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No way. Birds need daily attention (daily food and fresh water; many will bathe in it multiple times a day, some poop cleanup). They have a lot less tolerance for a day or two of neglect compared to a mammal, particularly small birds that would be the most likely to buy. High metabolisms that will be affected by drafts, open windows, too hot or too cold, prove to stress, easy to injure.
Thank you. Too many people are under the impression that birds are easier to care for than cats or dogs. They are not. If anything, they are more difficult, and less tolerant of mistakes.
I think if the lady wants a pet she should have one. Hard to measure how much joy and comfort they can bring to their owners. Maybe priceless.
Unless the cat is not cared for properly. I personally would never subject an animal to what could possibly be a bad situation. Is her mom going to brush the cat regularly so it doesn't get hairballs? Remember to feed it? Not fall over it when it runs in front of her? Most cats seem to love to do that.
The OP's mom probably would benefit from having a pet but at what cost to the animal? Perhaps she can foster a kitty and see how that goes first before making a commitment?
Unless the cat is not cared for properly. I personally would never subject an animal to what could possibly be a bad situation. Is her mom going to brush the cat regularly so it doesn't get hairballs? Remember to feed it? Not fall over it when it runs in front of her? Most cats seem to love to do that.
The OP's mom probably would benefit from having a pet but at what cost to the animal? Perhaps she can foster a kitty and see how that goes first before making a commitment?
Unless the cat is not cared for properly. I personally would never subject an animal to what could possibly be a bad situation. Is her mom going to brush the cat regularly so it doesn't get hairballs? Remember to feed it? Not fall over it when it runs in front of her? Most cats seem to love to do that.
The OP's mom probably would benefit from having a pet but at what cost to the animal? Perhaps she can foster a kitty and see how that goes first before making a commitment?
I thought about a foster, but, I learned that foster animals need to be taken to adoption events practically every weekend, that would actually be more difficult for her.
Right now we are living with her. When we move, we'll be about 30 miles away (which is at least a 1-hour drive in NYC traffic, and we probably won't be getting a car right away, which means 1.5 hours each way on the subway). After living with her in a small 2br apartment for 20 months, with very little time to ourselves, my husband and I need some time to reconnect, as well as set up our home. I don't plan on spending every weekend visiting mom. I was hoping once or twice a month would be sufficient. A cat would probably mean we'd have to be there more frequently. (Yes, I'm thinking about how this affects me and my husband. I think it's important.)
I thought about a foster, but, I learned that foster animals need to be taken to adoption events practically every weekend, that would actually be more difficult for her.
Right now we are living with her. When we move, we'll be about 30 miles away (which is at least a 1-hour drive in NYC traffic, and we probably won't be getting a car right away, which means 1.5 hours each way on the subway). After living with her in a small 2br apartment for 20 months, with very little time to ourselves, my husband and I need some time to reconnect, as well as set up our home. I don't plan on spending every weekend visiting mom. I was hoping once or twice a month would be sufficient. A cat would probably mean we'd have to be there more frequently. (Yes, I'm thinking about how this affects me and my husband. I think it's important.)
It is important how it affects everyone. I think the best thing will be when your new home is ready for her to move in, honestly. I do not do rescue myself, but I, too, have friends in the rescue world, and I believe most of them would have severe misgivings about this situation, at least based upon what you have described. I would want to know that she had assistance available.
I hate to question your judgment, but a great deal can change in 20 months. She is doing well now, but you all live with her now. I am wondering how she will fare on her own, TBH. Does she have someone who can look in on her every day or two? That seems like a good idea, and such a person could also help her with a cat. There are volunteer organizations that help elderly and disabled people care for their pets, so they are able to keep them.
I hope an acceptable solution can be found - one that will make everyone involved happy. However, I think your first responsibility needs to be to the one being in this scenario with the least ability to speak for itself: the cat.
Do you have a friend, neighbor with a laid back cat that could visit her from time to time...
ie pet therapy? Better than nothing...and no responsibility.
Do you have a friend, neighbor with a laid back cat that could visit her from time to time...
ie pet therapy? Better than nothing...and no responsibility.
i don't know about other areas of the country, but here in the Chapel Hill area of NC, most of us the website Next Door, and in our neighborhood (includes around 1,700 homes) we have a lady who will do the rounds of nursing homes with her two cats and one little dog who are not trained therapy dogs, but it's not a regulated industry or anything, so the nursing homes don't care.... and she also does home visits for shut-ins..... if you are leery about mom with a cat, why not put a wanted ad on nextdoor.com and see if there might be nice lady with a cat or two who would come over and let your mom have visits one, two or three days a week. Also check at the local senior center, i have yet to see a senior center that doesn't have pet therapy visits, if your mom can't be picked up by the senior van, maybe you can get the name of the pet therapy person who comes to the center (usually at least twice a month) and see if they might help out your mom with a weekly visit.
Would you be willing to take it to the vet? It is actually possible that the cat, with all it's shots, won't need the vet for a long time. My Mom's cat never got ill. I took him away from my disabled brother because he refused to pay when there was an ear infection. I am not sure anymore that was even right of me. He was new to understanding all the things involved. He was under the impression I was overly into going to the Vet for no reason all the time. Looking back I understand, but at the time I was huffy about it and felt that if he didn't care for the cat's well-being, it shouldn't be there.
IDK, this is very complicated to me. The balance of what is best for the animal and the person, if she slips and falls you will feel responsible.
But I don't think you would be. As you said, she will get a cat on her own anyway. This way you have some control over which one, and the backing of a rescue that will take it back if needed.
Not sure if a dark color is the best way to go. I have a black cat that gets in between my feet when I am walking, and in the dark I can't see him. I've turned my ankle a couple of times 'on' him. And I am physically able, though a bit clumsy with weak ankles!
But it really depends more on the individual cat. My mother's was also black, and she was a fall risk, but he doesn't get in between feet. Or rub up against legs unless they are on a seated person.
He stayed far away from my brother's wheels. I think any cat would? They are pretty skittish about such things. One of mine stayed with them a while, and I almost should have let them keep her for his sake. That one liked him. She slept with him. Didn't go near his wheels. Provided companionship.
But the one my Mom got loved HER and did that for HER. Balance is so hard. I think she needed that more than him. He had her.
As far as the condition of the house. I deviate from most people on things like this. They are animals after all. They don't need a pristine home, despite almost all of us feel that is ideal for humans and animals, it's not that big of a deal to me personally unless it's really disgusting. There could be two litter boxes. That is what I do when I on rare occasion leave mine alone.
But two weeks between cleaning? They DO need a decent litter box. Some cats will go into a used one for a long time, others will go elsewhere if it's dirty, but even the ones that will keep going in a used box, it would need to be really big, I think. Or several.
I cat-sat for a friend who said with her extra large box I didn't have to clean that, just feed and water for a week. Technically, that might have been true. But it didn't look like it to me. I scooped it.
World's Best cat litter can be flushed. Not like to empty the box, but when you scoop poo and pee clumps. Would that help Mom clean it? To me that is 10X easier than getting a bag, doing the scooping, then you have to dispose of that bag, OUTSIDE if you ask me, I'm not putting that into my regular trash can and smelling it.
My gma used regular clumping litter with a cool system. She scooped everyday into a trash can just for that, with an airtight lid that kept in the odor, and then that was taken once a week by her helper. And the helper emptied the litter box, cleaned it, and put in fresh litter at the same time.
That part could be ok every two weeks, but not lack of scooping ..............
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