This means we cannot take in any cats or kittens, but we will be glad to help you with ideas and tips about finding a new home for your cat(s). Please call 671-7445 to talk with a Community Cats volunteer and receive a free information packet. Or click here to read this information online.

To find domestic cats who are looking for new homes, please visit the cats site at the Whatcom Humane Society website, or search for adoptable cats on Petfinder.com.

If you are interested in helping AHS research and develop new community cat assistance programs, please add your name to our mailing list and/or call us, at 671-7445.

To learn more about how to help outdoor cats, visit the excellent website of Alley Cat Allies.

Start close to home. Check with relatives, friends, neighbors, and co-workers about adopting this cat or kitten. You already know these people, but be sure to ask about their opinions toward spaying and neutering, indoor/outdoor arrangements, health issues sucah as vaccines, and cruelty issues such as declawing. Be convinced that this would be a responsible, permanent home.

Newspaper or bulletin board ad. If you need to place an ad in the paper, online, or on a bulletin board, please screen responders carefully. Many adorable pets placed through free ads end up in research labs, animal shelters, or dead from neglect. Be descriptive and specific without being too wordy, and include a good photo(s) if possible.

Bad ad: “Free cat/kittens to good homes. Call 555-1234.”

Better ad: “2 year old sweet, spayed female tabby cat needs a new home. Loves kids, no dogs please. Call 555-1234.”

Screening Potential Adopters

Some callers may be surprised that you want to interview them. They may even feel that they are doing you a favor, “so why all the questions?” Explain that you are looking for the best match possible, and that you expect to be talking to a number of callers before you decide. Good potential owners will appreciate your efforts.

Stay in charge of the conversation. Do not make decisions on the spot. Tell people you will get back to them. If possible, take the cat or kitten to the new home you’ve decided upon and finish up details. Ask to have everyone in the family present. One week trial adoptions are also a good way to go.

Questions to ask

-- Do you have a cat (or dog) now? How many pets total?
-- Are these other animals spayed or neutered? Current on vaccines?
-- Would you agree to spay or neuter this pet (if that has not already been done)?
-- If you had a pet previously, what happened to it?
-- Where do you live? Owner or renter? (If renter, is landlord approval for a pet necessary?)
-- Are you looking for an indoor only cat, or an indoor-outdoor pet?
-- Where will this cat eat and sleep? What type of food and litter will you provide?
-- Are there young children in the household?
-- What would happen to this cat if you moved?

Evaluating answers

-- If callers already have a pet, is it likely to get along with yours? If they have many pets, why are they getting another one? Pets are expensive and deserve individual time and attention.
-- Not spaying and neutering pets contributes to enormous overpopulation problems and puts individual cats at risk from fighting, roaming, and feline leukemia and AIDS. Regular exams and vaccines contribute to pet wellness.
-- What happened to a previously owned pet?
Good response: “It lived a long and happy life and died of natural causes.”
Bad response: “It ran off or got hit by a car. I’m not sure.”
-- Where people live and whether the pet will be indoor only or indoor-outdoor are important issues. Cats and kittens that are allowed to roam – especially at night – are vulnerable to many dangers: cars, dogs, diseases, coyotes, eagles, and unhappy neighbors, to name a few. Be sure to weigh these factors carefully. Cats are safest indoors or under close supervision outdoors.
-- It’s important to know the level of supervision in a household with young children. Some households supervise appropriately, others don’t. Kittens are very vulnerable to improper handling. Adult cats can resort to biting or scratching if they perceive (rightly or wrongly) that they are being threatened.
-- AHS receives many calls for help from people who are moving. Most pets move very well with planning and care. Make sure the callers would make that effort if they adopt your cat or kitten.

Copyright© 2008 Alternative Humane Society of Whatcom County