Where did you get your cats?

[Danneq]

I'm moving to a solo apartment and need cats to keep me company, obviously. And I'm feeling super overwhelmed, because there are approximately a billion rescue groups to choose from, and that doesn't count town pounds. Rescue applications are intimidating, but town shelters don't keep their Petfinder pages updated.

So I'm just curious--where did you get your cats, and why did you choose to go to that rescue/shelter? HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR KITTIES?

To answer my own question: My previous cats have been a stray (living under a friend's house), a barn cat (sole survival of her family, we purr-loined her), and three from one local town pound (it was convenient).

 

[BellaGooch]

We got all of ours but one because they were strays or they were strays living with our friends. We got Pants through Petfinder.

 

[tuffsmom]

I live on a dead-end street. One hot July morning I thought I saw a black bag in the street. No! It was Tuff! He ran to our house as soon as my hubby started watering the flower bed and has been here ever since. Vet said he was about 3 months old. He's 5 years now. Jet black and still looks like a black bag!

 

[Elphaba09]

All 12 (plus the three my son recently took when he moved into his new house) were strays and ferals. I have only gotten one cat from a shelter, and that was twenty years ago. He jumped on me and would not let me put him down.

 

[Katie M]

My mother's coworker found Charlie alone outside when he was two months old. She couldn't keep him, so I said I would take him.

I adopted Selene from my local shelter. I chose that particular shelter because . . . it was local

 

[NY cat man]

All 6 of ours were ferals. Five of them showed up with their mother as kittens over a span of 3 years, and we socialized them and brought them inside, except for the mother. The sixth was a TNR that appeared, hung around, and eventually came inside also. Her age was estimated to be 4 years old at the time. So you could say that our cats found us, instead of the other way around.

 

[vince]

Two of mine came from nearby shelters. The other one I found under my car when her mom deserted her.

I adopted the two shelter cats because they "talked" to me while I was visiting. The little girl was crying under the car, so I got a box with a towel, put her in it and fed her. Three hours later, she was hungry again, so I fed her once more. Another three hours and she was crying again, so I decided to take her in. I think her mom was pregnant again and was trying to wean her the hard way. She was only maybe, five weeks old.

 

[Lari]

I got my cat from a TNR group that my mom's friend volunteered for. I had looked at the local in town place, but none of the cats on their page spoke to me, and when I went to the TNR's page they had exactly one calico kitten, which was my dream, and her personality sounded like a good fit so I submitted an application, met her and her foster mom and brought her home.

My husband's cat was apparently scratching at his parents' back door, he let her in and gave her tuna and that was that. She chose him.

 

[Purr-fect]

Our beautiful boys were adopted from a family on kijiji. We were soooooo lucky to have found them and that the family chose us to have their cats (family was leaving the country). There are many many cats in shelters, waiting to be adopted privately or feral, lost or strays that desperately need homes.

 

[jefferd18]

I actually think I caught all of mine. I can't remember the last time I went looking to buy a cat.

 

[neely]

All but one of our cats have come from shelters. Living in a major metropolitan area there are an abundance of shelters. Our first two came from a cat only shelter, most of the others but not all came from the shelter where we adopted our last dog. It was also the same shelter where my husband got his childhood pup. Our present cat came from a shelter that rescued 23 Persians from a hoarder's house; some were feral, some had to be PTS and all had skin infestations.

 

[wily1]

My cat Tim was a little orphan living in a barn and was super friendly. I guess he knew I needed a cat and funny thing is I had been thinking about it for awhile. I think I got him just in time as he was quite sick.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

Because of COVID, all the pet adoption events (e.g., at Petco) were shuttered. I reached out to the two rescues that had cats on Petfinder that spoke to me (I was specifically looking for a solid gray cat). Both cats ended up being spoken for, but after conducting an interview, the one rescue was on the lookout for another good match and let me know when they got a solid gray kitty from a partner TNR organization, and they offered her to me as a foster-to-adopt before she ever got onto Petfinder.

 

[game misconduct]

we got graycie from the local pet smart that works with local rescues/sheltersshe was the last one left from her litter remaining when gf and i finally were ready to adopt a cat some of the history about how these cats/ dogs end up there just leave me disgusted with the human race though

 

[ladytimedramon]

I had been looking and looking and looking online. I had several rescues not return my information requests. On petfinder the local humane society had about 5 that could be the right cat. They actually responded to my inquiries and I made an appointment to drop by. A couple of the ones I was interested in were adopted, a few were in need of more medical care than I was ready for (my first cat). Delilah was on my list of to view. After meeting a few potential kitties, I went into the room where Delilah was. She took one look at me, walked past several of the bully cats, climbed onto my shoulder and started making biscuits. And that was it. She'd been there since January (I adopted in April). They said she was given up because someone moved in with the owner who was cat allergic. I suspect it was the undiagonsed ovarian remnant syndrome.

Meanwhile every time I go into Petsmart I get weak willed because I would love to adopt a second kitty but the time isn't right.

 

[sivyaleah]

Our first cat, a big boned bi-color red and white tabby was rehomed to us from a good friend who was going through life situations making it impossible for him to care for Casper. He was 8-1/2 when we got him. My friend had him since he was a kitten and to say it was difficult to for him is an understatement. He nearly asked for him back a few times but knew he'd given him a great new home. Casper was with us until almost 18 years old and was an amazing addition to our home.

Cocoabean our longhair Tortie, came through a local rescue. We nearly adopted another cat before her but she wasn't socialized very well so we nixed that. The rescue rep said she felt Bean would be a great choice because she was docile, lived with other cats before and overall was a nice kitty. While we had some difficulty acclimating her to our home at first, she eventually settled in and her and Casper became great friends. She is the epitome of a wonderful sweet cuddly cat.

Last but not least, is Luna Moonshadow. Luna is an exception for both of us as she's a purebred Maine Coon, solid black (questionable though, kind of smoky too). We both were enamored with the breed and decided to suck up the cost. She wasn't technically our first choice - we were and still are, on another breeders wait list but I happened to remember I'd met a breeder some years ago at a local CFA sponsored cat show and got in touch w/her on a lark via Facebook after some months of getting past Casper's passing. We saw Luna's photo and were smitten and within 24 hours a deposit was sent and she was ours. She's a handful lol. Her and Cocoabean weren't very good friends at first because of the big age difference and Bean had NO desire to "mother" the kitten but now that Luna is 1-1/2 they are establishing a nice friendship and do play with each other.

We are still on that other breeders wait list which is now further out than it should be due to the pandemic. Not sure if I'll give up the spot or not yet. I'd love 3 cats, husband keeps saying NO but I think he knows that since I'd committed to the other MC breeder there will be a third eventually. We love rescuing - all his cats through the years were always rescues but I do think after the next one that may be it for us as we're in our early 60's now.

 

[lizzieloo]

I got my Friday from the local shelter at 8 weeks. I hadn't realized it at the time but she was taken away too young and not properly socialized and had a lot of behavioural issues. I picked her because she was the only black female and was so set on my colur preference. I have read on their website for fostering that they take away the mother at 6 weeks to spay her and then adopt them out at 8 weeks.

Scarlett was a birthday gift and probably 6-7 weeks. (since then I have lectured all my friends that pets are never okay to give as gifts) A lady found her and 2 siblings abandoned at 3 weeks on the side of the road. She kept exceptional care of them but no one wanted Scarlett because she was black and had a deformed leg. She was the best cat you could have had, so sweet and affectionate!!

I too am looking for a pair to adopt soon (just one foster kitten right now waiting for adoption) and I am checking all local shelters and rescue groups. I volunteer for a rescue group and I've learned that in general their process of adoption is suuuper slow. They are run by volunteers who have families and full time jobs so can take weeks. They also are tough at screening. But they do a great job at what they do and I'd love to support them. The appeal of a shelter is how much quicker and seamless the process is, not surprising since they pay people just to get pets adopted. I think they can't always give as much info about cat personality though.

 

[rubysmama]

I adopted Ruby from the local SPCA. I was looking for an orange tabby, and she was the only one they had at the time. Luckily for me, she was a sweetie pie.

 

[EmmaWilliam]

I adopted my 2 cats. They're the sweetest little creatures