What do you do with a cat when you can't find a home for it?

Question

I have a sweet cat that we found as a stray not too long ago. She has done really well with our dog and three year old little boy. The problem is that we just had a beautiful little baby girl 12 days ago and the cat will not leave her alone. She wants to be in the crib or anywhere else the baby is. I don't think she is trying to hurt her but this is not safe for the baby. I love my animals and we have had our two dogs for 11 years but I have to choose the baby over the cat. I can not stand another day of being scared to turn my back. I have spent the entire day on the phone trying to find a shelter or somebody to take her. I have called all the local vets and both animal shelters. We have put an ad in the paper and also in local stores but nothing. What are we supposed to do? My husband wants to take her and put her right back where we found her but I don't feel right about doing that because it's getting cold here. I can't blame him, the baby comes first. Any ideas?

I would love to take her to a shelter but we live in the middle of nowhere and the one shelter that is here said no. I absolutely will not keep this animal. I would never forgive myself if something happened to my little girl. An accidental scratch is a big deal to a 5 pound baby, especially if it was on her face or eyes. We are not willing to take this risk.

Answer 1

go to http://www.petfinder.com and type in your area code (for US, not sure the equivalent in other countries) the shlter link is on the sidebar on the left in the site map. they will provide a list of shelters and rescues in your area and surrounding areas that have animals, and many will tak in others. some are small and might put the cat into foster care until they find a permmanent home for her. look for sheters with a no kil policy, so that she won't get put down because she's an adult cat and not likely to get adopted right away. this way she will not be euthanized for no reason. also, try local barns. many would love new barn cat! or a lap kitty!

Answer 2

Taking the cat and dumping it back where you found it is cruel.

You should just make it an outside cat if you can't find a home for it. You have already gotten the cat used to having a home where it can depend on someone for food and shelter. Just make the cat a place to sleep outside that will stay dry and give her something warm to sleep on and she'll be fine. I have two stray kittens that came here not long ago and they are find sleeping outside in the bed that I made them.

Whatever you do, just don't dump the cat out anywhere. It's better to keep it outside at your house so you know it will still be fed and taken care of it you can't find anyone else to take it.

I used to babysit my neice a lot when she was first born and I had 8 (yes, 8) cats inside at the time. None of them bothered her, even my "mean" cat. The baby would grab ahold of her and pinch her and everything and she never did anything back to her in defense.

Your cat is just being curious and protective of the baby, thats all.

Answer 3

You have a few other options besides rehoming/dumping the cat.

She is not trying to hurt the baby, nor will she. But if you don't want her in the baby's room here are some options:
Get a wire door to put in the baby's doorway - the cat can still hear the baby and watch, but cant get in there;
Build a cat enclosure outside with a nice warm area for her to sleep and a cat door for her to come and go in safety;
Keep the cat in a different section of the house away from the baby by giving her her own room.

I have always had cats and they and the dog used to visit my girls when they were babies in their rooms. The girls are now 27 and 23. One cat used to lay on the bed and watch while I fed the baby.

Cats are very curious and she is just checking out the new addition to the household and the maker of strange noises. Please think about the alternatives we have suggested and don't dump her again. Specially not out in the middle of nowhere - it is a long slow death sentence for her

Answer 4

In my experience, cats are just fascinated by babies. They love them.

It may be hard for you but you should attempt to keep the two seperated. If you can, try a large cat kennel for the cat during the night and during the day and can likely just keep it away by closing a few doors.

If you really must give it away there are shelthers that will always take an unwanted animal. First, find a no kill shelther. This is very important. Give them a call, they will likely not refuse. If they tell you they are too full keep pushing and explain the situation. They may be able to find you a family willing to foster or set her up at another shelther.

Also, ask friends and family. Sometimes those close to us are willing to take in a fellow family member who has been displaced.

Answer 5

What does the cat do? If it's just crawling into the crib, that's not a big deal: it probably just feels protective of the new baby. You know how new babies smell: kinda like graham crackers...kitty might enjoy the smell too. Kind of sweet, really.

There's an old wives' tale about cats stealing a baby's breath, but that's just stupid. If the cat isn't clawing the baby or biting, it's not going to harm the little one. It's not going to pee in the crib or barf on the baby, give it fleas or make it sick. It sounds like the cat is just being affectionate and trying to be nice to the new family member.

Unless there's a specific reason to worry, like disease or aggression, I wouldn't worry about it.

Answer 6

Your three year old boy is having the stress of the new baby getting more attention than he does, that's just the way that goes as he is used to having you all to himself. Don't take his cat away from him! A three-year old's thought processes are such he will fear he will also "be gotten rid of" as well as his cat. I am VERY serious that you can damage your little boy by doing this.

You can easily find netting or something of that sort to cover the crib. Or simply keep the door closed so the cat can't get to the baby.

The cat is as dependent on you for her life and acceptance as are your children. You can surely work things out with her so that you can remain a happy family.

Answer 7

You can keep the cat. I have a cat and she was/is fine with my children, even when newborn...

If you are worried about her being in the crib, I suggest closing the baby's door to keep her out of the baby's room. You can get a baby monitor to hear/see your baby without risking the cat getting in.

"Dumping" it back where you found it would be cruel. You have given this cat a home, fed her, and cared for her.

Do you have a friend or relative that would take her in?

Studies have shown that children who grow up with cats are less likely to have allergies to them...which is a good thing.

I think you should keep her.

http://www.libertydogtraining.com

Answer 8

Please don't get rid of your sweet kitty. The fact is that your cat would never intentionally harm your baby, and is unlikely to do so by accident. Purchase a net to put over the crib if you are worried that the cat will get in and accidentally smother the baby or something of the sort.

http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/cat-behavior/catsandbabies.cfm has information on how to make sure that there won't be any problems, and http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/05/02/HO216387.DTL&type=printable+target=blank lets you know how small the chances of a cat smothering a baby really are.

The stories of cats smothering babies or sucking out their breath are just old wives tales left over from the times when cats were believed to be servants of the devil. There is no truth to them.

Answer 9

If the cat comes in the house, you can make it an outdoor cat only. You can also take the cat to the SPCA. I wouldn't abandon the cat again because this is cruel. I have seen too many abandon cats and what happens to them. I have seen cats seriously so starved that they are skin and bones and then I have seen cats ripped open by dogs grabbing them. I have seen people throw things at them trying to scare them off and cause injuries as a result. If you don't want to make the cat an outdoor cat, it's best to take it to the SPCA and tell them you are dropping off a stray, then leave.

Answer 10

Keep the cat in a room of its own like your bedroom or something where it can't get near the baby when you can't watch it and let it out when you can watch. Put her food water and litter box in there and close the door. That would work until you can find a home for it or until the baby grows up a bit. Cats are attracted to the milk smell.