Where to put these Kittens?

[kittyandco]

Hey, everybody. Figured since everyone posts here about kitten care, they'd have some sort of answer when I ask...

How do you find homes for kittens?

This feral outside, she's approximately eleven months old right now, and recently had four kittens in a feral cat box on our deck. You'll see another post about them in the thread titled, "What are the chances?" Her mom also has some kittens. (Yeah, yeah, they have TNR arrangements.)

Seeing as these kittens have gone three days and are still squirming and growing (a good sign, for ferals), it's likely that at least two will survive to adulthood. While that may not seem like much, we simply dislike the idea of more cats. No, no, not because we hate them or something, we all love cats, but there's nowhere to PUT them!

I want to know, if there's a way to find good homes for kittens WITHOUT putting them in a shelter. See, we have Two full time cats, two in-and-out tame ferals, and two three-week-old kittens that also may need homes. Can we put up ads, find fosters, anything?

We CAN let them live outside, which is the backup plan, but subjecting two more cats to life outside of what could have been a warm, loving home just doesn't seem right, even though the ferals don't exactly look UNHAPPY.

The thing about shelters, we just don't feel comfortable with them. The thought of these kittens being euthanized makes us all feel sick, and no-kill shelters are a good option, but we don't know how long they'd be there, and to have them cooped up in cages...I don't know, we just dislike them.

We certainly are NOT going to become animal hoarders, and the cats we have already are more than enough maintainance to keep healthy, happy, and clean (No one's complaining!). If space and budget permitted, we'd happily keep them all, but...we can't.

Okay, so here's the question question. How can you find good homes for cats, from your own home? How can you get good people to take your kittens without sticking them in shelters? There's a total of Six kittens that would most likely need homes.

Thank you, in advance!

 

[franksmom]

I think contacting your local rescue may be a good option as they might have some good ideas on where to advertise. Many people put ads up on petfinder (http://www.petfinder.com) or even craigslist. The key is to weed bad people, make sure they get them fixed and charge at least a small fee because apparently some people use free kittens for nefarious purposes. You can also contact the vets and pet stores in your area to put up flyers and some pet stores like petsmart have days to bring in stray cats for adoption.

I also think you should bring them inside to get them used to living indoors and people. Get them litter trained and used to noises like vacuum cleaners and the TV, so when people adopt them there will not be any behaviour issues, which may cause them to return them or bring them to a shelter. 

 

[StefanZ]

Excellent post by FranksMom. I agree totally with Kitty&Co; sending them to a shelter is usually no answer, even it is a no kill shelter. It is no solution, it is just to push the problem one step away. 

Unless the shelter in question does have a very high rate of adoption, them having extremely efficient network. But is this that common?

So the best is you find them homes, by your networks and efforts. Phoning around, urging etc....etc.

I support strongly the idea of an adoption fee. Not only to weed out the most unsuitable misusers, but also, there is a common feeling "what is for free, is practically without worth".  So, unless the kitten is given and received as a precious gift, never ever give them away for free, nor even "one dime every paw and tail, and a buck for the head".

I do have a couple of tips, if it feels uncomfortable to ask for money,

1. ask for a donation to some worthy cause you do both agree upon and which the adopter chooses, IN THE CATS NAME.   This will even make a magical bond, connecting the cat with noble feeling of giving to anonymous and noble giving to a good cause...

Hey, even if you DO take payment, it may be an idea part of the fee is such a voluntary donation...

Variation. Let the cat bear the donors name!   Say the adopter is Mr James Smith, the cat is  Pretty Kitty.   The donation is thus send by   Ms Pretty Kitty Smith.

2. Sometimes the adopter can perhaps do something in natura instead. Help you repair and paint a fence perhaps?  Help you make a hut for your semi-ferale?  Drive you and your cats to the vet a couple of times. Or help you deliver another of kittens to someone far away one long ride. Things they dont need to be very skilled to do, but which must be done...   And if the help does need high skill - whoa!

You dont need to ask if they dont afford to pay and they get another option, you just give them the choice.

3. My own brother, who once happened to get both his young kittens pregnant before the spayment, and found himself having 12 kittens to adopt out, used this trick.  He had ads in the local newspaper. He tried to pick families with children, and arranged this so:  That child come forward, with money in hand (10 dollars), and received the kitten to held, instead for the money.  The childs parents were standing immediately behind, thus giving an assurance they were responsible too.

The sum rather symbolic, it was the ceremony which made the magical bond.

All these adoptions went beautifully.  He could follow these adoptions in many years to come.  

Good luck!

 

[Willowy]

It's. . .really hard. I mean really hard. And not always possible. Spaying the mother cats before they get pregnant is about the only advice I truly have :/. And it's a bit late for that (and they may be pregnant again already. . .cats are so fertile). But of course you should try to get them into good indoor homes if at all possible. First, let the kittens stay with their mothers for at least 10 weeks. This really cuts down on behavioral problems that will get them dumped or returned.

Put ads up at the vet's office, online, at the grocery store, any place with an ad board, etc. Charge $10-$20 for them (easier to get people to pay if they have at least their first shots and de-worming) to discourage dog fighters and bunchers. Ask the potential adopters for their vet's name and number. Ask what happened to their last pet.

Of course, if you just hand them out like candy it could be fairly easy. But you'd probably be sending them into a situation worse than what they're in now .

One good way to make sure they go to a reasonably responsible home without actually charging anything is to drop them off at the new owner's vet of choice to be spayed/neutered. The new owner can pick them up and pay the bill.

 

[kittyandco]

Hello, hello! Quite sorry I haven't posted, this schoolwork is driving me nuts...

Yes, I am aware that adoption fees are necessary. I've read about people selling free kittens to labs, etc.
Sometimes, as a joke, I ask my (good/trustworthy) friends, "Hey, ya' want some cats?"

I think ads might be the way to go. Are there specifically good areas to put up ads? Petco/Petsmart would have been nice, but when you think about the cats they have up for adoption there, they need the homes more than these guys do...

Are adoption forms through e-mail good? Would you still need a face-to-face meeting?

I read about taking a fee at adoption time, and reimbursing once they've spayed/neutered the kittens. Does this work if the kittens are not neutered?

Also, selling kittens in pairs is always better, correct?

Thank you for all the information and input, everyone!