My Tragi-Comedy 6-week search for a female, sealpoint Siamese kitten

          

   
Now the first thing you may ask is, why do you have to be so picky? Why does it have to be a Siamese female, seal point kitten? Well, that's what we had growing up. My Mother loved them, I love them, and they remind me of her.
   


And why a kitten? Because we want it to grow up with the puppy. And why a female? Because the puppy is a male for my son, and the kitten was supposed to be a girl for my daughter. But as time has worn on, I have become flexible on gender. As I have on breed. So I will take a Balinese, or Birman, or even a Ragdoll, because they kinda' look the same.
   

   
       
Next question--why don't you adopt from a shelter? My answer is the same as the one infertile couples say, when people just tell them to adopt. And that is:

IT AIN'T EASY.

Yes, first, I have been checking all of the shelters within 250 miles of where I live. TWO HUNDRED FIFTY MILES I am willing to go for a cat.
   
And this is what I get. It's an auto search reply:

"We are sorry to report that no such animals were found today."

Second search:

"Hey! We found a new cat matching your search who needs a home and has love to give!

If you're interested in adopting, please contact the shelter to see if the pet is still available. Click the photo below to get all of the info!

Mimi Female Laguna Niguel, CA

Your Search: all female Siamese kittens within 250 miles "

This is not a kitten, nor a sealpoint. However, it is closer than they usually get. The problem here is dealing with private rescue groups. If you never have, let me tell you that their criteria to "adopt" is about as strict as it is to adopt a child. Now, they are saying "Save a life! Rescue a kitty! Give her a forever home!" But what they don't tell you is that "they" have to approve you first. And so far, no one I've talked to has ever been approved. Why? Because first, there is a mountain of paperwork that you have to fill out. Next, the fees. $150-$300 is what I have been quoted. They must be spayed or neutered and MICRO-CHIPPED.  The beast gets the mark of the beast.
   
And now for some of the rules. And these are just some of them. You can't adopt if you don't own your own home.  You can't adopt if your income is too low, or if you are too old, or if your children are too young. You can't adopt if you are at work all day, or at school all day. You can't adopt if you've never had that particular pet, or if you don't have a Vet. You can't adopt if you plan to let the cat outside, EVER. You can't adopt unless you take TWO, not one, so they won't be lonely. And not the two that you pick. One that you pick, and then the one they say is it's "friend,", or "sister", or "brother." And are you getting both for the same price? Nope. You have to pay for one you want, and the one you don't want. You can't adopt if your windows open the wrong way, or if your stairs have openings on the sides, unless you fix them. And how do they know? Oh, they check, Honey. Home visits, home inspections. And if you ARE approved, they can come back for a surprise visit any time.

And if they don't like what you are doing, or if Heaven forbid your cat is out in the yard, they have the right to take her away. YES, take her away. OR fine you $1,000. YES, a THOUSAND dollars if the cat follows one of your kids out the door into the yard. Now, how traumatizing is it to take a child's pet away? When did it become OK for our privacy rights to be so eroded that volunteer citizens with no official business can come into your home and spy on you and take your property? 
   
And these very same rescue groups are competing against your average person who wants to adopt from a city or county shelter. Every time a nice animal comes up, it is a race to get there before they do. And so far, they have beaten me every time. How do I know they do this? Because I have been to numerous "Pet rescue fairs", and I hear them talking about it. They will say, "This xxx puppy or kitten is at xxx shelter. Who can go get him/her?" And then they turn up a few days later on the Rescue Group's list.
   
See, every night I get notifications of "adoptable" animals that will be available the next day. And if it is a kitten or puppy purebred, or young from a popular breed, and healthy, and cute, it will be gone the next day. THE NEXT DAY.  And usually these places are far away, like Bakersfield. And we can't get there until the weekend. I have called these shelters, emailed them, begged and PLEADED to hold the animal for me until Saturday.
   
 I will Paypal them, or give them a credit card. I have filled out applications online. But nope, it has to be done in person.  I have missed out on more kittens, and puppies, than I can count.  In Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Lancaster, Long Beach, Downey, Bakersfield several times (Which for some reason has had a lot of Siamese kittens), and more.

The prices are great, around $45, which includes neutering and some shots. But you are still not guaranteed that they won't have viruses or parasites, like the puppy I adopted. And you may be getting a feral pet, that was born outside, and lived outside, for it's entire young life. No socialization with people whatsover, except for the scary type. That was my puppy.

So after losing out on about 10-12 different kittens, I decided to try private. The cost is higher than shelters, but about the same or lower than the rescue groups. They are socialized, and usually healthier because they have not been growing up in a dumpster, or in a concrete floor kennel with a bunch of other animals.

 

  Some have shots, some don't, depending on their age. But once again, it's a race. Lost out on a Balinese in Wildomar, because she wanted me to come New Year's Day. Lost out on a Siamese in San Bernardino, because it was Tuesday, and I couldn't make it until the weekend. Lost out on one in Moreno Valley because, well, I don't even know. Many of the ads I responded to told me that I was third or fourth in line, and they would let me know if my turn came up. So far it hasn't.
   
Many ads that I responded to sent me pictures, and then never answered me back.  Or they said, "That one has been adopted, but we have this one." And then they send you a picture of an entirely different breed, which isn't even a kitten. (Which a lot of the rescue groups did, too.)

Or they never answered me at all. One did, with a Birman in Hollywood Hills.
   

More than I wanted to pay, there were no actual pictures of the kittens, and she told me to come over that night, and it was Wednesday. Fortunately, that was close enough for me to make it. 7:00 pm rolls around, and she still hasn't emailed or texted her address. At 8:00 she tells me to come over the next day, and her "assistant" will show me the cats. OK, fine. Next morning rolls around and she still hasn't given me her address. After I emailed her numerous times, she finally responds around noon. She tells me that it is very "emotional" for her to part with her kittens, and she hopes I understand. Yes I do, and I'm sorry, I say, but WHERE ARE THE KITTENS??? I NEED AN ADDRESS! Then she tells me her assistant has them, in Hacienda Heights. She will give me the address if I go right now. I tell her I can't, because I have to pick up the kids from school. I tell her I will Paypal her or her assistant a deposit to hold a kitten until Saturday. Now this is Thursday afternoon. I am only asking for two days.  She says there are four other people who want them, and if I can't make it today, too bad. Then I tell her I will Paypal her the whole price, if she will hold one. Desperate much?
   
She never bothers to answer. Now I will settle for a Ragdoll, and the guy will bring it to me. But he never shows up.
   
 I have "In search of" and "Wanted" ads everywhere. A woman responds late last night, and tells me she has two Balinese, a boy and a girl. FANTASTIC. I tell her I will take the girl. This morning she emails me that the girl is gone, but she still has the boy. And if I want him, I have to come RIGHT NOW. She is a two hour drive away, and I tell her I can come tomorrow, on Saturday. No, she says, it has to be RIGHT NOW, because she is going to be induced for labor at 2:00.
Do you suppose the universe is trying to tell me something?

UPDATE #1. I emailed the Hollywood Hills/Hacienda Heights woman. She said she would "give me one more chance." But I had to come tomorrow, or else she would keep the kitten herself. The problem...My friend told SP 2.0 that she would take him to LEGOLAND tomorrow. He has been asking to go for years! But he doesn't want to go without me. And DH is still out of town.

UPDATE #2. The woman about to have a baby emailed me from the hospital. They didn't induce because she had a cold, and they were worried about her breathing with the anesthesia. So if I still wanted the kitten, she and her DH would bring him over on the way home. Yahoo! Yes! I am here! I told her. I am waiting. Went downstairs to make dinner for the kids. After a while I go upstairs to get my phone, which was charging. BAD NEWS. She and DH were driving over. She called, and texted. And since I didn't answer, she said they figured I had changed my mind and didn't want him. So they turned around and went back home. GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

UPDATE  #3. I thanked the Hollywood Hills woman and told her that I would be there. I asked her for a time, because my children had a lot of activities this morning. She didn't answer. First thing this morning, I emailed her that I would come over and pick up the kitten. Now remember, last night she said she had two kittens, and to come today. This was her response. After days of emailing back and forth, making plans with me and canceling, changing cities, having me wait and wait . This is what she said. "SORRY GONE"     

UPDATE #4: I texted the 9.5 months pregnant woman and asked her if I could please pick up the kitten on Sunday, because I was supposed to take my son to LEGOLAND, which he had been asking to  do for years. I told her I would be happy to Paypal her so she knew  I wasn't a flake. She said no. It's "First come, first serve" (sp.) And that a lot of people wanted to come and get the kitten, but she told them "it was on hold." And that they would bring it here. I asked if it was OK if my daughter took the kitten and paid her. She said no, it had to be me, and what time did I want her to come. I said "First thing in the morning."

UPDATE # 5. So now it's the morning. Rushing around getting StrollerPrince ready to go the Magic Castle in Hollywood, and StrollerPrince 2.0 ready for LegoLand. Lots of back and forth texts. She didn't know where her boyfriend was. Then she couldn't come because her pregnancy was too high risk. But her fiance', which I am assuming is the same as her boyfriend, would be here soon. I waited, and waited. So did my friend, with the little boys, who wanted to got to LEGOLAND. I finally told them to just go without me. My little guy was so sad. SIGH. A few minutes ago, I get a text. Her "husband" went to the wrong address. Then, she said,  the car started "shaking". So he turned around and went home. And that's it. I called, and they don't answer. I texted that my husband and I could go to their house tonight, and they didn't answer. I stayed home and made my little son sad for this? WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!!!!!!!


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