Putting my cats up for adoption

[amyzzz]

I rehomed a cat once. I listed it on Craigslist with some really cute pictures. I got a lot of responses. Just charge like $25. There are a lot of sick people out there looking for free cats to harm, so you need to charge something, but not too much. If they are up to date on shots, tests, neutered/spayed, etc., make sure you advertise this. This makes the cats more desireable to people. You can also offer to give away their toys, litter box, etc. with them. Try to get them a good home together, so at least they have each other. Also, I put in my ad that I was willing to deliver the cat. This way, you get to meet the family and new home. Also, I was willing to drive an hour from my home to deliver the cat to a really nice family. The family didn't have reliable transportation, so they probably would not have been able to adopt him if I didn't state in my ad that I would deliver the cat.

 

[ziggy'smom]

I don't know if the OP is checking in on this thread anymore but if she is I would like to make a suggestion. I understand that a big problem in keeping these cats has to do with traveling and not being able to stay gone too long. If it would mean that these cats would get to stay at home I would like to offer to take the cats in while their owner is traveling. I live in the NW burbs too and I can squeeze in a couple of extra cats for a few weeks here and there. They would have their own room or live with my cats.

Please PM me if that's something you'd be interested in.

 

[ziggy'smom]

I rehomed a cat once. I listed it on Craigslist with some really cute pictures. I got a lot of responses. Just charge like $25. There are a lot of sick people out there looking for free cats to harm, so you need to charge something, but not too much. If they are up to date on shots, tests, neutered/spayed, etc., make sure you advertise this. This makes the cats more desireable to people. You can also offer to give away their toys, litter box, etc. with them. Try to get them a good home together, so at least they have each other. Also, I put in my ad that I was willing to deliver the cat. This way, you get to meet the family and new home. Also, I was willing to drive an hour from my home to deliver the cat to a really nice family. The family didn't have reliable transportation, so they probably would not have been able to adopt him if I didn't state in my ad that I would deliver the cat.

If you do rehome a cat to a stranger, though Craigslist for example, visiting the potential home before hand is crucial. Never, ever let a cat go before you've met the people and seen their home. They may seem nice through email or phone but if you visit you will see if they have a dog chained up in the back yard, have overflowing litter boxes, animals with mats and fleas, or are inappropriate in any other way. You need to ask a lot of question to make sure that they will take good care of the cat and will provide it with a forever home so that it doesn't end up back up on Craigslist in a couple of years. Way too many people view pets as disposable and don't take having a pet seriously. Just because they are willing to take your cat doesn't mean they will provide a good home. People who may harm the cat, like the run of the mill "sickos", are not the only people you want to avoid.

You want to make sure that the people who get your cat take pet guardianship seriously and view it as a lifelong commitment. You also want to make sure that they have the means to take good care of the cat. Now not everyone have thousands of dollars to shell out for expensive treatments with a specialist but they should be able to provide basic care. If they can't come up with a couple of hundred bucks to take the cat to the vet they shouldn't have a cat. I had a family once email me asking if I could deliver a cat because they couldn't afford the gas to pick him up. Well, if they can't afford the gas to come get him they definitely can't afford to have a cat. The fact that they didn't get that is enough of a big red flag for me.

I ask a lot of questions about how they view things. How do they feel about declawing? How do they feel about cats going outside? When is it justified to give up a pet? I ask them a lot about current and past pets. You can find out a lot from asking about past pets. How long did they have previous pets? Where are they now? Have they rehomed a pet before? Have a pet run away? If so, what did they do to find it? I had one family tell me that they weren't able to hang up flyers when their cat took off because their printer was broken. Yeah, right. Ever hear about a marker? These are not people that take pet guardianship seriously.

Remember, you don't just want to find any home. You want to find a GOOD home and a good home isn't just any home that will feed the cat and not beat him.

 

[p3 and the king]

If you do rehome a cat to a stranger, though Craigslist for example, visiting the potential home before hand is crucial. Never, ever let a cat go before you've met the people and seen their home. They may seem nice through email or phone but if you visit you will see if they have a dog chained up in the back yard, have overflowing litter boxes, animals with mats and fleas, or are inappropriate in any other way. You need to ask a lot of question to make sure that they will take good care of the cat and will provide it with a forever home so that it doesn't end up back up on Craigslist in a couple of years. Way too many people view pets as disposable and don't take having a pet seriously. Just because they are willing to take your cat doesn't mean they will provide a good home. People who may harm the cat, like the run of the mill "sickos", are not the only people you want to avoid.

You want to make sure that the people who get your cat take pet guardianship seriously and view it as a lifelong commitment. You also want to make sure that they have the means to take good care of the cat. Now not everyone have thousands of dollars to shell out for expensive treatments with a specialist but they should be able to provide basic care. If they can't come up with a couple of hundred bucks to take the cat to the vet they shouldn't have a cat. I had a family once email me asking if I could deliver a cat because they couldn't afford the gas to pick him up. Well, if they can't afford the gas to come get him they definitely can't afford to have a cat. The fact that they didn't get that is enough of a big red flag for me.

I ask a lot of questions about how they view things. How do they feel about declawing? How do they feel about cats going outside? When is it justified to give up a pet? I ask them a lot about current and past pets. You can find out a lot from asking about past pets. How long did they have previous pets? Where are they now? Have they rehomed a pet before? Have a pet run away? If so, what did they do to find it? I had one family tell me that they weren't able to hang up flyers when their cat took off because their printer was broken. Yeah, right. Ever hear about a marker? These are not people that take pet guardianship seriously.

Remember, you don't just want to find any home. You want to find a GOOD home and a good home isn't just any home that will feed the cat and not beat him.

These are all wonderful suggestions.  When I had King Arthur and Morgan La Fays mom and rest of the litter with me... I had a list of inquiries similar to this.  I got accused of being "Paranoid"; "Crazy"; and every name in the book pretty much.  People didn't like the idea of me coming into their homes to do a check.  I told them matter-of-factly that they would no longer be considered for a kitten or Genevieve.  Learn to listen for red flags.  People aren't as slick as we believe we are.  If you keep asking the right questions, they will eventually "tell" on themselves.  I ended up going with friends... People I knew and trusted.  As I didn't find anyone who answered the ad to be appropriate.  (I didn't post on Craigslist, lord no but I did post a poster and a ad in the local newspaper.)

However, it has also been my experience, with other friends and people I know that when they aren't responsible or don't care themselves... Just want to be rid of their pet... They don't care.  They'll take the first offer.  I hope this isn't you.  Please make a list and take this seriously because it does mean their lives and happiness....  If you absolutely must give them up.  But also please consider Ziggysmom's offer.  That sounds wonderful. 

 

[belle8bete]

lupebalia, my mom travels for six weeks at a time and used to leave our family cat at home.  She would have my uncle come by once every two or three days just to scoop and give her a little treat.  She was free fed on dry food and perfectly content (and she didn't even have another cat for company!)

A covered litter box and a good track mat makes a huge difference.  I find the booda litter box great and it looks like a spaceship.  It is also quite deep so it might even work for two kitties.  Hairballs can be helped with through hairball treats and hairball reducing foods.  There are also scratchers with bristles to help reduce cat hair from getting all over.   

I really think you shot yourself in the foot with your phrasing, but I hope that if they get re-homed that you find a friend or family member.  

 

[feralvr]

lupebalia, my mom travels for six weeks at a time and used to leave our family cat at home.  She would have my uncle come by once every two or three days just to scoop and give her a little treat.  She was free fed on dry food and perfectly content (and she didn't even have another cat for company!)

A covered litter box and a good track mat makes a huge difference.  I find the booda litter box great and it looks like a spaceship.  It is also quite deep so it might even work for two kitties.  Hairballs can be helped with through hairball treats and hairball reducing foods.  There are also scratchers with bristles to help reduce cat hair from getting all over.   

I really think you shot yourself in the foot with your phrasing, but I hope that if they get re-homed that you find a friend or family member.  

Hi there! Just an fyi , this thread is well over a year old! And, Welcome to TCS!!!!!!!

 

[belle8bete]

Thanks for the welcome!    

I should really play more attention to the date stamps. I wonder whatever happened to those kitties.  

 

[abisiobhan]

i too read this through sigh!! I wonder what happened to those poor kitties with an irresponsible "owner ". Breaks my heart. I had to travel for work -pefiatric cancer clinics and my furbabies were quite content. I was not yet married w 2 cats and my neighbour came over every or every 2 nd day to play, feed them, see how they were, clean litter etc
Plus she is a Serb by birth so they learned some new words. :-) I returned the favourite when her family went on vacation or she had to represent a client away from here. Hoping these cats are OK!!! Can ppl not realize pets are family and for LIFE!!!!!!

 

[meaganandalbert]

All i think of when i read things like this is that if it were a human baby there would be no question of just sending them away. And no matter what you were doing you would make time for the child. Same responsibilities apply for taking in animals, there's no easy escape route, they need love and care too.

I hope the two cats are okay.