The Annals of Libertarian and Humane Cat Procurement

I don't want A cat. I want THIS cat. She is a treasure.

Yesterday, gentle J visited with her at the shelter. She climbed up on his lap, curled in a ball, and purred happily. He's wanted a lap cat so badly. I wish I had a camera to record his "I'm a proud papa" moment.

Because I'd seen him out playing the day before, I also got out a buff kitten around Be.au's age and Pa.sha could have cared less, just kept on walking around. I was quite relieved that she doesn't mind sniffing, space-invading, obnoxious kittens. (Be.au is all that and more!)

I got in trouble with the cat caretaker (the one I had yesterday who thought I was the owner) in that I'd removed the two cats from the cages. Apparently it was against the rules without her there, but it wasn't my fault that 1) she wasn't doing her job; 2) the rules weren't posted; and 3) another employee told me to help myself in the cat room. Heck, we'd been in there 10-15 minutes before she found us there; some customer service. However, I felt I couldn't balk too much, because they hold all the cards, but it didn't set the best tone.

My visit at the front desk wasn't as smooth as the first day, either, although it started out alright. I did hand over Sad!e's old vet's paperwork and they were suitably overwhelmed at the volume. She took it to her boss and he said to just copy the first page. I hope Sad!e's lack of vaccinations in her old age won't be haunting us; they could still call the vet and query.

A little later, the same clerk finished off our application with J's "Stamp of Approval in Cat Handling" like I'd gotten the day before. Then I learned that they'd be calling "some time next week" to say whether our application is approved. I had previously assumed that the 7-10 day delay after submitting the application was because of something like a volunteer vet coming in once a week to fix/vaccinate and get the animals into their new home.

It never occurred to me that I'd have to wait a week or more for bureaucracy, then wait more time for the vet procedures to be done. It seems that they have a system that sustains their large numbers of employees who are constantly milling about and joking around. I just don't get it. They make these animals remain in cages weeks on end in a pseudo-humane system that is decidedly inhumane. In the best interests of the animal, we'd rather kill it than give it to you!

Confession time: I do have one thing they can ping me on. I didn't include Spenc.er on the application. Because he'd been recently vetted when I got him last April and she'd done it herself through her work in a rescue organization, there's no paperwork for him. This shelter could find out about him if they ask around enough with my application with Be.au's rescue organization. This shelter seems that interested in poking holes and, goodness knows, with a week to look, they could find it.

This BS high kill shelter has me paranoid.

Do you know how much it will piss me off 1) if they got my son involved/evaluated/excited in dramatic forced visitation fashion for which he had to miss school and then they pulled the plug, and 2) that I've wasted about three hours of driving time in two days?

One other thing: I tried to put in an application for the buff kitten, too. Just look at him and he purrs. He would take up the slack for Spen.cer, because crazy Be.au is more than Spence can handle alone. I was told that they would not adopt out cats of such dissimilar ages. Huh? I replied that I had just submitted paperwork testifying to me having a 5mo old kitten, so the buff kitty would have a ready playmate. She hemmed and hawed. She rolled her eyes, acted huffy, then said she'd talk to her supervisor. Of course, the verdict was no, them saying that the buff kitten has an application in on him already. I am doubting it. Then the animal control guy (it was sweet - he "had" a tabby kitten there he would visit and tote around, although she was going home to a family that day) spoke up and said they allow two cats to go out at a time. I don't need another two year old, so I guess I don't qualify.

They would fucking rather kill them.

Thanks for reading yet another rant in the Annals of Libertarian and Humane Cat Procurement.