Last night, I received a phone call from a landlord whose tenants had bailed in the middle of the night and left behind their cat. the man asked me if I would be available to take him and finding out the cat was older, he is white and somewhat unsocial, I told him okay. Cali, the tortie who arrived last week has been adopted out so I have the room. The man rented homes in Eugene Oregon and just to set this up the population of Eugene is 156,929.
I asked where the cat was; in the garage, in the house? He said that the cat was wandering around and crying after the tenants left but now the cat was inside of a cage out in the backyard. I could just take the cat and the cage. He also said a lady had called earlier and wanted the cat but when she came to the yard, the cat was freaking out in the cage and it scared her and she said she was looking for a calm, loving cat.
We get to the house and the cage is beat to hell and so is this poor cat. He has repeatedly been ramming himself against the wire cage and his nose was bleeding. He went totally ballistic when I approached.
I sat on the ground and took my cat carrier and tipped it up, opened the door to the carrier, then carefully opened the cage door and calmed down the big fella (he has to be about 15 pounds) I scruffed him without incident and placed him in the carrier. I threw a dark towel over the carrier and he was completely still and quiet. On the way home, he didn’t meow once.
Of course when I let him out in the room he went ballistic and tried to climb up the walls and the screens- but eventually calmed down. He has everything he needs up there so I am just going to leave him alone for a few days to let him decompress.
I came downstairs and called the guy to tell him we had arrived home and all was good. On a whim, I asked him if he had the phone number of the woman who wanted a lap cat, and told him I would call her and talk with her and try to help her if I could.
I looked at the number and it looked familar to me. I couldn’t place it, but I did know it. So, I called it and surprise, surprise the gal who just adopted Dillon answered the phone! I was surprised, and asked her how Dillon was doing? She was quiet didn’t say anything. My heart sank so I asked her if she had gone to see another cat this morning and she said yes. I asked if she was looking for a friend for Dillon- again the silence and finally she told me; “Dillon isn’t here anymore. I gave him away!”
I was hissed! It is in my paperwork and I tell everyone who adopts from me that I will take these cats back any time they do not work out. She decided to send him to a farm of a friend of hers and he is out there. I have no clue where he is- I have no address (she wouldn’t give me one) and I suspect he isn’t around at all anymore. But, I have no proof.
So now, I am at a loss. I asked her for the phone number of the family who has Dillon and she said she would call them and have them call me. Well, that was at 10:00 this morning and it is now almost 7:30 p.m. sigh…
When I went on the initial home visit, I stayed at her home for over an hour and we talked and I thought connected. She told me Dillon hadn’t been eating at all and I think back to her tearful phone call that early morning and wonder if the tears meant he either bolted or got outside and got killed. I am sad, mad, puzzled and worried and there is nothing i can do about it except pray he has been adopted and he is fine.
But what are the odds that someone would contact me about a cat needing rescue and that very day, this gal would go to see this cat to see if it fits in with her home? if I hadn’t asked for the phone number, I would still think that Dillon is safe with her- now I do not know what to think.
Here is the new boy (thankfully neutered) I am calling him Truman. I will get him to the vet as soon as I can because for now, the CATS Inc., Kitty is near empty. Poor boy, he is so scared-
Wow…. 🙁 I share your sentiments. Lets just hope for Dillon MA….
wow. That borders on freaky. Purrrrrrring that Dillon is OK, where ever he is.
I don’t think he is alive anymore. I pray I am wrong, but I think that tearful phone call was her way of coping with finding him outside on the road or something. When I asked her why in the world she sent him to another home, she said the lady fell in love with him and told her he was a Bengal! Dillon is NOT a bengal. So far there has been no photos sent to me- no proof of life. 🙁
First off, I religiously read your blog because I find your stories and mission fascinating. Your candor gives me a peak into a world I would otherwise never know. I have never replied before, but I felt compelled to today.
I had to write because I wanted you to know that there are WONDERFUL adopters out there who do right by the animals we adopt. We appreciate everything you and all rescuers do and cherish the gift(s) you have given us by nursing our fur kids back to mental and physical health and then, after all that financial, time AND emotional investment, you selflessly give them to us. They’re no longer broken and battered, all the work is done, but instead of enjoying the fruits of your labor you give them to us and open your arms to the next furry in need.
I read these disheartening stories of adopters who lied and failed to appreciate the precious gift you gave them and I know it must be discouraging. I admire the courage it takes to put your trust out there and continue to try to find homes…after some of these stories I don’t think I could ever trust a person again! So, on behalf of the good adopters, I want to say thank you. I want you to know we are out there and that what you do gives us the best moments of our lives. There’s a special place in heaven for you and yours and ALL rescuers out there.
I am SO sorry. I often wonder why people feel the need to lie. Personally, I would rather know the truth than be lied to – their lies already make me think less of them. I hope Dillon is OK, but I have to agree with you.
Purrs to Truman – at least there is a little good news out of the day….he is safe and going to be ok because of you.
I just got a photo of Dillon! He doesn’t look relaxed at all, but he is alive and peeking out a window. I can’t fault the new owners for his eyes not being relaxed, he has been through to many changes lately. Hopefully, this is a good home for him. I did tell them if he doesn’t work out to PLEASE call me and I will come and get him. I can’t show the photo because it was taken with a cell phone and put into the body of the email but he is alive.
I am glad to hear Dillon is alive!
Open the email, right click on the photo and see if “save photo” is an option. If is, you can save it to your computer.
Thank Bast for that, at least.
Could this be some sort of custody battle, two people breaking up and using Dillon as leverage? It almost sounds like that, from what we’ve heard.
I don’t know what happened. I was basically told by the first adopter to F off and die and leave her the F alone. She said and I quote “Quit bothering me, he isn’t your cat anymore, he is mine!”
If bothering her is making two phone calls to find out what the devil happened to MY cat- then I guess it applies. I told her Dillon wasn’t your cat- not this early in the game. Then she hung up on me. She doesn’t get it, she doesn’t understand that it wasn’t her place to find a home for him. I just hope he will be happy where he is now.
No matter who adopts the cats we rescue we always continue to carry the cats in our hearts. I am so relieved for your sake that Dillon is still alive and I hope he is being well cared for.
Prayers going out for Dillon, that he will be taken well care of. Please keep the words Emmett wrote in your heart – they eloquently express what so many of us – the vast majority of adopters – feel about you and other rescuers who entrust to us such precious lives!
So relieved that Dillon is alive, are you able to speak with the new owners and explain the whole situation? I hope he is in a better home and I hope she NEVER gets to adopt a cat.
I don’t understand why people burn bridges. Someday, somewhere this lady might need you again and there she goes severing this relationship. This just stinks.
At least you know that Dillon is alive. It must be frustrating not to know his situation, but all you can do is your best. I hope Truman recovers from his abandonment. Another poor creature unwanted – until you came along.
Once again you demonstrate why I prefer my cats company to that of many humans. They have better characters.
Marian in Houston