Marilyn Weinstein adopted a cat from a local animal shelter. Since she was unable to meet wtih us in person, we did an interview through email. We sent her our prepared questions, and she emailed back her answers. She also sent in photos of her cat which we enjoyed. Here are the results of our interview:
Where did you adopt your cat?
I adopted Dewey from the Voorhees Animal Orphanage.
Did you have to sign papers or go to court?
I had to sign papers and get a referral from my vet.
How did you find your cat? Did you look in many different places?
I searched Petfinder.com on the internet and looked at several local shelters online.
Was it hard to pick out your cat? How did you know that Dewey was the right one?
When I went to the shelter to adopt a cat, I took my friend and her three teen-aged sons along. My previous cat was not a very friendly animal. He bit everyone - including me. His bad behavior prevented friends from visiting. me. I did not want to have a similar experience with a pet, so I made sure that the boys played with every cat that I considered until we found the friendliest one.
Did you have any other pets before? If so, how old were they, what did they look like, what name(s) and color?
I had a cat for 16 years before Dewey. My cat, K.C., weighed 22 pounds in his prime - he was bigger than some dogs.
Are you happy with your cat? Did you have any problems?
Dewey is the sweetest pet that has ever shared my home. She has a wonderful disposition and gets along with people and animals. Dewey does have a medical problem. She has a kidney condition that requires her to follow a special diet. If she goes off of her diet, she is prone to frequent urination and may sometimes miss the litter box in her urgency to get relief.
Would you go back to the same place to get another pet?
I would definitely return to the Voorhees Animal Orphanage to adopt another pet. Their screening process proved that they were concerned about the future home of the animal.
How much did it cost to adopt Dewey?
There was a fee to adopt Dewey, but I don't remember how much.
How did you pick the name Dewey?
I am a librarian. Since the name of the person who created the system by which we organize books was Melville Dewey, I decided to honor the man who created work and pleasure for me by naming mycat either Melville or Dewey . . . and Dewey won out.
Where does your cat live?
My cat lives in an apartment with me in Cherry Hill and in a very small condo at the seashore where she loves to look out of the window at the ocean and the huge litter box in front of her.
What does she like to do for fun?
Dewey likes to hang out with me and place herself in the middle of whatever I'm doing for fun.
Does Dewey have any behavior problems?
The only time that Dewey has behavior problems is when she is at the vet. She can always sense where we are going and does not even want to get into her carrier. She behaves badly and hisses at everyone for a few days after the vet visit. She probably thinks that everyone that she meets is ready to scoop her up and catnap her for the dreaded visit.
Does Dewey go outside?
Dewey does go outside with me when we are on the balcony at the condo at the shore. I make sure that she is on her leash or that I am holding her. I never let Dewey go outside without me.
Do you take the cat for a walk?
I am trying to train Dewey to go for a walk on a leash like a dog. I started to do this a while ago, but my work schedule didn't permit me to have enough free time to stick with it. I'll have more free time in the very near future and I plan to resume training Dewey to walk on the leash. When I'm at the shore, there are signs all over the place that say, "No dogs allowed", but there are no signs outlawing cats. If Dewey were able to walk on a leash, I would take her for a walk on the boardwalk.
Does Dewey get along with other animals?
Dewey gets along with all people and animals. Sometimes she gets jealous when Miss Sue and her dog, Charlie, come to visit. Charlie likes to play with Dewey's toys and eat Dewey's food. Sometimes, Dewey will hiss at Charlie and try to bat him with her paw. When Dewey acts like that, I put her in the bathroom until Charlie and Miss Sue go home.
Do you have any suggestions/advice for someone who is adopting an animal?
Someone who is adopting an animal needs to realize that he or she will be spending many years with that pet. A person needs to have the time to devote to the animal's care. Animals, like people, need medical attention. A person who wants to share his or her home with an animal companion should be prepared to take the best care of his or her new friend.
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