Shelters or Other Rescues?

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here I go anyway.

BF and I REALLY want to adopt another cat SOON. We've been promising Genever for about a year now that she could have a friend. So I look on the SPCA's website about once a week or whenever I think of it, and we're actually probably going to go looking this weekend and see who we find and if we need to bring her/him home with us.

Today, though, I thought, why don't I just look on Petfinder and see what happens? The SPCA's animals are listed on Petfinder, so I just searched for cats in my zip code. There's tons of other organizations/people who have cats. Some are just home-based, others have weekly spots at PetSmart or some other pet store.. I just never thought about looking somewhere other than the city/county shelter before.

So I'd like to hear your opinions on which is the best deal? I'm not talking money, like where can I get a cheap cat, I don't think that way. I mean, is it more beneficial to adopt from the SPCA, to free up space for the city? Or is it better to adopt from a smaller organization so they can take more cats into their homes? Pros and cons of each please?

Thanks for any info and insight you can share.

There are pros & cons. If you go w/ a rescue where they're in a foster home you have a better idea of how they act in a home environment. But humane societies are most likely to have to euthanize than many rescues. With humane societies you have a better chance for 'disease transmission', but in most well-run humane societies that's not *too* much of a problem.

I guess I'd just look for " the right one" & regardless of where s/he comes from - know you're saving a life.

Yup - those are the pros and cons that popped to my mind. At a county shelter, you're making room and likely saving another life in addition to the kitty you adopt. We work with a local foster network, and their primary adoptions come from Petsmart and other local pet stores. But opening up another foster space also means another kitty rescued.

So in the end... I'd just wait for that kitty that pops into your heart, wherever he or she comes from!

They all need and deserve loving homes so I would go with whichever kitty chooses you

I adopted Hannah from the pound and I wouldn't trade her for the world! However, I would've loved to have had an opportunity to work with a good rescue group that did in-home fostering so that I could talk with someone who knew her personality, attitude, likes/dislikes, and how she interacted with other kitties. Around here, though, adoptions through rescue groups are more expensive so a lot of times people adopt from the pound because it's much less expensive.

I don't really have anything to add, Erica, but just wanted to wish you good luck in finding a friend for your G-cat.

Whether you go to a rescue or a humane society shelter, I'm sure you'll find the perfect match!

I agree with those who suggest letting the kitty choose you. You truly will be saving a life either way. Our local pound, which has a very high euthanasia rate for both cats and dogs, actually charges a higher adoption fee than no-kill rescues and shelters. They sometimes run a special adoption rate, but not often.

I do think one benefit of adopting from a rescue is that the good ones will really work with you to make sure it's a positive match between you and the kitty. Our pound wouldn't take the time to do that, which is unfortunate.

Well my thoughts have all already been said, but I DO want to wish you a TON of luck and I can't wait to meet your new baby!

Thanks everyone. I know that no matter where we adopt from, we're saving a life, but I wanted to know if there were any real differences. And I guess the differences aren't really that great to make me want to ONLY look at one or the other. So we'll still probably go to the SPCA this weekend, and take it from there. ANd of course I will keep you updated if we do bring one home.