Kitten followed us home-advice?

[JBalways2000]

Hi all and apologies for not being on here for quite some time now, im hoping everyones kitties are all well:)

I will get to the story though as it is late lol basically we were walking home from my in laws house at around 10pm. We came to a road that cuts off ours and a little ginger tabby kitten ran at us! Well thats not all that unusual, we have had to stop and give fuss to plenty of attention seeking cats. We gave him a little fuss, though we were shocked that he was out so young, then we carried on our way. Problem is that he followed us to our door! It was still a fair bit of a walk from where he ran at us. We ignored him as we walked hoping he would turn away-this usually works with other kitties and we have found most will only follow you a few houses anyway. Well this little guy actually ran straight into the porch with us and straight through the front door!!

We were very concerned about putting him back out as he honestly seemed lost so we made the decision to bring him in and keep him in the bathroom overnight and ring the local vets first thing. Obviously we have 3 indoor kitties ourselves so the bathroom is the best we could offer! lol

Anyway, he is the most super friendly kitten we have ever came across. We have spent nearly two hours in the bathroom with him checking him over and getting him settled in-he looks a little skinny and we put a handful of food down and it was gone in seconds so he obviously hasnt had a meal for a while. We gave him a second handful and the same thing happened but i didnt want to feed him too much and upset his belly-did we do the right thing? his tummy was gurgling a little afterwards on my lap, but i also dont want to keep food from him if the little guy is starving:?

We have set up a litter tray in there, which im not sure he knows how to use:? and a water bowl and carrier with a blanket. Have borrowed a couple of the boys toys for him too and hes already been going mad for them. Gave him a checkover and he doesnt appear to have fleas, though he does have a few small scabs. his eyes, ears and nose are all clean, mouth/gums/teeth look healthy. Most of the nails on his back feet have either been torn off or worn right down until they are bleeding poor thing, but this appears to be the only obvious thing wrong with him. As i said he seems quite skinny, but then so does our Hernie and he eats like a horse lol

As i said he is the friendliest thing, he has been cuddling me so much. I patted my knee and he literally came running, jumped up and curled up purring like an engine! he done this several times and for my partner aswell-im hoping that means he has a loving worried owner somewhere. The only other thing to mention is that he has a blue collar on-no details/tag/bell, just a rubber blue collar:?

Again, our plan is to ring the local vets in the morning and see if anyone has reported him missing and i guess we will take it from there but nothing like this has ever happened to us before so im not sure what else we can do? If anyone has any advice for us or knows of anywhere else we should be ringing please let me know.

Have to admit he has certainly stole my heart and we would be super tempted by him if his owners dont come forward. He is a lovely little thing, he is an awful lot like our Hernie actually-except that hes a ginger tabby lol but we are trying to not even think about that as we havnt thought about getting another kittie since losing my soul cat ,Raven, last year :( and im not sure how our boys would feel about it either lol but it would certainly be hard to say no to this little guy.

Anyway hopefully we will ring the vets in the morning and he will be reunited with loving owners, but any advice in the meantime would be appreciated!

[Squirrel]

hope you get somewhere with finding this little ones owners - and that this is simply a moment of carelessness on their part!

I can't see myself having done any different...

[JBalways2000]

Thankyou Squirrel, we are hoping the same.

We are actually thinking that he hasnt had a meal in atleast a few days because he absolutely devoured everything we have put in front of him. We decided to give him a bit more food last night and it was gone so fast again. He has also drank half a big bowl of water overnight so obviously dehydrated too. He hadnt used the tray so my OH stuck him in it when we got up this morning and he done a nice biiiiiig wee lol He's such a lovely little thing, will break my heart to see him go if his owners are found.

We have rang our most local vets and they have looked in their lost and found book and he hasnt been reported so took all the details from us and we are bringing him up for a checkover at 11.30am with one of the nurses and also to check for a microchip. I was asked if we are happy to keep him for now and i told her yes aslong as hes given the all clear so he can perhaps mingle with my boys rather then living in our bathroom(which is the size of a bedroom but still not fun when we need to use the toilet and we have a loveable kitten trying to cuddle with us:lol: ) Do you think we were right to agree to keep hold of him for now? Will he be ok to meet my boys, who are all indoor, or is there a chance he might pass something onto them from being outdoors? Might sound silly, i just have a tendancy to over worry and obviously our boys come first. As i said he will be getting checked over so i will of course ask the nurse all these questions too but would love some input here too if anyone can.

I know im setting myself up for heartbreak but i also feel good about helping a lost little kitten so hopefully it will be worth it. Lets hope our boys feel the same way LOL

[angieh]

That kitten hopefully will get the all clear from the vet and if so, if it were me, I'd be prepared to care for him until his owner is traced. Hopefully he'll have a chip. Has he been neutered? If not, he'll probably not have been chipped either yet. Do you have a local shop where you could post a notice?

He sounds like he knows just how to get you two wrapped around his little paws!

[JBalways2000]

That kitten hopefully will get the all clear from the vet and if so, if it were me, I'd be prepared to care for him until his owner is traced. Hopefully he'll have a chip. Has he been neutered? If not, he'll probably not have been chipped either yet. Do you have a local shop where you could post a notice?

He sounds like he knows just how to get you two wrapped around his little paws!

:lol: :lol: how right you are, he has us smitten, he has such a loud purr!! But like i said our boys come first so if there is any risk for them or they are not happy with him being here then hopefully the vets will be able to help. Im pretty sure the vets i contacted work with the Cats Protection as we often see stories in the newspaper about them both.

And no he isnt neutered so we were thinking the same that he probably isnt going to be chipped either:? But when we get back from the vets with him i shall ring around a few more and leave details with them-surely a good owner would atleast ring every local vets if their kitty didnt go home? Though as i said he is a very hungry boy so im wondering how long he has been lost for:?

[Shelley123]

Sounds like this little boy was so lucky you passed by and are looking after him. I wonder if he has been trapped somewhere, just thinking of the damaged claws and hunger.
He may have a frantic owner looking for him or he could just be another abandoned Kitten that had the good fortune to find you.
As Angie has said i would put a few notices in local shop windows, inform the local cat shelters and vets and that's about all you can do.
I once found a kitten outside the hairdressers and took her home, i did all the advertising but no one claimed her so she stayed with me.

[Tink]

Oh dear, sounds like a sweetheart.
One thing to keep in mind with the notices--Be vague and state lost kitten found and what area but be sure to have them ring you to describe him--don't attach his picture or anything like that just in case there is someone out looking for a free kitten who will just pose as the owner to get him or something. If they really are the owner, they should be able to tell you his markings and bring up the collar as well. Never can be too careful, there are bad people out there that take advantage.

[angieh]

Wise warning there from Tink.

[JBalways2000]

Oh dear, sounds like a sweetheart.
One thing to keep in mind with the notices--Be vague and state lost kitten found and what area but be sure to have them ring you to describe him--don't attach his picture or anything like that just in case there is someone out looking for a free kitten who will just pose as the owner to get him or something. If they really are the owner, they should be able to tell you his markings and bring up the collar as well. Never can be too careful, there are bad people out there that take advantage.

That is exactly our thinking, the vets told us to put up posters with a photo on but no chance we are doing that as could definately see someone trying to claim him just to get a free kitten:roll:

Well we made the very hard decision to leave him with the vets:( To be honest the main reason was because we have fell inlove with him already and if he stayed much longer and was then claimed we would be heartbroken-not to mention if we bonded him with our boys and then he was suddenly taken away. I just couldnt deal with losing another cat, especially so close to the first year anniversary of Ravens death :cry: I hope no one thinks bad of us for this. The vets were very understanding as to why we couldnt keep him at the moment-we have told them that we might be interested in rehoming him if he isnt claimed as then we wont have our hearts broken! lol They told us they will keep him for 7 days and after that time if he isnt claimed they contact the cats protection to arrange for a foster home for him, so she told me she will ring me on saturday to let me know whats happening and to see what we want to do.

I think this is best all round as it gives us chance to have a proper think about taking on another kittie without the little guy being here melting our hearts and not allowing us to use our heads:lol: Part of me just wanted to bring him back home so badly and i have to say i started missing him the second i left the vets:oops: Amazing how quickly you can become attached to an animal isnt it? But everything happens for a reason so if he has some loving owners out there frantic to find him then he will be reunited and we will have done a good thing. If not then we might be having to sweet talk the boys into adopting a new brother:oops: But even if we decide we cant take him on i know without a doubt that boy will not have trouble finding a home-not only were his markings stunning but he is one of the friendliest loviest kitties i have ever came across-all he wanted last night was our laps!:D

We did get some photos of him so i will have to post some for you all to see, but i will keep you all updated on what happens. We are off out to the shops now so will be keeping an eye out for posters and perhaps make some vague ones of our own to put up tomorrow.

Oh i shall also ring around a few other vets this afternoon to see if any of the others have had reports of a missing kitten, not sure what cat shelters there are local to us but will have a search and see. Any more advice will be welcome but please keep fingers crossed that this boy has a happy ending one way or the other:D

PS they said he seemed perfectly healthy and would put him at no more then 6 months old. Pretty sure he has fleas despite me checking and not finding anything last night as i woke up with a bump on my leg this morning:shock: So just defleaing the boys and house now:lol:

[angieh]

JB - I think you have acted very wisely, bearing in mind the heartbreak that might have been caused. He is in a safe place and his owner will be found if at all possible. Gives you the break you need to make a sensible decision without the little chap twisting your arm.

I do look forward to seeing his photo! Bless you for taking care of this wee mite. If it is to be, it will be.

[Velvet]

So glad you got sorted, you were brave leaving him at the Vets but sensible.

Amber was picked up straying with a too tight collar. Taken to vets who defleaed & dewormed her. He kept her for some days & then she went to rescue where they kept her for ten days, extensively advertised her, to no avail. No one came to claim her so hopefully your boy will be the same. Amber is a wee poppet too.

[JBalways2000]

Thankyou both. Im finding it hard not to ring the vets up to see how he is:oops: We wernt even thinking about getting another kittie, to be honest i still get so low over the loss of Raven, i miss him every single day. I guess as we said, if his owners are meant to find him that will be, if not then maybe someone is working in mysterious ways so that we extend our feline family a little:lol: He will look a bit out of place amoungst our tuxedo boys though:lol:

I was nervous about leaving him with the vets, especially as its not a vets i use-I have used them a couple of times in the past-once i had a good experience there and then i had an experience bad enough with a locum to put me off going back there but they were very understanding today and i thought it nice that they said they would ring me to let me know whats happening with him so i felt more at ease at leaving him there. Though i also feel guilty as i know he will be going crazy cooped up in a cattery for days:( I really hope this all turns out well one way or the other, i just want to know we have done the right thing by him.

I am dying to post a piccie, im being really paranoid though incase someone sees it and fancies themselves a free gorgeous kitten :oops: i know none of the regular members would do anything like that but browsers might so i think i will wait and see what happens saturday and then it should be safe to show you all why even though the thought of getting another kitten hadnt crossed our minds, we have now became besotted with a little ginger tabby boy:oops:

[Squirrel]

Oh how hard for you! Wise decision there though, it would be just typical that he was claimed just after he was settled nicely in your family. But what a difficult decision to have to make. Well done you.

[dandysmom]

You are very strong! I think it was the right decision considering the circumtances. I took in my little lost hungry kitten with the intention of just giving her a meal and a bed overnight till I located her owner .... she died peacefully in her sleep 19 1/2 years later .....

[JBalways2000]

You are very strong! I think it was the right decision considering the circumtances. I took in my little lost hungry kitten with the intention of just giving her a meal and a bed overnight till I located her owner .... she died peacefully in her sleep 19 1/2 years later .....

Oh my that is such a lovely little story, its almost made me cry, but in the good way of course. I do believe in everything happens for a reason-we wernt even supposed to be going to see the in laws yesterday and then we wernt supposed to be there so late. then we were going to get a taxi home and decided we wanted the walk instead. just think of all the little things that had to happen for us to walk home with that little kitten by our side? its so odd. I guess even if he doesnt end up living with us atleast he isnt outside in the cold and lost.

But i admit that we cant stop thinking and talking about him. Im just confused over it because i keep wanting to go and steal him back from the vets and then my heart starts aching over Raven. Its hard to explain but i think if anyone is going to understand the feelings in having right now it will be all you fellow cat lovers who have been there and done that:oops: :lol: I think if we were 100% sure that our boys would be happy with it then if his owners havnt claimed him he would be becoming a permanent part of the family, but we are just so worried about upsetting things with the boys.

See what i mean, so confused!! I keep saying hopefully the decision will be made for us and he will have loving owners that reunite with him. But is it bad that a part of me hopes no one claims him?:oops: Il stop babbling now, shall have to keep myself busy until saturday to keep my mind off him i think!:lol: I cant wait to share photos, though they really dont do him justice.

[angieh]

I do understand JB - it's such a dilemma. Just take a very deep breath and wait it out. No use worrying whether your boys will take to new kid if he's reunited with his owner.

[JBalways2000]

I do understand JB - it's such a dilemma. Just take a very deep breath and wait it out. No use worrying whether your boys will take to new kid if he's reunited with his owner.

Thankyou, thats exactly what i keep trying to tell myself:oops: :lol: Lets see if i manage to take that advice:lol:

[dandysmom]

And if he isn't reunited with his owner and does come to live with you .... who knows? Perhaps Raven knew the little fellow would be welcomed and loved; the boys might be very accepting ... or just briefly grumpy .... no point worrying too much at this point, although I know your brain is going around like a whirligig now thinking of all the what-ifs ......

Glad you enjoyed my Misty story. She was a special litlte girl.

[JBalways2000]

And if he isn't reunited with his owner and does come to live with you .... who knows? Perhaps Raven knew the little fellow would be welcomed and loved; the boys might be very accepting ... or just briefly grumpy .... no point worrying too much at this point, although I know your brain is going around like a whirligig now thinking of all the what-ifs ......

Glad you enjoyed my Misty story. She was a special litlte girl.

I definately enjoyed your story about Misty, she was a very lucky girl obviously. And yes lots of what ifs to think about!:lol:

I just rang the vets to see how he is and if anyone had rang for him yet and they put me through to another lady because she had actually taken him home last night so that he wouldnt be cooped up in a cage for 7 days-feel very happy about that because thats one of the things i have been feeling guilty about. We had a chat and i told her we might be interested in adopting him if he isnt claimed-she asked some questions about our boys(are they neutered/chipped/vaccinated/age) but when i told her they were indoor only cats she asked why because she said the little ginger boy might not be happy about being kept indoors. This had crossed our minds too, we wondered whether he would be able to make the adjustment to living indoors after being outdoors. I guess we will know better by the weekend though as obviously this lady is keeping him indoors at the moment so she will be able to tell us if he has settled down or not.

We are going to have another chat on saturday to see how things are going and if he has been claimed. She said if we are interested in him though that we can rehome him from the vets rather then sending him to the cats protection etc so i guess we will just wait and see what happens. Obviously we wouldnt want to take him on just for him to be unhappy here being kept inside, but then again maybe he will be young enough to get used to it quickly. AJ and Raven were actually born outside and raised in a shed and Hernie and Rhino were both let out as kittens before coming to us and all of our boys have never showed any interest in getting out-Rhino is the only one that likes wondering into the porch sometimes but he'd be off like a shot if we opened that door:lol:

Anyway thought i would share the update with you all! Shall let you all know how he's getting on when i find out. Atleast he is safe and warm :D

[Shelley123]

Thanks for the update, this is one luck little Kitten to have people so concerned for him.

[Velvet]

Amber as i mentioned was found strayimg & is now a house cat. For the first - 2 weeks she cried almost continuously at the back door to get out. It was hard listening to her being so unhappy but then she didnt really realise what she wanted, think she had been straying for some time. The following week she came into season - all very traumatic for her. Rescue said she was too young to have come into call when i phoned the rescue but our own vet confirmed it.
Subsequent spay etc. Now some 4 months later she loves her routine & knows it so well so i reslly wouldnt worry too much about a transition from being an outside kitten to indoors. Its more to do with having a loving stable home with routines. Its lovely to watch their confidence grow from wee timid - dont know routine kitten to one who is now quite vocal confident little girl.

We lost a much loved companion dog in June last year. She was only just 10. She had liver disease & was just too tired & frail to fight anymore. If the time is right & you are ready to take another wee one into your life - never think you are replacing the one you lost, you can never do that, the little one that comes into your life & home will make their own special place in your heart. Sometimes "special" little friends are sent to share our lives & they are called . "it was meant to be".

xx

[Squirrel]

Am so glad that you have such a caring vets practice, who are obviously willing and able to make sure that all goes well for the animal.

Will be interested to hear how it goes as he settles down there, and as they wait to find out if someone is able to claim him...

[dandysmom]

Very wise advice from Velvet about her experience. I rehomed an older cat that had been used to going outdoors; she adjusted to being indoor only with harness walks surprisingly quickly. It's all in the routine .

[JBalways2000]

Amber as i mentioned was found strayimg & is now a house cat. For the first - 2 weeks she cried almost continuously at the back door to get out. It was hard listening to her being so unhappy but then she didnt really realise what she wanted, think she had been straying for some time. The following week she came into season - all very traumatic for her. Rescue said she was too young to have come into call when i phoned the rescue but our own vet confirmed it.
Subsequent spay etc. Now some 4 months later she loves her routine & knows it so well so i reslly wouldnt worry too much about a transition from being an outside kitten to indoors. Its more to do with having a loving stable home with routines. Its lovely to watch their confidence grow from wee timid - dont know routine kitten to one who is now quite vocal confident little girl.

We lost a much loved companion dog in June last year. She was only just 10. She had liver disease & was just too tired & frail to fight anymore. If the time is right & you are ready to take another wee one into your life - never think you are replacing the one you lost, you can never do that, the little one that comes into your life & home will make their own special place in your heart. Sometimes "special" little friends are sent to share our lives & they are called . "it was meant to be".

xx

Very wise advice from Velvet about her experience. I rehomed an older cat that had been used to going outdoors; she adjusted to being indoor only with harness walks surprisingly quickly. It's all in the routine .

Thankyou both so much for sharing your experiences with me, that makes me feel much better. We really cant stop thinking about the little guy and even though it would be completely unplanned(so pretty much not like us at all!:lol: ) we feel that if he was available to be rehomed to us and we didnt take him that it would be something we would end up regretting. I think with him being young and so laid back despite being unneutered that he wouldnt be a problem with the boys and that they might be put out at first but im sure they would come around pretty quickly.

Am so glad that you have such a caring vets practice, who are obviously willing and able to make sure that all goes well for the animal.

Will be interested to hear how it goes as he settles down there, and as they wait to find out if someone is able to claim him...

Yes as i said i dont use this practice for my guys but ive been very impressed with how they are looking after this guy. when we first brought him there they told us they dont usually take in strays but they would take him in and i thought it wonderful that one of them brought him home to save him being cooped up.

I guess as i said we just have to wait until the week is up and see what happens. When i spoke to the lady yesterday she asked if i had reported him found and i wasnt sure what she meant:oops: So she said she would contact the cats protection to let them know he had been found and where. In all honestly i didnt report it anywhere else-i dont know if people will disagree but i was of the feeling that if one of my boys went missing i would call every vets/cattery/shelter/rescue/council in the area to report it and ring every day asking for news. I have however been checking various missing/found pages online daily and we have looked around the area for posters and have our families keeping an eye out for missing posters too. I just got very paranoid that someone wanting a free kitten would come along and claim him. Did i do the right thing or is that us being overly paranoid about it? My thinking is that the cats protection and the local vets know about him and surely that would be enough for anyone that was trying to find him? but please tell me if im being silly and should contact anyone else. The one thing i wont be doing is putting up posters-on my search for missing cats i have found far too many people in my area wanting free kittens:roll:

[angieh]

Hi JB! When Harley turned up as a stray last June, I did put a poster with a photo on it on a signpost at the end of our bridleway opposite the pub and in our local farm shop. I also put the same sign with photo on this website

http://mymoggy.com/

and on our local village website.

BUT Harley was an adult un-neutered male and although I found him an attractive cat I doubt if the general public would have. He certainly didn't have the kitten appeal your little guy must have. I did find the lady who runs the my moggy site to be very helpful at offering advice via email. You could look to see if kitty has been put in the lost section there anyway.

I really hope he's not claimed and comes to live with you in the end. I think that's what you are hoping too!!!

[JBalways2000]

Hi JB! When Harley turned up as a stray last June, I did put a poster with a photo on it on a signpost at the end of our bridleway opposite the pub and in our local farm shop. I also put the same sign with photo on this website

http://mymoggy.com/

and on our local village website.

BUT Harley was an adult un-neutered male and although I found him an attractive cat I doubt if the general public would have. He certainly didn't have the kitten appeal your little guy must have. I did find the lady who runs the my moggy site to be very helpful at offering advice via email. You could look to see if kitty has been put in the lost section there anyway.

I really hope he's not claimed and comes to live with you in the end. I think that's what you are hoping too!!!

Hi Angie! Thanks for that, that is actually one of the websites i have been checking on several times a day, along with the national pet register and a couple of others including gumtree lol Im just scared about actively advertising him and someone dodgy trying to claim him :? Part of me would love to be told that his loving owners tracked him down and have been reunited and will get him neutered and chipped before letting him out of their sights again. but yes there is definately a big part of me hoping that the vets ask if we want him next week:oops: :lol: So strange how you can go from being sure you wont be adding anymore kitties to your family for quite some time, to suddenly desperately wanting a little furry guy that appeared from no where! Though i gave up trying to question why things happen the way they do years ago-I mean we were set on getting a dog years back and then decided against it and a couple of weeks later came home with AJ and Raven and that was the best decision we ever made:smt049 But we didnt plan and look about getting kitties half as long as we did about getting a dog:lol: So now i just try to roll with it:lol:

[Velvet]

Any word yet?

[Kazz]

Have you got an update on the kitten?
And why did I see this so late? you see he could have followed me and then he would be here......I think thats how my next cat will arrive.
Did you get any pictures? How old was he? I think sometimes people (knowing the area you live) just have a litter or open the door and let animals out, and I have to say the torn back nails would sort of lead you to believe he was locked/trapped somewhere and trying to scramble out.
But I would have more posters up than humanly possible to find any lost animal of mine. Some people just replace.

[Tink]

also curious and checking in...

[angieh]

Yes, any news JB?

[Velvet]

Ive been wondering for the past 24 hours i hope they sign in & update us .....soon.....

[JBalways2000]

Sorry all for the late update-i rang the vets yesterday midday and then we were out until the evening and then i wasnt feeling well:oops:

It wasnt the best conversation to be honest. They told me no that he hasnt been claimed and that at this point they doubt the owners will come forward. then they went on to say that they have a few homes lined up despite knowing we were interested in him:( They told me they dont think he would settle as an indoor cat because, and i quote"He scratches at the window and watches the birds":roll: Well Rhino sometimes rubs the window and all of ours like watching the birds but does that mean they would be happier outdoors? i think the fact that they run the oppposite direction when the doors are open answers that question.

She basically said she has a home lined up for him where he will be able to go outdoors, have friends and the owner has a back garden. Im just so annoyed because why does anyone else even know about him when he cant legally be rehomed until Tuesday?

I spent yesterday feeling very upset and today i am angry:oops: Part of me thinks to just let it go and atleast it sounds like he has a decent home lined up and thats obviously better then he had. And then the other part of me wants to try and fight to get him-what should we do? Do we even have a chance if this lady is already obviously hoping he will go to this other home? I doubt we have any legal right over him but i would have thought the fact that we were the ones that found him and said we would definately be interested in adopting him if his owners didnt come forward would be enough.

It also annoyed me as i felt we done the responsible thing handing him over rather then keep him here and introducing him to our boys just for him to be claimed and upset ourselves and them. Not to mention that he will need a blood test to make sure he isnt carrying anything that can be passed on. But this lady actually said to me "well next time a cat follows you home just keep him":shock: She said this with a laugh a couple of times and as i said it got to me because i thought we were doing the right thing bringing him to them.

As i said i went along with what she was saying on the phone because i wasnt sure how i felt about it at the time, but now im pretty angry. Should we just leave it be and let him go a new home and hope he will be looked after properly this time?(assuming the lady i spoke with is the practice manager i would also assume any home she had lined up would be decent) Or do i ring back on monday and argue my case and try and get the little guy?

We are just so torn on what the right thing to do is. Id really really appreciate some help and opinions on this and any advice on what we or indeed if there is anything we can do if we decide to fight for him?

Kazz:Yes we have some piccies that im dying to share, he is a stunner of a kittie. They put him about 6 months old when we brought him to the vets. And yes in this area we are assuming he was either an unwanted christmas present or excess litter that wasnt sold:evil: Not a single poster or leaflet has gone up for him.

[Squirrel]

Oh!!! How horrid! And why do people assume that all cats Have to be outdoors cats, and cannot be trained otherwise???

I honestly cannot advise you on the best way to act. You're going to just have to go with what you feel I think. Think on it over night, and if you're no happier about the situation then I guess it worthwhile ringing up - at least to register your disappointment that they said one thing and then did another.

*hugs*

[JBalways2000]

Oh!!! How horrid! And why do people assume that all cats Have to be outdoors cats, and cannot be trained otherwise???

I honestly cannot advise you on the best way to act. You're going to just have to go with what you feel I think. Think on it over night, and if you're no happier about the situation then I guess it worthwhile ringing up - at least to register your disappointment that they said one thing and then did another.

*hugs*

Thankyou for that. I try not to judge anyone who lets their cats outdoors and i know there are plenty of responsible loving owners that do let their cats out, but i hate being judged for keeping mine in. When i spoke with her on wednesday she asked me why i kept my boys in-I did feel like i was being judged a little and felt like saying why not? In the end i just said i wasnt comfortable with letting them out around my area. Im wondering if this is why she has another home lined up because she doesnt agree with cats being kept indoors:? Either way i might still ring up tomorrow even just as you say to express my annoyance at not being given first choice-after all if we hadnt saved him from the street and brought him up there they wouldnt have known a thing about him. I guess that will teach me for trying to be a responsible owner:(

One thing i will say is that i really believe we wouldnt have a problem keeping him indoors-he was so eager to get into our house when the door was opened monday night and then all he wanted was to fill his belly and curl up on a nice warm lap. When we brought him out in the carrier to the vets the next day he HATED it-and not just because he didnt want to be in the carrier as he had been using it for his bed that night and seemed calm being brought down the stairs, but as soon as he heard all the noises outdoors and a car would go past or the trains were going past at the station he was really freaking out. We told them that at the vets too, so i really do feel like the lady that took him home is being judgemental towards us for keeping ours in and that this is what has changed her mind on letting us have him if he isnt claimed. The lady and nurse that we actually saw at the vets also told us that if he isnt claimed we could just adopt him through them so you have to wonder what changed:?

[Velvet]

I think, although i could be wrong, the lady that took him home may be the "home they have lined up for him" hence the reason she does not seem keen to give him back. She may have fell for him when you took him in. When initially you said on tbe forum someone had taken him home i must admit thats what i thought at the time especially as you say he is a particularly lovely wee chap.

[JBalways2000]

I think, although i could be wrong, the lady that took him home may be the "home they have lined up for him" hence the reason she does not seem keen to give him back. She may have fell for him when you took him in. When initially you said on tbe forum someone had taken him home i must admit thats what i thought at the time especially as you say he is a particularly lovely wee chap.

I guess its a possibilty, but then thats even more upsetting that she would lie? I would have felt much better about the whole thing if she had said he'd settled in well with her and she had fell inlove with him so he would be staying with her if the owners didnt claim him. To be honest though when i was saying things like, oh he is such a sweetie and we really miss him etc she wasnt really responding and i would expect someone who had fell inlove with him to be agreeing with me? Infact the only thing she actually said about him was that "he is a handful" and she didnt explain what she meant by that, she didnt say anything nice about him at all:? I dont know, im just pretty angry at how its all happened. You think you are doing the right thing and then you are made to feel like your not by the people that you think would commend you for being responsible. I guess it doesnt help that i really do miss the little guy and i was close to tears yesterday thinking that i wouldnt ever see him again :( I cant even kick myself for not keeping him with us because i know we did the right thing for all the reasons i have already said. It just seems so unfair that we arent even being given the choice on whether we would like to rehome him or not and i dont know if we even have a right to argue to get him back.

[angieh]

This is heart-wrenching JB. IMO you should at least register your complaint with the practice manager or even the senior partner.

The thing you should stress was that you were told that you could have him if he wasn't claimed by his owners.

[JBalways2000]

This is heart-wrenching JB. IMO you should at least register your complaint with the practice manager or even the senior partner.

The thing you should stress was that you were told that you could have him if he wasn't claimed by his owners.

Thanks Angie. I just cant stop thinking about the whole situation and i cant decide what is for the best. A big part of me really wants this little guy and its really upsetting me that even if i ring up and argue my point that they will probably still stand by the decision they have made:( Another part of me is wondering if i should just leave it be. Im worried that I'll take him on and he wont get on with my boys and then we will have to look for a new home anyway. I know thats unlikely, with him being a kitten he will probably just go with it and get put in his place but it does worry me. Im also worried that we take him on and have a blood test done to make sure all is ok before him mixing with my boys and something comes back and again he will need to be rehomed again. Its driving me a bit crazy actually. My heart is telling me to ring up and fight for him and try and get him back because i keep getting so upset when i think about not seeing him again, but then all the worries i just mentioned come to mind and i start wondering if i should just leave it be. I wish it had been as simple as them saying we are able to adopt him and requesting a blood test taken now before bringing him home, that would have been perfect. Why do things never work out the way you want them to?:?

[Tink]

Oh, dear. Well, I suppose you have your answer about that office :( Whoever you spoke with sounds immature; I wonder if other staff would respond to you that way too or it's just her..
I would try to put my emotions aside when you talk to them and clearly state that you really had fell for this little guy and you actually thought you were being responsible letting them handle it to make sure you weren't robbing someone of their kitten and the only reason you left him there was you were just already getting so attached and you weren't sure if he had an owner or not yet..
They are horrid but if you really want him back it'll be better to talk to them that way. Maybe go in person so they can see you really mean it. Tell them about your recent loss and how you haven't been able to stop thinking about him and you were sad to hear he had another home lined up. I'd definitely do it tomorrow before any new home shows up. If it doesn't work you can know in your heart you tried and you made your feelings clear.
About him not working out--I am SURE you could find him a home easily if you had to. He sounds charming and I'm not impressed with their rehoming tactics to be honest.
What I'm saying is, make your appeal. Try to get him first, worry about if he'll stay with you later. I don't think it'll be hard to place him if it weren't to work out. And leave that place and don't look back when you're done. Just my two cents.

[Velvet]

Well as you feel so strongly, you could ring them up. Ask to speak to the vet you originally saw, tell him/her how upset you are & say you want an explanation - in writing.

If you get him you could tell them you prefer to take him to another vet for the blood tests & cut links with them that way.

A big hug from us & hope it works out for you.

[JBalways2000]

Thankyou both for the replies. Im going to take a long hot shower and try to have a good think about it, sleep on it and see how i feel in the morning. But i agree, if i decide i want to try and get him i will ask to speak with the lady that i saw first and explain my feelings to her calmly and see if i can work something out with her. And yes if we get him i shall definately be bringing him to our usual vets for everything he needs. The only reason i brought him to this one is because they are the local vets and i figured the first place an owner would ring would be the vets closest to us. The vets we usually use are a fair bit out, im pretty sure we are the only ones in our area that go there:lol: But we go there for a reason and i think if we had brought him there we wouldnt be having this problem at all now, especially as they know us. As i said though, everything we done we done for the right reasons, its just a shame that its turning out this way. I shall certainly be staying well away from there in future-as i already was anyway!

And thankyou Tink for putting my mind at ease a little about my worries of taking him on and it not working out anyway, i guess you are right he would find a new home very easily and im sure i would get the help to find him a new home right here. I just hope that if we do decide to/manage to persaud them to let us have him that it wont come to that. Shall let you all know what happens tomorrow, but thankyou all again for the support and advice, its helping me not to go completely crazy over this!

Oh if anyone knows where we might stand legally over this id really appreciate it. I doubt we have any legal rights to him at all, but i would hate to find out afterwards that we did:(

[JBalways2000]

Just a little update before bed to say that i know i will regret it if i dont try to get him back-Im just feeling too down about the whole thing to give up and leave it so i have worked out what i am going to calmly say and ring them in the morning and see if i can get anywhere. Atleast i will have known i tried and i wont have any regrets then and you never know, maybe they will see reason and we will have a new gorgeous addition to the feline family. Please wish us luck, i have a feeling i am going to need it.

[Velvet]

Good luck. Will keep fingers & toes crossed.

[dandysmom]

Fingers crossed here too and good vibes coming, JB!~

[JBalways2000]

Just a little update to say i have just spoke with the lady that i saw last week. She was quite understanding but she started telling me that the other lady wasnt exaggerating when she said he is climbing the walls and trying to get out the window and someone has to hold him when she goes out the front door as he tries to escape:? I told her i wasnt told any of that when i rang on saturday and that he was fine here with us that night and wasnt even trying to escape from the bathroom let alone the house:shock:

I explained that we really would still like the chance to adopt him and see will he settle here and that i have been speaking to friends(you guys!) who have taken on strays that have behaved like this and after a few weeks have settled happily into an indoor routine and that we just want the chance to see if he will settle with us as we really have fallen inlove with him and cant stop thinking about him.

She asked if we live in house or flat(we live in a house) and if we have a back garden we could let him into. She did say that she knows how attached we are but they have to think about where the kittie will be happiest so im not holding out much hope:( She said she cant say yes or no as she isnt the one that has been fostering him so she is speaking with that lady this afternoon and they will get back to me tomorrow with an answer:( I did say i was in all day so if someone wants to ring they can, i really hope so because i would just like to know one way or the other right now.

As i said if the decision lies with the lady that has been fostering him im really not holding my breath as i think she is a mix of not wanting him to be an indoor cat and knowing someone else that wants him so we just wont get a look in:( But I'll update as soon as i know the answer.

[Tink]

Well I am so glad that you spoke what is in your heart and let them know just how you feel. Up to them and fate now, I suppose, but no matter what you can live with knowing you put your feelings out there and really that is all you can do.
I do hope you get him but if not I also believe everything must happen for a reason and if it doesn't happen then it must be because there's another cat that needs you more possibly..
Hugs for dealing with this whole situation!

[JBalways2000]

Well I am so glad that you spoke what is in your heart and let them know just how you feel. Up to them and fate now, I suppose, but no matter what you can live with knowing you put your feelings out there and really that is all you can do.
I do hope you get him but if not I also believe everything must happen for a reason and if it doesn't happen then it must be because there's another cat that needs you more possibly..
Hugs for dealing with this whole situation!

Thankyou for that. I know what you mean, im another firm believer in everything happens for a reason and as you say if we cant persuad them then i guess we played our part in that kitties life, but im definately foolishly hoping they change their minds. Im just so upset about the whole thing and how its been handled and the poor kittie in the middle of it all. I just hope he gets the home he deserves where he will get the attention he was craving if he cant live with us. I know i once again wont be going near that vets ever again!

[Tink]

Oh it surely is understandable being upset. I guess now you know about them :(

[Squirrel]

You know, part of me wonders if the escaping thing is partly in relation to him having chosen you, whereas he didn't choose this lady... But... Least you have tried either way.

[JBalways2000]

:mad: I just dont know what to do now. I have spoke with the lady thats been fostering him and she wasnt very nice to me at all to begin with. First she told me yes we can have him but shes the one thats done all the work by fostering him and trying to find his owners(by that she means reporting it to the cats protection) and that they are an animal hospital not a rescue and if we wanted him we never should have left him there. Then she went on to say that we would be keeping him indoors for our sake and not the cats and that its taking his right away to go outside. To this i said well you could say that about the cats we have and she said yes i could. I went on to defend myself saying our house belongs to our cats and is full of toys/posts/beds. they are healthy and happier then any outdoor cat we walk past on the street that is usually scruffy/skin and bones/begging for attention and that our cats will never be got to by yobs or involved in RTA's. At this point she had to hang up as she was working alone and had a client waiting. When she rang me back she basically said that she sees my point and knows its just a case of personal choice and that she knows we would give him a good home and she agreed that he would definately settle.

She then goes on to tell me she had him booked in to be neutered and chipped on wednesday and that he has been getting on great with her two cats. At this point i asked if it was her that was going to keep him and she said one minute she was, then she wasnt and that she has fell for him too. Basically by the end of it she has said that she will drop him to us this evening as if he is going she would rather him not stay another night.

So yes i dont know what to do because we are now being offered the kittie and despite the woman being so nasty at first im actually feeling guilty if the little guy has settled in with her and her two boys, should i really take him away from that? the reason we didnt want to keep him for the 7 days was because we didnt want him to get taken away from us and our boys if he was claimed, but we would be the ones doing that to him and this lady. I do feel a little sorry for the lady despite her being nasty to me as i know how i would feel, and i only had him for one night. but the main thing getting to us now is that he has made friends and settled in a new home:( She assured me that she always knows where her cats are when she lets them out and never leaves them out overnight.

We are really torn up over this now and as i keep saying despite the lady not being very nice to me at the end of the day it is about the kittie and if he is happy where he is should we ruin that? especially if there is that risk our boys wont take to him and we could end up needing to rehome him ourselves. I dont want to do anything i could regret but right now i feel like the best thing for him is to leave him where he is as much as that breaks my heart. I will need to ring the lady back soon if im going to do that but would love imput from your guys if you can.

[JBalways2000]

Ok we made a decision. I rang the lady back and i told her if she is the one that wants him and he is staying with her we are ok with that because we dont want to uproot him again if he has settled and made friends and going to be looked after. She asked me if i was sure and told me she is happy for him to go to me, and i told her yes we do want him but it doesnt seem fair to him to bring him to yet another home(especially with the risks with our boys we were already worried about) when he seems like he is already in one he can stay in forever. We sort of tried to put our feelings for him aside on this one and made the decision based on that and you know, it does feel like the right decision.

As i said this lady wasnt very nice to me but at the end of the day if she will take good care of him and he is happy where he is then im ok with that. She has actually promised to send me photos of him so i took that as a good sign. I also told her i will ring up for updates every now and then so hopefully i can make sure he is being treated the way he should. I also told her that basically we are only happy if he stays with her, if she decides he isnt right for her after all and he is going to go to a new home anyway then we would like it to be ours and i asked her to please keep us at the top of the list if this happens. She told me if hes staying he is staying for good(which again i took as a good sign) but that we will be her first call if anything happens.

I know i cant fully trust her but despite her being nasty to me and being told some lies over the weekend, i think i finally uncovered the truth and that is that she fell for him and wants him. The funny thing is if she had told me all this on saturday and that he had made friends with her cats i would have been happy about that. Im still not sure why she felt the need to lie, maybe because she doesnt know me either? But either way i think she is being truthful now and i just hope "Ginjee" has a very happy and long life in his new home.

I hope you all think we made the right choice, it does feel right, not like saturday when i felt incredibly down about it all so i think we have. I can of course now post photos of the boy that has caused such a stir! Shall do so this evening;) Along with photos of the boys that already have my heart:D thankyou all once again for the advice and support, we certainly needed it this week and it helped keep me sane(well as sane as i can be!:lol: )

[Squirrel]

Well... As far as I can tell, as long as you are at peace about the decision, it is the right thing to have done. You've done all you can for him, and tried to put him first, and that is the most important thing.

She was very silly to lie about it like that, but maybe she was worried she'd loose him if she told you that she wanted to keep him. Kind of like "first come, first served". Definitely being very defensive, but...

Hopefully he will have settled down in his forever home, and you will have lots of pics of him having fun with his new brothers/sisters.

Thank you for telling us the rest of the story.

[angieh]

I'm very glad that you have come to terms with this hard decision JB and I think you have been brave about it. I was pleased for you that you told the woman honestly about how you felt for the little lad and that finally you and she have come to a settlement.

Yes, please post those pictures ......

[dandysmom]

Maybe not the outcome I'd have hoped for, but you seem at peace with the decision, and it's in the best interests of the little fellow. Looking forward very much to pics!!

[Velvet]

Very brave selfless decision putting wee man first. Think you will find there will be another wee one somewhere ear marked for you.

Silly woman for fibbing but it happens.

[PoshPuss]

Hi JB, just caught up with the whole story of 'Ginjee'.
I think you should be at peace with yourself as you did right by the kitten in the end. After all, it was your good heartedness that took him in and put him in a place of safety. Other people who got involved along the way have their own reasons for acting the way they did, we can't say why.
In the main though, the cat is happy, you have had the chance to reflect on how a newcomer to your house could be accommodated and you have learned by this experience.

I'm sure there's another wee one waiting for the love you have to give, it will happen soon, ;) in the meantime, would love to see a pic of 'Ginjee' :)

[Kazz]

A good and kind descision by you, to let the kitten go where he is loved a bit like a Solomon descision.
At the end of the day the kitten was lucky he followed you and lucky he now has a home where he is wanted and loved. Good outsome. even if the route there was a bit round the houses.

[JBalways2000]

Thankyou all for the kind replies and im glad you all think we done the right thing by him. I have just finally posted photos in the appropriate section-i think you will all change your minds and call us crazy for not having him when you see them:lol: He really was a gorgeous boy and my heart was melting all over again picking the photos to share but i do still feel like we made the right choice. We werent looking for a new kittie and my heart still aches for Raven like im sure it always will but when the time is right for a new kittie to enter all our lives then im sure we wont have a choice in the matter! This boy was very lucky having 2 grown women fighting for him:lol: I just really hope he remains a happy boy and is hopefully in his forever home.

Thanks again everyone, really helped getting everyones opinions and advice, you are all stars!