http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...a_dog_or_cat_prepare_for_an_inquisition_.html
This article pretty much sums up my experience with the majority of local rescue groups. From massive contracts, to clauses that stipulate they can take the pet back at any time for any reason, to requirements to attend weekly seminars on cat care, to invasive personal questions...in their attempt to weed the bad owners out, rescues are driving away a lot of good would-be adopters.
Ultimately, this is why I adopted a kitten from a couple on Craigslist whose female cat had recently given birth to a litter. I went to dozens of adoption events and rescues, and even found two or three cats I was willing to adopt. I came really close to adopting one particular cat, a sweet girl a little more than a year old, but balked when the contract said the rescue would still own her, could take her back if my living arrangement changed, could drop in unannounced for home visits, and could charge me a $500 (!) fine if they decided to take her back.
(The rescue was also really weird about letting me spend time with the cat to make sure we were a good fit for each other...they would only let me look at her in the cat carrier and would not let me see her in an enclosed space. Seems a strange thing to do if you really want your cats to go to good homes and you want to ensure the adopters don't take them back because they adopted the wrong cat.)
Like the article says, these rescue groups might see some of the worst pet owners when it comes to taking in animals who have been abused, or idiots taking their cat back to the shelter because they didn't know how to take care of it properly. Perfectly understandable that the groups would be cautious. But at a certain point I think they need to realize they are preventing many cats from going to good homes by being overly ridiculous with contracts and requirements.
This article pretty much sums up my experience with the majority of local rescue groups. From massive contracts, to clauses that stipulate they can take the pet back at any time for any reason, to requirements to attend weekly seminars on cat care, to invasive personal questions...in their attempt to weed the bad owners out, rescues are driving away a lot of good would-be adopters.
Ultimately, this is why I adopted a kitten from a couple on Craigslist whose female cat had recently given birth to a litter. I went to dozens of adoption events and rescues, and even found two or three cats I was willing to adopt. I came really close to adopting one particular cat, a sweet girl a little more than a year old, but balked when the contract said the rescue would still own her, could take her back if my living arrangement changed, could drop in unannounced for home visits, and could charge me a $500 (!) fine if they decided to take her back.
(The rescue was also really weird about letting me spend time with the cat to make sure we were a good fit for each other...they would only let me look at her in the cat carrier and would not let me see her in an enclosed space. Seems a strange thing to do if you really want your cats to go to good homes and you want to ensure the adopters don't take them back because they adopted the wrong cat.)
Like the article says, these rescue groups might see some of the worst pet owners when it comes to taking in animals who have been abused, or idiots taking their cat back to the shelter because they didn't know how to take care of it properly. Perfectly understandable that the groups would be cautious. But at a certain point I think they need to realize they are preventing many cats from going to good homes by being overly ridiculous with contracts and requirements.