Playing the Same Game (New York City)

(Picture left: "Betty Boop." A very lucky gal that the Intake person at the shelter bothered to note that she and a Pomeranian were discarded together. Still, she came within mere hours of dying.)

Its been almost three days since I brought home "Tommy" the Pomeranian, to foster.

It is fantastically baffling how any people could have given up such a loving, incredibly gentle and full of life, cheerful dog to a pound.

Tommy doesn't possess the usual "feistiness" and wariness of strangers of most Pomeranians. Rather, he is more like my first dog, Tina: Enthusiastic, optimistic, curious, open to new adventures and very accepting and affectionate towards people and other animals.

In other words, Tommy is very nearly, a seemingly perfect dog.

But, even nearly perfect animals get dumped for things like "cost."

I would sooner give up every material possession I own, before I would give up either of my dogs, Tina or Chance.

But, I guess that is just me.

It obviously isn't everyone.....

I also picked up Tommy's companion cat, "Betty Boop" who, like Tommy was discarded at the shelter for the same reason: "cost."

Unlike Tommy, Betty was on the kill list of the shelter yesterday, despite having only been dropped off to the shelter this past Tuesday.

Cats just can't seem to catch much of a break these days.

So far, Betty (unlike her canine buddy) is pretty stressed by the entire ordeal of abandonment to the pound and now ending up in a new environment with other cats and dogs and a human who she doesn't know.

She's currently hiding on top of the window ledge in my bathroom.

I wish there was something I could do or say to help Betty feel more welcomed and safe, as her more confident and adventurous doggie friend seems to feel.

But, it seems she is going to need time.

I sometimes think cats have a harder time with forced changes and new circumstances than do dogs.

Dogs can be amazingly adaptable sometimes. Or, perhaps it is that they are generally more accustomed to adventures in the outside world, presuming their former owners walked them on a regular basis. We don't, after all, walk cats and introduce them to the noises, other people, animals, places and things outside of their homes.

For many cats, their immediate homes and owners are all they have known in their lives.

Suddenly being thrust out of all that must seem like being launched into space and ending up on another planet. -- So completely alien and terrifying to them.

At least most dogs have familiarity with the outside world (barring of course, those unfortunate canines who have spent their entire lives tied up in a yard or confined in a small space without daily walks. In such cases, the dogs generally have as tough a time with "change and new environments" as do cats.)

I am hopeful of adopting out Tommy and his feline friend, Betty Boop together. -- In fact, I advertised them as a "pair" on Adopt-a-Pet and Petfinders. Former owners requested that the animals be placed together. Of course, they were totally ignorant and naive as that rarely happens in shelters -- particularly with a cat and dog.

Am I being equally "ignorant and naive" in requiring that these two former housemates be adopted together?

Maybe.

Or, perhaps I am simply being fussy, demanding and discriminating.

Like most of the people who call us these days supposedly seeking to adopt. -- PCA

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