Bob has a home offer!

[bunn]

The home is in Hampshire, but the potential adopter has friends in Cornwall so is happy to come and visit.   I'm waiting to hear how the home visit goes to check that the adopter is right for Bob - she sounds lovely, but she is 74, so we need to be sure that she's fit and active enough to walk him and look after him properly.   Mind you I suppose that applies to adopters of all ages!

Bob was neutered yesterday : he was very small and sad and shaking when I came to pick him up.  It turned out that he is really scared of those plastic cones they put on their heads, so I have taken it off, and instead he is rather comically wearing  a pair of shorts to prevent him having a go at his stitches.

In other news I have the most awful cold and so does pp.  Both of us have terrible sore throats so it's very quiet here!

Comments

[thecatsamuel.livejournal.com]

Hope you feel better soon.

Good news about Bob's possible home. My parents are both in their 70s and the RSPCA asked about that when they adopted Jaspar, but were happy that there were other family members nearby who would help if necessary. And he is settling in happily, apart from the odd trip up the chimney...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I think cats are easier for older adopters: no walking needed, and so much smaller (well, smaller than Bob anyway!). Though of course they do live longer than dogs.

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear you'r so poorly.

Great news about Bob possibly finding a home even if he didn't have the best of days yesterday! My mum bought her last puppy when she was 72 although she did know she had family as back up. But Bob's quite an age himself, isn't he.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Bob is 9 : if he takes after his collie half, he could well have another 6 or 7 years ahead.

I must confess I get very tired of people who adopt puppies in their 70's : so very many of them have no contingency plans... I reckon we get at least one call a day from people who are in their 80s, or their friends and relatives, or even worse, their vets, about dogs that are 10-12 years old, perfectly healthy, but the owner can no longer walk them, or they are going into sheltered accommodation...

The worst I think are the ones when the owner has developed alzheimers and has started abusing the dog (ear medication put into eyes, or fed, and fed, and fed as they can't remember they already did it - mostly that sort of thing, although we have had calls about dogs actually being attacked too) though a close second for me are the ones where you get a call from a daughter in law (DIL's are often evil, though not always) who couldn't care less where the dog goes and basically wants you to say 'dog is old, put him to sleep' so that they can do that and walk away with a clear conscience...

I had one the other day who told me in all seriousness that she could not keep her father's old dog (he was only 10!) even short term and as emergency backup, because she had a young dog *and was going away a lot at weekends to agility competitions*. Priorities!

So we'll be very careful about Bob. Wherever he goes next, we want to be as confident as we can that he will not have to come back in a few years time when the whole thing would be much harder on him.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

... the other side of the evil DILs is the call from the newly bereaved daughter or son, who would dearly love to keep Mum's dog and is totally desolate about the idea of having to take the last living link to Mum to the vet for the last time - but has never really thought about the practicalities, and now realises that a dog that has spent the last 10 years being trotted down to the park and sharing her digestives all day is not going to cope in a flat which daughter is away from at work for 10 hours solid, even if said flat didn't have a no-pets clause in the lease. It's amazing the number of dogs we have to pick up that are home alone in their deceased owner's house. :-(

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Mum would certainly not have got a pup unless she knew we would continue to care for him. In fact he died last year and she's now adopting Tess in the daytime which is fabulous.

I really don't envy you your job. I have the same qualms even selling heifers. Not matter how careful I am [and I've refused to sell before now], with some living to over 20, I do wonder how many remain in the same home for life.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I hope you both feel better soon, and I am pleased to hear about Bob.