Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Petfinder Post: "Less Adoptable Pets" Week

You wouldn't believe (or maybe, if you live in a Cat or Dog Sanctuary, you would) how many people introduce their pets with stories about how "The shelter was about to give up on him/her. Nobody else wanted him/her because...but we've worked through that, and s/he is the best pet ever." 

Some shelter pets know when people think they're unadoptable, and appreciate the people who appreciate what they have to give. 

Not all of the less adoptable pets' stories are success stories. Grandma Bonnie Peters spent more than a year trying to heal the wounds of a Pomeranian pup called Bitsy. Bitsy had been run over by a truck and, though able to walk, was subject to fits of running in circles, yapping, yowling, biting at her back end, and dribbling on the floor, as if the pain never did go away. "I always wanted a Pomeranian," GBP said, but Bitsy never was fit to take out in public.

But most of them are. "He was covered with fleas and had lost all the hair on the spots fleas like to bite," someone says of a fluffy, friendly cat. "He snarled and threatened other people, but it seemed as if he knew X was going to take good care of him," they say of a loyal watchdog. "They thought she wasn't going to live, but we spoon-fed water and pureed fish for a few weeks and she grew big and strong." "Other people didn't want that breed, but we're used to the breed and she's a fine pet." "He has some disabilities, but you can tell he's glad to be here." 

Often pets are seen as unadoptable, sometimes even euthanized without a chance to be adopted, when all they need is to find the right person. My Queen Cat Serena was born here, but her mother was rescued. Serena's love language is rough play and, even at her current age, she'd rather race up and down the road than curl up on my lap. Over the years I've seen that she is, in her way, a kind, generous, loving, loyal, and intelligent grandmother cat. She doesn't want to hurt people but she has a tendency to inflict surface wounds. She hates all things electronic. A shelter would probably put her down. I'm used to her and love her. In theory I prefer gentle cuddly cats, but while Serena's in this world, I'm hers and she's mine.

Today we consider the pets who have languished longest in shelters and ask readers whether you know someone who has what it takes to adopt one of them. Maybe not. We also consider shelter pets who seem easier for the average person to adopt.

When I started this post, I remembered having seen the option to search Petfinder for animals who had been in shelters for a year, maybe even two years--I wasn't sure. Neither option is still available. The first animal mentioned in each species and area has been in a shelter for more than thirty days and is old enough that an adoptive family will need to humor its quirks without attachment to the idea of retraining it. 

Zipcode 10101: Hop Along from Queens


He's beaten the odds. Hop Along is FIV-positive. Cats normally live, on average, about five years with FIV. Hop Along is eight years old and has survived a lot of injuries and neglect. Despite some permanent damage to his legs and feet, he still "hops" about cheerfully and purrs-and-cuddles with the best. He has to have a special diet; he can't share food with a normal cat. (His web page doesn't mention this but, because social cats groom and share food with each other, he should be kept away from social cats.) 

Alternate: Benedict from NYC


He's a spring kitten. Not much is known about him yet except that, though not a sibling, in foster care he's buddied up with Croissant, Cronut, and Cruffin (discussed earlier this month). There's no special reason why anyone would choose not to adopt him except that his coat fades into the shadows.

Zipcode 20202: Inky from Harpers Ferry

Clearly no relation to our Inky, this fifteen-year-old cat is described as "tiny." She and two brothers were part of a happy family for a long time, with one human who had no human family and devoted most of his time to the animals. Then he died. Inky and one of her brothers are still looking for a good home. Melanin bonds chemically with adrenalin. Animals with black coats are not always, but often, especially energetic. Inky is said still to be full of energy, though she loves to snuggle up on someone's lap and have her coat brushed, too. She is a Queen Cat and may be rough with other cats who don't recognize her as such, but she and her brother get along well. 

Alternate: Rudy from South Carolina by way of DC 


He's skinny because he's about a year old. His body proportions will normalize. Rudy is described as a typical year-old tomkitten who likes to play, preferably with another kitten, and likes to snuggle up and take naps. If you want to meet him before making a commitment, you need to visit South Carolina. If you want him delivered to DC, you have to commit to adopt him on the strength of correspondence with shelter staff and/or a Zoom chat. Apart from that they don't indicate any reason not to adopt Rudy.

Zipcode 30303: Liza from Atlanta 


They want her last days to be spent in a proper home, instead of a shelter. You can take this small, but still active, twenty-year-old cat home at no cost. Liza is another cat who got into a shelter by outliving her original human--clearly not what could reasonably have been expected. She had arthritis but seems to have been cured by monthly injections. She is a pet who likes to have her coat combed. The only difficulty anyone is likely to have adopting this cat is that, around the time she starts to seem like your pet, her time in this world is likely to run out. 

Alternate: Paul McCartney from Tennessee via Atlanta


His brother John Lennon is also up for adoption. Paul's web page doesn't say what's become of George and Ringo. Paul and John look very much alike. They're spring kittens; little is known about their purrsonalities.

Zipcode 10101: Coco or Meatball from Allentown 


Her heart and eyes are enlarged. She's believed to be blind. She's already ten years old, though small dogs, like Chihuahuas and Dachshunds, often live fifteen years or more and Meatball (or Coco, depending on which shelter worker you're walking to) is thought to be mostly Chihuahua and Dachshund. She's on daily medication, but she's described as "low-maintenance in every way except emotionally. You will fall for her." 

Alternate: Bertha from NYC


Thought to be mostly black Labrador Retriever, Bertha is a largish dog with a friendly disposition, said to be good with children, cats, and other dogs. Not quite a year old, she weighs 25 pounds. She will grow bigger and will need a good deal of exercise to keep from growing fat. Retrievers generally are not the easiest breed to train, but very easy to love.

Zipcode 20202: Clara from Elizabethtown 


She's small, but her ancestry is "pocket Pit" bull terrier. She doesn't have white spots that will catch the light and make people want to look into her cage. As if that weren't bad enough, she has sensitive skin and is on medication to keep her coat from falling out. She doesn't enjoy playing with other dogs. She doesn't like other female dogs--they are, after all, practically guaranteed to be prettier and more cheerful than she is. Shelter staff think she might "coexist" with a "low-key" male dog, maybe. She might be least unhappy as an only dog. She does love human attention, walks, rides in cars, snuggling--she sounds a bit in the habit of thinking she's special and wanting to suround herself with people who agree. 

Alternate: Finn from Maryland


Finn is described as a happy, carefree puppy who's responded fairly well to basic training so far. He's known to do well with children and other dogs. 

Zipcode 30303: Robear and Ginger from Acworth


Strictly speaking, it's Robear's web page, but Ginger's situation is similar. These buddies bonded in an animal hoarding situation. They were fed and sheltered, but not socialized, for at least four years. Their real age is unknown. Mature dogs, if not elderly, they relate to humans like rather wary puppies. They have been taught to squat on "puppy pads" rather than wait to be taken outdoors. 

Alternate: Ozzy Osbourne from Houston by way of Atlanta 


Although he's only three months old, Ozzy is believed to have had some hard times. He's a pet, though, and likes to snuggle. He could become someone's best friend. His adoption fee is on the high side if he's delivered to Atlanta, more reasonable if you can come to Houston.
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