Cat Is Returned to Animal Shelter 10 Years After Adoption
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Whenever an animal arrives at a rescue shelter, the main aim is to find that animal a forever home as soon as possible. Sometimes a forever home is found quickly, and other times it can take a little longer. Once a home is found, the staff and volunteers hope that the animal will go on to live a healthy and happy life with the loving family who have adopted them. Unfortunately, this does not always happen and there are occasions when an animal is returned to the shelter and must start the adoption process all over again. When this happens, it is usually soon after the original adoption. However, there are examples when animals return to a rescue shelter much later.
Fox 10 reports the story of a cat that returned to Arizona Animal Welfare League 10 years after it had been adopted from the shelter and is now looking for a forever home for the second time in a decade. Flurb first arrived at Arizona Animal Welfare League on 40th Street in Phoenix 10 years ago. The adorable tabby cat quickly found a family that wanted to adopt him. This was not surprising as he has a beautiful coat, big green eyes, and lovely nature. The staff at the shelter were delighted that Flurb had found a loving family to care for him. They were hopeful that the adorable cat would have a very happy and healthy future ahead of him. Sadly, things didn’t turn out quite as they had expected.
A decade had passed since Flurb’s original adoption, so they were surprised when the family returned to the shelter with him after such a long time. The family had come to ask the shelter for help in finding the cat a new home. This wasn’t a case of the family getting bored of Flurb or that they simply didn’t want him, they were going through some severe problems that left them unable to care for the cat. They had unexpectedly become homeless and were suffering from severe financial hardship. This meant that they could not afford to care for the cat properly or take him to the vet.
They came to the heartbreaking decision to part with Flurb when he became ill and needed medical attention. They could not afford to get him the medical attention that he needed, so they decided to get him the best care they could by returning him to the shelter so that they could get him the treatment he needed and then find him a family that could afford to care for him properly. These were the actions of responsible people who loved Flurb and wanted the best for him, not the actions of people who had deliberately neglected their pet.
When he arrived back at the animal shelter, Flurb was suffering from a serious ear infection that needed treatment immediately. The ear infection was so bad that the veterinarian had to take drastic action. In addition to the course of antibiotics that are needed to treat these types of infections, Flurb also needed surgery to rectify the situation. The decision was made to close off his ear canal and remove his left ear. It was also necessary for the veterinarian to remove all the cat’s teeth.
Despite his poor condition when he arrived back at the animal shelter, Flurb is now making a good recovery at the shelter. Now, the staff is focusing their attention on restarting the adoption process and finding him a forever home for the second time. They have set Flurb up with a profile page on their website that features his photograph and his story to help him find a home. They also released his story to the press in the hope that people will come forward to adopt him.
While Flurb was adopted quickly the first time he was in the shelter, it is possible that it could take a little longer the second time around. There are a few reasons for this, including his age and his health. When cats are older, fewer people are willing to adopt them. They prefer a younger cat that has many years left in their life. The potential health problems that are associated with older cats is also a possible issue. People do not want to adopt a cat and then face immediate medical bills for their care. Sadly, this means that older cats with health problems are often in shelters for much longer than the younger, healthier cats. This is a possible issue for Flurb because he has already experienced medical problems which have resulted in him losing one ear and all his teeth. This could possibly deter people from adopting him.
These are problems shared by shelters around the world when they have older dogs and cats in their care. They often find that these are the animals that it is hardest to find a forever home. However, there are some animal lovers out there who are willing to take a risk with an older animal and offer them a loving home. Therefore, hope is not lost for finding Flurb a home in which he can spend his final years. Despite his age, he is a lovely cat that would make a wonderful family pet.
With the potential problems in finding him a home in mind, the staff at Arizona Animal Welfare League are pulling out all the stops to attract potential adoptees. They are even advertising that they are willing to waive the adoption fee to encourage people to consider adopting the cat. Hopefully, someone who is willing to give an older cat a chance will come forward soon and he will have the chance to live in a loving family environment for a second time. Flurb still has a lot to offer to the right owners, and he just needs a little love and affection in his final years.
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image sources
- KSAZ-Flurb-103019: © Shutterstock