Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone surrenders a pet to a shelter and the shelter subsequently puts the pet down, do they notify the person who surrendered the animal? How does that go? Do you get a postcard in the mail telling you, "Hey remember that animal you tried to rehome? We just gassed it."

In DC they don't. They just ask a couple of question about the nature of the animal and determine based on the age and the temperament the likelihood of the animal being re-homed. If the animal has issues, it's killed pretty quickly.

That was my understanding of what typically happened, which is why I'm wondering how it is OP's mom was able to tell OP that the cat was dead instead of rehomed. And further, it makes "my sister killed me cat" excessively dramatic, even if the rest of OP's story is true.

Anonymous wrote:If someone surrenders a pet to a shelter and the shelter subsequently puts the pet down, do they notify the person who surrendered the animal? How does that go? Do you get a postcard in the mail telling you, "Hey remember that animal you tried to rehome? We just gassed it."

In DC they don't. They just ask a couple of question about the nature of the animal and determine based on the age and the temperament the likelihood of the animal being re-homed. If the animal has issues, it's killed pretty quickly.

If someone surrenders a pet to a shelter and the shelter subsequently puts the pet down, do they notify the person who surrendered the animal? How does that go? Do you get a postcard in the mail telling you, "Hey remember that animal you tried to rehome? We just gassed it."

As a parent who inherited a cat during the years DD was in college and then abroad, I confess to many daydreams of taking the cat to a shelter. She liked to pee on beds and laundry baskets. It was very stressful. Then I got sick. I was home from work for 4 months and really bonded with the cat. The peeing stopped. She's now basically my cat. It's the same with kids, they are less annoying when they are your own.

Curious to know:
How far away are you from where your mom live?
How old are you and sister?

Anonymous wrote:I feel like there's more to this story.

Why did it take you 3-4 months (don't you know how long?) to get settled into an apartment?

Your sister didn't kill the cat, btw, the Humane society obviously couldn't find a new home for it.

+1

I know people who had kids and no longer wanted their sweet cat. A parent took the cat temporarily but they wouldn't allow the parent o find the cat a new home or give it away. But they had no intention of taking it back. They neglected their own responsibility toward that poor cat and then got mad that the parent eventually gave it up for adoption.

I know your situation may be different, but I'm not sure you're being honest about your role in this.

OP, I'm really trying to empathize with you, but Something about your responses sound off. Like we're not heading the full story.

What was your relationship like with you sister and mother before this incident?

I'm truly sorry for the loss of your beloved pet.

OP, I'm truly sorry about your cat, but aren't there some lessons to be learned here? Don't move to an apartment that doesn't accept pets when you value your cat. Don't move to a "short term" apartment for five months. Get your life together. Really.

Anonymous wrote:OP you say that the cat was there for 3-4 months *before* your sister took it to the shelter, and you say that your mom knew that you "had a short term apartment lease that wouldn't allow pets and that I was going to transition to a permanent place" ... but you didn't find out the cat was dead for 8 months. So your "short term" apartment lease was at least 8 months, or you're lying about planning on eventually taking the cat back.

Your sister might be a maniac (doesn't sound like it to me, but it does sound like she doesn't like you/ doesn't appreciate you imposing on your mom), but you're also a very crappy pet owner.

OP here, I'm not sure how you got 8 months, it was more like 5 months when I came back to get the cat. My mom then told me approximately how long the cat had been gone, at the hands of my sister. No one told me she was dead prior. In fact I am quite sure that my mom lied over the phone when I asked asked about my cat saying the cat was doing well. If I ever have children I won't be entrusting either of these women to babysit.

OP you say that the cat was there for 3-4 months *before* your sister took it to the shelter, and you say that your mom knew that you "had a short term apartment lease that wouldn't allow pets and that I was going to transition to a permanent place" ... but you didn't find out the cat was dead for 8 months. So your "short term" apartment lease was at least 8 months, or you're lying about planning on eventually taking the cat back.

Your sister might be a maniac (doesn't sound like it to me, but it does sound like she doesn't like you/ doesn't appreciate you imposing on your mom), but you're also a very crappy pet owner.

Your sister was an azz for not calling you to at least give you the opportunity to come and get the cat. Even if she dropped it off at the shelter and then immediately called you to let you know where your cat was that would have been better than what she did.

It sounds as though the cat wasn't being taken care of properly which is why your mom didn't notice that the cat was gone. But your sister could have at least found a rescue group that would have taken the cats. She didn't even try which truly sucks of her.

Anonymous wrote:
I can't believe some posters are defending your sister.

Unless you left a pet in the care of a person who didn't want it, there is no excuse for what she did, and I would make that very clear to her.

Did your mother object to keeping the cat til you found a place for it?

Oops just read your updates.

Your mother is a doormat and your sister isn't to be trusted with any of your possessions or pets.

You have every right to be upset, and I'm sorry about your cat.

Also, I completely understand that sometimes it's hard to move quickly and find the right apartment. BTDT.

I can't believe some posters are defending your sister.

Unless you left a pet in the care of a person who didn't want it, there is no excuse for what she did, and I would make that very clear to her.

Did your mother object to keeping the cat til you found a place for it?

OP, I'm trying to add it up in my head. Your sister took the cat to the shelter after 3-4 months and then you found out about it at Christmas. So you originally left the cat with your mother last August-ish? And it's now a year later. Are you in a pet-friendly apartment now? Doesn't sound like it, from your posts.

Many parents inherit their children's pets. They're not happy about it, usually, but they take them and feed them and care for them until the pets reach the end of their life. It sounds like this is what you wanted for your cat. And it's what your mother did, it was just shorter than either of you expected.

Lesson learned. Don't rely on family/friends, next time you will pay to board your pet in a facility. I sure would.