Hi Diana~
I've had several cats over my lifetime, and they came from several different places. My first cat was one that had been owned by an elderly lady, and when the cat got hit, she couldnt foot the bill so she surrendered her to the vet, and we got to take her home. My next 2 cats were from a woman at a fair with a cage of free kittens. After i left my parents house (they made me leave the cats) my first pet was a dog that lived up the street. The male owner had died, and the widow couldnt take care of the dog on her own, so we took her. Well, she was a pure bred black lab, and not fixed, so when i went to the feline rescue center to adopt a cat (or 2) they denied me!!! i was sooo dissapointed and kinda angry. Here i was offering my home to cats in need, and they turned me away. I was so upset, that my husband went to a breeder and bought me a cat. That cat has turned out to be an incredible companion and i love him dearly, but i would have been perfectly happy with an older cat from a shelter. I really think they should loosen their guidelines a bit, because they are turning away loving people who could give these cats wonderful homes to call thier own. I also want to note, that where i live (Mass) if you ever surrender a pet to the MSPCA or feline rescue, i believe that goes onto your record and you may not adopt in the future. If anyone knows this to be wrong, please correct me, but i knew a woman i worked with who had no choice but to surrender a dog when she lost her home to a fire, and then 3 yrs later once she was situated, she attempted to adopt, only to be denied. I'm sure some people do drop off pets without thinking twice, but most of these animals are taken there by heartbroken people who love these pets.