Adopting a Cat ? Look to Your own Local Shelter
Tuesday December 30, 2008
There never seems to be a dearth of potential homes for cats who make the news in a big way. I call it the "people being people" syndrome, and I am as vulnerable to it as any. You see, mass tragedy, such as animal shelters' "death row cats," is often too hard to witness. One can adopt a cat "in the news" without the pain of walking past cage after cats of cats begging for a new home. While it may seem noble to adopt a needy cat by long distance, there are several reasons why it is better to adopt a cat from your own local animal shelter.
Photo credit © Franny Syufy
Comments
I have in my spare room a sweet, quiet, scared older cat, with a sad history of litter after litter. She had cystic ovaries and a stretched out uterous. I can’t keep her and not one local rescue will take her into their program despite I have volunteered with them, paid for her spay, SNAP test and shots, fostering her and am willing to make a monetary donation for helping home her.
I am forced to use the resources of a rescue some 90km away to help me to find a “forever” home for my stray. In all likely hood, her sad story of abandonment, neglect and survival is the only way that she will get her chance of the home she should have had all along. I willing to pay them to screen prospective humans for the best home for her.
Some cats just need that extra bit, and it seems that often adopters moved by a particulary sad story are often moved to adopt another equally deserving but unstoried animal.
Unfortunately, not all shelters are “created equal”. I live in a rural area and adopted 2 cats a few years ago from a local branch of the OSPCA. Both cats (strictly indoors) died from FelV as a result of the shelter not doing proper screening (among other things). They didn’t even seem aware that other cats in the shelter had been potentially exposed to FelV and adopted out to unsuspecting clients. Long story short, the shelter could have cared less about what happened, and didn’t see the need to change anything about the way they operated the shelter. They just didn’t “get it”! Sadly, this has turned me off shelter adoptions. I have rescued “drop off” cats from my own back yard, paid for the necessary vet care including spay/neuter, then found them good homes. I realize that shelters work with the resources they have, but it is the “mismanagement” of those existing resources coupled with the uncaring “attitude” of some shelters that has turned me cynical.
Unfortunately I have to agree with the sentiment that not all shelters are created equal.
That being said I feel compelled to praise my local Animal Welfare Association - I have adopted 3 cats from them and would never go anywhere else to adopt. I support them by donating money, printing posters for their penny sales as well, I only wish I could do more. I guess I better hurry up and get rich!
AWA has a website where you can look through the pictures of cats and kittens that are up for adoption, most of the pictures are accompanied by a description of their personality, and even a short bio on how they came to AWA. There is also a special needs section where any cats/kittens that require medication, or have physical limitations can be found. Animal Welfare is a strictly no-kill organization, they provide a 2-week “trial” period, if there is a problem (ie allergies) you can return the cat/kitten to them. They require that any cat adopted from them be kept strictly indoors and be fed quality cat food. In other words they do all they can to find loving homes for the animals in their care, and they want to make sure the people adopting are getting the right cat.
Victoria, for what it is worth, I think that what you are doing is a truly wonderful thing. I am sure that truly special cat won’t forget all you have done for her.