OK, I NEED to get rid of my cat- what are my options PLEASE HELP

[Amila]

I wanted to avoid taking him back to the shelter, but I have come to a dead end. I have posted ads on craigslist, posted ads in local workplaces, asked friends and family, and tried to make the situation work. This cat will NOT stop running out the door, and where we live he is going to get killed. Yesterday he ran out so fast I tripped and scraped my DD's leg against the door, causing her to scream.

We got him from the SPCA.

Help!

[fourgrtkidos]

I'm pretty much in the same boat.... so no help here, sorry. I'm going to lurk and see if you get any good ideas.

I grew up with cats and never had a problem. Now, I have an allergy and it just keeps getting worse. My eyes burn all the time, I am sneezing, I have a sore throat constantly and am tired. Now the glands in my neck have been swollen for 3 weeks and in my chest and armpits for one week. The allergy is getting worse and worse.

I live where they could be outside cats. And, I guess I'll ask in a thread how to transition them.

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[edamommy]

Originally Posted by fourgrtkidos

I'm pretty much in the same boat.... so no help here, sorry. I'm going to lurk and see if you get any good ideas.

I grew up with cats and never had a problem. Now, I have an allergy and it just keeps getting worse. My eyes burn all the time, I am sneezing, I have a sore throat constantly and am tired. Now the glands in my neck have been swollen for 3 weeks and in my chest and armpits for one week. The allergy is getting worse and worse.

I live where they could be outside cats. And, I guess I'll ask in a thread how to transition them.

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they make allergy medicine these days!

[edamommy]

Originally Posted by Amila

I wanted to avoid taking him back to the shelter, but I have come to a dead end. I have posted ads on craigslist, posted ads in local workplaces, asked friends and family, and tried to make the situation work. This cat will NOT stop running out the door, and where we live he is going to get killed. Yesterday he ran out so fast I tripped and scraped my DD's leg against the door, causing her to scream.

We got him from the SPCA.

Help!

confused... you need to get rid of the cat because it tries to get out? Or because it tripped your daughter? baffled... really!

[jlutgendorf]

Amila, Do you have a room you can set up (at least partially) as his own "cat room"? When you leave, he goes into his room (which will have at his water and litter) so that you can go in and out without worrying about him running out. When you're home and you know people won't be in and out a lot, he gets the run of the house.

We do this with out kitties for several reasons. 1) so they don't run out the door like your guy. We live in an area with lots of feral cats and stray dogs and they wouldn't last a half hour outside here. 2) they are destructive as all git out! If we don't watch them, cat shenanigans ensue as they attempt to rid all shelves of their contents.

They love their cat room and aren't traumatized by having to stay there when we're gone or asleep.

If you can't do that or are adamant about giving him up, is your SPCA a no kill shelter? If so, you may be obligated to return him to them. If they are a kill shelter, please don't take him back. Start looking into local no kill rescues/shelters and see if you can get a courtesy listing. This time of year you probably won't find a no kill who can take him as it's kitten season and they're likely to be packed. Also try talking to vet's offices (specifically yours) to see if they place cats.

~Julia

[phatchristy]

Originally Posted by jlutgendorf

Amila, Do you have a room you can set up (at least partially) as his own "cat room"? When you leave, he goes into his room (which will have at his water and litter) so that you can go in and out without worrying about him running out. When you're home and you know people won't be in and out a lot, he gets the run of the house.

I second this one whole heartedly!!!

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by edamommy

they make allergy medicine these days!

That's not fair...some people are severely allergic! I am all for dealing with it if the allergy is mild, but I have a cousin who literally can't breath around cats & if exposed a long while would need medical attention. Though, I'm pretty sure if the OP had a REAL bad allergy she'd likely have known before adopting the kitty...

[MiamiMami]

My cat is 16 years old, and I still trip over him on a daily basis.

Is your kitty neutered?

[limabean]

Originally Posted by jlutgendorf

Amila, Do you have a room you can set up (at least partially) as his own "cat room"? When you leave, he goes into his room (which will have at his water and litter) so that you can go in and out without worrying about him running out. When you're home and you know people won't be in and out a lot, he gets the run of the house.

I agree -- OP, please try to come up with a solution for this problem before just dumping the poor cat. As someone in another thread said, pets are inconvenient, messy, etc., but we choose to take them into our homes anyway, and that commitment shouldn't be taken so lightly.

If a pet is intentionally harming a person, then obviously some action must be taken, but if it's committing minor offenses like trying to get out the front door, it's truly shocking to me that someone's first reaction would be to get rid of the pet.

Honestly, when I read this thread's title I thought you were going to say that the cat was continually scratching your child, or that you had to move suddenly and were heartbroken that you couldn't take the cat with you. And then I read that the cat is ... trying to get out the front door. I have to say, it was really anticlimactic and confusing. This is an abandonable offense? Really??

[DoctorGirlfriend]

Read the OP's other thread...she already found a farm that would take the cat.

And to the OP...please don't get any other pets, okay? It sounds like you have no concept of what it's like to share your home with an animal. I'm baffled that you wanted to ditch that cat because it tripped you.

[JustJamie]

:

I'm a bit astonished at some of the responses in this thread.

Seems perfectly clear to me that the OP is not wanting to get rid of the cat because it tripped her, but is wanting to get rid of it because:

This cat will NOT stop running out the door, and where we live he is going to get killed.

[heartmama]

I'm also confused. There are a number of creative ways to prevent a cat from escaping. Many, many indoor cats will try to escape--that isn't unusual at all.

I also expected a serious behavior problem, allergy, etc., but this problem is very fixable! We'd love to help you brainstorm if you are still interested in keeping your cat.

This cat will NOT stop running out the door, and where we live he is going to get killed.

That would indeed be upsetting but this problem can be solved, which is why people are confused.

Personally I would just secure the cat in another part of the house when I left. Second choice would be to use baby gates to create a "buffer zone" two feet in front of the door (so I had enough room to step inside, close the front door behind me, and open the baby gate in front of me). If you want to change the behavior, you could install a simple screen door hinged on the inside so you can open the front door, look inside to see if the kitty is waiting, and keep a spray bottle of water by the door to give him a blast through the screen until he backs off. Most likely that last one would radically diminish his interest in escaping! These were just idea's off the top of my head, and I would try them all, and many more, before thinking about rehoming the cat. The op didn't say what she tried already, so that is why people are confused and upset.

[Ann-Marita]

The OP has already placed the cat with someone else. She said so in another thread.

[limabean]

Originally Posted by JustJamie

:

I'm a bit astonished at some of the responses in this thread.

Seems perfectly clear to me that the OP is not wanting to get rid of the cat because it tripped her, but is wanting to get rid of it because:

"This cat will NOT stop running out the door, and where we live he is going to get killed."

Yeah, I got that part, and was still shocked and dismayed that her initial reaction was "Get rid of the cat." There are plenty of ways to stop a cat from escaping out the front door. Crate it, leash it, hold it, shut it in the next room, etc. etc. etc... Getting rid of it should never be the first reaction to a problem as mild as this one. Despite her quote above, I don't believe that the cat's well-being is her only concern; she just thinks the cat is a hassle and decided to dump it.

I saw the other thread where she stated that she gave the cat away, and as I said there, I'm glad that the cat is going to a home where it'll be given a life better than the one the OP would have provided. She should not be a pet owner. Harsh? Yeah, but so is trashing an animal who isn't even guilty of doing anything wrong, IMO.

[frog]

Originally Posted by limabean

She should not be a pet owner. Harsh? Yeah, but so is trashing an animal who isn't even guilty of doing anything wrong, IMO.

Amen.

[neveryoumindthere]

Wow, I wouldn't have come back to this thread either if I was the OP.

Personally I'm new to owning an animal and perhaps her or others (including myself ) wouldn't know of what solutions there were to avoid it running outside into what the OP obviously feels is a dangerous area for the cat...maybe suggesting solutions would have been better rather than making it out to seem she was a horrible person for even considering giving the pet away. :

I Konw this thread is old but I just could not read and not respond.

Edited to add: What if others read this thread and think whoa I better not post asking for help with xyz or I'll get eaten alive/

[Liea]

Originally Posted by neveryoumindthere

Edited to add: What if others read this thread and think whoa I better not post asking for help with xyz or I'll get eaten alive/

:

Shooot... this is my first time in this section of MDC and I was shocked!

[fek&fuzz]

These pets people don't fool around (would you go into lactivism and ask about formula? sorta the same thing as coming here and asking how to easily get rid of your pet), but they also give really great advice on managing the animals you have, how to choose a new pet, will hopefully make some people think twice before adopting pets at all.

[thekimballs]

What sets this forum off is the "I gotta get rid of this XXX" and then they list a problem that's totally solveable. It would in fact be like going to the breastfeeding forum and posting "My nipples are cracked--help me switch to bottles!" It's hard to say "Oh, poor thing, let me help you wean" or "let me help you rehome your cat" when there is absolutely no reason to do so.

If you come on this forum and say "I have XXX horribly complicated problem and am at the end of my rope, help!" we will bend over backwards to help. We may even suggest rehoming, if that is justified in the situation. There have been some very good threads on the topic of rehoming, how to do it right, when it becomes a lost cause, etc. But no, we don't generally contribute to "support" threads for "getting rid of" an animal because there are snags that can totally be overcome.

[Bearsmama]

Originally Posted by thekimballs

What sets this forum off is the "I gotta get rid of this XXX" and then they list a problem that's totally solveable. It would in fact be like going to the breastfeeding forum and posting "My nipples are cracked--help me switch to bottles!" It's hard to say "Oh, poor thing, let me help you wean" or "let me help you rehome your cat" when there is absolutely no reason to do so.

If you come on this forum and say "I have XXX horribly complicated problem and am at the end of my rope, help!" we will bend over backwards to help. We may even suggest rehoming, if that is justified in the situation. There have been some very good threads on the topic of rehoming, how to do it right, when it becomes a lost cause, etc. But no, we don't generally contribute to "support" threads for "getting rid of" an animal because there are snags that can totally be overcome.

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