... Remember these guys? Bindi and Callie?
Yeah, they're still here. Substantially bigger now, seeing as how they've been my houseguests for FIVE MONTHS.
My, time does fly, doesn't it?
And while Bindi is starting to come around, Callie still shows no signs of friendly-ing up. Which means that they are currently unadoptable, and may be that way for some time to come. Which means I have a decision to make.
I can't keep them in the foster room anymore. That isn't fair to them. So I can either (a) integrate them into my household as fosters-in-residence, or (b) return them to the rescue, where they will stay in the rescue leader's home.
Normally, it would be a no-brainer, i.e., return them (because I don't DO long-term fosters), but there are some things complicating the decision. The rescue leader is currently overloaded on fosters, meaning they would be going into a house with many, many other cats (like, over TWENTY), which is not a good thing, health-wise. They would be allowed to go in and out (as they would at my house if they became perma-fosters), which is fine, except the rescue leader's house is situated in a very busy, very sketchy neighborhood. Indoor-outdoor cats in that area can have a pretty short shelf life, is what I'm trying to say.
So, you say, what's the problem? Keep them for a bit longer!
Well, over the weekend, I learned that the rescue leader has put herself in a pretty precarious situation, financial-wise. She came close to losing her housing, which ... yeah. If she goes belly-up, as rescues around here tend to do with alarming regularity, I may end up with two more permanent members of my household.
So, you say, what's the problem? Return them, quick, while you still can! Wash your hands of the whole thing!
Annnnnnd I was all ready to do that.
And then got-dam Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day rolled around, and THIS quote started popping up all over social media:
"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wound we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."
Oh, f*ck. NOW what do I do?
10 comments:
Flip a coin.
Then do what your heart tells you is right.
I don't think there is a right and wrong here........Just a genuinely difficult choice.
You had said that the precious dumplin' Angel took a chunk out of your palm at the last adoption event.....so whatever happened with that? Did you treat it differently that when Petey chomped you? You OK?
But ... but ... you guys are supposed to tell me what to doooooooo!
And Ginny, I disinfected the area really, really well and made sure it stayed rinsed out. I can't risk going on antibiotics again unless it's absolutely necessary. Thankfully, this was not anywhere near the level that Petey achieved, and so far, so good.
I need some chain mail, is what I need. :)
That you ask is your answer.
I just read the newest post. No one can make the decision for you. I can tell you only how my thinking would go:
. Are commitments important to me? Are all equal, or are some commitments more important than others?
. To whom have I made commitments in this case? (Do the cats count?)
. Did I have all the information when I made those commitments, all the possibilities? Why did I make the commitment in the first place? Have basic conditions changed? Was I aware I might be left in the lurch going in? Was it my job to tame the cats?
. What constitutes acceptable grounds to break a commitment? Justification? Has "the contract" been broken?
. What are the comparable costs of keeping or breaking these commitments?
. Can I bear those costs? Can I ask the other party/parties to bear the costs?
Only you know the answers to those questions.
I think I am missing something important here. What is the difference between fosters that stay in the room and fosters that have the run of the house? Other than needing to be sure that the other four-footed residents and the fosters get along, of course.
You said you don't DO long term fosters so there must be something I'm missing?
Is it just that you don't keep foster kitties past the 5 month timeframe and they need to move on?
I'm not familiar with all the ins and outs of fostering so I'm genuinely not sure what the difference between kitties in a room by themselves vs kitties having the run of your house is - as long as all the kitties get along (and maybe that's the hard part?)
~~Silk, good points to ponder.
And spiffikins, because my permacats go in and out via a pet door, any fosters who had free rein of the house would also be able to gain access to the outside. Most rescues do not allow fosters to go outside; thus, the "foster room". The rescue who owns Bindi and Callie, however, is fine with the idea of them possibly going outside, so that's not really a complicating issue, other than that they may go out and not come back because they are feral.
And I try to limit fosters to a month or two. (a), because I don't think it's fair to keep them in one room for longer than that (again, most rescues I work with do not allow the cats to have access to the outdoors, thus, they must stay in the foster room), and (b), because I don't really want any more cats at this time, and long-term fosters have a way of turning into permacats (Tinks, I'm looking at YOU. Ha.)
Sorry, didn't mean to write a dissertation, there.
Enh, you know how I feel about outdoor cats, no matter how civilized they are. Each to her own.
You know you're probably going to keep them, so go ahead and do it. As a cat lover, you won't be able to send these two into a dangerous situation (nor could I). It's frustrating but this is really about what will let you look at yourself in the mirror each morning. Good luck!
Kris
Becs, yeah, I know.
And Kris, you're probably right. *sigh*
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