Felix - my scaredy-cat!

In addition to my dogs, I have 2 cats - Oscar and Felix.  Both were rescued from the Toronto Humane Society and they were my first pets.  Oscar came first after I went to get a dog and my friend who was working at the THS at the time told me there was no way they'd give me a dog because my lifestyle wouldn't allow me to properly care for it.  Instead she gave me this tiny cute little grey kitten to foster until he was old enough to be adopted.  He was five weeks old at the time and I refused to name him because I knew once I did I would get attached.  But... within a couple of hours my friend, Jane, said "He looks like an Oscar" and it was over.  He was named, worked his way into my heart, and never went back to the THS.  And I have always called him my dog in cat clothing - he is the most amazing, confident cat who used to wait for me at my door when I got home from work.  He was a great first pet!

Felix was another story.  I couldn't stand him when I got him.  It was a year after having Oscar and the THS called me asking if I could foster a cat for them.  Since I firmly believe in fostering and helping rescued animals, I agreed.  They gave me Felix - about 5 weeks old at the time.  He was a tiny little tabby cat who cried all the time and generally annoyed me.  I couldn't wait to take him back to the THS!  But then he got sick and I had to nurse him back to health before they could take him back and put him up for adoption.  That was the beginning of our true relationship - while nursing him back to health he became less annoying and more loving and affectionate and I fell in love with him.  He never ended up going back to the THS and I now had a little buddy for Oscar.

Oscar and Felix have very different personalities.  They never really bonded too much - they would sleep together and occasionally run around my apartment together, but I wouldn't have said that they there best friends.  Oscar is definitely a more out-going cat and Felix has always been skittish.  They were 5 and 6 years old when I finally got my first dog - Abby.  Abby was 5 months old when I got her but because she went to dog daycare with me every day, she was always very calm at home - no crazy puppy energy for the cats to deal with.  Even so, Felix was tramatized.  He lived in my bathroom for the first 6 months that Abby was with us.  Ever since then, he literally became my bathroom cat - he found some comfort being in there and I think it was his safe haven because Abby never ever went in there.  And so when I went in there he always had me all to himself.  Poor Felix.  His life completely changed with the introduction of Abby into it but he did eventually get comfortable around her and began to wander around the apartment again once he realized she wouldn't bother him.

Then came Jackson.  Jackson was a different puppy than Abby.  He was full of energy and liked to chase the cats around.  Oscar quickly put a stop to that by standing his ground and giving him a couple of swats, but Felix never got used to it.  When he would see Jackson he would always run away, causing Jackson to give chase.  Jackson never got used to Felix because Felix never stood his ground and gave Jackson the opportunity to smell him and be used to his presence.  Poor Felix began to spend more time in the bathroom and in my basement in Toronto - quite a solitary life for him.  I always felt bad for him and tried to get him used to Jackson but it was a difficult challenge.

When I moved to Ottawa the cats got their own bedroom - a place to get away from the dogs where I could feed them and keep their litter.  Felix rarely ventured downstairs, especially during they day when the dogs were around.  Whenever he would try, Jackson would chase him back upstairs.  And when I brought Trey into the home, it was all too much for Felix.  I began to really see that his quality of life was limited.  He didn't have an abusive life, or a bad one, but it was definitely solitary.  Even Oscar didn't spend much time with him.  Felix would spend his days alone upstairs, sleeping in the bathroom or one of the bedrooms, and at night he would wander around the house.  He did usually sleep with me so that was our time, but it wasn't enough.  I began to question his existence in my life and my dog filled home and began to think about an alternative home for him.

Now, I am very judgmental about people giving up their pets.  I fully admit it.  I feel like when you get a pet you have committed to providing that pet with a good home for life, and doing everything possible to make sure they are loved and cared for.  So the thought of re-homing Felix was a difficult one for me and I had to re-examine all of my judgements about it.  I began to understand why people do it - some don't do it for the right reasons but some do it because they don't feel they can give the animal the proper care he deserves.  It is quite an un-selfish decision for some people to give their pet that they love to someone else to care for because it is better for the animal.  It took me awhile but I finally came to the decision that Felix may be happier living somewhere with no dogs.  He has spent quite a bit of time at my parent's place, and had become quite comfortable there.  He was always more relaxed there and when he had to come back home, he hissed a lot and seemed quite stressed to be in my house again.  And watching him when the dogs came around really made me realize how stressed he was - I could see it in his behaviours and his poor little face.  So I finally got up the courage to ask my mom if they could keep him for me and see how he did on his own at their place.  I didn't know how it would be splitting up him and Oscar, but didn't think either would really care since they had never really become that attached.  My mom and dad agreed to try it and see how he did.  If they couldn't take him, I wasn't giving him to anyone that I didn't know so they were my only option.

It has been 4 weeks since he has been living at their house alone and he is very content.  He is doing exactly what I had hoped for - he is spending time with them watching TV, wandering around the house, finding new places to sleep, eating well and seems very relaxed.  My dad has been great about keeping me updated and sending me pictures of him lounging around.  And neither he nor Oscar seem to care that the other one is missing.  They are going to keep him for me and give him the quiet home he needs.  I'm now quite happy I made the decision.  I was over there last night for the first time since he's been there and I was so happy to see him.  And I think he was happy to see me.  I really really miss him and his head butts but I know this is the right decision for him.  It took me awhile to make the decision and it wasn't easy, but I know he is happy there and is being well looked after.  And secretly I think my parents enjoy having him around.

I have since changed my judgments on people re-homing their pets.  I'm much more understanding about it now and am much more supportive.  If someone doesn't want their pet, then the best decision is to find someone who does.  And I will try to keep this in mind every time I'm told that someone has to give up their pet - promise.  :)