Is it practical and sensible to adopt a rescue cat, which by chance, is 3,000 miles from where you live? Is it a folly to try to do this or is it heroic? An heroic effort to adopt an unwanted cat at any cost, almost. What an effort! How commonplace is this in America?
There would have to be a gigantic transportation effort. It is the sort of transportation challenge that many cat breeders don’t entertain mainly because it is too stressful and hazardous for the cat and what about the cost? Also arguably there is no need for this sort of long distance transportation because there should be someone who is local or certainly within a reasonable distance. For rescue cats that doesn’t apply, it seems. Are there guidelines on cat transportation amongst cat rescue organisations?
Well, a person living near the Pacific coast in California tried to adopt a rescue cat that was with a foster carer in North Carolina, which is the other side of the United States, almost 3,000 miles away. In this instance the kitten/cat was flown from Gaston County, North Carolina to LA, California (note: the cat was actually flown from Wilmington, North Carolina – sorry but not much difference). The last leg of the journey to Santa Rosa, California was probably planed to be by road.
The super long distance adoption failed when the 8 month old kitten, Cali, escaped the transportation container at Santa Clarita which is a suburb of Los Angeles (correction: Cali escaped a property where the person transporting the cat was staying – a “condo”). Cali had been transported across the entire breadth of America from East to West but tragically the last leg could not be made because she has gone, lost and cannot be found.
Tell me, was this:
- (a) an adoption too far, too difficult or too risky or
- (b) a tremendous effort that unfortunately failed to place a vulnerable and precious rescue cat in a good home in sunny California?
The search for Cali is still ongoing.
The search is still ongoing, with local people using a livetrap and trail cam in the yard of a homeowner, in an area where Cali may have been seen. And there are many volunteers checking local shelters and rescues, Craigs List, etc many times a day. Another point of clarification: Cali was flown, IN CABIN, by a lady from CA who had to fly to NC on business. She carried with her one rescued cat TO NC (who is very happily in his new home), and I handed Cali over to her to fly back to CA. Cali was able to ride with her carrier up on the empty middle seat and was given treats and talked to and petted all the way across the US. I really appreciate the concern everyone has about costs and stress to animal, and the availability of cats locally, but sometimes you just look into one’s eyes and you can’t look away.
Thanks for your comments – really useful.
Seems bizarre and I’d like to know why this is happening.
I am generalizing and it is a fair generalization. The basic rule is to visit the cat and cattery if there is one, in person, when adopting.
I am curious about the pig, Elisa, but not surprised. I was participating on a thread recently about “odd” (to outsiders) rescues and I think we all decided the person who rescued a grasshopper with a broken leg was the winner.