How to rehome mature cat that either needs a new home or gets the needle?

[Anonymous]

OP, I advise you to call the local stables and ask if they will accept a vaccinated, spayed barn cat (emphasis spayed). This is a great life for a cat!

I grew up on a horse farm and remember several of my parents' friends giving us their cats-with-issues to live as barn cats, and I named/loved/played with each one. Our stable had a heated tack room with a cat flap, but the cats loved to nest down in hay, and one of them even slept on top of a horse in the winter. I would see them hunting in the fields, and we took them all to be vaccinated each year, and had them spayed/neutered. This is NOT the same as leaving the cat outdoors/to the elements. Our barn cats lived very, very long lives (the oldest was 18, I think) and were happy. If you can find a stable (commercial barn or otherwise), this is your best bet. They won't care about your cats peeing problem because the cat can pee outside. Every stable needs barn cats to keep the rodents at bay. You can find the stables listed in phone directories: check equestrian facilities, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP. Put down the internet and walk away. that post was deleted for rudeness. the pet forum here always brings out the crazies with no perspective like pp. you are way too defensive. Do what you need to do.

Thanks. You are right. Good advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Put down the internet and walk away. that post was deleted for rudeness. the pet forum here always brings out the crazies with no perspective like pp. you are way too defensive. Do what you need to do.

Thanks. You are right. Good advice.

np. I've btdt. as bad as the relationship forum can get, I think this one is the worst on DCUM given the terrible things people feel they are entitled to say to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I advise you to call the local stables and ask if they will accept a vaccinated, spayed barn cat (emphasis spayed). This is a great life for a cat!

I grew up on a horse farm and remember several of my parents' friends giving us their cats-with-issues to live as barn cats, and I named/loved/played with each one. Our stable had a heated tack room with a cat flap, but the cats loved to nest down in hay, and one of them even slept on top of a horse in the winter. I would see them hunting in the fields, and we took them all to be vaccinated each year, and had them spayed/neutered. This is NOT the same as leaving the cat outdoors/to the elements. Our barn cats lived very, very long lives (the oldest was 18, I think) and were happy. If you can find a stable (commercial barn or otherwise), this is your best bet. They won't care about your cats peeing problem because the cat can pee outside. Every stable needs barn cats to keep the rodents at bay. You can find the stables listed in phone directories: check equestrian facilities, etc.

This cat doesn't sound like it would tolerate that environment.

[Anonymous]

I can't figure out why you don't close your bedroom doors. My cat doesn't pee on our beds, but sometime she sleeps on them. I don't want cat hair on the beds, so I close the doors.

We had a cat that peed and pooped outside the litter box due to cancer. We kept cleaning it up because the cat seemed happy in spite of his illness. He finally passed away just a few hours before I realized that his condition finally meant that putting him to sleep would be best for him.

I hope you can find a foster home of some sort for your cat.

We currently also has a cat that pees outside the box, but we are working on it. I can't believe she peed on the swim bag and a whole bin of Winx dolls, so I understand. The difference for us is that my dh would never consider rehoming or euthanizing the cat for this.

[Anonymous]

OP, have you watched any of the My Cat From hell series with Jaxon Galaxy? In each episode, he goes to the home of a family with a cat suffering behavior issues and counsels them on how to fix it. I remember one episode about a cat who peed outside the box and it turned out that the cat had pain due to arthritis or hip displacement or something like that. It hurt the cat to get over the side of the box. Is it possible for you to get the cat's joints/hips checked, and/or find a solution for litter that doesn't have a high sided box?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I advise you to call the local stables and ask if they will accept a vaccinated, spayed barn cat (emphasis spayed). This is a great life for a cat!

I grew up on a horse farm and remember several of my parents' friends giving us their cats-with-issues to live as barn cats, and I named/loved/played with each one. Our stable had a heated tack room with a cat flap, but the cats loved to nest down in hay, and one of them even slept on top of a horse in the winter. I would see them hunting in the fields, and we took them all to be vaccinated each year, and had them spayed/neutered. This is NOT the same as leaving the cat outdoors/to the elements. Our barn cats lived very, very long lives (the oldest was 18, I think) and were happy. If you can find a stable (commercial barn or otherwise), this is your best bet. They won't care about your cats peeing problem because the cat can pee outside. Every stable needs barn cats to keep the rodents at bay. You can find the stables listed in phone directories: check equestrian facilities, etc.

This cat doesn't sound like it would tolerate that environment.

I don't see why not. If the cat wanted to lounge indoors, it could, and it could also go outside whenever it wanted. And stables usually have a lot of animal-loving young girls around, so if it wanted some attention, it could have that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I advise you to call the local stables and ask if they will accept a vaccinated, spayed barn cat (emphasis spayed). This is a great life for a cat!

I grew up on a horse farm and remember several of my parents' friends giving us their cats-with-issues to live as barn cats, and I named/loved/played with each one. Our stable had a heated tack room with a cat flap, but the cats loved to nest down in hay, and one of them even slept on top of a horse in the winter. I would see them hunting in the fields, and we took them all to be vaccinated each year, and had them spayed/neutered. This is NOT the same as leaving the cat outdoors/to the elements. Our barn cats lived very, very long lives (the oldest was 18, I think) and were happy. If you can find a stable (commercial barn or otherwise), this is your best bet. They won't care about your cats peeing problem because the cat can pee outside. Every stable needs barn cats to keep the rodents at bay. You can find the stables listed in phone directories: check equestrian facilities, etc.

This cat doesn't sound like it would tolerate that environment.

I don't see why not. If the cat wanted to lounge indoors, it could, and it could also go outside whenever it wanted. And stables usually have a lot of animal-loving young girls around, so if it wanted some attention, it could have that too.

An elderly, anxious, single cat who has been indoors its whole life? Give me a break.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Have not watched the cat show. May look it up.

Simply closing the bedroom door won't help, as (1) the pee is not confined to the bedroom, and (2) that's the cat's safe place to hide from a house filled with four active, loud children ranging in age from 2-9. She gets thoroughly freaked out when locked out of our room.

She's had two pee free days so it's quieted down a bit. I think she has a reprieve until it starts happening again.

If she does have arthritis or something else that is causing her pain, I honestly think she's better off with a peaceful end. It is just cruel (in my opinion) to let an animal suffer because we don't want to say goodbye. (Admittedly in our cat's case, at least one family member would be fine saying goodbye, but others less so.) She's a nice animal but I realize she is probably living in a state of high stress and awful lot of the time.

[Anonymous]

We put a safety gate to stop our cats from coming to upper level, since one of them has GI issues and is prone to throw up. Restricting access might be a viable solution.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP - I'm so sorry you're going through this. It sounds very hard.

It sounds like you are past looking for ways to keep the cat. So I'm not offer advice on how that might work.

In your shoes, I would call some local rescue groups and ask if they can take the cat. King Street Cats is a good one. If you need suggestions for others, I will try to find you some.

Offer to make a large donation. Tell them the truth about your situation. Ask them if they can give your cat a home until she dies.

But if that option isn't open, then euthanasia may be the right choice here. See if a vet will come to the house (some will).

But either way, please don't adopt or buy another pet. Shelters are full of people who bring home puppies and return them when they grow up into dogs, or when they develop bad habits that the people can't tolerate.

I think you've realized that you aren't ready for the commitment of a pet.

Try fostering a dog, if the house feels too lonely without an animal. Or if your kids are desperate for a dog. Fostering saves lives, and also isn't the same commitment as bringing home a pet for the long haul.

[Anonymous]

OP, I agree with PP that you should not get a dog. Dogs are much more difficult and demanding than cats. With four children, you will not have the energy to take care of a dog.

How does your DH feel about dogs? Puppies poop and pee in the house for a long time until they are finally housebroken, but in their golden years, they often become incontinent.

We think of our dog as a member of our family. If he became inconvenient, we would not euthanize him, any more than we would euthanize our grandmother, who is far more annoying and inconvenient.

Do what you want to do, OP, but don't expect sympathy from DCUM. If you've had enough of the cat, find her a new home or euthanize her, if you can find a vet who feels comfortable euthanizing a healthy animal.

But for God's sake, don't get another animal! Maybe a fish, if you must, but not a dog or another cat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I advise you to call the local stables and ask if they will accept a vaccinated, spayed barn cat (emphasis spayed). This is a great life for a cat!

I grew up on a horse farm and remember several of my parents' friends giving us their cats-with-issues to live as barn cats, and I named/loved/played with each one. Our stable had a heated tack room with a cat flap, but the cats loved to nest down in hay, and one of them even slept on top of a horse in the winter. I would see them hunting in the fields, and we took them all to be vaccinated each year, and had them spayed/neutered. This is NOT the same as leaving the cat outdoors/to the elements. Our barn cats lived very, very long lives (the oldest was 18, I think) and were happy. If you can find a stable (commercial barn or otherwise), this is your best bet. They won't care about your cats peeing problem because the cat can pee outside. Every stable needs barn cats to keep the rodents at bay. You can find the stables listed in phone directories: check equestrian facilities, etc.

This cat doesn't sound like it would tolerate that environment.

I don't see why not. If the cat wanted to lounge indoors, it could, and it could also go outside whenever it wanted. And stables usually have a lot of animal-loving young girls around, so if it wanted some attention, it could have that too.

An elderly, anxious, single cat who has been indoors its whole life? Give me a break.

^^This.

I have experience working at barns and taking care of barn cats, and frankly it is not the “fabulous” life for some cats. Sure, some thrive in that environment, but some do not. Some cannot adjust to outdoor life. Especially if there are several cats already living there and end up fighting to establish a pecking order. Also, not all barns take care of their cats well. I seriously doubt this cat would adjust to being a barn cat.

OP, I absolutely feel for you. I recently took in a stray that appears to be a very sweet cat, but come to find out it has a terrible diarrhea problem. I will throw all the money I can to fix the problem, but frankly if I cannot fix it, I will euthanize him. I will not take him to a rescue group or shelter and add to their burden. I have done my share of rescue/rehab and you can’t save them all.

OP, she is 13 years old, you gave her a decent life. Do what you have to do.

[Anonymous]

I am offended by the way OP wrote the title of this thread.

Writing "gets the needle" shows how little respect she has for her animal, as though the cat is a piece of garbage to be disposed of because she's become an annoyance.

The cat has done nothing wrong, aside from growing older. It sounds like OP is not a sympathetic pet owner. If the cat has been having problems for years, OP ought to have found a new, less stressful home for her long ago.

Animals are living creatures who deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. The title of OP's post is neither respectful, nor dignified. I'm sorry for her cat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am offended by the way OP wrote the title of this thread.

Writing "gets the needle" shows how little respect she has for her animal, as though the cat is a piece of garbage to be disposed of because she's become an annoyance.

The cat has done nothing wrong, aside from growing older. It sounds like OP is not a sympathetic pet owner. If the cat has been having problems for years, OP ought to have found a new, less stressful home for her long ago.

Animals are living creatures who deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. The title of OP's post is neither respectful, nor dignified. I'm sorry for her cat.

Oh good lord, you object to the thread title?

Attempting to rehome a cat at ANY age is met with scorn here. The same business about commitment and promises and abandonment, etc if rehoming was suggested at age six, or four, or nine.