I am unwillingly inheriting a cat.
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Anonymous
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So, apparently I'm just being handed a cat. I will preface this with the fact that it is a VERY sweet, docile cat. A total cat-dog if you will. Each time I've been around the cat it has always been very sweet with my young kids and just totally lovable. But then I got to go home and not deal with the pitfalls of the litterbox, feeding it, vet appts etc. The story behind the cat is this: my 20-something year old sibling adopts the cat, last year they decide moves overseas and basically guilts my mom into taking it. My mom is now suddenly moving to a different state for a job and is essentially forcing me to take it because she's in a rush to get moved. I feel terrible saying no because I don't want anything bad to happen to him. He's great. I just don't know that I can now add this responsibility to my plate (nevermind the fact I'm already upset that my mother is moving considering she's my kids only grandparent and our only source of help).
My main problem is it's a partial outdoor cat and we live in a neighborhood very different from where the cat now resides. It's used to having a large property to roam and then go home, whereas we can basically throw a rock at each of our neighbors houses. My neighbors probably don't want a cat roaming their yards. Also I am afraid the cat will get lost, constantly, and with 2 young children I don't have the time or energy to spend looking for the cat or calling it inside every night. I don't want to deal with the mess and smell of a litterbox. I also have my own elderly dog to deal with! Sibling said in worst case scenario she will fly home in a few months to retrieve the cat but caring for him until then is still daunting - and part of me thinks she's hanging a carrot for me to just keep him since the country resides is very strict with imported pets and it's very costly. Hence why she left him in the first place. WWYD? Help rehome the cat? Take the cat? I'm completely torn and feel like a crap sister rehoming him but at the same time I didn't ask for a cat!! Please help. |
Anonymous
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oh hell no
this is why unstable twentysomethings should not adopt pets! say no. this is NOT your responsibility. |
Anonymous
| tell mom no and instruct her to drop the cat at a no-kill shelter. |
Anonymous
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I don't even like cats, but I'd take in a cat dog. Give it 3 months and see. From what I know about cats, they're pretty cheap and easy (unlike dogs who require dog walkers and boarding).
I don't think I'd let the cat out in a townhouse community. |
Anonymous
| Give to a shelter or someone you know. |
Anonymous
| I've been looking for a hypo-allergenic cat, but I doubt you know if this one is, right, OP? The hypoallergenic ones produce less Feld-1 protein. |
Anonymous
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Ugh, OP, I feel for you. Except I am a cat person so I would take the cat.
Cats aren't that much work. The littler is a pain, but it's <5 minutes a day. The indoor/outdoor is harder. But cats can become indoor cats. I might try, and if it doesn't work, then take action. Maybe give yourself a timeline and an out. And start asking friends who might want a cat....... |
Anonymous
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I think you take the cat with the understanding that you may not be able to keep it, and you reserve the right to give it to someone else or to a shelter on your timeline (because I can see your sister saying, "No, I'll be there in a month!" repeatedly).
Let your circle know you're getting a cat and ask around to see if anyone wants one. See how bad the litterbox issue is. Make the cat an indoor-only cat. See how your dog feels about the cat. After a month, single no vote from anyone, including the dog, is reason enough to get rid of the cat. |
Anonymous
Yep, good post. Let your mom deal with it. |
Anonymous
No!!! I "inherited" my first pair of cats - still kittens as my brother had to go overseas and I only live in an efficiency in the city. The first few months were a little brutal...I used to have to put them in the walk through closet/bathroom at night. But, by the time he came back - I had been converted. I did make him pay for everything for the cats initially. But, try it out. If you already have a dog - you might be surprised how low maintenance a cat can be. Make your sister buy you one of the good automatic little boxes - iRobot - I can never bring myself to spring for one. |
Anonymous
Wow, those are pricey, do they work well? I have a $400 dog hair dryer for my double-coated dog, so not criticizing! |
Anonymous
| Unless you are 100% sure, absolutely not. Having a pet is a lot of work. If you are unsure, not fair for you, not fair for your cat. |
Anonymous
| Can your mom make sure she gets a pet-friendly apartment and you can bring her the cat as soon as she’s settled? |
Anonymous
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I inherited my sister's cat when she went on chemo (for pancreatic cancer and she died a few months later). The cat was old. My dog was middle aged and the cat hated dogs. Cat hid for the first few months (would see the litter box had been used and food/water eaten). Now, the dog is old-ish and the cat is elderly. Every night the cat hops up on my bed, the dog hops up on my bed, the cat walks up to the dog to get her evening bath. She had been a rural cat and mostly outdoors but became an indoor cat.
You will want to confine the cat to one room for awhile. I put a screen door in the room where my sister's cat started. |
Anonymous
Cats are very little work! |