I saw a post on facebook today where someone was getting quite upset about someone else looking for a new home for a cat. The person who was giving the cat away was moving overseas unexpectedly for a new job and didn't want to take the cat because it was a long flight and could have distressed the animal quite a lot.
I think that's fair, but the person arguing thought that if you had any job that might make you move overseas then don't get a pet at all.
I'm no pet expert though, so I'm wondering what other people think of this. I know some people on here are quite passionate about animals so it seemed like a good place to gather info.

That's like saying don't buy a house or any furniture or bother having any type of romantic relationships just incase your job makes you move overseas.

What if they didn't choose to get the cat it chose to move in with them. Which tends to happen alot.

At least they're doing the right thing of trying to get it a home rather than just abandoning it or having to put it in a rescue center. That and depending on how long they're going to be away for it's not worth the cost of quarintine and transport costs to distress the cat for 4/5 months before having to uproot it again.

I agree with HIM... That person telling them to not get a pet at all is being pretty ridiculous. The person didn't expect to move overseas, that's not their fault. They want a cat... Let them get a cat.

That's what I figured too. People are weird.

Rehoming can be a grey area.

I've seen loads of people just rehome their pets on a whim. They're moving two cities over and are using that as excuse, they had a baby so the "substitute kids" aren't cared about anymore, they didn't properly train the dog so now it's acting up and they don't want to deal with it... Honestly, awful people who had no business owning pets in the first place. Good that the pets will (hopefully) now go to someone who will actually care for them, tragic that the pet has lived so long with owners who are clearly completely ambivalent to it.

That being said, the person in your specific example sounds reasonable. Overseas is quite a long ways to take a pet. Some pets can handle that okay. My own cat can't even handle a car ride to the vet without RAMMING THE WALLS OF HIS CARRIER (which could potentially hurt him quite a bit), crying like I've never heard him cry before, and once peeing himself. My cat wouldn't make it through an overseas trip alive unless he was completely sedated the whole way. Other animals get a little scared but make it through the ordeal ultimately fine. If you recognize that such a trip would be drastically against the well-being of your pet, but the job is really really important, then homing your pet with a friend who you know will take good care of it is honestly a much better option than putting it in a pound where it could be killed or sit in a cage for months without a home.

People who rehome pets because they didn't train them properly in the first place are stupid. Same as those who give them away because they forgot that puppies turn into dogs and kittens into cats. Still, a rehoming could be the best option for pets with stupid owners?

We got our cat from another guy who was moving like across the country.
He didn't want to put that stress on the cat, so he figured the best option was to hehome him.
It took a couple of days for him to adjust, but now he super loves us~

There was this add campaingn going around here recently that for some reason really stuck to me:



I think it's really cute and simple, I love the drawing. I actually cut it out of the newspaper and hung it up on my fridge.

I think this case is kind of a hard call. If the person knew they were moving soon or were planning on having a job abroad then I think they probably shouldn't have gotten the pet. At the same time a lot of things in life aren't planned and so I would completely understand if it was something unexpected. At least they are being responsible about it and not just letting the pet go out on the streets and seems genuinely worried about the stress the move could cause for the animal.

You also have to take into consideration the fact that most pets being shipped overseas are subject to quarantine which can be SUPER stressful!! I think the owner is being responsible in this situation in trying to find a good home before they have to say goodbye, and if things work out they can communicate with the new owners to get updates on the pet.

I work in a pet store right now and see this kind of thing happen a lot. Honestly, in most cases, rehoming is the best way to go.

If a person is trying to rehome their pet, it means one of two things: 1. They're being a responsible person who knows that a big move will put a lot of pressure on the animal, so they're trying to find a safe and loving home (as opposed to just abandoning the cat or something), or 2. They didn't really want the animal anyway, they weren't taking the best care of it and now another family will have the opportunity to do things right.

So I think that a lot of people make mistakes when it comes to actually adopting a pet, but rehoming is a little different. As long as the pet owner is willing to put in a little time and effort to find a good new home, then it's usually for the best.

Originally Posted by Bearzy

People who rehome pets because they didn't train them properly in the first place are stupid. Same as those who give them away because they forgot that puppies turn into dogs and kittens into cats. Still, a rehoming could be the best option for pets with stupid owners?

^^^ This. I agree with this so much.

Well considering the economy has gone to crap here... I wouldn't be surprised if someone had to accept that oversea job.
I remember applying for a job and was told that there were upward of 200 other applications by the first day. Can't exactly be picky.

Besides, if he has a 5-10 year old cat, odds are his plans have had to change to adapt to the changes. You can't predict what 5 years from now will look like. Especially when you seem stable.

Originally Posted by Knerd

I work in a pet store right now and see this kind of thing happen a lot. Honestly, in most cases, rehoming is the best way to go.

If a person is trying to rehome their pet, it means one of two things: 1. They're being a responsible person who knows that a big move will put a lot of pressure on the animal, so they're trying to find a safe and loving home (as opposed to just abandoning the cat or something), or 2. They didn't really want the animal anyway, they weren't taking the best care of it and now another family will have the opportunity to do things right.

So I think that a lot of people make mistakes when it comes to actually adopting a pet, but rehoming is a little different. As long as the pet owner is willing to put in a little time and effort to find a good new home, then it's usually for the best.

Yes, exactly. Rehoming for shitty reasons doesn't make someone a terrible person, it just means they probably already are one.

My kitty's previous owners moved and left him outside to defend for himself, declawed and diabetic. While
I loathe whoever they were for being so cruel and nearly killing him, I'm glad he's not in their care anymore - they must not have taken good care of him in the first place if they were so flippant about kicking him out. Fuck those guys, but hooray for this sweet cat having a comfy life where he is extremely loved and taken care of.

I adopted my kitty from the ASPCA and they make you bring the animal back to them if it doesn't work out rather than give it away to someone else. I think it's a pretty good policy in terms of making sure the animal is well cared for and not out on the streets.

There need to be more places like The Mann Cat Sancutary I want to go live there.

I just read that the animal shelter near where I grew up is closing down for renovations. Apparently the building needs a lot of work so they're trying to find homes for as many animals as possible and foster the rest. I really hope they'll be able to get everything done that they need to do and reopen as soon as possible...