# Adoption Centre Denied Me



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

thought i do something special and adopt a kitten (fee is $150) rather than getting a free one, so the shelter could make more room for homeless cats this cold winter. i was thinking of getting a kitten for the past 2 years but i always had girlfriends who were allergic, but i get denied because...

1. my cat i have now is 11 years old and considered a senior citizen and a kitten would torment my cat, stressing out my cat and causing behaviour problems to my kitten because apparently they get confuse when they don't have a companion to play with (i had 3 cats in the past, one time i had a kitten with a 19 year old cat and had no problems). Apparently an animal is the only companion and not humans which is pretty dumb. What about the millions of people who buy only one kitten? Are cats not naturally independent?

2. my 8 week old puppy may kill the kitten which would never happen because for one thing, does anyone ever leave a young puppy unsupervise? when i had a puppy awhile ago, i literally would take the puppy wherever i go and at night i put the baby gate up so it doesn't poop in the wrong places. this puppy we're getting grew up in a farm in Germany with kittens and outdoor cats. I mean when you get a puppy its a very exciting time, everybody wants to be with the puppy, when could a puppy get the opportunity to kill a 10 week old kitten? DON'T People introduce kittens and puppies at young age to get them to become best friends ALL THE TIME?!

my family has adopted 4 cats in the past and have clean records with multiple vets (regular vets and the emergency vet, they love us as pet owners, in fact they sent us christmas cards this year). i understand that they do these interviews and applications to weed out the potential bad owners but are you serious? people can be so stupid sometimes.


----------



## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Have they not seen the movie Milo & Otis?!?!!!!!


----------



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

Will Hayward said:


> Have they not seen the movie Milo & Otis?!?!!!!!


clearly not!

they must've only seen "Cats and Dogs"


----------



## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Torment your cat? confuse the kitten??? wow just sounds stupid.


----------



## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Now you know how to "properly" answer their questions for next time:

"My beloved 12 year old cat died this past spring and I want to get a kitten again. I don't have any other pets. I work from home and have had cats in the home since I was a boy..."


----------



## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

lol sorry to laugh.

I'm really suprised you were denied, especially with the over population of cats. I know it's not the way you want to go but take a look on kijiji I guess. You could still be helping someone out by taking in their cat I suppose. There's tons of free cat ads.


----------



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

that's why they are in the situation they are in. I know there are lots of people out there who arn't as responsible but my god.. I would never be able to get one either. I have a child under five.

Both of my cats are from accident litters offered through work. All of my moms cats are store cats but from smaller stores. Pretty sure they were drop off litters too.

We did try to do the adoption process as well but because I had to work, (I was a teen with inflexible and long hours) I couldnt make it. My mom, dad, sister and brother were all there. We had just lost our 19 year old cat and they denied us all because I wasn't there.

:/

I am not sure where you tried to go, but there are lots of cat rescues out there that are looking to rehome adult cats. Lots of these cats are fantastic and loveable and they are stuck outside in this cold winter. 

Toronto Cat rescue is a place you could try if you haven't. There is also a shelter somewhere on progress that always has lovely cats and kittens.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

This is what happens when you deal with people who think they know more than everyone else. Or maybe they slavishly follow an outdated guideline. Kitten would torment your cat? It would get confused? Your puppy will kill the kitten? What utter nonsense!

I agree with what 50seven says. Just BS your way through it. It's unfortunate, but that's what you have to do.


----------



## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

I saw alot of ads in Kijiji giving away alot of free kitten, back home in indonesia, cats and dogs are falling off the roof all the time...no shortage of cats and dogs owner there. You don't need to adopt them, if you are willing to feed them, they're yours lol


----------



## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey they are just like you with the rats, They don't want the animals to go to the wrong home. So why is it so hard for you to take?


----------



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

Ciddian said:


> that's why they are in the situation they are in. I know there are lots of people out there who arn't as responsible but my god.. I would never be able to get one either. I have a child under five.


we've gotten a kitten when my brother was under five, and no problem. problem is its always just ONE toddler that ruins it for everyone by accidentally hurting an animal.



TBemba said:


> Hey they are just like you with the rats, They don't want the animals to go to the wrong home. So why is it so hard for you to take?


thing is with rats, people feed them to other animals

i gave the numbers of my regular vet and my emergency vet, i thought they would call them and ask them about us and especially now would've been a good time. my dog passed away after fighting stomach problems the past month so we were at both clinics regularly for operations and rehabbing the dog. both vets knew when it came to our pets money was no option and we pumped out thousands to keep our dog alive. these vets love us as pet owners and even send us christmas cards every year, i mean what better reccomendation than that of a veterinarian!


----------



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

50seven said:


> Now you know how to "properly" answer their questions for next time:
> 
> "My beloved 12 year old cat died this past spring and I want to get a kitten again. I don't have any other pets. I work from home and have had cats in the home since I was a boy..."


too be honest im a horrible liar, even though this interview was over email 

but they won't give a kitten unless you take 2 for proper socializing...

cats are independent, its a reason why they easily go feral.


----------



## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

I think they can only do so much. They don't know you personally so I wouldn't take it that way. But it is good to know they are at least screening people.
See how others chimed in and said just lie, Well they have probably had their share of this happening and then they see the animal back.

Who says you can't feed a cat to a snake? I knew a guy that had a python that was huge. He ended up giving it to the zoo. He was feeding it cute fluffy bunnies. It probably would have been able to eat a medium size dog.


----------



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

solarz said:


> This is what happens when you deal with people who think they know more than everyone else. Or maybe they slavishly follow an outdated guideline. Kitten would torment your cat? It would get confused? Your puppy will kill the kitten? What utter nonsense!.


thing is, most people reccomend if you have an older cat, to get a kitten because its non-threatening and to the older cat, where most fights occur between same sex same aged cats.

and i explained to them my puppy is never left unsupervised, you have to keep an eye on him especially with our christmas lights everywhere and nice shoes just looking so appetizing to feast on. my mom works at home and she has an assistant but we even told her just keep the puppy company whenever we're at school. however i am on my break for the next 3 weeks which is why watching over a bunch of furballs is not going to be a problem.

i had cats and dogs before no problem.


----------



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

TBemba said:


> I think they can only do so much. They don't know you personally so I wouldn't take it that way. But it is good to know they are at least screening people.
> See how others chimed in and said just lie, Well they have probably had their share of this happening and then they see the animal back.


that is exactly what happens and their reasoning why they do that. but i mean they asked for my vets contact info and you would think a vet would know since they keep record of the times we check in and the health of our pets


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

TBemba said:


> I think they can only do so much. They don't know you personally so I wouldn't take it that way. But it is good to know they are at least screening people.
> See how others chimed in and said just lie, Well they have probably had their share of this happening and then they see the animal back.


You would think that they'd apply some common sense to their screening guidelines. Why do you *have* to already have one cat in order to adopt a kitten? That socializing crap is ridiculous. The majority of cat owners have only 1 cat! What's next, you have to have a pack of dogs in order to adopt a puppy? Hey, dogs are pack animals!

Puppies killing kittens? Seriously, what world do they live in?

The way they have these ludicrous guidelines just turns off the honest folk and rewards the dishonest.


----------



## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

solarz said:


> You would think that they'd apply some common sense to their screening guidelines. Why do you *have* to already have one cat in order to adopt a kitten? That socializing crap is ridiculous. The majority of cat owners have only 1 cat! What's next, you have to have a pack of dogs in order to adopt a puppy? Hey, dogs are pack animals!
> 
> Puppies killing kittens? Seriously, what world do they live in?
> 
> The way they have these ludicrous guidelines just turns off the honest folk and rewards the dishonest.


To tell you the truth, I have found that some SPCA's are more strict then others. I was at one and they wanted all this information and references etc.. I ended up walking out. I felt I was being interrogated. months later I went to another SPCA and they wanted me to take the dog that minute and just sign my name and pay them the cash? so go figure.

I passed both times. A dog is certainly a huge responsibility and if you're single it is impossible to give them the attention they deserve IMO.

But I can see there point. Just look on Kijiji there are a lot of people trying to get rid of a puppy or a kitten because well they have another animal at home and this new addition is just not going to work out.

I think they should make you fill out the form pay your money and they hold the animal for a certain length of time and if you still want the animal then they release it too you.

I also think that if you want to breed your animal then you have to get a license and pay $1000 for it. Every dog should be $2000 and every cat $1000 and 50% off if you have proof of them being fixed.
Lets face it cats & dogs cost $$ to provide proper care and if you can't pay this price then you are definitely not going to be able to properly care for your new pet

Just way to many poor discarded animals out there IMO.


----------



## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

Not just cats and dogs, fish too!


----------



## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

bigfishy said:


> Not just cats and dogs, fish too!


With Fish it is down right Criminal how people treat them.


----------



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

TBemba said:


> But I can see there point. Just look on Kijiji there are a lot of people trying to get rid of a puppy or a kitten because well they have another animal at home and this new addition is just not going to work out.
> 
> I think they should make you fill out the form pay your money and they hold the animal for a certain length of time and if you still want the animal then they release it too you.
> 
> ...


i dont disagree with most of their thinking, but i mean if i provide numbers of animal doctors who could tell you 1. yes they bring their pets regularly for checkups, emergencies and also precautionary visits and 2. yes their pets have a record of being healthy, with healthy weights, then how hard could it be just to make that call? and to see if im qualified?

i agree pets should cost more, honestly there is a lot of bad breeding in dogs too, its why my dog passed away and which is why the puppy we are getting is from a renown breeder in Germany and would've cost us $5 grand but her business partner who is a close friend of our family cut us a deal after hearing we lost our German shepherd.

I agree that there is a lot of crap going on there at animal shelters, i watch too much Animal Planet lol but honestly I provided the contact info of people (vets) who they could trust in giving a proper assessment whether I be qualified to adopt a kitten or not. I can't lie to these type of people at adoption centres because essentially they are giving away their babies.

and the thing is that the vet clinic is literally 10 mins away from them as well, so you think they would at least know of each other.


----------



## bae (May 11, 2007)

Different organizations have different rules. There are others you can go to. Try http://www.torontocatrescue.ca/ and http://www.toronto.ca/animal_services/pet_adoption.htm.

One advantage of Toronto Cat Rescue is that the cats are placed in foster homes, so a lot gets known about their background -- their personality, whether or not they get along with dogs and other cats, etc. A tiny kitten probably isn't the best choice for you, since even well-behaved puppies can be rougher than they realize, but a young cat, half a year to a year and a half, will be able to hold its own and be sociable enough to get along with a resident cat.

Another idea is to ask your veterinarians whether they know of anyone who has cats or kittens they want to find homes for. Many vets do a bit of this for their clients, who may have, for example, taken in a pregnant stray, or have to give up their cat for health or personal reasons.

Good luck!


----------



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

bae said:


> Different organizations have different rules. There are others you can go to. Try http://www.torontocatrescue.ca/ and http://www.toronto.ca/animal_services/pet_adoption.htm.


thanks for the links, they were really helpful


----------



## Guest (Dec 16, 2010)

I was going to weigh in on this one earlier but I think there is sufficient info on here. My wife and I volunteer for the Annex Cat Rescue (have for the last 7 years). I personally believe the adoption screening process is very well thought out and is compiled from many years of experience by many volunteers and is not just some arbitrary method or completely subjective reasons. The ACR has a series of steps that it takes when a potential adopter first contacts them about adopting a cat or kitten. It goes through the first contact (phone/email) who directs the inquiry to a screener which then goes to the foster home who ultimately uses quite a few guidelines to interview the potential adopter when they first meet the cat or kitten. The adopter if they are suitable must then wait 24 hours to thoroughly think out about and decide whether or not the feline they just met is right for them. The ACR, and the TCR for that matter, is not a shelter, but a group of dedicated volunteers who spend their own free time and money to try and make a small dent in the feral cat population.

Watch this documentary and you will see what these organizations actual do.


----------



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

h_s said:


> I was going to weigh in on this one earlier but I think there is sufficient info on here. My wife and I volunteer for the Annex Cat Rescue (have for the last 7 years). I personally believe the adoption screening process is very well thought out and is compiled from many years of experience by many volunteers and is not just some arbitrary method or completely subjective reasons. The ACR has a series of steps that it takes when a potential adopter first contacts them about adopting a cat or kitten. It goes through the first contact (phone/email) who directs the inquiry to a screener which then goes to the foster home who ultimately uses quite a few guidelines to interview the potential adopter when they first meet the cat or kitten. The adopter if they are suitable must then wait 24 hours to thoroughly think out about and decide whether or not the feline they just met is right for them. The ACR, and the TCR for that matter, is not a shelter, but a group of dedicated volunteers who spend their own free time and money to try and make a small dent in the feral cat population.
> 
> Watch this documentary and you will see what these organizations actual do.


Honestly I understand why there are guidelines, I mean there had to have been some bad stuff to have happened for them to put up guidelines. my beef was

1. older cat not proper companion for kitten- I had a cat that was 19 before introducing the Dinah and basically as long as you kept the kitten stimulated with toys and lots of love she is not going to torment the older cat as much. Yeah my cat is 11 years old and considered a senior citizen but she still has a lot of spunk left in her and still goes ninja on me if i dont keep my guard up. And why only other cats qualify as kitten companions? why not humans?

2. puppy may kill kitten? i understand that this happened before, and I know I cannot prove this to the adoption centre but I come from a home where the puppy has to be supervised at all times. its my parents only rule because you know when puppies are bored they get their noses in places they shouldn't be and unhappy parents means stricter rules. I know it seems a bit far fetch but the puppy is literally never is alone, whether he's with my mom who works at home or with my 3 siblings, theres too many wooden antiques lying around and stilettos that would've been demolished if it were not for one of us being there at all times.

3. i provided 2 veterinarians (one emergency and one regular) i mean are they not able to provide information (i guess with my permission) that would convince the adoption centre that we are good pet owners? im sure they can tell the adoption centre that we do take our pets regularly to the vet and they come in healthy because i am sure if our pets were badly in shape they tell the adoption centre "oh no they are horrible people". What other third party would be great than a qualified pet doctor?

I watch too much SPCA on Animal planet and I understand that there is a lot of animal cruelty, a lot of "impulse buys" and just irresponsible people. I have been wanting to get a kitten for the past 2 years, the only thing that stopped me before was that my girlfriends at the time were allergic (it seems alot of women are allergic). I understand if I didn't qualify because I was proven to be a irresponsible pet owner but because of my "senior" cat and my puppy disqualifies me? Because I am pretty sure not all cases where a new kitten becoming a companion with a senior cat/puppy ends in tragedy or a return.


----------



## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

I once brought home stray kitten and put her with my older 10+ cat...he ignored her, she went up to him and danced sideways in front of him and hissed at him....he ignored her! Finally he got fed up of her doing this and grabbed her put her on her back and leaned over her...she was virtually under his belly but he wasn't hurting her. Then he let her go....later that day what do I find....he's asleep on the carpet and she's curled up against his side...they were like that for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes the Establishment gets a bit carried away with the rules and regulations, and forget that a Loving home with other animals of different ages, shows that this puppy/kitten would have a VERY good chance of a great life.....better than in some cold cage!

I spent 1/2 hour yesterday with my fingers thru the bars petting the kittens in petsmart...telling them that someone would come soon and get them....wish it was ME! My apartment owner doesn't allow them, and I want one soooo badly, ask for one every year for Christmas! Guess I will have to move 

But then again I have 20 tanks of water that a kitten could fall into and drown...yikes!


----------



## redrobster (Mar 3, 2010)

*Somepeople*

That doesn't surprise me in the least, I went to the Toronto Humane Society last year to try and adopt a Guinea Pig for my son ( I think it would have cost me over $40 bucks) while I could have bought one at PJs for $20. Anyway we were turned down during the "adoption" screening process,because as they put it "they didn't think we were a good fit, and our house was not a suitable environment ( 2 dogs, and 2 cats and good thing I didn't mention all the fish). So we left ,shaking our heads, just baffled at the stupidity,Oh and did I mention ,my wife's a veterinarian.


----------



## shiver905 (Nov 2, 2010)

I remember When I wanted to adopt a cat.

I talked with this lady about this cat i wanted. Several times.

Everything was a go ahead..
So I went out and bought everything the lady recommended and drove down 1H30min. 

(I remember it was a group of ladies doing this cat rescue thing in their spare time) Somewhere around the GTA.

I get in, The were scared to open the door and let me in, When I explained I was the person here for the cat, They let me in. Then they tell me, Oh the cat just got sick. In the past 1h30Min.

I was pissed, Im shure they didnt like the way I looked, I can honestly say it was a skin color thing and I have a few NON offensive visible tatoos.

Pissed me off,

But then I adopted my cat *Carmelo a few weeks later, Hes one happy human owner. 

LOL

Sometimes i really think he owns me, He headbutts me off my computer chair to take a nap.


----------

