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You've trapped a pair of siblings
– the most adorable 8-week old kittens you've ever seen! But you can't
keep them and so begins the process of finding them the best home
possible. Where do you start?
 Pictures!
Don't be afraid to go
for cute! There's a lot of competition for good homes. Keep in mind
prospective adopters are not sitting with you in your living room ogling
over your critters' precious antics. Get some great shots and post them on
the Petfinder website (www.petfinder.org
- contact Neighborhood Cats for
help). Also, make up flyers to post at your local pet store, vet, market,
gym – almost anyplace. Then sit back, be patient and enjoy the kittens
while you have them – too much socialization is never a bad thing –
and get ready to thoroughly screen your callers.
Be prepared to ask a lot of
questions. If you've decided your pair must be adopted together, that will
be your first question. Have your checklist ready. Some questions we suggest
include the following:
-
Is the cat
for you or is it a gift? If a gift, you'll want to speak directly to
the person due to receive the cat – no surprises!
-
Do you have a
cat now? Ask about his/her health (FIV/FeLV negative) age,
spayed/neutered, personality, what type of food, etc.
-
Had cats in
the past? If so, what happened? Don't accept "died of old age."
Ask specific questions.
-
Cats do
scratch things! What would you do if your cat scratched the furniture?
Determine if the cat has any chance of getting declawed if
it does not "mind its manners." We strongly recommend cats
NOT be declawed - the procedure involves amputating bones and cutting
ligaments and tendons, and can cause permanent physical and
psychological damage. The barbaric procedure has been banned in England
as cruel and it is a huge black mark on our veterinary profession that
they still do it. We adamantly refuse to adopt a cat to anyone who even
suggests they might declaw.
-
Do you have
roommates? Children? Is anyone allergic to cats? If there are
roommates, make sure it's clear who will have ultimate responsibility for the cat - avoid
"shared" situations unless the adopters are in a long-term
intimate relationship. Otherwise, trouble inevitably looms down the
road.
-
Are there
screens on all the windows, terrace, balcony? (Yes!) Will the cat be
allowed on the fire escape? (No!)
-
Pets are a
lifetime commitment. Cats can live to be 20 years old! Are you prepared
to care for the cat for its lifetime? What if your situation changes
(a baby, boyfriend/girlfriend, move, etc.)?
-
Will the cat go
outside? Under what circumstances? Closely supervised or not?
-
Employed?
Occupation? How
long?
-
References? (Job
and personal.)
If the answers to these questions
are satisfactory, explain the next steps: come and meet the cat. If the
visit goes well, the adopter will be asked to pay a fee (we suggest $60 for
one, $100 for two) and then you will be paying a visit to the prospective
home.
These steps are very important to
ensuring a good placement. The fee eliminates any possibility of someone
unscrupulous getting the cat and selling him, most likely to a laboratory
for research. The home visit allows you to see for yourself that the
adopter has been honest about their circumstances, there are screens on
the windows, and there is nothing obviously amiss.
The bottom line is you are trying
to make a decision that will impact the rest of the cat's life, so you
need as much information as you can gather. A good home will understand why
you are asking so many questions and following these procedures. When
someone doesn't understand and is bothered by your thoroughness, that's a
red flag to keep looking. When they appreciate your efforts, that's a good
sign.
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