Kitten Adoption Ideas...

[nixpix5]

As I type this I am looking at my 5 precious, almost 8 week old kittens who we will need to be thinking about rehoming in the next few weeks. Our plan was to keep them for 10 to 12 weeks as mommy cat, who stopped nursing after a couple weeks and I bottle fed them, now has started nursing them and grooms them lovingly. They are eating it up.

 

Here is my problem...we are keeping mama cat and I have her spay appointment on the calendar. I don't know what life was like for her before but she is bonded to us. We also are going to keep one kitten and one is going to my inlaws.

 

That leaves 3 precious babies that I am fiercely protective of. I don't want to part with them but we cannot keep them all. How do I find good families? I feel like I have no clue how to carefully select homes for them. Should I give them to an organization who can find good homes? I just feel gutted. Any thoughts or good ideas? I don't even know where to find families. It is against rules to list on most sites and I am not convinced that will get the best homes. Anyone know any amazing families in the PNW who wants a ball of cuteness? ;) Throw your ideas my way please.

[Guest]

Where exactly in the PNW?  I'm not above driving ~8 hours for kittens... ;)  What's three more when you've already got 4?

[Catwoman]

I have experience with this.

 

We ended up keeping all of the kittens.

 

I'm not helping you at all, am I? ;)

[Barb_]

I know how you feel. We've fostered mama cats three other times. The good news is, in just a couple of weeks they'll begin climbing your curtains and clawing your sofa and driving you crazy.

 

It's hard. I still remember every kitten and puppy I've rehomed. I wish I could have kept them all. My suggestion would be to print off an adoption application from a rescue and use it as inspiration. Post on Facebook, NextDoor, and Craigslist. Have people fill out the application and charge a spay/neuter fee. People value what they must pay for.

[Tanaqui]

I have always done the friend-of-a-friend route. However, if all your friends and friends-of-friends are full up on kittens, I suggest using the following rules, which most reputable adoption agencies and breeders will use as well: If the adoption doesn't work out, the kitten must be returned TO YOU, not just rehomed, given to a shelter, or left on the street; they have to pay an adoption fee (even $5 and you write a check for that amount to the Humane Society is better than nothing - sad but true, many people will take better care of a kitten they paid for); and you must actually meet the people who will live in the home. Yes, including the children. (Some agencies require a home visit, and I see their point, but I've never cared to do it myself. I have made everybody who ever took a kitten off my hands listen to a long lecture on their favorite foods, my policy on training, why I use the kitty litter I chose, and the subject of declawing. Anybody who does not spontaneously agree that declawing is the worst thing ever does not get a kitten.)

 

I also suggest asking that they send you an update picture after a week, but that's because of a special issue of mine: Every time I rehome an animal, a week later I have a nightmare that I didn't just rehome them, I've just been forgetting to feed them. That picture really helps!

 

I also strongly feel that kittens should be housed in pairs and trios or at least with another cat. None of the shelters where I live will adopt out solo kittens unless there is another cat in the household, a policy I firmly agree with. It's not that likely you'll find a home that wants three kittens, but you should be able to find one that wants two. Can your mom take a second kitten, or can you keep an additional one? If you really can't, you can't, but I think it'd be better if you could try to adopt them out together.

 

Oh, and one more thing: You really must, must, must get the kittens neutered and vaccinated with their first round of shots before you give them away. You simply cannot trust other people to do it for you. They won't. No matter how carefully you vet them, they just won't. Make them pay part of the cost as the adoption fee. If they're not willing to pay it, that's how you know they would not have taken the animals to the vet.

[nixpix5]

Catwoman you made me crack up :) I personally love that advice. Wish I could take it!

 

WendyandMilo I am in a town just north of Seattle.

 

Barb great idea! I hadn't thought about that and it would give me something to start with!

[nixpix5]

I have always done the friend-of-a-friend route. However, if all your friends and friends-of-friends are full up on kittens, I suggest using the following rules, which most reputable adoption agencies and breeders will use as well: If the adoption doesn't work out, the kitten must be returned TO YOU, not just rehomed, given to a shelter, or left on the street; they have to pay an adoption fee (even $5 and you write a check for that amount to the Humane Society is better than nothing - sad but true, many people will take better care of a kitten they paid for); and you must actually meet the people who will live in the home. Yes, including the children. (Some agencies require a home visit, and I see their point, but I've never cared to do it myself. I have made everybody who ever took a kitten off my hands listen to a long lecture on their favorite foods, my policy on training, why I use the kitty litter I chose, and the subject of declawing. Anybody who does not spontaneously agree that declawing is the worst thing ever does not get a kitten.)

 

I also suggest asking that they send you an update picture after a week, but that's because of a special issue of mine: Every time I rehome an animal, a week later I have a nightmare that I didn't just rehome them, I've just been forgetting to feed them. That picture really helps!

 

I also strongly feel that kittens should be housed in pairs and trios or at least with another cat. None of the shelters where I live will adopt out solo kittens unless there is another cat in the household, a policy I firmly agree with. It's not that likely you'll find a home that wants three kittens, but you should be able to find one that wants two. Can your mom take a second kitten, or can you keep an additional one? If you really can't, you can't, but I think it'd be better if you could try to adopt them out together.

 

Oh, and one more thing: You really must, must, must get the kittens neutered and vaccinated with their first round of shots before you give them away. You simply cannot trust other people to do it for you. They won't. No matter how carefully you vet them, they just won't. Make them pay part of the cost as the adoption fee. If they're not willing to pay it, that's how you know they would not have taken the animals to the vet.

Oh my goodness you are a kitty adoption Goddess. Thank you! This is all such great info and again, something I hadn't thought about.

 

Inlaws have 2 already, and I have thought about keeping 2. Due to DH'S job we are currently renting and 2 max pets. Our landlord has been very gracious with our litter of kittens knowing they are temporary. If we owned right now I would keep them in a heartbeat.

 

I do like the idea of adopting them out together though. So maybe I can insist 2 go together and the other to a home with other cats.

 

So I think what needs to happen is you hop in the car and road trip on over to help me out hahaha! All joking aside though, thank you for all this great info!

Edited September 29, 2017 by nixpix5

[Guest]

Oh my goodness you are a kitty adoption Goddess. Thank you! This is all such great info and again, something I hadn't thought about.

 

Inlaws have 2 already, and I have thought about keeping 2. Due to DH'S job we are currently renting and 2 max pets. Our landlord has been very gracious with our litter of kittens knowing they are temporary. If we owned right now I would keep them in a heartbeat.

 

I do like the idea of adopting them out together though. So maybe I can insist 2 go together and the other to a home with other cats.

 

So I think what needs to happen is you hop in the car and road trip on over to help me out hahaha! All joking aside though, thank you for all this great info!

If you can't find a home for the lonely one, PM me and I will be there in a heartbeat.  I'm serious.  I just had to put my oldest cat down this last winter because her cancer had returned.  She was 12.  We now have four cats and it feels kind of off.

[Guest]

MEOW in Kirkland might have some ideas. I have a friend who is a cat fostered and workjs closely with them. If you knew my friend, you’d know the value of her opinion. (She has 6 newborn kittens born from a MEOW rescue cat.)

[nixpix5]

If you can't find a home for the lonely one, PM me and I will be there in a heartbeat. I'm serious. I just had to put my oldest cat down this last winter because her cancer had returned. She was 12. We now have four cats and it feels kind of off.

Awesome! I might be hitting you up if you are serious. They have 2 to 3 more weeks and then he would be ready to go. My husband and I are dying inside because we love this guy so much. My DH was just watching an episode of Doctor Who with the kids and he was laying in his lap purring like a motor. He is just precious. I am on my phone or I would upload a pic of them. They are just so cute!

[Tanaqui]

Oh, incidentally, I want to thank you for keeping them for a minimum of ten weeks. So many people adopt them out at eight weeks and... well, you can do that, but I think it's healthier for the kittens to be a little older. Not just physically healthier, but healthier in terms of their social-emotional development as cats. Ten to twelve is perfect, and it means they're old enough for their first vet visit and all that.

[Pawz4me]

Ideally a kitten should see the vet for the first time between six and eight weeks but no later than nine weeks. Ten to twelve weeks is too long IMO. In the rescues I've volunteered with we've tried our best to have all kittens seen by a vet between six and seven weeks.

 

Whatever you do, I urge to you absolutely ask for an adoption fee. You can (and should) keep it small and reasonable. But if you don't ask for one in many parts of the country it could mean that your sweet kitties will be used as bait for fighting dogs. :(

 

Around here you can't simply "give" kittens to rescue groups. Most are way too overcrowded with strays already. Many will post courtesy listings on Petfinder or Adoptapet, though.

 

My very favorite way of screening adopters is by getting a vet reference, although some vets are now requiring permission from the potential adopter first.

[Tanaqui]

Ideally a kitten should see the vet for the first time between six and eight weeks but no later than nine weeks. Ten to twelve weeks is too long IMO. In the rescues I've volunteered with we've tried our best to have all kittens seen by a vet between six and seven weeks.

 

At $50 per checkup, I couldn't get my last set of kittens seen by a vet until they were big enough to neuter, which did mean nearly 10 weeks (and I went to the ASPCA van for that first visit). Five kittens and mom can add up really fast in price. (Even at the van, it adds up - and I borrowed a SNAP card so I could get the discounted price!)

 

At any rate, it's essential for them to see a vet and get their shots and their surgery before they're adopted out, which I think we definitely both agree on.

 

But if you don't ask for one in many parts of the country it could mean that your sweet kitties will be used as bait for fighting dogs.

 

Or in dodgy labs, or so I've always been told, anyway. I don't care to look up the stats on how likely this is - I'm too scared that it's NOT an urban legend :(

 

Edited September 29, 2017 by Tanaqui

[nixpix5]

Ideally a kitten should see the vet for the first time between six and eight weeks but no later than nine weeks. Ten to twelve weeks is too long IMO. In the rescues I've volunteered with we've tried our best to have all kittens seen by a vet between six and seven weeks.

 

Whatever you do, I urge to you absolutely ask for an adoption fee. You can (and should) keep it small and reasonable. But if you don't ask for one in many parts of the country it could mean that your sweet kitties will be used as bait for fighting dogs. :(

 

Around here you can't simply "give" kittens to rescue groups. Most are way too overcrowded with strays already. Many will post courtesy listings on Petfinder or Adoptapet, though.

 

My very favorite way of screening adopters is by getting a vet reference, although some vets are now requiring permission from the potential adopter first.

Thank you for this honesty. This is what I need to hear. I am not a breeder and this was a stray mama. I am clueless about all of this. I am going to keep them longer and will definitely do the vet check up myself. I assumed people getting a pet would care for them :(

 

Fighting dog bait literally made me feel dizzy. That is horrifying. It makes me want to cry for both the poor babies and the poor dog :(

[Tanaqui]

I assumed people getting a pet would care for them :(

 

A lot of people don't think that routine vet care is part of the cost of having a pet. They think taking care of a cat means feeding them, playing with them, scooping out the box, and taking it to the vet for emergencies - but not going for yearly checkups and booster shots.

 

And even if they have the best of intentions, it's too easy to look at your bills, look at your priorities, and put "take cat to the vet" on the non-urgent list indefinitely.

 

Cats are generally healthy animals, and if they're fed and don't get injured they can live quite well for a long time without checkups. This is not ideal, but it's not the definition of a bad pet owner to skip a checkup or two out of ignorance or lack of funds. I mean, that's not *great* pet parenting, but you can be a mostly adequate caregiver to your cat and just not do routine visits.

 

The crucial thing is that first set of vaccinations and the neutering - you can't put that off, and unfortunately, there are no guarantees if you trust other people to do it.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Tanaqui

[Lady Florida.]

Is there a local cat rescue that can help? Even if they can't take them in they might be able to give you suggestions for how to find good homes.