Well I'm Going to Adopt!

[stephenq]

 
Do most shelter cats have a lot of medical issues that are not addressed before adoption???

 I've been seeing a lot of stories like that lately!?

Honestly it depends on the shelter. Some shelters have very healthy animals and try very hard not to adopt out the sick ones, some shelters are so overrun (typically open admission kill shelters) with illness but any shelter can be in either situation or somewhere in between

- Look at the faces of the cats in the shelter.  Do you see goopy, drippy or teary eyes. Are cats sneezing? Mucous around the nose? Eyes partially shut.  If yes the cat has an upper respiratory illness.

- Look in the litter boxes.  To the extent that you can see stool, is it well formed or loose?  Diarrhea indicates a likely GI tract parasite or related issue.

URI's and GI issues are the most common shelter illnesses.

What no shelter can do is guarantee that a cat won't come down with something after you get home due to incubation period issues.  So get their medical policy in writing.  Will they provide any post-adoption follow up care and if yes for how long?  What is their return policy?

What the shelter can and should tell you is medical history of each animal since its been in their care, vaccination history, testing history for FIV/FeLV (retesting 2-3 months post adoption is good due to incubation issues).  When was the cat last seen by a vet? Was it ever seen by a vet? Do they have vets on staff or visiting?

Also you might want to check out this article on shelter illnesses http://www.thecatsite.com/a/identif...dopted-from-animal-shelters-and-rescue-groups

And then the good news, go make a happy happy adoption when you're ready.  Discuss with your BF in advance the type of cat you want, personality etc and then go looking!

 

[sweets1726]

 

[lilin]

What a beautiful kitty! Yes, that can be an advantage of adult cats (depending on age and personality). They can be very chill companions.

I also want to add something to all this good advice about looking for potential health issues: even a perfectly healthy cat might look a little under the weather in the shelter. It's a stressful environment. Minor things can be simply due to the environment. For example, I got Pia from a shelter, and she is perfectly healthy. But when I first met her, and for about a week after I took her home, she had a little bit of dandruff and oil in her coat. Other kitties might be a little withdrawn. They might have other minor stress-related issues and signs of depression (lazy grooming, low appetite, etc).

Always be sure to ask, but also remember you wouldn't be feeling your best if you lived in an orphanage, which is basically what shelters are. The best of them do the most they can to make their animals comfortable and healthy, but what the animals really want, of course, is a real home.

Some shelters give you one free vet visit to get a check-up and make sure there are no problems.

 

[stephenq]

@Sweets1726

Very cute and I wish you the best!  I hope you enjoy the article - I wrote it :-)

 

[sweets1726]

 
@Sweets1726

Very cute and I wish you the best!  I hope you enjoy the article - I wrote it :-)

I did !! And it gave me a lil' glimpse of some of the things that I can expect if I do bring her home and see/have any issues. (: Regardless, I'm prepared and will be sure to post back here when I bring my new baby home. Thank you @StephenQ  

 as well as everyone who has been of assistance on this thread!!

 

[stephenq]

 
I did !! And it gave me a lil' glimpse of some of the things that I can expect if I do bring her home and see/have any issues. (: Regardless, I'm prepared and will be sure to post back here when I bring my new baby home. Thank you @StephenQ  

 as well as everyone who has been of assistance on this thread!!

My pleasure, hopefully your new friend will be illness free.  Some things can incubate up to 2 weeks after getting home.  We want pics of your new buddy ok!!

And I looked at the SPCA shelter you referenced and if its the one in Merced CA then it looks very nice on the website.  12 years ago I started volunteering at a no-kill cat rescue org and it changed my life.  Maybe someday you will volunteer at Merced. :-)

 

[sweets1726]

 
My pleasure, hopefully your new friend will be illness free.  Some things can incubate up to 2 weeks after getting home.  We want pics of your new buddy ok!!

And I looked at the SPCA shelter you referenced and if its the one in Merced CA then it looks very nice on the website.  12 years ago I started volunteering at a no-kill cat rescue org and it changed my life.  Maybe someday you will volunteer at Merced. :-)

I sent in a volunteer app last month and they said that they had high school volunteers to the brim so maybe sometime over summer ill apply again lol (: before you go, Have you or any one you know ever adopted from the cat house on the kings? I have been really looking into them and think I might drive an hour for this place !

 

[stephenq]

I'm on the east coast so no i havent.  Do you have a link for them?

 

[sweets1726]

 
I'm on the east coast so no i havent.  Do you have a link for them?

http://www.cathouseonthekings.com/  

 

[jcat]

You've gotten some great advice, so I'll only add one little piece. If you're planning on using a covered box, get as large of one as you can with a wide opening so that it's not claustrophobic for your cat. Also remove the swinging door and any air filters in the top. Both tend to trap odors in the box, which can be unpleasant for the cat and might lead her/him to resist using it. The swinging door also frightens some cats.

 

[sweets1726]

Hey I have another question, lol. What would be some reasons that an adoption application would be denied? I have read some stories and some of the reasons just don't make a whole lot of  sense to me -__-

 

[lyrajean]

Each shelter has its own policies that might lead to denials. Privately run rescues can be quirky in their own ways. The only shelter that we've adopted from is our local humane society. They require proof that the adopter has his or her own residence, or a lease/letter from the landlord stating that pets are allowed where they live. They also won't adopt to anyone under 21 (we live near a college town and there is a problem with abandoned pets at the end of the school year). Or anyone who does not intend to get regular vet care for their pet. We needed a Vet reference.

If you have concerns ask for adoption policies before you get set about adopting a cat from a particular place.

 

[sweets1726]

 
Each shelter has its own policies that might lead to denials. Privately run rescues can be quirky in their own ways. The only shelter that we've adopted from is our local humane society. They require proof that the adopter has his or her own residence, or a lease/letter from the landlord stating that pets are allowed where they live. They also won't adopt to anyone under 21 (we live near a college town and there is a problem with abandoned pets at the end of the school year). Or anyone who does not intend to get regular vet care for their pet. We needed a Vet reference.

If you have concerns ask for adoption policies before you get set about adopting a cat from a particular place.

That's is understandable. I don't see any reason to Why I would be denied but I heard places are just funny like that and had to ask (:

 

[lilin]

 
Hey I have another question, lol. What would be some reasons that an adoption application would be denied? I have read some stories and some of the reasons just don't make a whole lot of  sense to me -__-

It totally depends on the place. A lot of shelters are quite reasonable in their rules, and some are rather over-the-top to the point of almost seeming to resent would-be adopters. This can happen with people who have been in rescue a very long time and seen lots of abandonment and abuse, and maybe just don't take enough time to expose themselves to the good side of human beings. I understand why they're like that, but they shoot themselves in the foot turning away people who are perfectly good potential pet owners simply out of distrust of all people.

I think a good way of assessing these things while you're narrowing down which shelter to go through is to look at the applications. Many shelters post them online. A lot of the horror stories I've heard of come from shelters with very lengthy applications, demanded and sometimes even repeated home visits, etc.

The shelter I picked has a 3 page adoption form, the last page of which is just conditions and agreements (which were mostly things like agreeing to have a vet visit in the first week, agreeing to return the animal to their shelter if you don't want to keep them, etc).

I did have an interview. They talked to me a bit especially about my experience with cats (the cat I adopted had some issues from past trauma, so she wasn't a cat for a beginner) how I handled my elder kitty's health and behavioral issues (which were actually caused by her health issues), and looked at my lease to check that it does allow cats. I did list my vet, but I'm not sure if they called or not. I guess they just had a good feeling about me.

They let me take Pia home that day, but some shelters may have you wait 24 hours or something.

Don't think a less stringent shelter is any less good (as long as they're not totally careless and just give animals to anyone or something). There's no evidence that being over-the-top strict results in better outcomes for the animals. At the end of the day, it's just not possible to predict with 100% certainty how good an animal owner will be in the long run, and basic precautions are as good as complex ones. The shelter I got Pia from has frequent specials, and they're a very well-rated shelter. They take the philosophy of putting in basic safeguards, and otherwise just trying to make adopting as appealing as possible, which I think is correct given the evidence.

 

[sweets1726]

 
It totally depends on the place. A lot of shelters are quite reasonable in their rules, and some are rather over-the-top to the point of almost seeming to resent would-be adopters. This can happen with people who have been in rescue a very long time and seen lots of abandonment and abuse, and maybe just don't take enough time to expose themselves to the good side of human beings. I understand why they're like that, but they shoot themselves in the foot turning away people who are perfectly good potential pet owners simply out of distrust of all people.

I think a good way of assessing these things while you're narrowing down which shelter to go through is to look at the applications. Many shelters post them online. A lot of the horror stories I've heard of come from shelters with very lengthy applications, demanded and sometimes even repeated home visits, etc.

The shelter I picked has a 3 page adoption form, the last page of which is just conditions and agreements (which were mostly things like agreeing to have a vet visit in the first week, agreeing to return the animal to their shelter if you don't want to keep them, etc).

I did have an interview. They talked to me a bit especially about my experience with cats (the cat I adopted had some issues from past trauma, so she wasn't a cat for a beginner) how I handled my elder kitty's health and behavioral issues (which were actually caused by her health issues), and looked at my lease to check that it does allow cats. I did list my vet, but I'm not sure if they called or not. I guess they just had a good feeling about me.

They let me take Pia home that day, but some shelters may have you wait 24 hours or something.

Don't think a less stringent shelter is any less good (as long as they're not totally careless and just give animals to anyone or something). There's no evidence that being over-the-top strict results in better outcomes for the animals. At the end of the day, it's just not possible to predict with 100% certainty how good an animal owner will be in the long run, and basic precautions are as good as complex ones. The shelter I got Pia from has frequent specials, and they're a very well-rated shelter. They take the philosophy of putting in basic safeguards, and otherwise just trying to make adopting as appealing as possible, which I think is correct given the evidence.

Thank you. Your personal experience story really helped as well. I don't think ill have any trouble during the process but I love hearing input and preparing myself 100%

 

[lilin]

 
Thank you. Your personal experience story really helped as well. I don't think ill have any trouble during the process but I love hearing input and preparing myself 100%

No problem. I was a little worried too just because I was 23 when I adopted Pia. I had heard about some shelters turning away younger people pretty much as a rule, I guess just assuming they're not mature or stable enough. I had grown up with cats my whole life, taken care of my last kitty by myself through her old age and very complex medical problems, and I was financially and residentially stable, but I was worried they wouldn't see that because of my age.

But they seemed to like me right off the bat, so I had no reason to be worried.

 

[sweets1726]

 
No problem. I was a little worried too just because I was 23 when I adopted Pia. I had heard about some shelters turning away younger people pretty much as a rule, I guess just assuming they're not mature or stable enough. I had grown up with cats my whole life, taken care of my last kitty by myself through her old age and very complex medical problems, and I was financially and residentially stable, but I was worried they wouldn't see that because of my age.

But they seemed to like me right off the bat, so I had no reason to be worried.

Yea that's what im concerned about because im 20 :/ I guess ill just have to wait and see

 

[jodiethierry64]

The shelter here asks about owner or renter and a letter from a landlord but otherwise they give an animal to anyone. They even have days where they advertise free cat day.

 

[lilin]

 
Yea that's what im concerned about because im 20 :/ I guess ill just have to wait and see

If they're reasonable, I don't see any reason they'd turn you away for a well-adjust adult cat. They are great "first cats." Especially since you're moving into a pet-friendly place in preparation. I'd be sure to mention that. I think when you're younger, they do want you to kind of prove you're serious about it. I think that would make the point for them.

 

[sweets1726]

Awesome, ill be sure to mention that (: hopefully all goes well !! thanks @Lilin  && @JodieThierry64