Batting .999 Is Disappointing

Yesterday I found out for the first time that one of my adoptions at PetCo turned out badly. Dewey, an adult male cat I adopted out, was returned to the shelter because the owner thought he cried too much and wanted too much attention. I didn't see the surrender questionnaire, but another volunteer at the shelter said it sounded like the guy just didn't realize that an animal needs attention.

Every adoption counselor there has stories of adoptions they did that didn't end well, and everyone knows that you can't catch everything, you can't foresee every problem. But still, I can't help but find myself straining to remember all the details about the adoption...were there warning signs I ignored? Did I not talk to the guy enough, get a good enough feel for his personality and what he thought having a pet entailed?

I know it's certainly not a worst-case scenario. Dewey is fine...it sounds like he was lonely for a little while at the guy's house, but he wasn't hurt, wasn't abused. But, you go through these adoptions and want so badly for each one to work out. You want each home you send them to to be a good one. In your mind, you know that it's just not possible to bat a thousand, but it's a pretty big bummer the first time you have irrefutable evidence that you're not.