Who to chose and where to start?

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Mister

Member Since 2013
I've been trying to rehome 3/6 of my cats for the last year and a half. The practice is to rehome the later ones right? And keep the ones that came into my life earlier. The problem is one of my 'later' cats is my favorite and another doesn't use the litter for pooing (he has a clean vet bill). I know it's my decision but I'm gonna describe my cats in the order they came into my life and hope someone can help me decide who to chose.

Panda: doesn't trust anyone except me. Came from outdoor/semi-feral parents. Isn't very loving.

Laadu: scardy. Big. Play swats and bites when I pet him.

Mister: diabetic. Very loving. Very vocal. Loves to eat.

Jewels: feisty. Loving on her own terms. Medium haired.

Juice: very gentle. Very loving. Poos outside the litter.

Tryst: my favorite. My most affectionate cat. Yearns for human interaction.

I also don't trust anyone to take care of them. I'm afraid they'll get sick of the cat and abandon it or shelter it. I've attempted to volunteer at local shelters and get involved for the sake of my cats but it's not my thing. I can't commit.

I'm very overwhelmed with 8 animals in our home. It feels chaotic at times...

Suggestions? Thoughts? Ideas?

Help...
 
I couldn't make that decision myself. If there was an issue with the landlord and you could not keep all 6, that would be a different situation.

Some of your cats would be very difficult to rehome, like Mister the diabetic.

Too chaotic or overwhelming to me would mean trying to make changes to make it less chaotic or overwhelming. Don't know enough to make good suggestions on how to do that.

Some people here like BJM have 14 cats. Maybe she will have some ideas.
 
This is pretty much the reason I have so many. I couldn't find homes for them and the shelter isn't a good option, they all have issues which wouldn't make them adoptable by average people, and I can't handle the alternative.
 
I can tell you that many people will not want to take a cat that doesn't use the litterbox. It's different if it stops using it AFTER the cat is living with someone and the person is attached to it, but before and knowing, going to be a challenge.

I know this, because for the past couple years, Maui may choose not to use the box and goes in various places around the house.

What is the reason you can't keep the cats? You mentioned that you have 8 animals, yet only listed 6?
 
I've a GSD and a husky. I don't think it's fair to the cats that I don't have enough to give them individual attention...
 
Just so we understand, is the only reason you are looking to rehome them is because you
don't have enough to give them individual attention...
Click to expand...

Or is there another reason you want to rehome them?

If it is what is quoted, then I have to ask:

do the animals get along?
do they seem well adjusted?
are they socialized?

If you answer yes - then maybe you can keep them. while you may not be able to give everyone individual attention, you are their caretaker and they rely and depend onyou. And I can't imagine that you are unable to give attention, even if it's a few minutes a day to everyone

just my thoughts - we do have members here who have 7, 10, 15 cats and if you want, we can ask them to talk with you, maybe they have a technique or trick they use that may help you not feel overwhelmed and able to live and handle them all.
 
Hi. This is BJM, with 14 cats in the house. I was down to 9, then a friend lost his home to foreclosure and moved into the 2nd bedroom. He had 1 cat and as he was moving, a mom cat and 4 kittens about 4 months old showed up at the old place. It was last summerduring a heat wave, they obviously weren't cared for (OMG the fleas!), and we couldn't just leave them there. The calico juvenile found a new home via a friend of a friend and she's doing great. My friend just pet sat while they were on vacation.

We're feeding Friskies 3-4 of the 13 oz cans per meal. I save the cans for a gal who recycles them for spay/neuter funds and colony food.

I do partially segregate Tux and Mason in part of the basement. Neither of them defends themselves very well against the younger ones. Tux gets cornered and then can't get to a litterbox with the inevitable consequences. Mason is extremely timid and had lost weight from the stress of dealing with the juveniles. The section of the basement is not completely sealed, so they can get in and out; mostly they choose to stay in their respective sections.

We have for 9 oversize litterboxes (some are cement mixing trays) in the basement, 1 huge one on the 1st floor (it was a plastic dog kennel), and 3 more boxes upstairs. Scooping gets done daily on most boxes.
 
Growing up, we always had about six cats, plus foster cats. By the time I left for college there were all segregated to different areas of the house-two in my mom's room who were afraid of the only male cat, and one that stayed in her own room because she would spray all around the house when she was around all the other animals. So when I graduated and moved into my own place, my mom bequeathed the boy cat that picked on her other cats, and the girl who marked. The two got along great and I've never had a problem with spraying from the girl. So that worked great for everyone-and my mother would NEVER give a cat to a shelter. She also gave away one cat when I was younger to my grandparents, because the cat didn't do well with others, and they just adored her. Do you have any friends or family that have room in their homes for a cat or two, who you would trust with your cats and maybe even live nearby so you could see them?

I'd also like to know what specifically is overwhelming about the situation-if the cats aren't getting along or if their individual needs (diabetes, litterbox issues, etc) are all too much, that's one thing, but if you're just feeling guilty you can't devote more time to each of them, I think you can probably give yourself a break there. Cats aren't like puppies, they don't need constant supervision.
 
Are you looking to rehome your cats because you think you can't spend enough time with them? Cats don't look for much alone time with us. I have 8 sweet kitties, most of mine are special needs, some take up more of my time than others plus I work outside of the home. My cats are very happy well adjusted kitties.

The key is to get them a space that appeals to their cat nature. Lots of cat trees and spaces up high to perch. Toys and catnip for when they do feel like playing and cozy beds or for some cardboard boxes for sleeping. Also lots of scratchers. Cardboard scratchers or trees with sisal rope for scratching.

If you feed them well and do spend a little quality time with them they are perfectly fine on their own for most of the day.

I volunteer with a cat rescue and help with other cat rescues. Finding good homes where cats will be kept safe, given good food and a nice environment is not easy, I keep hearing the recession is over but can't find any evidence of that when it comes to furries needing homes. If they have all of that already, why look to change it?
 
My cats all get along, are well socialized and well adjusted.

I would like to talk to someone who fosters or rehomes cats. I think Tryst and Jewels are good candidates.

My reasons for wanting to rehome are a bit personal.

Would working for a rescue or a shelter help?
 
the best advice is to look up the local shelters/rescue groups in your area - research them first to make sure they are No Kill facilities, then talk with the person(s) who run it and see if they can take them in for you.

Additionally, if they are special needs cats, you may also want to talk with the local vet offices to see if they can take them, as well as look up special need cat rescue groups, who also may be able to help you.
 
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