let Raffi loose, he initially found a dark spot to hide, but as the afternoon turned to evening, he began to come out of his shell a little and explore.  Everything went well till late that night.  He caught sight of my youngest cat, chased her down and started attacking her.  I let out a yell that broke up the fight, and my youngest cat scooted back underneath my Recliner Chair.  An hour later, he did the same thing with my eldest cat.  Again, a yell from me broke up the fight.  But it left me wondering what I would wake up to on Sunday.

When I woke up on Sunday, all was quiet, but I did notice a trail of blood on my Dining Room floor.  Looking up, I found my youngest Cat on top of my kitchen cupboards (a favourite place of hers) but when I reached up my hand for her to sniff, she hissed at me.  VERY unlike her! She had a scratch at the side of her top lip that had been bleeding.  My husband later found a cut on her paw which explained the blood on the floor.  I went hunting for my older cat, found her behind the sofa and examined her.  She had a scratch on her nose that had also been bleeding.  She was shaking and crying, and I had to let her go.  She was scared and very stressed.

Over the weekend and into Monday, things got no better.  Raffi would attack the cats each time one of them showed their faces, and on Monday, I realized that he was also guarding the food and water dishes, and the litter trays too.  With that realization came the realization that because of that, my cats hadn’t been able to eat, drink, or poop since Saturday afternoon!  I felt terrible, like I’d let my babies down.  Food and water was put up on top of the cupboards in the kitchen for my youngest cat, who ate and drank with relish, then we shut Raffi in the bathroom so she could come down and use the litter tray.  However, she was so terrified she hissed at us and jumped straight back up on top of the cupboards and cowered there.  Things came to a head on Monday Evening.  Raffi caught sight of my eldest cat, and chased her again.  Only this time a yell didn’t break up the fight.  He followed her behind the sofa and began attacking her there.  Hearing her yowl and scream was a terrible noise to hear.  We pulled out the sofa and sprayed water over Raffi who finally gave up the attack and left her alone.

We realized then that there was no way we could keep him.  We talked and cried as we came to the heartbreaking decision that we would have to take him back to the Shelter.   Despite his awful attacks on our girls, we’d grown very attached to him.  He had come out of his shell with us and we’d been able to stroke him without him lashing out at us.  He was a gorgeous and intelligent cat, but he was too dominant and territorial to live with other cats.  This afternoon, we took Raffi back to the Shelter.  The lady who saw us at the store told us that the shelter volunteer was around, and went off to find him.  She came back and told us she couldn’t find him, so she called up the President of the shelter, explained that we’d brought him back and asked what she should do.  It was determined that she would unlock the Shelter, and take Raffi inside until the volunteer arrived.  She also told us her own personal feelings about Raffi – that she thought he should never have been allowed to go to a home with other cats.  He had apparently attacked and lashed out at her for standing by him, even though she wasn’t trying to touch him, and indeed, was paying no attention to him.  We said a sad goodbye to him, and left.

Not long after we arrived home, I received an email from the president of the shelter, telling me that she was shocked that we had returned him, that of course, it takes a while for cats to settle with other pets,and that he would no doubt be more stressed than ever now we had returned him.  The tone of her email implied that it was all our own fault.  I responded with a polite email explaining what had transpired, that we fully understood that it takes time for a new cat to settle, but that I wasn’t willing to put my girls lives at risk while he settled in. I told her how scared and traumatized my babies are, to the point of hissing at each other.  I also told her that I thought he needed to be in a one cat home, where he could be as territorial and dominant as he wished, because there would be no other cats to rile him.  She responded once more to explain that we would be reimbursed once they received the paperwork from us.  She also said that it stated on the paper on his kennel that he wasn’t good with other cats.  This was a straight up lie.  We reread that paper three times over!  And even if it HAD said that, why on earth would the volunteer let him go with us, knowing that we already had two cats??

This is not a hate filled note, nor is it intended as bad publicity (Remember, I haven’t named the store, or the Shelter).  This is to raise awareness on all levels.  If you volunteer at a Shelter, PLEASE, make sure the adopter has ALL the CORRECT INFORMATION.  This is crucial!  If for any reason, you think the animal won’t fit, then don’t let them go.  This is your responsibility.  If you’re planning to adopt a pet from a Shelter, ask as many questions as you can, and if there is ANY DOUBT WHATSOEVER, think twice.

Tonight, our home is quiet.  Our two girls are slowly coming out of their shells again.  Our eldest girl, Tara, is snoozing on the top of the sofa.  Its the first time we’ve seen her relaxed since Saturday.  Our youngest girl, Adina, is snoozing on a dining room chair.  It’s the first time she’s been down from the top of the cupboards since Saturday.  They can eat, drink and poop without fear.  But Raffi isn’t here.  He’s back in the Shelter, waiting, hoping for another chance.  And I feel guilty. Like I failed.  I failed him in that we couldn’t provide the home he so desperately wants and needs, and  I failed my girls in that I didn’t keep them safe.  It’s a horrible feeling.

My one hope for Raffi (or Ginger as he’s known to shelter staff) is that someone who sees him will experience the same ‘That’s the one!‘ feeling that we did, and that they have no other cats.  He deserves the same chance as every other animal out there looking for a new home.  This can only happen if Shelter Staff do their job properly.

If you know of anyone who is looking for a new family pet,  regardless of whether they already have pets or not, please direct them to this post first, so they can be fully aware of what might or might not happen when they go to choose a new pet.

Ciao.

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