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Do you really
need to give up your cat?
I don't want
this section to be a lecture on why you should keep your
cat, but it is important to reinforce that often pets are
rehomed when it's not necessary to do so, this may be out of
fear, or a misunderstanding, or a simple problem which can
be fixed.
Firstly I
would like to mention that many people come to my forums
looking to rehome a cat because they have a baby on the way
& are worried for two reasons. The risk of catching
toxoplasmosis during pregnancy & risks to the baby once it's
been born. I would like to assure you that as long as you
take some careful steps, you, your cat & your baby can all
live safely & in harmony. So if you are pregnant, and
considering rehoming your cat, please do read the following
articles, which will hopefully put your mind at rest.
Cats
& Babies
How to introduce your cat & baby
If the reason
is behavioural, have you spoken to your veterinarian? There
are many effective medications & behavioural modification
techniques which may be of benefit.
Anyway, the
point is that sometimes people do need to rehome a pet, and
once they have decided to do so, it is important to take
measures to ensure your cat goes to a great new home with as
little stress as possible.
Before you
rehome:
-
If it hasn't
been done already, desex your cat. This is the only
guarantee that it won't be permitted to, or accidentally
become pregnant in the future.
-
If it's not
up to date on it's vaccinations, have them done so prior
to rehoming.
-
Gather
together all your cat's medical & vaccination records.
Shelters:
The first
place many people think of is the shelter. Shelters do an
absolutely phenomenal job, taking in pets who no longer have
a home, strays etc. Without shelters, many an animal would
live on the street. The sad truth is that many shelters have
too many animals & unfortunately sometimes they are forced
to euthanise animals because there jut aren't enough homes
to go around. So, if at all possible, rehoming a pet
yourself is a better solution. It relieves the burden on
shelters, so they have space to take in animals more needy
than your own.
Contact the
breeder:
If you have a
purebred cat, the first port of call is to contact your
breeder. Many of them will either take the cat back
themselves or put some feelers out & help you find a new
home for your cat.
Contact rescue
organisations:
Many rescue
organisations also will take in specific breeds. If your cat
breeder can't or won't take in your cat then ask if they
know of any rescue organisations who may be able to help.
Advertise:
There are many
places to advertise your cat both on the internet & locally.
Never offer your cat free to good home, no matter
what the breed. The reason for this is because sometimes people
will take free to good home pets & sell them to animal labs,
for practice with fighting dogs & other horrific reasons.
Print out
flyers & place them in your vet's office, pet store, pet
grooming salon etc.
Ask around, do
you have any friends, family members or co-workers who are
looking for a cat?
Find a
suitable home:
Don't rehome
to just anybody. If your cat doesn't like children, it's not
fair on the cat or the new family. If the cat is shy, be
honest about it. Be upfront about any behavioural issues or
medical problems the cat has. It is unfair to the new owners
if you don't tell them the truth, and could result in the
cat being surrendered to a shelter or worse, just dumped &
left to fend for itself.
I successfully
rehomed a very shy Siamese cat & was completely honest about
his personality. He was suited to life as a single cat, in a
quiet home without children & within a day of placing an
advertisement for him, the perfect home became available. He
went to live with a lovely couple who had just recently lost
their 16 year old Siamese & were looking to adopt an older
Siamese as opposed to a kitten. They had been made aware of
my cat's behaviour & personality & were happy to take him
on. Honesty is always the best policy in order to find the
perfect home.
Screen people
thoroughly:
Questions to
ask any potential new owners include;
-
Have you had
a pet before? If so, what happened to it?
-
Do you live
in a rental property? If so, do you have permission from
your landlord to keep a cat?
-
Will you be
keeping the cat indoors?
Follow your
feelings, if you have a bad feeling about somebody then
listen to that & don't let them take your cat.
The adoption:
If at all
possible, arrange to drop your cat off at it's new home so
you can see where it will be living.
Make sure you
hand over all relevant papers to the new owner, that
includes veterinary records, vaccination certificates &
microchipping forms. Ensure you transfer the microchip
information into the new owner's name.
If at all
possible, offer to take back the cat if it doesn't work out
with it's new family. This will give you peace of mind that
the cat will never end up either in the wrong hands, left to
fend for itself or in a shelter.
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