Now that our children are 4 and 7 years old and old enough to appreciate and help care for a pet, my husband and I thought it would be a good time to get a couple kittens for our family. Our children were thrilled. We looked at the animal control web site, filled out the application, and followed their instructions on bringing the whole family to choose and meet our new pets. We arrived on Saturday, and went from cage to cage, looking at litters of kittens caged together and cats on their own, and so many that it breaks your heart. Although there were many charmers, there were two female siblings that we all fell in love with. We held them, and they snuggled on our boys’ laps. We all decided that these were the ones for us, and took their cards up to the front desk to schedule our interview. After we left the shelter we went to the pet store, and then arrived home loaded with cat litter, food, grooming tools, and toys. Our sons chose names for our new kittens, “Lavender, because it’s a pretty name for the cat,” and “Lava, because the kitten’s fur looks like fiery rocks.” On Wednesday, I arrived for the interview with my youngest son. I was surprised to be greeted and led down the hall by a woman who did not smile. She began asking questions in an accusatory tone that immediately made me defensive as though we were guilty until proven innocent. She grilled me about two cats we had that now live with my husbands’ sisters (they took them when we were going through a time of huge transition). She made me feel as though we had made a horrible choice to find new homes for them, even though we had responsibly found safe and loving homes for them (and would have taken them back but my sisters-in-law wanted to keep them). She asked me our views on having cats declawed, and since we have learned details about this procedure in the past I told her we don’t believe in it (although I could see how someone might not understand what the procedure entails and might say it’s okay to do). She then asked me how I felt about allowing cats outside, and I replied that I think that cats tend to like to go outside and be in nature. She then told me our application has been rejected, and we can’t have the kittens. “What?” I asked, shocked. She told me it is illegal to let cats outside in Frederick County. I told her I’d never heard that, but asked, “what if we are willing to obey the law?” She replied that she couldn’t believe that we would after my response, and she sent us on our way. I felt that I had been led into a trap.
Needless to say, my children are absolutely devastated and we are utterly stunned. Let’s see, we are very responsible people who hold jobs, volunteer for the PTA and are actively involved in our community. We own a home and have perfect credit scores. We have well-cared for and loved children and a loving home. I am a stay at home mom and my husband often works from home, so any pet in our care would have lots of company, all the time. Almost every aspect of our lives is a reflection of responsible, thoughtful decisions we have made. As my friends said later, “but you guys are the poster people for who should have a pet!” We think so too.
I did some research. It is not illegal for cats to be outside, but they may not leave the property. The people at the veterinary clinic I called did not know this either. Then I read an interesting article in Maryland Newsline Business, dated October 24, 2008*, entitled, “Economic Crisis Hits Home for Pets.” In the article I read, “At Frederick County’s only shelter, pet surrenders are up 10 percent and euthanasia rates are up 18 percent this year over last, said Director Harold Domer. The shelter has a capacity of 241 animals. All of its foster homes are full.” Executive Director Dr. Lizel Salmon stated further, “The shelter is currently over capacity with more than 250 animals needing homes.”
I look at our empty cat food bowls, the unused cat toys and scratching post. I think of Lava and Lavender in a tiny cage in an overcrowded shelter instead of being with a loving family and wonder if a “suitable” family will ever be found for them. I think of how I feel I was tricked with a question few people know the answer to, and how horrible it is that they made my children meet the pets first. I think about the disservice done to my family and those poor little kittens. I think about the statistics I read in the article about how the euthanasia rates are up this year, and hope that that won’t be the fate of the kittens we weren’t allowed to adopt.
Of course I understand the need to protect animals from possible neglect or abuse, but I think a better way to choose adoptive owners is to simply find extremely responsible people who are willing to make the best decisions for the pet and assume responsibility for the pet for the duration of its life. I think it would made sense that good parents would probably be good pet owners, as the responsibilities are similar: to love and care for dependent creatures and make the best decisions possible for them. We are constantly making new decisions about how to parent our children based on new research on what kids should and should not eat, should and should not watch or play with and how they should or should not be disciplined. We would do the same for our kittens and make all the best care decisions for them when presented with laws and current philosophies on what’s best for their wellbeing.
Apparently the Frederick Animal Control center doesn’t agree, and would rather euthanize homeless cats than place them with a family like ours.
* http://www.newsline.umd.edu/business/specialreports/foreclosures/foreclosurepets102408.htm
