Homecheck.. not the right cat for the right home.. very disappointed lady

[Maddiesmum]

The busy road near to me is one of the reasons I did not want another cat after Dragan died.  However as Charlie has moved in with me I have had to confine him to the house since I learned he was crossing the road.  As I write this the cat proofing is being erected in the garden so am hopeful that he can go outside again tomorrow.  Cats and busy roads just do not mix and I can understand any rescue being concerned not to home an outdoor cat near to one.

[Ela]

We could probably triple the rate at which we re-home if we discounted roads, dogs, dodgy areas etc

How I agree with that, in fact I know we could most certainly more than triple it. But as with you we have a responsibility to our little ones to ensure a purrfect home, often for the first time in their lives.

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

It's so very difficult to say no to a home when it's not right, but we've had instances where people have said they'll keep them indoors and then they've let them out and they've been knocked down. If people don't have the foresight and general common sense not to have cats near a main or busy road, then we don't generally offer them indoor cats. Often we stand with them during the home visit and watch a busy road and ask if they think it's a problem - so many times people say, "oh I hadn't really thought about it".

We could probably triple the rate at which we re-home if we discounted roads, dogs, dodgy areas etc but we refuse to let down our cats and kittens who are trusting us to give them their second, third, or even fourth chance at a good life.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

The problem with this particular lady and I may be completely wrong but, if you say to her an indoor cat will be okay for her, is she likely to keep it indoors    I rehomed Jack and Toby as indoor cats, although not on a main road, there was one pretty close by and the owners had recently had their other cat disappear.  The condition on rehoming was they would be indoor and not let outside.  The day after I'd rehomed them, their other cat appeared after being gone for about 8 weeks.  Toby was unsettled so I agreed to take him back in the hope that Jack would be okay with theirs.  Anyway, things didn't quite work out as Jack wouldn't use the loo for some bizarre reason so I got him back too.  When I went to pick him up, after the owners were adamant they were going to keep their other cat in, bearing in mind he'd been back just over a day after 8 weeks missing, I asked where he was and they'd let him out that morning and again he hadn't come back    You have to follow gut feeling as not everyone is truthful when it comes to rehoming, I am sooooooo pleased I got Jack and Tobes back, god knows they would have ended up going outside in no time and the fact they'd let their other out so soon after him returning, proved that.

[tigerbaby]

A friend of mine who had her heart set on a rescue dog was also turned down - because she lived on the first floor. She even had a communal garden but that wasn't good enough. She was very disappointed with the rescue rules, because she was offering this dog a better life but was turned down because of what floor she lived on. She got her current dog through an ad or paper instead.

I can understand why an outdoor cat wouldn't go to a house that close to a busy road though... could they choose another indoor cat from the shelter instead??

[Ela]

Due to a main road being outside (and on a ring road)

My goodness, there is no way we would ever home a cat to go outside on or near a main road let alone a ring road. Whatever are these people thinking about?

Of course the lady who wanted the cat wasnt very happy and make me feel right guilty as her daughter was let down,

I sort of know what you are feeling but you would have let Tango down more by homing him and knowingly putting his life at risk.

[Kirst]

I am sure there must be some ginger pussies out there that needs an indoor forvever home?

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

Ela, no they were looking for a cat that would be fine outside as well as in. Tango is an outdoor moggie, they saw him via our website... I dont see a problem with a elderly cat who stays indoors most of the time, or FIV but when kittens were mentioned first of all i cringed.. I got one one of our volunteers who lives about 6miles from this ladies home to check it out and she rang me up the same night to express her concerns. Of course the lady who wanted the cat wasnt very happy and make me feel right guilty as her daughter was let down, but it wasnt as though i was saying "no" to any kind of cat, just that Tango wasnt the right one for her home. She particularly wanted a ginger puss. 

[Ela]

You have to go with your gut feeling.

Absolutely 100%

Is it an indoor cat they are looking for?

Had they already seen Tango?

[Desley (booktigger)]

What a shame you dont have a nice indoor only cat that would be suitable. I hope she doesnt get one from the paper.

[ccmacey]

Surely no cat would be right for a home with such a busy road near by? I could not move into a house without thinking about the cats saftey, and although I live in a small road there are still  that drive stupidly, even living here with a small sort of busyish road and I have had to cat proof my garden.

You are the decision maker after all. 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Very sad

[Mark]

You have to go with your gut feeling. If these people can't be responsible, you have to do it for them. Hopefully she won't want to pay £85 for a kitten. I assume this is the busy ring road around Canterbury?

[Kirst]

Of course you did................the home has to be right for the cat!

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

Due to a main road being outside (and on a ring road) i had to refuse a lady and family taking a cat. They set their hearts on Tango.. a lovely ginger fella.. No problems with the home but we have put stipulations on the form so that she can in theory take on another puss cat that would be more suited to her home.. Def not kittens. however i have a feeling she will just be picking up the papers tomorrow and buying one!!

Sometimes this is very hard... and she wasnt a very happy lady.. But i think we made the right call