About 4 months ago I asked my landlord about the complex pet policy too which she replied "Yes you can have pets! As a matter of fact there are two strays living near the lease office if you would like to pick one up?" I said I would take one. Enter Fen. He was an 8 week old stray.
The first month was easy as he was getting used to everything and I getting used to him. The 3 months that followed have been some of the most stressful in my life. I have never been more angry in my life than I have been at Fen due to his misbehavior. His energy levels are off the charts despite what feels like constant play. When I am not in the same room with Fen he is asleep. The second i appear he cranks it too 150%. I play with him 1-2 hours a day and give him plenty of vertical space, cardboard to tear up, cat trees, toys, window access you name it but it doesn't seem to be enough. I work from home which has become a difficult and stressful process since Fen is constantly attention seeking or getting into places/things that he shouldn't be messing with.
He chews wires, and this is really the worst thing. I am into computers, building them and using them. My current PC is my hobby, i have put a lot of money and time into it but I find myself having to "hide" it from Fen. It is in my room where he does not have access but this is not where I want it. He has taken over my small apartment. I want to bring my PC into my living room and enjoy MY space but if I do he will inevitably chew the wires. This is no longer negotiable for me, i will not risk damaging my PC by giving him access to my desk and monitors; I need to be able to close them behind a door. This has me stuck in my small bedroom while this small 6 lb cat rules the living room as his hunting grounds.
As far as his impact on my work I will say that I work in mental health. Without going into too much detail i am essentially a counselor / therapist and I need to be able to set a behavioral example for my clients. The appointments i have require all of my mental bandwidth which Fen does not allow. He will step over my laptop, pounce at me, or get himself into something he shouldn't which requires redirection and detraction from my sessions.
I am at my wit's end. I want my apartment back and I want to be able to arrange things the way I want them. I want to be able to work without constantly monitoring the cat or redirecting the same misbehavior 10 times in a row. I want to be able to kick my feet up when I am finished for the day and not play with cat toys for 1 hour before feeling "safe".
My solution is to take him to a shelter so he can be rehomed (a no-kill shelter). He is a cute cat and will certainly find a home. I know his rescue won't have a fairy tale ending but the way i see it I have learned a lot from him about what I am comfortable with and he was essentially saved from the streets and given proper care. I strongly believe there is a forever home out there that can accommodate his needs much more than I can with an owner who can love him.
I am posting this half venting but more for validation that I am doing the right thing for him and me. I don't want responses that amount to "well you should just do this one thing and it will change the whole dynamic"; I am not that naive. I want people who realize that re-homing a pet isn't always done out of rash decision making or from lack of effort. Sometimes it really is a last resort and I feel I am ready to play that card.
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/l1tdk5/surrendering_my_cat/
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