Craigslist Etiquette

I finally posted an ad on Craigslist about my cats. In the ad I say that they have been my best friends and that I am moving and (heartbreakingly) can't take them with me.

I immediately got this response in my email, from "Susan" with a comcast email address:

"they cant be youur best friends then can they if you are so willing to gve themm uphave you ever herd of petfriendly aparments or what"

That's it. That was the complete email. No salutation, no last name, no contact information besides her email address. Of course, upon reading this email this morning, I burst into tears, because I don't want to give up my cats, and if I could sign a one-year lease in a pet-friendly apartment I would do it, and because she has no fucking idea what my story is, and it's none of her business anyway, but somehow this invisible woman who knows nothing about me succeeded in making me feel like the worst pet-owner ever!

I have always had really good experiences with Craigslist. Until today, I have only had professional interactions (save for the occasional "give me your bank account number so I can send you money from overseas" scam attempt). I have found a few places to live via craigslist and found heaps of jobs (piano students, nannying gigs, etc).

What bugs me the most about this response is how completely disrespectful it is. Her response was completely unwarranted.

My first instinct was to delete the email and pretend I never saw it, but once the tears started, I couldn't get her biting, un-punctuated, mis-spelled, rude run-on sentence out of my head.

Then I really wanted to respond to her, but I quickly realized that would be a bad idea. This woman doesn't deserve my time. Also, she doesn't deserve to see my email address (I never publish my email address on Craigslist.)

My friend Meg suggested to think of this lady as the drunk person who saunters across the street in the middle of traffic--you have to slow down for her because she just up and puts herself in front of you when you are enjoying your forward momentum, but it's incredibly irritating. If she would just follow protocol and cross at a crosswalk (or only respond to an ad if she had something relevant to say), then no one would be in danger of getting hurt. But she insists on stopping traffic, on interrupting your day to make you acknowledge her and to make you reconsider your speed and courtesy for pedestrians. And she makes you feel like you are the one who is going too fast, who is unconcerned about the safety of others, and who is too wrapped up in arriving at her destination as swiftly as possible. But really, you are the one who slows down, who lets her cross because she just planted her body in the middle of your track, and when she successfully moves out of the way, you can continue.

Susan with a Comcast email address doesn't know what I have been through these past months. She doesn't know that me coming to the decision to give up my cats is for their best health and safety, not for mine. I went to the opera on Saturday night. This is really dorky, but I was thinking about my cats. In the opera (Abduction from the Seraglio), the "bad guy" turns out to be quite gracious in the end and he lets his kidnapped lover go. He sings, "If you love something, it is best to set it free."

I know, I know, how completely dorky, but when he sang that line, I began to cry because I was thinking about my fricking cats. That's how much I love them. I think about them at the opera.

Anyway, as of writing this post, I think I have found a temporary place for them, with a friend who will love them to pieces, just like I do, for now. That is excellent news! Mama Schmee and Nubia deserve a safe, loving home, far from J-walkers and traffic blockers.