never mind

Message edited 12/23/2011 1:14:35 AM.

Re: I'm just so close to taking the cat back to the shelter

worms are very very common in new pets and young pets and very easy to get rid of.

Re: I'm just so close to taking the cat back to the shelter

Worms are common in kittens. Try not to let it get you down. Find a good vet and get the worms treated properly. As for the shedding...well animals shed and it is never ending. My dog sheds year round and we have adjusted to it...it requires a bit more cleaning and full stock of lint rollers but we love him and put up with it. Adjusting to a new pet takes a bit of time. Give your self time to adjust.

Re: I'm just so close to taking the cat back to the shelter

It is always super stressful (in my experience) bringing home a new pet, and the first few days you get hit with the "oh God what did I do" feeling. I had it happen to me, even though I'm the biggest animal lover in the world and never thought I would have those feelings.

You need to give yourself a chance to relax and adjust. I'm sure it's harder to do that around the holidays because they can be stressful too... but listen, you made a commitment to give that cat a loving home. That includes taking care of its needs and giving it a real chance. Your DD loves it and the cat loves here, that alone gives you a good reason to give it a real shot. Animals shed, so yeah you might have hair around the house but there's really nothing you can do about that. I'm sure you knew that when you got the cat but were surprised by how much? Give yourself more time to get used to things, to get more comfortable and maybe get into a new cleaning routine if the hair bothers you, but please give this cat and yourself a chance rather than bringing it back to the shelter. I don't know what kind of shelter you got it from but seeing what happens to so many poor cats at the AC&C I would really try to make that a last resort.

Re: I'm just so close to taking the cat back to the shelter

As other said the first few days can be stressful.

The cat may also be shedding a lot because of stress. This is all new to her too! For the shedding get a furminator and use it! Brushing really helps...


Good luck.

Re: I'm just so close to taking the cat back to the shelter

Message edited 12/23/2011 1:07:07 AM.

Re: I'm just so close to taking the cat back to the shelter

Please read Dominos kill thread above.

Re: I'm just so close to taking the cat back to the shelter

Re: I'm just so close to taking the cat back to the shelter

Message edited 12/23/2011 12:46:07 AM.

Re: I'm just so close to taking the cat back to the shelter

Message edited 12/23/2011 1:15:58 AM.

Re: never mind

and those of you who took time to reply to my OP and make me feel better WITHOUT judging and assuming things about me

THANK YOU!

Re: never mind

Posted by KartveliT

and those of you who took time to reply to my OP and make me feel better WITHOUT judging and assuming things about me

THANK YOU!

Message edited 12/23/2011 10:18:17 AM.

Re: never mind

Posted by Goobster

Posted by KartveliT

and those of you who took time to reply to my OP and make me feel better WITHOUT judging and assuming things about me

THANK YOU!

If this implication is for me (the only person who did not say what you apparently wanted to hear...)

I ALSO took the time to read your post and reply to what YOU wrote. I never assumed, judged or berated actually. I simply went by everything you said and agreed with YOU that I think you should take the cat back. You said you were ready to take the cat back. You didnt really want it but you gave in to your DD. You think you made a mistake. There is cat hair everywhere. You didnt expect it to be this much. You are grossed out about worms. Etc

You did not mention allergies in your above post. Then you mention them down the thread so I asked when did this arise?

If you want me to say give it time, etc, I wont say that b/c I dont agree with it. You wrote so many negative things other than your DD loves it, that to me returning the cat seems like the best choice for the CAT's best interests of finding a new forever home while it's young. You cannot keep a cat you do not want to appease someone else if you are going to dread every minute of it of taking care of it. In addition, the cat's best interest should come above all others, including your child, b/c in the end the cat will be the one to pay the price when it's returned at an older age and unlikely to be adopted.

Also...thinking about something else you wrote above...you removed it but had stated something about giving the cat a bath....and it made me think. Cats dont generally get baths from humans. I am not sure how old the cat is but please check with your vet as cats cannot be bathed often at all, esp when they are young. They can get very sick if bathed too often or at a young age. Generally people dont give cats baths, they clean themselves and it can disrupt the balance if they are bathed by humans. I would not bathe the cat again, esp without discussing with a vet.

You asked for us to chime in on this and so we did. Only difference is I actually disagree with others (esp now that your DD has a cold or something and you already think that it's an allergy and may be ANOTHER reason the cat may have to go back). Why you are taking offense is beyond me when you are the one who made a thread about being ready to take the cat back to the shelter. That was the topic that I replied to and gave you an honest answer, one that you apparently seem to be taking offense to.

Re: never mind

I would give it time. My mom was NEVER a dog or animal person but finally relented when I was in the 8th grade and let me and my brother get a dog.

That dog is still alive and although my mom still complains about her shedding, etc, she is the first to brag about what a good dog she is, how she NEVER goes in the house, how smart etc.

As for the worms, it's very common and very treatable. When i got my last dog, he had giardia which is a kind of parasite and I also thought "wth did I do" because the first MONTH was horrible. He was such a sick itty bitty thing and had constant diarhea so that I had to bathe him almost daily as well as clean up lots, and lots of messes. I had to try to keep him separated from our other dog because it was contagious and our other dog seemed SOOOO upset about this new guy that I was THISCLOSE to throwing in the towel.

DH and I are so happy we stuck with it. We can't imagine our home without our Goober and you know what, everyone adjusted and we're all happy.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do

Re: never mind

I truly think that if you can go through the first few months with a puppy/kitten/baby and not want to throw yourself from a roof, you're probably doing it wrong. They are a handful, but they are so so worth it! Hang in there!

Re: never mind

Message edited 12/23/2011 3:20:19 PM.

Re: never mind

Posted by jilliibabii

I truly think that if you can go through the first few months with a puppy/kitten/baby and not want to throw yourself from a roof, you're probably doing it wrong. They are a handful, but they are so so worth it! Hang in there!

Re: never mind

Posted by Goobster

Posted by KartveliT
OMG seriously, I don't want to be rude or mean and I do not like drama but you have waaaayyyy too much time on your hands and your are getting carried away with this whole thing, please calm down!
I came on here to vent a bit, to ask for advice and get support, not to get judged by someone who has nothing else to do.....
Thank you again , we will be fine, our cat will be fine , I promise you we will do everything we can to make our kitty feel happy , healthy and make her as comfortable as we can, we love her and we care for her and we are doing our best to make her adjustment to a new home as easy as possible.
So please .....

Thanks again for your concern

This is not about drama. It's not about me having "too much time on my hands". It's about ME taking time from MY DAY to answer YOUR thread, which you wrote on a MESSAGE board that people take TIME to write answers. I spent MY time to answer YOUR thread. WHY? Because I LOVE animals and am speaking for the animal. Honestly, too many people get pets without thinking, get frustrated, then keep them some more until they find a final reason to rehome it (allergies, biting, scratching, whatever)...all the while, valuable time has passed and the animal is older and less likely to be adopted. You say I am getting carried away? Why is that? Because I told you taking it back isn't a bad option IF YOU REALLY DON"T WANT IT (which is what you pretty much stated). And yes, to ME it actually IS A BIG DEAL to adopt a pet then decide it has to go back.

So you don't need to get all dramatic actually. You started a thread about wanting to take your cat back to the shelter. You didn't just sound frustrated. You sounded angry and frantic. I replied to that, to speak for the voiceless animal. So THAT's why I spent time, from MY valuable time the day before Christmas Eve, to answer YOUR thread. If you take a look, actually,. YOUR thread is the only one I took time out of my busy day to type (a long) answer to.

So please don't try to make a mockery and "make fun" of me, implying I have NOTHING better to do...when I have a LIST of things to do to prepare for the holiday this weekend. I TOOK time to write to YOU on YOUR thread, again, because animals cannot speak for themselves. And the way I read all that you wrote was exactly what you said...you didnt really want a cat and was ready to take it back to the shelter. The shedding, the worms, now possible allergies, add it all up and it seems like bringing it back is what you actually really want to do and probably bthe best thing to do for the CAT IMO.

So again, please don't say I am looking for drama. You are the one twisting this b/c I wrote something I guess you didn't want to hear. If you were just venting, then it's your fault for making a thread that said I AM READY TO TAKE MY CAT BACK TO THE SHELTER. It sure didn't sound like venting or looking for advice TO ME....people who have HAD It with a pet get right in the car and DO just what you said you wanted to do...drive it right back to the shelter, etc. So THAT's what I read (again what you wrote) and I feel there is no point trying to convince someone to keep a pet they just weren't UP FOR HAVING (again, your words, not mine).

So make a note here....I am taking MY time to speak for an animal, to answer YOUR thread, not looking for drama and not b/c I have NOTHING better to do on the day before XMAS eve of all days. Trust me, I have a lot of things I should be doing but your thread was not a thread that I could ingore even on a busy day such as today.