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Who are all these people dumping aged cats at shelters?!

The Menagerie
#21

[QUOTE=CHT;8135046]
There is a cool program locally that matches senior pets with senior owners. When the senior owner can’t take care of the pet anymore, the program takes the pet back. The program also helps with vet appointments and cost of care if needed. Its a great idea for a program so that seniors can be matched with suitable low energy pets and have the benefit of pet ownership, yet not have the worry of what will happen to the pet if the owner needs to move into a care facility or similar. Good solution to the aged pets in shelters problem.[/QUOTE]

I would love to start this program in my city. If only I were independently wealthy I could probably pull it off. :frowning:

#22

I have a 16 year old cat with an unknown illness that is going to take many hundreds of dollars to effectively diagnose. I have already spend over $500 bucks on him with x-rays, bloodwork, antibiotics, doctor visits. The cat’s teeth are falling out and the doc wants to do a complete cleaning and remove broken teeth on top of all the other medical testing recommended. This was my daughter’s cat and we got it for her when she was 5. This cat was free as a kitten. So this free cat has wrecked about $4000 in furniture and other household items. It ate the beak off of my carved wooden shorebird and tried to eat the beak off of the carved duck. So I am at the point where I am going to need to make a decision with the cat. He is a nice cat but he was a free cat. Vet care is costly. It is hard to justify the expense of medical care over the longevity of the animal. I would rather spend this money on my daughter’s college. This is why old cats wind up at the shelter.

#23

[QUOTE=CHT;8135046]
There is a cool program locally that matches senior pets with senior owners. When the senior owner can’t take care of the pet anymore, the program takes the pet back. The program also helps with vet appointments and cost of care if needed. Its a great idea for a program so that seniors can be matched with suitable low energy pets and have the benefit of pet ownership, yet not have the worry of what will happen to the pet if the owner needs to move into a care facility or similar. Good solution to the aged pets in shelters problem.[/QUOTE]

Okay, I LOVE THIS. I think I am going to see if there is anything like this near me, and, if not, maybe I can work on getting something like this started.

#24

[QUOTE=Dajuliz;8135052]
I have a 16 year old cat with an unknown illness that is going to take many hundreds of dollars to effectively diagnose. I have already spend over $500 bucks on him with x-rays, bloodwork, antibiotics, doctor visits. The cat’s teeth are falling out and the doc wants to do a complete cleaning and remove broken teeth on top of all the other medical testing recommended. This was my daughter’s cat and we got it for her when she was 5. This cat was free as a kitten. So this free cat has wrecked about $4000 in furniture and other household items. It ate the beak off of my carved wooden shorebird and tried to eat the beak off of the carved duck. So I am at the point where I am going to need to make a decision with the cat. He is a nice cat but he was a free cat. Vet care is costly. It is hard to justify the expense of medical care over the longevity of the animal. I would rather spend this money on my daughter’s college. This is why old cats wind up at the shelter.[/QUOTE]

Okay, but in this situation, why wouldn’t you put the cat to sleep. Sending an elderly cat with medical problems to a shelter is NOT a good plan.

I’m very aware that vet care is costly. We just spent over $4,000 trying to diagnose and save my cat that ended up having (and dying from) cancer. It was a lot to spend. I don’t regret spending the money, but I do think it would have been perfectly reasonable for me to put him to sleep when we realized that something was very wrong that we couldn’t diagnose/fix without a lot of expense. In fact, we considered that anyway, regardless of the expense considerations.

And, yeah, pets wreck stuff in our homes. They just do. Leon (my deceased kitty) completely ruined a hardwood floor because he had litter box problems related to a problem with his patellas in both hind legs (he would go in the litter box, but had trouble squatting). I’d gladly have him ruin every floor in my house if I could still have him with me. If a home un-ruined by pets is the goal, then people should not get pets in the first place.

#25

I know you don’t intend it, but this made me very sad. My cat was not quite 12 when he died from cancer. At 10, he truly was already quite “old.” He had problems with both hind legs, and he had severely damaged sinuses from a bad feline herpes virus infection when he was a kitten. People would kind of poo poo me when I would say that I was worried he wouldn’t live very long, but I ended up being right, unfortunately. :frowning: Just like horses and people, some cats don’t age as well as others.

#26

Yup. I have a ten year old kitten and a ten year old 'senior. ’ The senior has been on insulin, then pronounced in remission…but her joints aren’t great and I don’t think she’ll make it to her late teens. I love her, but she has clumsy conformation, and I have a limit on the amount of orthopaedics I’m willing to do for a cat. She will NOT end up in a shelter though. She deserves a kind end when the time comes, and I hope it isn’t too soon.

The ten year old kitten will probably live forever.

#27

[QUOTE=Dajuliz;8135052]
I have a 16 year old cat with an unknown illness that is going to take many hundreds of dollars to effectively diagnose. I have already spend over $500 bucks on him with x-rays, bloodwork, antibiotics, doctor visits. The cat’s teeth are falling out and the doc wants to do a complete cleaning and remove broken teeth on top of all the other medical testing recommended. This was my daughter’s cat and we got it for her when she was 5. This cat was free as a kitten. So this free cat has wrecked about $4000 in furniture and other household items. It ate the beak off of my carved wooden shorebird and tried to eat the beak off of the carved duck. So I am at the point where I am going to need to make a decision with the cat. He is a nice cat but he was a free cat. Vet care is costly. It is hard to justify the expense of medical care over the longevity of the animal. I would rather spend this money on my daughter’s college. This is why old cats wind up at the shelter.[/QUOTE]

If you you no longer want to deal with the cat that you’ve had for sixteen years when he starts to age and have health problems, no one else is going to want him either. Put him down.

I don’t say this in a judgmental way at all; if you do a search of my posts you’ll find that my kitten developed some very scary and extremely expensive health issues right after we got her. She was on her “third strike,” so to speak, with the next step being euthanasia, when we figured out a hail mary diet/lifestyle routine that has so far managed her condition without being too prohibitively expensive or time-consuming for us.

The only choice I didn’t consider was taking her to a shelter, because who in their right mind is going to adopt a fundamentally unhealthy animal that is going to need thousands of dollars of vet care when there is an entire cage of perfect, healthy, adorable kittens right next to her?

#28

[QUOTE=french fry;8135085]
If you you no longer want to deal with the cat that you’ve had for sixteen years when he starts to age and have health problems, no one else is going to want him either. Put him down.

I don’t say this in a judgmental way at all; if you do a search of my posts you’ll find that my kitten developed some very scary and extremely expensive health issues right after we got her. She was on her “third strike,” so to speak, with the next step being euthanasia, when we figured out a hail mary diet/lifestyle routine that has so far managed her condition without being too prohibitively expensive or time-consuming for us.

The only choice I didn’t consider was taking her to a shelter, because who in their right mind is going to adopt a fundamentally unhealthy animal that is going to need thousands of dollars of vet care when there is an entire cage of perfect, healthy, adorable kittens right next to her?[/QUOTE]

This. THIS. THIS!!!

This whole thread hurts. I understand that people have struggles with an elderly animal - vet expenses, management, etc.
But, the shelter would rarely be the answer. The animal will VERY LIKELY not be re- homed.

If one has an animal in this situation, and one does not want to deal with or be there for the euthanasia, many shelters will do it for you. Call ahead, and drop the animal off, maybe give a donation.

The incredible suffering an older animal goes through being put into the shelter system. I admit it, I am a softy, but I don’t care.

They give us so much in their very short lives. Is it too much to ask for a little empathy and dignity at the end of those lives?

#29

I imagine the senior pet program also gets some funding by being in people’s wills. It is such a good idea that gives an older person peace of mind.

Our local SPCA also offers older cats (I forget the age cut off) at a discount. My student who is an apartment dweller WANTED an older cat so she wouldn’t feel guilty leaving it alone all day.

But…this cat is just old…otherwise healthy (just missing some teeth).

Honestly, if one of my cats needed $$$ for on going vet care, they would likely be put down. We live in the country and there is always another cat showing up needing a home. It’s not that I don’t love them, it is just I know there are so many more out there needing a home that I can’t justify spending big bucks on one cat when I could use that same money to help many. I don’t think someone should feel guilty that they can’t justify spending large amounts on their cat rather than give it a peaceful end…but I do think some VETS are unwilling to put down a cat that could be healthy with 4 figures worth of vet care. It is possible some people surrender their cats because they don’t know what else to do.

#30

My goal in life is to outlive my horses, but I am anxious about the smaller creatures, too. My dh and I are both orphans, so have no close family members who could step in if both of us go at the same time.

I need to endow them, find a place that will take them, and don’t get any more no matter how cute or needy they may be.

#31

[QUOTE=CHT;8135104]
I don’t think someone should feel guilty that they can’t justify spending large amounts on their cat rather than give it a peaceful end…but I do think some VETS are unwilling to put down a cat that could be healthy with 4 figures worth of vet care. It is possible some people surrender their cats because they don’t know what else to do.[/QUOTE]

This is a very good point. A friend of mine recently went to the vet to have his aged cat put to sleep. She was probably in her teens, was not eating, was losing weight, and just basically…dying. My friend did not have really any money to put into her and it was obvious she was dying. He called the vet to explain that he needed his cat put to sleep, and they said they would examine the cat and decide whether or not they would put her to sleep. He was like, “Well, something is obviously very wrong with her, and I won’t be able to pay for treatment of a major illness…so…I’m pretty sure this is the only option.”

They told him that they would decide what to do and that if he couldn’t pay for treatment, they would help him place the cat in a shelter! WTF!? Talk about a waste of resources and a terrible outcome for the cat. And he LOVED this cat. It wasn’t that he was just trying to off her. He just knew that she wasn’t going to get better, and wanted to give her a kind end. In any event, the vet did ultimately agree that it was appropriate to euthanize her, so it ended up fine.

But I do wish vets wouldn’t do things like this. I mean, really, it is totally appropriate and kind to euthanize an elderly cat in failing health, especially if money is a factor.

#32

Oh my oh my! Where to start?

Yesterday, I was out with a friend doing her a favor. She is very low income [but I know she has a gambling problem]. She told me her 8 year old cat was beginning to ‘scoot’ around on her butt. I told her she probably needs to have her anals done. She agreed. Before I told her one of my dogs has had it done for years, the other just started. I told her to take the cat to the vet. Can’t afford it she said.
I stewed over this and one other thing relevant between us, and sadly, I took the cowardly route and mentioned in a private post on FB, that I would pay for having the cats anals done. She said when the cat started doing this, she yelled at her. I am still quite angry about this.

This is why I NEVER look at the adoptables. I have two cats and two dogs. The dogs are pretty big. well, 65 lb, and 80 lb is big to me. That is as many as the law around here allows, and I couldn’t afford another. I spent over $800. on one last year and he ended up dying. The vet did tell me to have him put down, but I just couldn’t for awhile. But I immediately went in search for another. I need to have two cats. But I want to be able to afford to get them the vet care they need. I have been putting off the heartworm test, shot, rabies and all that stuff because I know it will be over $200. That is a lot of money for me. I have a smallish inheritance from my mom, that will allow me to pay bills and get the dogs caught up, and some left over. But I do the best I can.
It costs me around $125. a month to feed them and buy litter. I buy the best food I can afford, but I have my limits.

If I may mention something else someone mentioned up post, I know the shelters try not to put any to sleep any more, but truthfully, when they spend upwards of 4k on a surgery for a pet with out an owner hoping to give it a better life, I think that is one reason the prices are so high at shelters for adoption. I went looking after I lost Bosco, but for a plain kitten of indeterminate breeding, it was $150. I know all shots and sp/neuter was included, but there are places here that can do those things more reasonably, and it might keep some people who would like to have a pet away.
However, if they are more like my friend, better to stay away. She is on her computer all.day.long. and she hasn’t responded. Probably mad at me again.:rolleyes:

#33

The same people who dump their old dogs at shelters because they’ve become “too much trouble.” After twelve years. I ended up with a third dog last summer for that particular reason. I can’t print the adjectives I use to describe her former owner.

#34

[QUOTE=Hermein;8135120]
My goal in life is to outlive my horses, but I am anxious about the smaller creatures, too. My dh and I are both orphans, so have no close family members who could step in if both of us go at the same time.

I need to endow them, find a place that will take them, and don’t get any more no matter how cute or needy they may be.[/QUOTE]

My first goal when saving for retirement was to have enough money to pay off my mortgage (done) and have a $20K fund for my animals (done). I’ve arranged for a niece to get my farm and the money to care for the animals based on her promise to care for them for the rest of their lives. She’s not required to do heroics, but to provide good food, routine vet care, etc. In exchange for a farm when I die.

Now that I’ve accomplished those two goals, the fact that I’m adding to my retirement and should have enough to retire on is sort of gravy. I just wanted to make sure my only real dependents, my animals, are taken care of.

StG

#35

Senior pets in shelters make me sad. I almost came home with another dog on saturday because of this.

However, before you can jump on anyone and while I agree that its not somethng that people should do, you dont know what peoples life circumstances are. COTH isnt always the same as the real world-some people chose to feed their family over their pets when push comes to shove, whereas Ive read thread after thread on here of people losing jobs, being $$$ in debt and keeping their horses, pets, etc. Not saying one is right, but just a different way of prioritizing. I was really upset about seeing an old dog in the shelter the weekend with “owner surrender” on the cage card. I got mad, then I asked why she was given up and they told me her owner died. I got even more upset about that until I talked to someone who said “you know, you dont really know their circumstances so you cant judge”. Maybe there was no family. Maybe no one in the family could afford to keep the dog. MAybe the dog was a little shit who growls and bites and no one wanted to take on that liabilty. You just dont know.

Sometimes its damned if you do, damned if you dont. If someone posted on here that they couldnt keep their pet and they were going to euthanized it because they didnt want to send it to a shelter (overpopulation, not finding a home etc) then a lot of people would jump on that person about how terrible they were because they were euthanizing a perfectly healthy pet. I would commend them-the animal wouldnt know any different and they wouldnt leave it to a questionable future at a shelter.

#36

[QUOTE=FineAlready;8134774]
So, we recently adopted two cats from an area shelter. Since then, I’ve been looking at various shelter pages frequently to check in on cats that I either met in person or that caught my attention for some reason. I have a pretty good handle on the cat adoption rates and the cats that come in at this point.

I cannot BELIEVE how many people are dumping their 10+ year old cats at shelters! I mean, W.T.F.?!?!?

Who ARE these people? I really don’t think I have ever met someone who would dump ANY pet at an animal shelter, much less a senior pet. So the question is…what kind of people do this? Like, what is the profile of a person who takes an animal to the shelter and leaves it there after having had it for the majority of its life? I just truly don’t understand it.

One shelter worker told me that a lot of people take their older pets to the shelter because they can’t stand to watch them get old. How cruel! Having just lost my cat at just shy of 12 years old (he had cancer), I just can’t imagine doing this. It was an honor to have had him in my life, and there is literally nothing that he could have done, and no condition he could have been in that would have caused me to abandon him.

I just…I am having trouble grasping how this is even a “thing.” Any shelter workers care to chime in? This has really not done good things for my faith in humanity![/QUOTE]

I volunteered at a shelter down south (Aiken, SC). Completely different demographic than up north… but most of the older cats were actually owner surrenders from seniors - some passed away, some went to nursing homes.

What was truly reprehensible IMHO were the amount of pregnant dogs and puppies we got… I mean… these owners knew that this shelter had an obscenely high euthanasia rate (over 80% especially for dogs) and they STILL dropped their animals off… The mind boggles.

#37

[QUOTE=Dajuliz;8135052]
I have a 16 year old cat with an unknown illness that is going to take many hundreds of dollars to effectively diagnose. I have already spend over $500 bucks on him with x-rays, bloodwork, antibiotics, doctor visits. The cat’s teeth are falling out and the doc wants to do a complete cleaning and remove broken teeth on top of all the other medical testing recommended. This was my daughter’s cat and we got it for her when she was 5. This cat was free as a kitten. So this free cat has wrecked about $4000 in furniture and other household items. It ate the beak off of my carved wooden shorebird and tried to eat the beak off of the carved duck. So I am at the point where I am going to need to make a decision with the cat. He is a nice cat but he was a free cat. Vet care is costly. It is hard to justify the expense of medical care over the longevity of the animal. I would rather spend this money on my daughter’s college. This is why old cats wind up at the shelter.[/QUOTE]

I’m sorry but I don’t understand why there’s ANY decision here. If you can treat him, great. If you can’t/won’t-- put him to sleep. Simple as that. He had a nice, safe life. No one says you have to spend your last penny extending his life-- but don’t dump him in a shelter where he’ll face an uncertain end with terrible odds. If he’s beyond your financial capacility/interest to care for-- kindly euthanize him.

#38

All of theses posts. (Almost) ALL of them = :yes:

Senior pets at shelters hurt my heart. I know they wouldn’t be with me “long”, but I want them all! I previously worked at a small animal vet clinic, and a woman came in with a beagle that was 10yo, deaf, and had a horrendous skin infection. She had JUST adopted him (the fact that he was adopted out without having his issues cared for is another matter :confused:) , but she decided that she didn’t want to “deal” with him anymore (her words!) and was going to euthanize him. Seeing absolutely no life or love for life in his eyes destroyed me, and I approached the vet on the case and asked if I could make it an option to take him from her - the place she got him from wouldn’t return her calls or take him back. She agreed and he came to live with my young golden and berner and in a matter of DAYS did a complete 180. We had a fenced in yard, so I could let them out to play without the worry of him wandering off and not being able to hear when I called him. He’d run around with the young dogs, barking and having a great time. Sadly, I didn’t even get to have him with us for a year when he went downhill in a hurry. But I’m so thankful he was able to experience happiness in his short time left.

Sorry - didn’t mean to hijack the thread with my story. As I said, I wish I could take all the oldies home with me. You know the puppies are going to get adopted, so I always look at the senior citizens :sadsmile:

#39

I can see how some might not have the money or might not want to deal with putting their elderly cat to sleep.

I am pretty sure though that many shelters offer low cost euthanasia - you can bring your cat to the shelter, and ask them to euthanize your cat, possibly for a small donation.
In either case, the last thing an elderly cat should know is the shelter as a “home”.

#40

As I said up-thread somewhere, I DO agree that there are times when people just don’t have other options - which is very sad for the person and the pets. I guess I’m specifically talking about the people that are dumping their pets out of sheer laziness, selfishness, or disinterest. Of course, we don’t have a way to know the “real” story behind any of the animals in the shelters, but when the owner surrender information says things like, “no longer has time for the cat” or similar, it is hard to not be upset/sad.

If I really want to get myself worked up and in tears, I try to imagine how confused and upset Leon would have been if we took him to a shelter and left him there when he started getting sick. He was SO happy to see us when we came back to see him at the vet hospital after his biopsy procedure, and even happier when we came to pick him up the next morning. They said he was really depressed and lethargic, and then he totally perked up and started purring nonstop when he saw us. That was his last day on Earth, and I’m glad he spent it with us instead of alone, scared, and abandoned.

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