I have personal experience with the folks at Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital - part of the In Town Veterinary group (the place Naturegurl noted in Woburn) and was very happy with them. Everyone from the intake to the techs to the pharmacists and doctors were all very calm, caring people who made us feel that although our baby-boy was sick he was in very capable hands. Thumbs up! 20 Cabot Road Woburn, MA 01801 T: (781) 932-5802 F: (781) 932-5837 Also, Bulger Animal Hospital in Andover, MA is part of the same In Town Veterinary family and I've heard only good reviews of them over the years. 247 Chickering Road North Andover, MA 01845 T: (978) 682-9905 F: (978) 975-0133 Another vote for Tufts, too. A few friends are vets trained there and are very competent. One did our boys' neutering years ago. Well wishes to your kitty and you.

Hello William, its not clear from your post what's happening - in your first paragraph you write that he is loving when he's by himself with no other cats around, and then in the second paragraph he's biting people - is this a sister's daughter a child? Sadly you don't know what happened in his other life - could be children mistreated him. And sadly, often the more insecure and scared an animal is (again you don't know what kind of past hes had) the more they may be aggressive to other cats - cats still have a bit of the wild in them, and in the wild they would be competing for food and resources if these are scarce. If this cat came from a shelter, some have a harder time than others - animals know when they're not wanted, if their people have given them away and some may need an extra amount of love and reassurance before they start to relax and show their true personalities. And its sad too that shelters are so over burdened with unwanted animals and that you can't get assistance from them when you need it What I want to say is that you may be the person who may be in the best position to do right by this cat. If you look for a home for him then you are in the best position to be able to tell possible adopters things they really need to know - like he needs to be the only cat , in a home without children (if its children specifically he's having a problem with - not clear from your post ). The shelter you adopted him from should have provided you this type of information but for whatever reason did not. I have been in the situation of finding homes for stray or unwanted cats many times ... Word of mouth amongst friends coworkers and acquaintances is the best for a situation like this.-Otherwise, there's a way to screen people and be sure of a good match. In this situation you don't want first come first served - you want to know that its a situation that he'll do well in. If someone gets huffy about your screening them, then too freaking bad. The person you want understands why you're doing it, and I've also found that if YOU care about the cat, that appeals to people and they're more likely to want to adopt from you - Just be honest, be his advocate, make it clear that this cat has had a difficult time of it, that you want him to be in a place where he fits in and will do well, you want to be sure his next home works out, and of course along with the explanation of why he would do better in another home dont forget to point out his good qualities ( you did say he was loving right?) (BTW is he declawed? Declawed cats do sometimes become biters because they have no other defense. You and/or the adopter would need to learn to read his signals when he's had enough - ears flattened back, tense look on face - before he resorts to biting.) I hope this helps - I know from personal experience its a very difficult situation.

Yes you reminded me Nanny. I should have been more clear on dogs with history and adoptions for the inexperienced. I was targeting the local dog pound type places. Not saying that is always bad either but many of these dogs have history and that can add another layer. The extra layer is something experienced dog people can handle a little better. We once adopted a beautiful abused long coat Retriever from the Pet Mobil. She was sweet to us, her canine brothers and sisters but would out of the blue try to kill other dogs. It was weird. She also did not like men in hats. We had her for twelve wonderful years but she had to be watched. Some if not most of dog rescue organizations that specialize in specific breeds can be great and are my favorite. I went to one such place when adopting my Rottweiler. They only did Rottweilers. We had a very detailed home inspection plus I had to bring my other pets in so they could observe the interaction. Before that I had filled out a form where I described the temperament I was seeking. We got exactly what we were looking for. What a perfect fit and loving dog. Most of breed specialty rescue organizations also have dogs who like and have been around cats if one is looking for that. These type of rescue organizations take the time to make a good fit. They really know the dog. My last adoption was from a rescue group who specializes in dogs that have been sick and or were unadoptable due to behavioral issues. Their days were numbered. My little Brussels/Yorkie mix had been kept in a crate with a sibling with no socialization, filth and not much care. He was sick and would poo and pee all over anyone who held him. However, I was filled in with all the problems and knew what I was getting into. What a loving little character this dog is now. He still has some fear issues when being walked and goes insane when a car passes us but is improving all the time. I'm now down to two.

There is a diy level you can attain when you become involved more and more in the building of your home. This level acknowledges that it's your home not a builders. It's your money that is paying for the components and labor for where your family will life for years to come. . . .It's your choice as to how much you want to be responsible for. It is a lot of work to take on a large portion of the responsibility. There are rewards of financial savings and increased quality to be gained. And there are risks. I've experienced gains that outnumber the potential drawbacks. My position is to learn as much as you can. Your future choices will then be positively influenced. The more you know the more respectful you can be of talented craft people. And yes, you will be able to more quickly reject the people out there who do not have the skills they are trying to charge you for. They are always going to show up. For us it was a rough crew boss, drywallers and roofers.