Adopted a pet by mistake?

[Rod_NR93]

I wasnt sure where to post this thread but as I suffer anxiety this seemed the best place.

I adopted a kitten only three days ago and feel I have to return it. I thought long and hard about adopting. It was not a decision I made on impulse. Having the kitten has almost turned my home life upside down. The cat also demands my constant attention. I can't handle it and fortunately the RSPCA will take her back. I've decided to reassess on Monday. I feel just awful though.

[YellowPoppy]

Hi Rod,

Thanks for posting.

Pets can often be a way for us to take our mind off of things, however if we aren't in the right mental space it can become an added stress in our lives and that can cause more problems.

If you give the kitten back don't feel guilty or horrible, just try to be at peace with your decision. In fact, try to be at peace with your decision no matter what - easier said than done, I know.

Hope you feel better about this

YellowPoppy

[Guest_342]

Hi Rod.

I can really relate to this. I adopted a beautiful dog in 2012 and, shortly after bringing him home, I discovered I couldn’t deal with him at that point in time. I felt absolutely terrible returning him.

But what did make me feel better was to note down some of his issues but also his good points, to hand to the staff at the shelter so they could address any problems with him and also know the great things about him.

You are not rejecting the cat or failing anything by returning him/her.

Maybe you could consider this time with the cat as just a “trial period”, and it just so happens that the trial confirmed that you two perhaps weren’t the best match at this point in time. Any reasonable person will not judge you for this. If you are embarrassed, maybe you could tell people it was a trial period only to see if you both suited each other.

With pets, it really can be the luck of the draw in terms of the behaviours they exhibit. And this may be even more so with adoptees, as you often don’t know their history. I adopted a cat 2 years ago and he is amazing. We’ve had struggles sometimes understanding each other but he’s one of my great loves in life now.

If you’re considering you would like to keep the cat, here are a few things I have learnt from when my cat has been needy and a little destructive:

- Many cats love cardboard to tear their claws into. You could just cut off the side of a box at home and lay it flat on the floor - or maybe better, give him/her the whole box to explore. Cats love cardboard boxes! Kmart also has some fantastic cardboard cat toys at the moment - my cat loves the three piece cardboard cat scratcher ($12) and the cardboard cubby house ($6). Scratching and stretching is natural behaviour, so think about how you can facilitate these activities.

- Whenever you get home, spend a good 5 mins or so fussing over the cat. They spend a lot of time alone and are interactive beings needing some attention. Maybe give him/her a brush or drag a length of string along the floor to chase. Really wear him/her out 🙂

- A good cosy pet bed to curl up in does wonders! And a chin scratch!

- If it’s an indoor cat, maybe you could get a cat harness and lead to walk out in the driveway or garden. My cat has grown to love walks on the lead.

- Cats don’t like change so try to have fairly consistent schedules around eg meals, play time, etc.

Best of luck in whatever decision you make! No decision will be the wrong one.