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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Need new home for my cat
Please help-I posted this on the nest as well.
I need to find a new home for my cat ASAP!
She is a sweetie, but my 15 mos old is getting too friendly with her and she swatted him yesterday.
I love her dearly, but I'm dealing with a baby and an animal.
If anyone knows anyone who would love to take in a cat-please contact me!!!
I need to find a good home for her fast and don't want to have to put her in a shelter.
Here is my listing on craigslist and please feel free to contact me with any questions!
http://hartford.craigslist.org/pet/92669898
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Re: Need new home for my cat
I do a lot with animal rescue, and it is probably the slowest I have ever seen it right now. Most shelters and rescues have no room. Many places, even places like the CT Humane Society are putting down animals that normally would be adopted out. These are the older cats and dogs, those with some behavioral problems, etc.
Another reason is that there are just so many people giving up their pets because of money problems. That is hard to fix. But there are ways to help get your animals and children to live together. It takes some work, but at least you get to keep your cat in your home.
Nestie JGarvey has some great information in her bio about babies and pets. Most of it is about dogs, but some can apply to cats too.
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/user/default.aspx?UserName=JGarvey
It's not just me who has to make this decision-it's also my husband and he is not wanting the cat (nor I) to do any more harm to the baby.
Baby has been petting cat and even pulling, in which I am telling him and showing him to be gentle.
Cat scratches/bites can have serious problems and this is why we don't want this to happen again. I'm just hoping someone knows someone who would like to adopt this cat. Please contact me if you should know anyone.
You want the truth? No one will want to adopt your adult cat that can't be around other pets or kids. We'd like to think that some old, retired couple will adopt him but there are not enough homes out there.
The best thing you can do is teach your cat to stay away from the baby and to teach the baby to be gentle to the cat when it IS around. And always supervise.
If you get rid of your cat, you are doing him a huge injustice. Its not his fault that you decided to have a baby and kick him out. You said yourself that the baby has been pulling on him.... of course he's going to swipe at the baby. That doesn't make him mean, it just means he's teaching your child boundaries. And if you supervise all the time, you won't have to worry about any more harm to the baby.
If you do indeed get rid of your cat, please never get another pet again.
First of all, Aim is right. ?Adoptions are at an all time low right now and finding good adopters....I'm trying to place 2 maine *** mix kittens right now and am having a hard time.
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I can only imagine how tired and stressed out you are with a child in the house but this really sounds like something you all can work through. ?Set up a safe room for the cat with its litterbox, food and toys. ?When you can't supervise your cat with your child keep the cat in the safe room. ?Try Rescue Remedy or a Feliway plug in, both will help the cat with the stress of adjusting. ?Make sure to find play time and cuddle time for the cat, even if its only 30 minutes a day while you're answering emails or watching tv.
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Swatting isn't bad. ?Its a cat's way of warning your child. ?If a cat is cornered, it will react, but your cat was not acting aggressively. ?It's a good idea to buy a cat tree or other perches so the cats can get out of the baby's reach. ?To be completely honest with you, my parents did take on of their cats to a shelter when I was a baby because the cat got in my bassinette with me and bit me on the face. ?My Dad said that now that they've owned more cats he feels incredibly guilty for not having worked with their cat on this. ?He recently told me that he still regrets it and feels awful about it, nearly 23 years later.
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Re-homing is traumatic for a cat. ?There is no guarantee that another person will take good care of your cat. ?I volunteer for a shelter and would not want half the people who adopt from there caring for either of my boys. ?Re homing on CL is even worse. ?There are a ridiculous number of creepy crazy people who pick cats up off of there. ?I know a woman who re-homed her cat, the new family dropped it at a shelter two days later and it was euthanized. ?When she called them a week later to check on it, she learned that her cat had been dropped at the shelter, called the shelter and discovered the cat had been PTS. ?Read this article: ?http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/22/panda.bites.man.china.ap/index.html?If you absolutely are unwilling to fulfill the commitment you made to your cat and to work through this with her, please email me kellbell1919 at gmail.com and I will send you the adoption application and contract I use. ?At least that way you'll be able to help find your cat a responsible owner.
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I don't understand how you all expect a baby to interact with a cat? ?Do you expect a baby to not be curious? ?Do you expect a cat to enjoy being yanked and pulled?
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Why would you adopt a cat if you were just going to dump it? ?How do you expect to teach your child about responsibility?
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These are living beings who depend on us for their safety and their well being. I don't know about you, but I love my cats and they have shown me unconditional love in return. ?I can't fathom dumping them like trash.
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The funny part is that the kittens I am fostering? ?12 week old versions of your cat who get along famously with other animals. ?Cute, fuzzy, little babies. ?I've had them for three weeks and they still haven't been adopted because people just aren't adopting right now.?
Ditto. I saw this post on another board and bit my tongue in responding. I just thought how horrible it was you were going to kick your cat out because it was just being a cat. I'd swat something away if it pulled on me, too. I could never imagine giving my cat to some stranger over this. My husband and I plan on having children and supervising them around our pets. We are very careful with our nephews (1 and 3) around our pets and I think you'll find that as your child grows the cat and him will establish boundaries and everything will work out. Please don't give your cat away...be a good mommy to your fur baby and your child.
Hey C-Lo,
I bet your cat could get along with other cats if it had to. If you must give it up for adoption and the only person who will take it has another pet I would let them have the cat. If you have to put your cat in a shelter it will get stuck in a room filled with other cats anyway. I adopted a cat a few years back and I will never forget the look on his face when we brought him home- to a a large area that wasn't filled with 8 other cats.
That being said- if there is anyway you can keep the cat and baby away from each other- I think this is your best option. If you can make sure your child only interacts with the cat or supervised visits until the child is 3 (use tall baby gates etc.) I think you will find that owning a pet will only benefit your child. It will teach your child to respect animals and learn responsibility.
It sounds like your husband is the one who really wants to get rid of the cat. Maybe if you can convince him that the earlier your child learns to interact with animals the safer your child will be he will change his mind. I grew up with dogs and cats and when I was a toddler I got bit and scratched when I was being rough and I learned from it.
This is your life- I'm sure whatever decision you make will be the best one for your family- and if you do have to give up the cat- maybe you will remember this and adopt a pet in the future when your kids are older. (I didn't like the poster who said you never desrve to get another pet- only you know what is right for your life).
I saw this on another board and just wanted to point out how horribly misguided you are. It's a cat --- unless by cat you mean cougar, I fail to see how they will do much more than scratch your precious little snow flake. Stop being a doormat to your husband, and teach you child how to be a responsible pet owner.
My son is almost 18 months old and we have gone through the same thing. Please reconsider getting rid of your cat. My son LOVES our cats, but is struggling with learning to be gentle. They have both swatted at him and he is FINALLY understanding that he can hurt them. He seemed surprised by their actions but still wants to interact with them. Both cats are remarkably patient and will put up with a lot of his curiosity.
This is simply another part of parenting. Supervise your son as necessary with the cat and give it a few more months. It will get better and you can avoid sending your cat to a shelter.
To be honest: You're being ridiculous. I don't know what you expect your cat to do. When you pull a cat's fur, or do anything that invades his/her personal space too much for that matter, he/she will swat. Scratch. Bite, even. But THAT'S WHAT CATS DO. Did you think you got a special cat that would not react this way? That would not act on its INSTINCTS?
I'm sorry for being so blunt and flaming you for this. But like others have said - you knew about cats before you got one. And you decided to have a baby. You made these decisions, and you're stuck with them. Giving away your cat is mean and irresponsible.
Your cat will not massacre your baby. The kid will learn after he gets a scratch or two. Clap your hands loudly when the cat gets too close to baby to scare him off, and teach baby how to be gentle. Really, it's possible. Lots of people grow up with cats just like yours.