I'm stating right now for the record that I absolutely hate the word guarantee - especially when a potential adopter uses it multiple times in a sentence like others of us will say "uh huh" during the course of a conversation.
Initially I tried to explain (in detail I might add), that Farley and ***** may very well get along swimmingly given ample amount of time to become used to another and determine who will be the dominant kitty, but that just didn't appease this person. When I explained that in our numerous years of fostering we have yet to have a serious war break out among our two boys and the resident foster (whoever that be at the time), and that eventually they always "work things out" - that didn't seem to do any good. When I tried to say that Farley and their cat might not end up loving each other but that I was confidant over time they could cohabitate peacefully together, that also didn't seem to register. No, this person wanted an absolute guarantee from me personally as Farley's foster Mom, as a representative of the rescue, as (in their words) an experienced rescue person who is "doing this for a living".
Okay so as gently as I could and with patience wearing thin, I did explain that my husband and I were not doing anything rescue related for a living, but that everyone within our rescue (and all others) are volunteers, meaning we're all working for free to help these cats. This too I'm afraid fell on deaf ears - as if there was a very loud radio on in the room this person was sitting in, and no amount of trying to talk over it on my part was going to permeate.
In the end I stated point blank that the only thing I could GUARANTEE was that today would end, tomorrow was coming, and that at some point we were all going to die.
On that note I can also guarantee that this person and their family were not the right fit for Farley...........
It sounds to me that you were right - they were not the right fit for Farley. Edward
ReplyDeletewow, you sure run across some weirdos, don't you ... like you say, the only thing you can guarantee is death, taxes, and what comes around goes around. Bless you for being so attentive to Farley and looking out for him.
ReplyDelete"doing this for a living". HA!
ReplyDeleteI love it when people think that Cat Rescue is my job, and how lucky I am to be able to make a living doing this sort of thing.
Even some other new volunteers have come to think this. I remember one particular busy week at work, I was so tired, and yet still put in most of my non-work hours at home doing my "rescue job". I found a foster (who joyously had a car) for a couple of the cats who happened to be at my house. But then she said she would need me to bring the cats to her because "she has to work all day". I was too tired to explain at that point, so just drove across the city with the cats.
I think she fostered for a couple of months and then it was just too much for her.