Rehoming A Cat
Sometimes it's inevitable. You need to find a new home for a cat. Here are some suggestions
to make the process safe and less painful for the cat - and you.
- Give yourself enough time to find a suitable home. Sometimes adult cats get adopted
instantly; other times it takes months.
- Don't declaw the cat to make him more "marketable." Cats with claws are just as adoptable as cats without, and declawing could cause many problems for the cat and his future family.
- Keep lifelong friends or litter mates together. Many people are willing and eager to adopt two cats who are friends and bonded to each other. Chances are, feline friends will grieve for each other if separated, making the adjustment to a new home even more difficult and painful.
- Trust your cat's instincts and judgment. He'll let you know whether he wants to live with
the person who's interested in adopting him.
- Behavior issues are rarely a good reason to rehome a cat. You're just passing your problems along to someone else. If you feel that you have no choice, be honest with potential adopters and suggest ways they can avoid the problem. He needs to be an only cat, for instance, or he wants more access to the outdoors than you can provide.
- Screen potential adopters carefully. The Howard County Cat Club will be glad to give you a
copy of its application to use as a script when talking to people on the phone.
- Charge an adoption fee. This will protect the cat from being sold to a research lab or being used to train dogs to fight.
- Ask the adopter to sign a contract. The contract should include instructions about what to do with the cat if things don't work out.
- Deliver the cat to his new home yourself. If the home doesn't feel right leave, and take the cat with you. Spend a few minutes helping him get settled in and reassuring him. And be sure to take all of his familiar things - his dishes, favorite toys, and bedding. The familiar scents will reassure him. You also need to take his medical records.
- If you're having trouble finding a suitable home, try to work with a rescue group that will let you bring the cat to its adoption shows and will help you advertise the cat. The Howard County Cat Club will be glad to assist you.
