topic Is This a Good Idea? in Community Chat

Is This a Good Idea?

adelle38 — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 18:24:32 GMT

I saw an ad on craigslist:

"I am looking for someone to foster my cat. I am moving to Greenville, NC in July for school, and I cannot bring her with me. I hate that I can't.
I am looking for someone to foster her/take care of her until I am finished with school. I hopefully will be done in 3 years. I will provide you with her food, and litter. I will also pay for her to get her rabies shot.
I adopted her from the shelter October of 2011. She was in foster care for 6 months before I adopted her. The foster mom had other cats, so I believe she gets along with other cats, but she doesn't like dogs. She is very sweet. She doesn't like to be picked up. She loves to play with her toys, and be your typical cat like sitting in the window, and cuddling up in a blanket.
She is an indoor cat.
As I stated, I want to find someone to foster her. When I am finished with school I want to get her back."

I was curious to get pet lovers' opinions on this situation. My first thought was if the cat is "fostered" for 3 years it would be better for her to be adopted. I think it's selfish of the owner to want her back after 3 years.

What do you think?

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

ennui1 — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 18:56:25 GMT

I think it's nice that this person will pay for her care for three years -- it shows commitment. A lot of people would take the cat to the animal shelter and be done with it.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

CrazyDaisy — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:30:49 GMT

Very unrealistic to expect someone to take care of her cat (even if they are getting paid) for 3 years then give it up.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

adelle38 — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:44:32 GMT

I was thinking of the effect on the cat who went from foster to a home and then will be torn from another ""foster"" home after 3 years.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

luvdoodles — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:49:23 GMT

Three years is a long time, I think I would try to find a permanent home for her. It would be very disrupting to the cat to be somewhere for 3 years and then have to move again. Also to the foster parents. People become very attached to pets. Maybe after finishing school you could adopt another one. Just not the right time for you now.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

adelle38 — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:59:58 GMT

On 2/21/2014 luvpoos said:
Three years is a long time, I think I would try to find a permanent home for her. It would be very disrupting to the cat to be somewhere for 3 years and then have to move again. Also to the foster parents. People become very attached to pets. Maybe after finishing school you could adopt another one. Just not the right time for you now.

It's not me. This is an ad I saw on Craigslist and I thought it was strange.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

okBlonde — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 20:17:00 GMT

Never on Craigslist. The scum of the earth frequent there - there have been a couple murders here from CL deals in my city.

If that was my situation, I would change my plans and choose a different school locally so I could keep my cat. My cats are mine FOR LIFE. I would never trust another to take care of my cat(s) like I do.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

adelle38 — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 20:38:40 GMT

On 2/21/2014 Indy-Blonde2 said:
Never on Craigslist. The scum of the earth frequent there - there have been a couple murders here from CL deals in my city.

If that was my situation, I would change my plans and choose a different school locally so I could keep my cat. My cats are mine FOR LIFE. I would never trust another to take care of my cat(s) like I do.

Craigslist is no different than want ads. You just have to use common sense. Sometimes people's life circumstances change and they are faced with hard choices.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

okBlonde — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 21:11:30 GMT

Craigslist is much worse than a want ad because it's free.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

Marienkaefer2 — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 21:21:21 GMT

I would ask my vet for help finding a home, or good friends. I wouldn't do CL or want ads.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

kittymomNC — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 23:24:43 GMT

I agree that 3 years is too long to expect a family to foster a cat and then have to give it up -- much less the trauma to the cat being taken away from another owner --it probably wouldn't even know the person after 3 years. I don't think it's fair to the cat, and that's the most important consideration. If this girl really loves her, she would be willing to let her go to a "forever home", and adopt another needy one when she gets out of school.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

pistolino — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 01:01:34 GMT

I never realized the kind of people who post wanting to get rid of pets on CL until recently and it makes me sick.

Dogs being posted for $400 "re-homing" fees, unneutered/unspayed animals all over the place, litters of puppies and kittens, ugh are there not enough unwanted animals in the world already?

When I was still reading there, there was even a lady posting looking for her lost dog and a person claiming to have said dog contacted her and said they had the dog and wouldn't give it back unless the owner paid a huge sum of money. Just disgusting.

Re: Is This a Good Idea?

GCR18 — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 01:58:35 GMT

It may be a genuine ad, but all I see is red flags. Why can't the person make living arrangements to bring the cat along, what happens if the cat gets sick or worse.... Will they end up suing? Not to mention the cat has to move twice and get used to different people and surroundings.