[Closed] giving up the family pet (cats)

Permanently or just for hols?

Never seen a cat look happy

permanently. cats aren't the most expressive facially, but act unhappy (tail down sulking around, hiding from us etc. its been getting worse sinec our daughter was born. she is now 2 1/4 and we have a son now 4 months. they seem pissed that they don't get any attention as we are busy looking after kiddies so they play up!

Permanently, or just for your hols.. ?

Cats are wired up differently, they dont work teh same as dogs.. they may be completely happy and still hate their owners...

Seems a bit strong, are they plain old moggies or pedigree cats? pedigree cats can be a bit fussy if they don't get enough attention but moggies tend to just get on with things.

They'll get used to the kids and generally stay out of their way (as they normally try to pull their tails and such) but to stick them in a cattery? how stressful and unhappy do you think that will make them feel?

for clarity the cats will be given up permanently. just wondered if anyone else has done this and how they felt about it...

couldn't do it to mine, i'd feel proper bad about it

they are plain moggies (ginger and white toms (Brothers) problem is they are pretty stressed here. the design of the house doesn't really allow for them to hide away; they wont go outside despite our nice and subtle attempts, but I get that as we live on a new build site.
they have had stress induced cystitis several times and keep running away from us; even when we have found the time to play/be nice. im not sure the best thing, but would hope that a house more suited to their needs (older children/couple) would make them happier

they're only lodgers anyway... dogs FTW

Seems like you understand it all ravingdave... tough call but could be better for everyone.

I'm sure the cattery will rehome them as a pair of brothers...

Had a moggie for 15 years till a dog got her , she lived outside the whole time except the last few months after the dog incident , cats can handle it { try it } .

Don't worry about it, we've been fostering various cats from the rescue and they generally settle happily into a more suitable permanent home. They are only cats, they aren't that bright and they don't really attach to people anyway.

Where about you based? We're moving to a new home at the end of March and will be looking to pick up a couple/pair of rescue/unwanted cats to hopefully give them a good home to see out their days.

Based in Plymouth. They are booked into a local cat rescue place. We will be making a donation and providing the place with lots of food bedding etc.

It's really hard. Tonight my 2 yr old was playing nicely with one of them but the cat looked scared stiff. Probably coz yesterday she ran up and screamed his name right in his face. Didn't see the cat again for the rest of the day! My daughter wasn't being nasty she was just super excited to see the cat. Most of the time though she isn't bothered by cats and is more interested in baby brother or similar.

That totally sucks OP, but it sounds like you're doing the right thing.

I can't imagine giving my cat away. It's part of the family now.

Can't you put in something for them to climb and then a perch so they can get out of the way. Cats are happy when they are high up and safe. Once your kids get a bit older they will be fine. Stick with it.

Someone once told me the rspca put more cats and dogs down than they do rehome. Not sure if that's true but.......

Please don't send the rescue centre just yet , at least one person on here would consider re-homing for you .

How long does the cattery keep the cats?
if it is for as long as it takes to rehome, than fine but if it is for a limited time....

I'd say do lots of reading and try harder to bond with them. There will be a way. I have 4 cats and they are involved in just about everything we do in the house. The kids and I dote on them and I couldn't imagine not having them around.

Ok mine are siamese so are far more full on than most cats but if we have a bath they'll be in the bathroom, if I clean the car they'll be on the parcel shelf, I have two of them on me as I type this. Cats are brilliant.

You must be having doubts hence the post. Is it a joint decision to get rid of them?

Have you tried tuna fish and slow blinking?

Did you introduce a dog into the household? Its a simple animal. likes what it knows and gets stressed when something invades it's house I does not like. Get rid of the [s]fashion pet[/s] Dog and stick with the cats!

i gave a cat up, it just wasnt fitting in with us, clawing (us), hissing, never came for a petting etc, also didnt get on with the other 2.
so he went to a rescue centre, never saw him again.
for about 4 years, i was cleaning windows to help a mate out (he'd fallen off a roof and smashed his ankle), went round the back of a house and all of a sudden became aware of a cat rubbing himself against my legs.
it was my rehomed tom, he seemed pleased to see me, obviously he just didnt like other cats.
if you're unhappy, find the right place to take em, you may make the rest of their lives a lot better.
EDIT: that sounds like i dgas, which isnt the case, i love animals, but if they aint happy, something has to change.

I've thought about it. I'm not overly fond of my cat most of the time, he's a dick. He craves attention then if you stroke him for more than about 3 minutes he bites you. The closest thing we've got to a relationship is me sorting out his wounds and picking the scabs off him from after the fights (he rather likes that, 10+ minutes there)
Playing with him never extends past about 30 seconds before he gets bored. He is a catnip junkie though, that's quite funny.

I've been waiting for the time that he bites the baby but they seem to get on better than anyone else, it's been a year now and the kid would be distraught if we got rid of the 'Dat'

Plymouth a bit far unfortunately...555 miles according to google!

There is something going wrong with the ambient that will not allow them to feel comfortable and owning the territory, perhaps is better to start off with some playful kitten, some cats may just stick with introvert and slow personalities while others are much more warm, "chatty" and playful. If you are a more forceful kind of person - as well as your ambient - cats may not easily get along with you.

We had to do this. We loved our two but mini dbw02 was found to be allergic to them so tough call but I think in these situations it's looked upon as better if you get rid if the cats and not the child.only time apart from my grandpa dying I can remember crying as a grown man. Still miss them two years later.

Have you tried Feliway?

[url= http://www.feliway.com ]http://www.feliway.com[/url]

My mates cat lives in the garage and garden. Not allowed in the house 'cos of the baby. Seemed to work fine, its a 12 yr old standard moggy

Yea got feliway. The rehoming centre keep them till they find somewhere suitable they do checks on the address owner etc. They are a responsible place and won't put them down. Considered advertising and doing our own checks but then found out that some people in the regiom were taking cats for dog bait!!! So didn't want to go anywhere near that.

Hmmm you do realize you wont be able to do the same with the children don't you 🙄

We had to do it with our two cats (been with us for 7 and 4 years) before Christmas. My wife had become allergic since being pregnant with our son, which caused some complications with an otherwise ordinary chest infection. We spent about a year going back and forth before deciding. It was/is hard but the place we left them we have a previous relationship with, so we know they're good. We miss them, but you do slowly start to get over it.

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We had to get rid of one cat because she didn't fit in with the other two we had at the time. She peed everywhere in an attempt to mark her dominance over the other cats, one of whom was totally unconcerned whilst the other started comfort eating and piled on weight. We took her back to the shelter she came from and they rehomed her with the knowledge that she wasn't really fitted for living with other cats, and our cats went back to normal again.

You can't easily retrain an adult cat, they're pretty much stuck in their ways once they get past a year old or so. It sounds to me OP like your cats don't fit into your family anymore so the best thing for all of you is to allow the professionals to find a better home for them. I think you've done the right thing.

(Personally I'd get rid of the kids, but then I prefer cats to people. 😉 )

i dislike our cat but i`m not sure i could rehome it.

if it wasnt such a moany wench i might grow to like it.