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Tips on finding Good Homes for Cats and Kittens
Finding good homes for cats and kittens can be a difficult task.
Giving them away from a cardboard box in your supermarket's
parking lot is not considered finding a good home! You need to
make sure that the adopters are willing to make the commitment
to care for a cat for the next twenty years.
Did you ever wonder what happened to them after they were taken away?
To be honest, not everyone who adopts one of your sweet little kittens or
puppies is being totally honest with you when they say the animal will have
a good home.
Giving away any animal. whether it be an adult or a baby, without
screening the potential adopter and without charging some sort of
good faith fee can put your animal in dangers that you never would
have considered.
There are people who make their living by go around picking up these "Free
To a Good Home" animals and sell them to labs for medical research. You
don't want to know what happens to them there. They will even bring kids
with them so you believe they are a happy family looking for a little kitten
Free animals are also taken for sacrifice, they are used for bait to train
attack dogs, they are even used for food for snakes. By just giving them
away, you are basically saying that these animals have no value at all.
By putting a set price on them you are making it less desirable for
these people as you are eating up their profit.
If you don't feel right about asking a price for a kitten, you can request
that a donation be made to your favorite charity or local animal shelter.
You've cared enough about this animal to find it a good home, that
entitles you to a donation, or to asking for one for your chosen charity.
How to find potential Good Homes for your Kittens
* Place posters in your local veterinarian's office, or humane society or
animal shelter if they will allow it....always ask first.
* Be careful about putting an ad in the paper. At the very least - do not
put a "free kittens or puppies to good homes" ad in the paper.
Here are some of the people that might answer those ads:
Third-class dealers who sell the cats or puppies for about 30 dollars
a piece to labs that perform medical experiments on them.
Although animal labs typically get their "subjects" from breeders (and
some breeders make a lot of money selling kittens and puppies and other
animals to labs), some protocols also call for an "unknown" group
of animals, to be used as a control group in the experiment.
You may also get a visit from a fighting dog trainer. Sadly, some dog
owners train their dogs to be killers by using live animals as targets.
Then, there are the just plain mean people who abound. Of course, none
of these types of "adopters" will identify the true nature of
their interest.
* Talk to trusted family members and close trusted friends who are
interested in adopting the kittens or puppies. Preferably you want them
to live with someone whom you would trust with your own pet, and
who has had pets before. Granted, this isn't always possible.
Once you get a Contact
Screen adopters carefully! Grill them all you want. See if they've had
pets before. Find out why they want a new pet. Ask for identification
and get an address. If at all possible, try to visit their home to observe the
condition, particularly of other animals in the house.
You can draw up a small contract - it is legally binding, in fact (although
enforcing it may be a problem.) You can call a shelter, rescue group, or
breeder organization for guidelines. In writing, the adopter should
commit to the following:
They will spay or neuter the kitten
They will give the kitten proper veterinary care - yearly exams,
vaccinations, and visits to examine suspected health problems
The adopter will make the pet a member of the family. That means
a companion FOR LIFE.
"Red flags" to watch for. These certainly aren't automatic
disqualifications, but they do merit additional investigation.
Many young kids in the house Frequent traveling or business trips
A small apartment that already has other animals
College students living on campus
Military families
Sadly, the latter two categories contribute heavily to the feral cat
colonies that abound college campuses and military bases, because
of their transient nature.
Don't be shy about requesting a follow up visit or three.
Screen people very carefully over the phone and check all
references before allowing them to come to your home to see the
animal. The best reference is one from a veterinarian. It's very
easy for a person to list their friends, who may not be honest,
as references. A veterinary reference is the best way to check
the person you are dealing with.
Don't hesitate to say "no" to someone who doesn't "feel right,"
even after they have visited the pet. If no is difficult to
say, tell them that other interested people are coming later, and
you'll call them.
You should ideally leave time to visit the home of the new owner
before giving up your pet; this allows you to see the pet's new
surroundings and to see if the person in fact resides at the
address given.
Help your precious kitty live the Longest and
Healthiest Life Possible.....
Select this link to find out more!
