Pet re-homing advice

[visitor1]

After a long hard think about things and our cats, DH and i have sadly made the decision 2-3 or of 5 cats need a new loving home

With 3 small children to look after as well as 5 cats its just to demanding and we feel we cant meet the cats needs. They are all 'outdoor' but in an enclosure environment and theres just not enough room for them to run around and i think its cruel to have them in there.

Its hard to let 5 roam in the house with the kids, the girls love it though!

You might all be saying well why did you get 5 cats in the first place. The quick answer was we had these cats before we moved to Victoria and our home in NSW had a cat door where they could go in and out as they pleased and were not confined to being indoors like they are here. It was a huge shock for them.

Now my problem is....which cats. I love them all very dearly like my own children. Theres 2 i just cannot part with what so ever.....but the other 3 i love alot.

Of the 5 cats, 2 were pet shop, 2 were RSPCA and 1 we saved from going to RSPCA.

So how do i choose which ones?

Also, a great lady on here gave me a great site for re-homing them, and i feel much better going to them then the RSPCA like i was thinking, but id also like to put the call out to any BB members who are looking for a kitty to love and share in their home.

More then likely if i pick 3 then there is 1 male and 2 females, all desexed, microchipped and around 4 yrs old.

Please.....if your interested let me know....i want them to go to great homes. They all have loving personalites, gentle with kids, toilet trained, playful, gentle and really are a girls best friend!

[Arimeh]

I just wanted to give you a huge Kim

[wite_wickah]

It must be such a hard descision that you have to make, i couldn't ever give up my fur babies, but sometimes we do have to make the right choices for our family and for what works for us.. I am sure you will make the right choice of which cats to relocate and i bet they will go to very loving families who adore them asmuch as what you do best of luck xox

[Salsa]

Its hard moving your pets on to someone else, hope you find the right situations for them easily. They sound like lovely cats.

[visitor1]

Its very hard thing to do, but i know it needs to be done, and as soon as possible sadly

[NaeNae]

A heartbreaking decision. No advice but I wanted to send you big hugs.

[Papillon]

Kim, i am so sad to see the decision you have made. Although i do understand it. As you know, we have 5 ourselves, and on a daily basis one or two annoy us lol and we threaten that we will find them a home - however sadly i am not as strong as you and i just kep soldiering on. They are my fury kids, and although there is current issues between them - i just couldnt not bring myself to re-home them. DF and i go by the belief that we brought them into our home, made them our family. Sometimes, families dont live in ideal situations, and/&or go through hard times, and it can be really horrible for all members - but life goes in full circle and so does bad times.

But thats us- you and Craig know what you need to do - and i do totally understand it. It is so tiring looking after 2 kids and 5 cats & 1 dog. (kinda the same as you lol) Especially when they are inside/enclosure cats.

As for how to pick who goes and who stays. Oh hun i just cringe at that notion. DF and i have had the talk before, (when it all is in its bad phase of the cycle and we consider re-homing 1 or 2) and we just sit there and go around and around and around. Our five all have something they bring to the family - and each little trait is just as important as the other. I dont have any real advise as for WHO should go - as i quite clearly have no idea lol... we still have 5!

But- one small suggestion - go by their personalities.

1.Who do you think would stress less without you? (long term - ofcourse who ever goes will stress to begin with)

2. Who adjust's to change better? Which is a slight contradiction as cats generally do not like change - however some adjust really well. i.e our cat Shambhala - he is 6 years old, deaf as a door post and has gone through 9 moves and he copes so well with them. If anything he acts as though he loves them- like he really embraces them. Normally a house move is the biggest stress factor fopr a cat, and often can result in changing their personalities permanently.

As for where and how - try Animal Aid in Coldstream. I know it is a bit of a drive for you BUT, they are so very nice and they have a very good policy about not putting cats to sleep and i think you can also have the option to take them back if a home isnt found. But, one great thing is the turn over rate for cats finding homes there is just awesome. And the ones who havent - lol they are now residents. (they greet you at the door )

Id stay far far away from RSPCA- but thats just me!

Honey, i dont envy you - but i do admire you and craig. This would be one of the hardest things in life to do i reckon. A decision not easily made - but just keep WHY your doing it in focus! (says her who cannot do it to save her life )

Huge- truck loads of these!

ETA: Petlink can be very useful - if your wanting to have more of a hands on approach to this (so to be able to pick what home they go to). http://www.petlink.com.au/Cats/Kittens/