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Published on February 9, 2008

This woman wanted to find a home for her cat, explaining that her two-year-old female Siamese was just too much trouble. The cat had chewed up all her expensive leather handbags and shoes.

I thought it would be easy to locate someone to adopt a Siamese and asked her to drop the cat off with me. She brought her the next day, and I immediately realised that almost all the information in the e-mail was untrue.

First, the cat wasn't a Siamese but a tortoiseshell - with orange, black and white "finger-painted" all over her body. Second, she wasn't two years old but closer to five. The vaccination certificate (which was out of date) told me so.

The woman said she'd been keeping the cat in a birdcage "to protect the bags and shoes", but it was obvious that the cat hadn't been fed adequately. She was emaciated, and her spine had a terrible curve, quite possibly from her cramped quarters. No wonder she'd been chomping on her owner's boots whenever she had the chance!

Although the woman had misrepresented the cat, of course I took her - and I'm happy to say that a lady who knew cats adopted her and fattened her up.

The recent e-mail I've received is completely opposite to this one. A typical message goes something like this:

"Please help me find someone to adopt my dog [or cat]. I want him [or her] to have a good home. Thank you."

Sometimes the writer adds, "The dog is very friendly and likes children."

I'd really like to help, but e-mail like this isn't very helpful, is it? If you put yourself in the place of a potential adopter, you'd want to know much more, right?

Whether you're asking me or someone else for help, it would be so much better if the e-mail had more detail, such as the animal's age and whether it's neutered.

What colour is it? What kind of breed? How did you get it originally? Why do you want to find a home for it now? Does it need a garden? Does it have health or behavioural problems? What is the best way for interested people to contact you?

If your pet just gave birth, you need to wait a bit. You shouldn't separate the kids from their mother until they're around two months old, and seeking homes while the newborns' eyes are still closed won't be very helpful. People change their minds regularly. You'll find that very firm offers to take the kids will disappear unless you can "home" them within a few days.

Photos are important, too - not ones you took five years ago, but a few days ago, ones showing your animal at his best.

You want to be as concise and accurate as you can. You want the new owners to appreciate your pet for what he is.

Questions about your pets?

Fax (02) 751 4446 or e-mail laurie@nationgroup.com.

Laurie rosenthal  

The Nation