Looking for family for our cat (Tampa: home, budget, best)

[algia]

Good Morning,

We have a 1y/o gray w/stripes tabby cat, spayed & neutered, he is very playful but unfortunately is not getting along with my kids and he is scratching them etc...I am not sure if we can take it back to the Humane Society or not, I am looking to give him away to a family that doesn't have small kids...we also have another baby on the way and if he is acting like this around my other 2, I am a bit afraid that he will try to play with the baby too and that I am not looking forward too....our other option is to declaw him, which we would rather NOT do......we tried those plastic nail thingies but he managed to get them off...

Do you or anyone you know might be able to take him and take good care of him? please DM me.....

http://www.lalexandragiamanco.com/Johnny.jpg (broken link)

Thank you,

Alex

[Karamia36]

If you adopted an animal from the Humane Society or an Animal Rescue organization ALWAYS CONTACT THEM FIRST. You likely signed a contract when you adopted the pet agreeing to do so. In most cases, these organizations will take back the animal and attempt to re-home them.

[algia]

Ok, I am just afraid that if they don't find him a home they'll kill him, someone told me that a while back.....is that true? Thanks,

[Kathleen1971]

Originally Posted by algia

Ok, I am just afraid that if they don't find him a home they'll kill him, someone told me that a while back.....is that true? Thanks,

Yes it is true. Isn't there any other way you can try to find so that your cat and your kids can co-exist? He is only a year old and they can and usually do settle down after a couple of years. I think and i am not sure on this, but I think that if you do return the cat to Animal Services you will go on a do not adopt list so you will not be able to adopt again in the future. Too many people return animals like they are articles of clothing or something and that is just a damn shame imo.

Gorgeous cat btw. I would even take him but I have my hands full with one fat Manx and three big mutts. Good luck and please reconsider. He has already bonded with you and it would be a shame to separate him from his family. And fwiw, I am so totally opposed to declawing after having a horrible experience with my late cat years ago but as a last resort I would go that route rather than ditching kitty.

[tilli]

Have you tried simply keeping his nails clipped and training him to not play rough? Contrary to popular belief, cats can be trained. He's young, still kittenish. He will settle down as he gets older, especially since he is neutered. Are you willing to try to modify his behavior so that you can keep him?

What are the specifics of how he is "not getting along" with the kids? Are the kids participating in the play or is he ambushing them? If they are participating with him, and getting scratched when he gets into it, try getting some old oven mitts for this purpose. If they want to play with kitty, they put on the oven mitt and kitty can go to town without hurting them. If he is ambushing them, try something to satisfy his hunting instincts, like one of those little mouse on a string with a handle, or kitty fishing rod or whatever to give him something to stalk and to tire him out.

[gypsychic]

PetSmart has adoption services, I went to their page and googled shelters near Tampa, here is a link:

PetSmart Adoptions - Adoption Center - Shelter Search Results

One of those places may be able to help you. That is a beautiful little kitty, I am a real cat lover and have several rescues myself. I hope you can find a wonderful home for him, he looks like he has a lot of love to give.

[algia]

Well, my husband has been clipping his nails since we got him last year, and filing them and all, but he likes to run around and jump and all tho I warned and taught my kids HOW to play with a cat (I had cats all my life, before we had our kids we used to have 6 cats! 2 got stolen (I couldn't believe someone would steal a cat)!!! and the rest died of natural causes, they were very old) I hardly remember what it's like NOT to have a cat....LOL But for some reason, over and over they get scratched....I am not for declawing either first because it is really EXPENSIVE and with the new baby and having to get all sorts of stuff we just don't have budget for that......which is why I wanted to find him a good home....rather than take him back there.......we got him at the Humane Society on Armenia...He is very very playful....and cute but it's been a year since both my husband and I tried to get him to play nicer and not scratch...nothing worked so far.....

[tilli]

Well, if the kids are still getting scratched then your husband is not clipping his claws often enough, because if they are properly blunted they can not scratch. He should probably be checked every day to see if any of the claws need to be trimmed. What methods have you tried to get him to not play rough?

I'm sorry for trying to help you keep him rather than helping you get rid of him, it just breaks my heart that you want to give him away when he will calm down soon if he can just have the chance to grow up a little more. If he is only a year old and you got him a year ago, you have already been through the worst of kitten craziness. Unfortunately for him he is also through the best of the kitten cuteness so he will be a lot harder to adopt than he was when you got him.

[graphics]

Yes, the children are playing too rough. By one year the kitty would have learned to pull it's punches, and now it is defending itself.

Don't give him away on the internet, take him to the shelter. Please.

[algia]

My hubby is trimming his nails every week almost, he has been doing this for over 20 years, since HE was a kid.....believe me if I didn't know we tried everything minus hiring a personal trainer which we don't have money for, I wouldn't think to give him up........