My Dilemma re: Angel

[Bertha Venation]

The latest in the ongoing saga of trying to find Angel the Declawed-In-All-Fours Cat.

A woman got in touch with me having seen my craigslist ad. That ad stresses "quiet home," "no other cats or small children," etc.

The woman sounds truly sincere. She's a vet tech so I take that to mean she loves animals, and I hear that when she speaks.

She has two children, ages 2 1/2 and 13 months. She has three cats. She has two dogs.

I think that getting him indoors is the priority, but I'm torn up when I imagine him faced with so much chaos.

Do I keep this wonderful, sweet, beautiful and utterly defenseless cat, who will not come into the house, until I find the ideal home for him?

Or do I give him to this woman, despite the problems I see, to get him indoors?

Argh. What would you do?

[WolverineDG]

1. What about a trial basis? Or discussing how to introduce him to the household properly?

if she has children & pets, she surely knows how to keep the peace between them. She should also know how to properly introduce a new kitty into that environment.

dg

[Bertha Venation]

5. She told me what she will do to introduce him

and it's smart. I think it'll work. He may not settle down for a long time, but hopefully the other animals will accept him better for it.

Also, she would never send him to a shelter. If it doesn't work at her house, she'll find him another place or return him to me.

[DeepBlueC]

9. oh you have a winner here...really.

Ask her to provide updates so you can report to us...?

[WolverineDG]

11. Sounds good

I thought my latest addition would NEVER settle down....it took months, but now he's all settled in. Only has spats with one other cat, the rest allow him to play with them or sleep near, etc. :phew:

I think this is a good pick for Angel & I hope all goes well for him. :)

dg

[Gormy Cuss]

13. bertha, if your gut tells you that this woman knows what she's doing, Angel deserves the chance.

As you know cats can be surprisingly adaptable for critters who hate change.

I wish that I could take him in. He'd have his own room for as long as he wanted.

[Haole Girl]

2. Why can't you find another home?

One without dogs?

:shrug:

[Bertha Venation]

4. We've been advertising for a month

This is only our second hit.

He's outdoors and completely defenseless. We're surrounded by wildlife. He needs to be indoors.

If I pass this one up, lord knows when someone else will come along.

[DeepBlueC]

3. she is familiar with animals...trust her

Plus IF Angel needs to be re-homed she will have a wider contacts than you do, working in a vet clinic. But it probably won't be so. Angel has clearly lived inside before and she will gain confidence when she is inside again. Animals do have a way of sorting things out for themselves socially especially if the owner is aware of the dynamics of pet socialization as this woman surely is. I would trust any cat to a vet tech. They get in the biz because they love animals and they see all kinds. Trust her.

[Bertha Venation]

6. Thank you for this. It's something I needed to hear.

It's relaxed me a little. :)

[DeepBlueC]

8. good

I think this is pretty much an ideal solution. The presence of other animals will actually give Angel a little cover to be shy if she needs to for a while since she will not be the sole focus of attention. Plus she will learn about how to behave with her peeps from the other pets. I have seen this happen here in my home as street cats get socialized. I'm really happy for you. It's clear that you have agonized over this poor kitty's fate and you deserve a happy ending.

[Corgigal]

7. Im sure she can do it nice and slow

When I get a new pet, especially a cat, I put them in a huge crate in the living room. Inside a safe place they can watch everyone and get all the sights and smells down. The other cats can look in and the new cat can check them out. I place a litter box and a water bowl inside the crate so the newbie has everything they need. Then I wait until the new cat is ready. I must say this has worked every time and I have 5 cats and four dogs.

[Bertha Venation]

10. I like this idea. I could probably do it myself and keep him, if

not for the fact that I already have too many cats.

She has a similar plan in mind.

:hi:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. give it to her. if she doesnt see this work out, give her an opportunity to return angel