I told a LIE

[pigletgirl]

The lie only hurts the kitty. You should be able to find one that gets along well with dogs.

Just remember next time to be honest so the shelter can find you the right family member.

 

[wdw4rfam]

I know it's a large studio, but please don't keep a cat in one room. Nothing drives a cat crazier than a closed door when it knows there is activity on the other side.

Oh can I agree with that. We have a cat, and a 2300 square foot house. Let me tell you, if we close ANY door, she comes running and bangs on it until we open it. I have found to just take her in the bathroom when I shower, or she will bang on the door for a half hour. We tried closing her out of our room at night because she attacks my feet under the covers. Not happening she will just bang on the door.
But in this persons defense, if the cat hates dogs and knows there are dogs on the other side of the door....it might not WANT to go out there. Plus that studio apartment size room is better than the cage its living in now

 

[Maggie7313]

Oh can I agree with that. We have a cat, and a 2300 square foot house. Let me tell you, if we close ANY door, she comes running and bangs on it until we open it. I have found to just take her in the bathroom when I shower, or she will bang on the door for a half hour. We tried closing her out of our room at night because she attacks my feet under the covers. Not happening she will just bang on the door. But in this persons defense, if the cat hates dogs and knows there are dogs on the other side of the door....it might not WANT to go out there. Plus that studio apartment size room is better than the cage its living in now

My cat also flips out over any closed door. I don't think I've showered by myself in seventeen years. We even need to open the door to the water heater closet once or twice a week for her to 'inspect' or she scratches and kicks and bangs at it for hours. Cats and dogs are also both slippery. I would be afraid to keep them together if they didn't get along for fear of what might happen. Since your daughter already knows what happened, I would work on finding or training a dog-friendly cat. You need a cat that knows to never act like prey.

 

[Mrs.Malone]

I would call and explain the situation, including your Daughters problems and how she bonded with the cat. I would also include the fact that the cat will be in a separate apartment from the main house. I would also say that your DD will not be moving away and will be living in this apartment. I would say you do have the dogs that will be living in the main house and your vet will say that you are good owners.

some rescues are reasonable and some are pains in the butt.

If it is an adult cat and if they have as much problem adopting out adult cats where you live as they do here they may be willing to play ball. I would suggest that you would be willing to try a trial period and they could assess it after it has been with you for a certain period.

Good luck, a cat can live in a small apartment/studio apt very nicely.

This is excellent advice. I'd follow every word. You'll have a clean conscience and know you tried your best (honestly) to get the right cat for DD.

Some people have advised getting a kitten. I wouldn't, since the cat is sort of an emotional support animal for your DD. With a kitten you just can't know whether it's going to grow up to be a cuddly companion cat, or an aloof cat that's going to spend most of its time under the bed. Kittens can change a lot as they grow to adulthood! With an adult cat you can get a really accurate idea of their true personality.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Here's a question How are your dogs with a cat in the house ? I was with 2 rescue groups resulting in having quite a few dogs and we used to have a cat ( he passed away ) There is NO way you are going to seperate all the animals no matter what your good intentions may be There is going to come a time when a door is left open and they will meet and it will be worse when they do because they know the other is there ...behind that door/wall whatever

This cat you have to move on from Not fair to the cat that had a cage clearly marked as not compatible with dogs There's a reason that was put on there

You made a mistake, we all do, I would just tell them this cat won't work out for you Your daughter understands As others have said there is no shortage of cats out there for adoption I also agree not to go with a kitten

 

[Hannathy]

Some people have advised getting a kitten. I wouldn't, since the cat is sort of an emotional support animal for your DD. With a kitten you just can't know whether it's going to grow up to be a cuddly companion cat, or an aloof cat that's going to spend most of its time under the bed. Kittens can change a lot as they grow to adulthood! With an adult cat you can get a really accurate idea of their true personality.

I would also agree. I have had cats all my life and every kitten does not grow into a lap cat! The most affectionate cats I have ever owned were both adult strays. The kitten we raised was the most stand offish.

Look for a cat with some Maine Coon in it if you can . they are extremely friendly and real lap cats.

Good luck and I'm so sorry this is happening.

 

[pixiewings71]

I would definitely not lie about this. When we adopted our female cats (sisters, adopted together) the adoption people came and inspected our house. We live on a very short street with little to no traffic (usually just people who live here) and we live towards one end so most people stop before they get to our house, they were adamant that the cats not go outside and they mentioned several times that we had a dog door (we had a 45 lb dog at that time, he has since moved out and lives with my oldest DD and her family now) and they were concerned the cats would go out in the back yard. We did end up getting the girls and they've been with us for many years now (about 9 or 10) and they do go outside as they please, we've also added another cat and he also uses the dog door to go in and out as he pleases. My point is simply that they may want to do a home inspection before they adopt the cat to you and that would surely let them know you have dogs. I'd contact them and explain the layout of your home to them and let them decide from there. Honestly though, if you have dogs and the cat doesn't get along with them, it's probably just best to find another cat. There will be others for your DD to bond with and there will be others who are good with dogs and you won't need to worry about closed doors. Best of luck to you!

 

[SMD]

How bout saying your house is set up like a 2 family (since the way you explained it, it is) and that your dogs will have no contact with the cat at all. I would call them before they call the vet. How bout have your mother adopting the cat and then you taking it. If your dogs are never going to be around it, it shouldn't be a big deal. Good luck!

Don't do this. The way to get out from under a lie is not to tell more lies.

 

[Sultana]

And it's blowing up in my face. Oye Vey I should know better.

My daughter has emotional problems and really wanted a cat. She hasn't been able to go to school due to her anxiety and panic attacks. We have found that being around cats really helps her stress level. So, we have been doing the rounds trying to find a cat. A number of the local rescues have cats in the Petco's or PetSmarts around here.

Last week my daughter found a cat that she really bonded with; the info on the door says the cat would NOT do well with dogs --- we have two dogs. The way our house is set up my daughters room is an area that used to be an apartment when previous owners owned the house. So there are two doors between her living space and the main house. The plan is to have the cat live there and no contact with our dogs.

So, I lied and said we didn't have any dogs....(BIG STUPID MISTAKE). I listed our references - my mom and sister. I told them not to tell them we had any animals. They called my mom and she said we had a dog a few years ago that died a natural death(true)...... Thinking she was just letting them know what a wonderful family we were to a past animal. My mom didn't realize that the process of these groups is to contact your vet to see if you were a responsible animal owner (we are). So, now they are going to ask for my vet number and KAPOOOIE

My stupidity to lie has just blown up in my face and my daughter is going to loss out on a cat she has emotionally bonded with now.....I just want to vomit!!!! I'm so mad at myself.

I admit I have only read your first post.
If you call your vet and explain the situation, won't he "help" you out?
I'm sure mine would.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Lessoned learned we will move on and next time not lie....it was my stupidity in desparation because my daughter and this specific cat bonded. And the info on the cat cage said no dogs.....and I knew the set up of our house.

It was my stupidity and I take full blame. I just feel bad that it was I who did this to my daughter.

You will find the right match. Just going to take some legwork and phone calls.

It will be better for all of you in the long run to find a cat that is good with dogs.

Even though you have a door separating them, they are going to smell each other and it may cause a behavior change in the cat, which could be urinating with marking territory to aggression.

I would not recommend "trying to make this work".

 

[htmom]

Hugs. I would tell your vet you are looking for a cat for your dd. He will be able to help you find one. And I would just call the rescue and say you are no longer interested.
I agree with the pp who stated some rescues really do have lots of rules and hoops to jump through. It is for the love of the animal but I do know it has turned me personally away in the past.

 

[anniemae]

Ah the tangled web we weave......


I would come clean when they contact you. Let them know the truth about the living situation and how it is a separate apartment.

I would probably move on though from that cat. Your dd will bond with another one that is more able to adapt to your family. I personally would not adopt a cat that did not get along well with dogs if I had dogs. Even though they are in a different part of the house, they could still make the cat anxious if she hears them. Ultimately, I don't think the cat would be happy being confined to a small section of the house, and I know you want your dd happy, but not at the price of the cats well being.

 

[DMRick]

I guess we are one of the pain in the neck rescues. We don't stick restrictions on cats just for the heck if it. We want to get our cats adopted, but we also want them to be forever homes. There are reasons we make sure the cats go to homes that are good for them, and the cats are our main concern. We don't make it up when we say a cat isn't good with a dog, or another cat, or a child etc. some cats are so bad with a dog in the house they have develop bad behavior, such as wetting on a bed. Or becoming so nervous they stop eating and the new owner then returns the cat but sometimes not soon enough and the cat has already become I'll.

There are cats for everyone and while your daughter may have bonded with this one, it's not fair to the cat to put it in that situation. Our fosters spend a lot of time evaluating the cat and we don't want to deny certain homes if we think they are good for the cat. When people lie to us it just makes the cat suffer. It sure makes it harder for us and the cat when it's returned because it didn't work out, and the poor cat is once again starting over.

 

[Lanshark]

Call them, tell them the truth and apologize. You do not want a cat that doesn't do well with dogs in an environment that dogs are a potential visitor. The cat will become skittish and the will not be the same animal your daughter bonded with.

 

[Kellydelly]

I would not tell them you lied. I would wait for a response and then say that you checked the wrong answer by mistake. And then you can say you misread the information on the cat and thought it said that she was good with dogs. Do they make you sign something that states you realize every condition about the animal and adoption? You screwed, up, but just back out as gracefully as possible. I would not admit to trying to deceive them. I would not go into any detail about your daughter's issues. They will not care. Just bow out with as little said as possible. Your daughter will get over it and you will find a cat better suited to your household .

 

[zurgswife]

Thanks for all the advice and comments. I have to wait for their call back and when I do I will be truthful and state I feel more comfortable moving on to find another cat. I'm sure she will bond with another cat but there was just that something extra special about this cat.

 

[RitaE]

I'm guessing you must have run across this animal at a PetsMart or one of the public events? It is a shame that the Rescue even allowed your family to come into contact with the animal without first doing some sort of screening to make sure you and the cat would be a good match.

You're kind of brave to admit your failing here. I hope it works out for well for you and your daughter.

 

[lustergirl]

keep looking: you will find another great cat, we did. A few years ago my younger son and I went cat shopping. We found a beautiful cat at PetSmart that was up for adoption. You wouldn't believe the hurdles you have to cross to adopt from there. Anyways we didn't act quick enough and she was given to someone else. A couple days later we went to the mall and was rewarded with a big beautiful female cat named Mousetrap. At our local mall they have a SPCA store with plenty of animals up for adoption/

 

[Sultana]

I'm guessing you must have run across this animal at a PetsMart or one of the public events? It is a shame that the Rescue even allowed your family to come into contact with the animal without first doing some sort of screening to make sure you and the cat would be a good match.

You're kind of brave to admit your failing here. I hope it works out for well for you and your daughter.

Really? Our local shelter works with limited funds and limited volunteers. They can't afford the time to screen every potential adoption family before they even look at the animals.
When you want to adopt, you go in, look at the animals, have limited interaction with them while they are in cage. Then, when you made a "shortlist", you go look for someone who will let you have some one-on-one time with said animal.
If you decide to adopt, you fill in paper work, and that's it. Sometimes there will be a house visit after the adoption.

 

[RitaE]

Really? Our local shelter works with limited funds and limited volunteers. They can't afford the time to screen every potential adoption family before they even look at the animals.
When you want to adopt, you go in, look at the animals, have limited interaction with them while they are in cage. Then, when you made a "shortlist", you go look for someone who will let you have some one-on-one time with said animal.
If you decide to adopt, you fill in paper work, and that's it. Sometimes there will be a house visit after the adoption.

Of course really. The Foster group has an animal with a Special Need. All it takes is a little 3 x 5 card on the cage door that gives the message "I'm a great cat but I will hate your dog." Our Shelter actually has a laminated form that goes outside the cage with little checkboxes and anybody walking by can get the information from the first sighting. Animals name and likely age, and breed guess filled in at the top.

Then a series of checkboxes about any sort of known circumstances. Good with Kids, Good with other Animals etc etc. Single Pet Household only…

Then people don't have to play a guessing game and let their kids fall in love with a Cat that won't be coming home with them.

And then all those busy, busy, busy martyred Foster volunteers just saved themselves the time of making 3 Referral Phone Calls on an adoption that isn't going to happen. Which will give them MORE time to work with good possibilities.