TheCatSite.com › Forums › General Forums › The Cat Lounge › process of adopting from a shelter/rescue
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

process of adopting from a shelter/rescue

post #1 of 43
10/16/07 at 12:09pm
Thread Starter 
I've never adopted from a shelter/rescue operation before, but I am/was planning to once it comes time to get new cats (after my current old man is gone). But I've been looking at the Humane Society and several other rescue/shelter organizations in my area, and good golly it is intimidating.

They've got all these applications to fill out, they want to see the condo bylaws, they want the contact info for my vet, they want to interview me, one asked for references, and god knows what else. And they have so many rules. Two of three are crossed off right away because they require the cats they adopt out to be kept indoor only, and I don't want to be restricted like that.

What if I go through all their hoops and get rejected? That would be extremely embarrassing! And the thought of my life being investigated. Shiver. I'm generally a very private person.

I'm not sure if it might not just be easier to find a cat another way....
Reply
post #2 of 43
10/16/07 at 12:12pm
Some places you have to go through more than others, but remember, they want to find the best home for their kitties.
Reply
post #3 of 43
10/16/07 at 12:36pm
Shelters are a pain to adopt from. I've been reject several times from shelters. Don't take offense though, they are picky because they really are trying to find decent homes. One time I thought it was nuts I didn't get the cat was when I wanted to adopt a one year old cat and they told me no, this cat would rather live by itself since it's not a kitten. I told them that cat was still a kitten and they were nuts, but whatever. Another time I was rejected was when I was trying to adopt a dog pitbull/terrier and since I didn't have a fenced in yard I couldn't get her. I was so sad and that dog is still there after almost a year
Reply
post #4 of 43
10/16/07 at 12:41pm
One good place to save a cat from is your local pound or animal control. There cats have a very limited time they can stay in the facillity and are put to sleep if someone doesn't come and save them in a certain time period. We got Leya from there and you can go and take home a cat that same day. We had to wait a while to bring Leya home because she had just been picked up the day before. They want the cat to stay there for 7 days. Also you have to get them fixed just like you would buying them from a shelter.
Reply
post #5 of 43
10/16/07 at 12:43pm
Just wanted to wish you luck on adopting a cat!
Hope you find a place you can adopt from
A cat is waiting for you somewhere out there! Just be patient...
Reply
post #6 of 43
10/16/07 at 12:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnzoLeya View Post
One good place to save a cat from is your local pound or animal control. There cats have a very limited time they can stay in the facillity and are put to sleep if someone doesn't come and save them in a certain time period. We got Leya from there and you can go and take home a cat that same day. We had to wait a while to bring Leya home because she had just been picked up the day before. They want the cat to stay there for 7 days. Also you have to get them fixed just like you would buying them from a shelter.
I think my town's animal control is more like the local shelters. I saw a program they did about the animal control department on the town's cable TV channel, and for dogs at least they mentioned home visits and requirement to return the dog if anything happens and they don't want it any more. I'm guessing it would be the same for the cats. (And on that program they mentioned that they don't euthanize animals the way people think they do.)
Reply
post #7 of 43
10/16/07 at 1:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerlily0 View Post
Two of three are crossed off right away because they require the cats they adopt out to be kept indoor only, and I don't want to be restricted like that.

I'm not sure if it might not just be easier to find a cat another way....
What do you find so bad about indoor kitties? I am curious. They have a lot less chance of having accidents (contracting things from others, getting ticks, fleas, heartworm, getting in fights with other cats, getting injured by dogs, non cat people, and cars, etc.) and generally live longer lives. Lots of people build indoor cat enclosures for their kitties to go outside in a safe manner.

Good for you for adopting! The adoption people are just trying to do the best job they can, don't take it personal, they want the cats to find the best forever homes and many of the cats there have been burned time and time again (probably the workers too). So don't get too down, okay They are trying their best and try to always err on the side of caution for the cat. It is a hard job. The right cat will come your way, wishing you luck on that special kitty (or two !
Reply
post #8 of 43
10/16/07 at 1:12pm
Thread Starter 
I don't want to get into a "religious" argument here over the indoor/outdoor issue.

I'll just say I've had indoor/outdoor cats all my life and I just don't think it is fair to the cat(s) to never be able to go outside and run around and lay in the sun and chew on grass, etc. And I have other selfish reasons as well which I won't go into.
Reply
post #9 of 43
10/16/07 at 1:13pm
I was pretty freaked out too about all the paperwork and such when I got Hennessy. But I found the most trying part to be playing phone-tag with the volunteer who was supposed to handle my application.

Why don't you want an indoor kitty? Edit: Sorry, think we posted at the same time.
Reply
post #10 of 43
10/16/07 at 2:09pm
Many shelters have cats that are more suited to outdoor life so they may limit your choice, but will allow you to adopt. For most shelters it is simply a way of making sure they don't have to pick up that animal again on the streets as a 'lost' or 'stray' according to your neighbours.
Reply
post #11 of 43
10/16/07 at 2:20pm
All of the posters so far have excellent suggestions, and though I'm a firm believer in indoors-only for cats (for safety reasons, as well as health reasons, and for my own peace of mind!), with millions of wonderful cats and kittens losing their lives domestically for want of good homes, I hope and pray the right situation occurs for you to adopt, and soon. btw, all of my cats are rescues, from right off the streets of my two former neighborhoods. Hopefully your location takes better of its cats than this, and you'll have to adopt your cat from some kind of sheltering facility, or you can also look in the local papers, Penny Saver type publications, and online on Craigslist for your area -- those will be private parties and you may not have as many regulations to adhere to. Please keep us posted, won't you? And best of luck in adopting a new family member. You are doing a wonderful thing.
Reply
post #12 of 43
10/16/07 at 3:04pm
Thread Starter 
I live in a condo complex and I don't see any stray cats sitting by the street waiting to be adopted although the local cable TV program about our town's animal control did say that feral cats are a big problem in the town (I guess they just aren't hanging around the complex).

I did check Craig's list and there isn't hardly anything there for my area (there are a few).

I'm not ready to adopt just yet. I don't want to do anything while Rascal is still around, as any new addition would stress him out too much in his old age, and he and I have a routine going, which I don't want to mess with.

Hopefully it won't be for a while yet. I'm just getting prepared for the inevitable...
Reply
post #13 of 43
10/16/07 at 7:40pm
I don't think the process is really that bad. I adopted Loki and Possum in the last year from 2 different places, and everything was easy and went smoothly. It might seem excessive, but they are trying to make sure the kitties go into good, safe homes.

I don't think the Humane Society asked about vets, because I wouldn't have been able to give them that information (my dog had moved to Florida with my dad a few years before). But since I didn't own my own home, they called my mom (who I was living with at that time) and asked her if it was all right for me to adopt a kitty! That was kind of funny. But Loki came home with me!

When I got Possum the rescue did ask about a vet, in addition to whtether or not it was okay that I had a cat where I lived. I had an apartment by then, so they called the management to make sure they were pet friendly. I assume they called because I got my boy!

I do remember both had a questionaire, and had me sign a contract saying that if I couldn't keep them, I was to give them back to the respective agencies; no declawing; report moves, etc.

It's not like they are looking into your financial records or will be following you around. You'll get through it.

Tricia
Reply
post #14 of 43
10/16/07 at 8:00pm
That's nice that your animal control is a no kill place. Both my home town and the town I got Leya from killed their animals after so long. In fact when I went in there was a cat that had a big board across the cage door saying "do not touch, not for adoption." I asked the volunteer there what was with that cat and she said "he attacked a kid at the last home he was in and now he is going to be put down." I felt terrible for that black kitty because it wasn't his fault he was terrified of humans. I wanted to take both cats in there, but luckily the other cat was a little kitten and would find a home very easy.
Reply
post #15 of 43
10/16/07 at 11:36pm
Thread Starter 
I'm not sure that it is 100% no-kill, but it sounded like they work hard to place the animals. And for feral cats, they were talking about how they use the trap-neuter-vaccinate-release method.
Reply
post #16 of 43
10/17/07 at 5:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerlily0 View Post
I'm not sure that it is 100% no-kill, but it sounded like they work hard to place the animals. And for feral cats, they were talking about how they use the trap-neuter-vaccinate-release method.
Wow, I wish our Animal Control would TNR ferals. They just kill them here.
Reply
post #17 of 43
10/17/07 at 11:09am
We have certain rules and requirements because we know the situation each cat would do best in and we dont want them returned. We would rather keep them forever then have them returned over and over just because we adopted them out to whoever. It's very stressful on an animal to be moved around all the time. Since most of the cats that are in our rescue weve had since kittenhood and have never been outdoors they would not do well with someone who let their cats outdoors since most of them are terrified outside!

My advice is go to Animal Control and get a cat that was used to being outside. Check the paws and outdoor cat will have cracked and worn looking paws while an indoor only cat will have soft paws.
Reply
post #18 of 43
10/17/07 at 11:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fostermomm View Post
We have certain rules and requirements because we know the situation each cat would do best in and we dont want them returned. We would rather keep them forever then have them returned over and over just because we adopted them out to whoever. It's very stressful on an animal to be moved around all the time.
This is exactly what I was going to say. If you've never worked at a shelter I'm sure it is over whelming, but the thing to remember is that the people there are really just trying to do what is best for the animals. I know I have talked to people before and thought they were great, only to have the adoption denied because when we called the vet we found out they had a big dog, or other cats they didn't tell us about. As someone else said, I'm sure the right kitty is out there for you. Who knows when it's the right time a stray may just find you. Good luck with your kitty hunt.
Reply
post #19 of 43
2/20/08 at 6:00pm
Thread Starter 
I'm looking to adopt a couple of cats to replace my recently departed Rascal. So I've researched online to find shelters / rescue groups / humane societies / SPCAs / etc in my area. I intend to have indoor/outdoor cats. (I don't want to get into a religious debate about that. I've had indoor/outdoor cats all my life, and I don't think it is right to keep a cat imprisoned inside a house for their entire lives and never set foot on grass or see the sun or feel the wind in their fur. So if you're going to yell at me about that, please don't reply.)

Anyway, it was hard to find a local shelter that would adopt to me. I had to rule out a bunch of them because they are indoors-only. I was happy when it looked like the one closest to where I live would adopt indoor/outdoor cats. On their adoption form, it had three choices: indoor only, outdoor only, indoor/outdoor. I even emailed them and asked about any contract they had, and the email I got back said they preferred to adopt indoor-only, but they would adopt indoor/outdoor as well. I responded by saying that I was glad about that, because I intended to adopt indoor/outdoor. I didn't get a reply to that email.

So I fill out the adoption form, and look at their list of cats very carefully and choose a list of candidates. And I'm all excited, and I go there, and guess what.

NYAH, NYAH, NA-NAH-NAH ! HEY, GUESS WHAT WE LIED!!! WE FOOLED YOU! WE TRICKED YOU INTO ADMITTING THAT YOU WERE GOING TO LET YOUR CAT OUTSIDE! AND NOW WE ADMIT THAT WE'RE AN INDOOR-ONLY SHELTER! WE WON'T LET YOU ADOPT ANY OF OUR CATS! GET OUT!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

May Cthulhu tear them to shreds and drop them into the deepest pit filled with vipers!

Reply
post #20 of 43
2/20/08 at 6:08pm
Did they directly say no to you because of the indoor/outdoor? We've told people "no" at the moment because we haven't had any kitties who had the survival skills to be indoor/outdoor.
Reply
post #21 of 43
2/20/08 at 6:11pm
Thread Starter 
Yes, the lady explicitly said "we're an indoor-only shelter".
Reply
post #22 of 43
2/20/08 at 6:27pm
I think you're going to have a very hard time finding a shelter that will let you adopt a cat that you plan to let outside.

You have to understand that people who spend the majority of their time around these animals have literally seen it all. And generally what we see when we adopt out cats to outdoor homes is cats that scarcely live 3 years after they leave our shelter. We've seen too many outside gets get flattened (literally) by cars, poisoned, stolen, shot, or contract any number of horrible diseases.

The other thing about shelter workers is that we tend to get attached to every individual in our care. So, the thought of one of our own getting flattened, poisoned, stolen, shot, or die of some horrible disease pretty much depresses us.

And these things have been stastically proven time and time again about outside kitties in the U.S. It's nice that you had good luck growing up, but you never know when stastics will come 'acallin. We see it on this site ALL the time with the outside kitties.

Have you considered that maybe a cat isn't the best choice for you? A dog would be a better choice for someone who feels strongly about having an outdoor animal.
Reply
post #23 of 43
2/20/08 at 6:44pm
Thread Starter 
I'm not a dog person. I'm a cat person all the way.
Reply
post #24 of 43
2/20/08 at 6:46pm
Come here, we'd gladly adopt to you! We're lucky to have enough homes in general, we cannot turn down homes because they're indoor/outdoor. We place kitties in outdoor homes even.....many are semi-ferals/ferals though.
Reply
post #25 of 43
2/20/08 at 7:08pm
Thread Starter 
I'd love to adopt from you. Unfortunately, Minnesota is a bit of a trek from Massachusetts.
Reply
post #26 of 43
2/21/08 at 4:57am
With kitten season coming up can you ask your vet to let you know if any litters are available? The you and the owners would have a common point and they would know that you are an OK person?
Reply
post #27 of 43
2/21/08 at 8:08am
Thread Starter 
That did occur to me, and I may do that, but I'm impatient I'm going through withdrawal already with having no cat for three weeks now. If I wait for the vet to let me know when they know of a cat/kitten that's up for adoption, it could be months. I'm going to try some other shelters, Craig's list, etc. first. Thanks for the idea, though.

EDIT: I just talked to my vet's office and they said they'd let me know if they hear of anything. In the meantime, I'll pursue other avenues.
Reply
post #28 of 43
2/21/08 at 10:15am
I don't think it is fair to do that to someone. We are an indoor-only shelter, but we are up front about that. We tell people right off the bat that it is our contract that the cat must be and indoor-only cat. That way people don't get their hearts set on a cat just to have it broken.
Reply
post #29 of 43
2/21/08 at 10:28am
The shelters see so many "turnarounds" that is why they are wanting to know your plans, life, etc.

While I am pro indoor cats only, we have had outside barn cats. Its too risky in the long run to let them outside unsupervised. If you want to train your cats to a harness/leash or build a cat enclosure for them to sit outside protected - I have no problem with that.

Many times people get a pet against rental rules, so the shelters have to verify you can have pets.

We got our dog indirectly thru a rescue group (she was adopted from rescue but we readopted her from the person due to cruelty). However at the time we lived on a farm and no fenced in yard. We would have never been able to get a dog from rescue if they required a fenced in yard. So we would have had to find another place to get a dog.

You can always adopt a cat/kitten from craigslist or local ads if you don't want to deal with the shelter.
Reply
post #30 of 43
2/21/08 at 10:33am
Watch free ads in the paper, craiglist, etc. If you're willing to pull "free" kitty from the paper & get them fixed, that saves the word from a lot more unwanted kitties!
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: The Cat Lounge
TheCatSite.com › Forums › General Forums › The Cat Lounge › process of adopting from a shelter/rescue