Earlier this year I had the worst cat adoption situation. I was basically lied to about everything, and had to give the kitty back after taking him to several vets and medicating him to the point that he just hated me.

I was pretty leary about getting another cat from a rescue group, but decided I would try again. I got our new cat from the local humane society and it could not have been a better experience! I searched on Petfinder to find one that seemed like a good fit. The foster mom called me and was really enthusiastic about this cat fitting in with my current group of kitties (a.k.a. my "entourage"). He had the personality I was seeking, the right age, and was used to being around cats. In fact, the foster mom did not want him to go to a home where he would be alone.

When we met to go over the adoption and meet the cat it went really well. New cat allowed us to hold him for the entire time, not skittish at all. In going over the paperwork, I agreed to bring the cat back to them if there came a time when I couldn't keep him anymore, but she said it in a way that was not a guilt trip, just wanting the best for everyone. I was given a free well-checkup from a local vet, the kitty was micro chipped and uptodate on shots.

So we took him home and gradually introduced him to the rest of the family. He has been everything and more than we could have asked for personality wise.

I'm so glad we gave this rescue kitty a second chance.

Now I know the signs I should have seen in my previous adoption experience: First, the cat was shut up in a garage conversion with 30 cats and the entire house smelled like cat urine. He had to be chased through the house and when we did get ahold of him he did not want to be held. It took at least 3 baths to get the urine smell off of him. When we got him home he spent all of his time hiding. When we brought him to the vet, it was clear that he was much older than we were intially told.

Please go to the decorating forum at the link to see pics of him and help me choose a color for his claw covers! Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Help pick a color for Reilly