Do cat shelters deliberately underestimate cats’ ages? | PoC
This is a cross-post because I think this is quite an interesting subject - please click on the above link. It is also quite an important subject. If a shelter cat is considerably older than as advertised by the shelter then the adopting person is liable to encounter more expense because of the increased likelihood of health problems associated with an older cat. Also older cats can contract chronic conditions, which are stressful to deal with for both owner and cat.
If some cat shelters do deliberately underestimate the age of their older cats, I don't really blame them because all they are doing is trying to rehome their cats as soon as possible as this saves lives. There has to be a reasonably speedy turnover otherwise available space dries up at the facility leading to more euthanasia.
I think they do. I know of two local rescue groups in the UK who routinely do it. One of them also isn't averse to avoiding mentioning behavioural issues such as severe biting to adopters. Then when the behavioural problem becomes evident in the new home after the cat has gotten over the trauma of rescue and rehoming, the rescue then blames the new owner for causing the behaviour.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the sleaziest behaviours in cat rescue that I see. It results in cats being returned to rescues, adopters feeling despondent and unfairly accused. The poor cats go from adopter to rescue to adopter and nothing improves for the cat because no one will own up to knowing about the behaviour. I am sure that hundreds of cats end up being killed, abused, abandoned because of this sleazy behaviour by rescues. At best, the cat ends up with people who will stick by it and do their utmost to sort out the behaviour humanely. Often the cat is churned back and forth between rescues/adopters which results in misery for the cat (plus a lot of adoption fees for the sleazy rescue).
Cat rescue in the UK is in a bad way. Very few will speak about it. Very few rescues will even acknowledge openly that there is a problem. Instead we have rescues run by bullies, cat haters and tyrants, in it for the sake of their own egos, with very little regard for the cats.
Not every rescue is like this, but too many are. People must speak out. Rescuers need to get over themselves and stop expecting glory for every cat homed. Some rescues also need to be able to accept constructive feedback too.
Thanks Everycat for your comments on these blogger posts - most welcome. Hope you are okay.
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