Tuesday, February 17, 2009

REJECTED!

Ever since we sent our cat Zuni to the farm where she can run around catching birds all day, we've been on the lookout for a new kitten to give Jezebel a playmate. Since it's winter, there aren't a lot of kittens around, and we are very insistent that it be a tiny, little, cute, furry kitten. Not a cat, not a toddler, not a youngster, but a kitten.

Petco has signs and advertising that they have a cat adoption facility on premises. When I see the word "adoption" I think "free." But no, at KittyKind, you pay $125 to adopt your free pet. The money goes to shelter and feed the cats, so I don't begrudge them the money and would gladly pay it. I just think it's a little misleading.

However, what is really horrible about KittyKind is that you can't walk in, sign some papers, pay your money, and leave with the kitten of your dreams. You have to be interviewed by a distracted man who JUDGES you and your ability to care for the kitten. When we told him that we recently had to put down our 19 year old cat and wanted a new one to replace her, he gave us a long sideways glance, staring at us like the murderers we are.

Then you have to fill out a long form, front and back. You are competing against every other person who has walked into Petco that week looking at the same room of cats. And then, they'll let you know if you've been approved "within the week."

A few days after falling in love with a sweet little kitten, we received the rejection letter in the mail (that is what the $125 is for--postage). We, apparently, are not good enough to get a kitten from KittyKind. They don't give the reason why we were rejected but my imagination is running wild.

I suppose in a month or two there will be kittens falling from the sky. But right now, there are only a few around, and the people who have them are quite confident that they can find good homes without trying. At Social Tees where I was almost strangled by a dog who got a good grip on my scarf, they would barely speak to us because their kittens are only 3 weeks old. Can we get on a waiting list for one of those kittens? No. ASPCA says to keep calling back. Craigs List has nothing.

Any kittens out there? We have a very nice home full of love, balls of yarn, hopping frogs in a big glass box to stare at, and chirping birds visiting the windowsill every morning.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about coming to Brooklyn? There's BARC and the Empty Cages Collective. You'll still have to fill out an application, but they turn away more animals than they can care for.

Jill said...

Well Brooklyn does sound really far away, but I'll check them out. Thanks!

Cat Sitter in the City said...

Hi Jill. Sorry you had a tough time getting a kitten. That is insane! You might want to go to Animal Care & Control of New York City. They always have a lot of animals as they take in every stray that comes through the door. Also, you are saving an animal that could be euthanized if he or she doesn't find a home. Here is a link to the adoption information.

http://www.nycacc.org/adopt.htm

You have to fill out some paperwork before you get there to smooth the process, but you can walk out with a pet that day. Some of my cat sitting clients have adopted kitties from Animal Care & Control.

Good luck finding a kitty!

Jill said...

Well it turns out that a friend has a cat that is just about to give birth, so I have reserved a kitten from her. Assuming all goes well, we should have a new kitten in a few weeks. Yay!

Anonymous said...

Please feel free to post a blog mention of Social Tees, a t shirt store/animal rescue place that helps many homeless animals find homes. They have a wide variety of cats and kittens usually available, plus they help to find homes and foster homes for dogs and snakes and lizards. They are on 4th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue. One of my dogs, who is the joy of my life, comes from there. My life would not be as rich without her.