Placing Stray Cats
It’s a dilemma for many
cat-lovers: we want to rescue homeless and abandoned cats, but we
can’t always keep the strays that we want to help. Here are some
tips to help you find a good adoptive home for a stray cat.
Please note: The Cat Clinic of Roswell does not accept cats
for adoption from the public. Our adoptees are from Good Mews, a
cats-only no-kill shelter in Marietta (770-499-2287).
If you want a new home for your own pet…
Statistics show that almost 80% of cats do not stay with their first
owner beyond two years. Sadly, shelters usually have more animals
turned-in by owners than strays. The reasons vary, but often include
allergies, moving, childbirth, and behavior problems. The good news
is that you don’t have to give up the cat in order to address these
(and other) issues! If your cat has a medical or behavioral problem,
call our clinic for free behavioral advice or to set up an
appointment.
If you or a family member has an allergy problem, please consult an
allergy specialist, such as Dr. Ted Lee (404-351-7520), who will
work with you to manage the allergies and allow you to keep your
cat.
Are you sure the stray is homeless?
Don’t just assume that a wandering animal is homeless, or that she
has an uncaring owner. Even careful and loving owners sometimes lose
a pet. If the stray willingly comes to you and seems social, it may
be someone’s missing pet. Most cats don’t stray far, so ask
neighbors whether they recognize the cat. Call local shelters and
ask whether a similar animal has been reported missing. Check the
Lost and Found ads. Have the animal checked for a microchip ID.
If the cat’s owner cannot be found, your next task is to find her a
new home.
First things first
The first priority is to keep both the stray cat and your pets safe
until a new home is found. If you have other pets, keep the stray
apart from them to avoid potentially transmitting parasites or
disease. Perhaps you can keep the stray in a small room or a
bathroom. Do not allow your pets to share the stray’s dishes or
litter box. If you cannot keep the cat for a few days, ask a friend
to foster the cat for you, or board the cat (be sure to ask whether
there’s a discount for rescued strays).
Make the stray more adoptable
It will be easier to place the stray if you can have her checked by
a vet and tested for FIV (Feline Aids) and FeLV (Feline Leukemia).
If the cat hasn’t been spayed or neutered, consider having that
done; there are low-cost spay/neuter programs that can help with the
cost. (See Spay Georgia and Friends of Animals information on page
3.) You should also consider getting the cat vaccinated and dewormed
for intestinal parasites. Socialize the stray as much as possible;
visit and play with her, and get her used to being petted and
brushed. If the cat is healthy, negative for feline leukemia and FIV
and dewormed you can consider mixing him or her with your own cats.
(See our Introducing Cats handout for more ideas.)
Spread the word!
You have to be assertive to find a new home for the stray!
Print a flier
Print a flier with a picture of the cat and your contact
information. Tell a little about the cat (she’s playful, she’s
quiet, she likes children, she doesn’t like dogs, etc.), provide any
medical information you have (she’s been spayed, she’s been
vaccinated, etc.), and why you need to place her. See the sample
flier on page 4.
Advertise
Place an ad in local newspapers, including the small weekly news
sheets; many offer free “found” ads. Post signs in your
neighborhood. Put a notice in your neighborhood newsletter. Ask to
place a flier in veterinarians’ offices and pet supply stores. Post
a notice on the bulletin board at your office, your gym, your
church, and anywhere else you can think of. Many people prefer to
adopt cats out of private homes rather than from shelters, but you
need to reach them!
Word of mouth
Talk to friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers, the clerk at
the grocery store, and so on. The more people you talk to, the
better the chances that you’ll find someone who will provide a great
home for the cat. Keep a couple of fliers with you at all times so
you can give one to anybody who expresses interest.
Wanting the stray is not enough!
You may be tempted to give the stray to the first person who calls –
but please don’t! Carefully screen the callers until you’re sure
that you’ve found a good home. Remember: the cat’s life depends on
your decision. It is better to mistakenly turn down a good home than
to put the cat into a bad home. You need to make sure that the
person is willing and able to take on the expense and responsibility
of owning a cat.
Ask to see where the cat will be living. Check the condition of
other animals in the home to verify that they are well cared-for.
Ask what happened to the person’s previous pets. Does the potential
adopter have a vet? Does the person understand the necessity of
vaccines and annual exams? Will the cat be fed a high-quality diet?
Will she be kept safely indoors? Does the prospective owner
understand the dangers of declawing? (See our Adoption Application
for ideas.)
Do not give the cat away for free. People who are willing to pay
something for a pet are more likely to be serious about caring for
it. Sad to say, there are also people out there who gather free
animals for medical experiments, or worse.
No-kill shelters and rescue organizations
Contact the no-kill shelters and rescue organizations in your area,
and ask whether they can accept the stray. It is important to verify
that it is a no-kill shelter, meaning that they will keep the stray
until she is adopted. (Other shelters will usually euthanize an
animal within a few days.) No-kill shelters are usually full, and
you may have to place your stray on a waiting list.
You can find the names and phone numbers of local shelters in the
phone book, often under the name of the county where you live.
There is lots of information on the Internet about shelters and
rescue organizations. Refer to the Resources section below. Please
remember that Web site addresses may change. Try using a search
engine to locate shelters in your area.
Keep in mind that there are far too many homeless pets and too few
people willing to help place them. If you don’t immediately get a
return call from a rescue organization, try again. These
hard-working animal-lovers are doing their best, but there are only
so many hours in a day!
Weekend adoption events
Many organizations run weekend adoption events at stores such as
Petsmart. There may be a waiting list to get your stray into one of
these adoption events. Many of these organizations need volunteers;
perhaps you can offer to help staff an adoption event in exchange
for bringing your stray cat for adoption.
These organizations may also have names of possible foster parents.
Don’t give up!
It takes time and effort to place a stray cat into a new home, and
it rarely happens in a single day. There are just too many homeless
animals and too few homes. Keep at it until the cat has a suitable
forever-home.
And if you decide you can squeeze one more stray into your home and
your heart, so much the better! That leaves a potential home for
another stray kitty! Contact our clinic for free advice on how to
integrate the new cat into your household, or download information
from our Web site.
Resources
www.spotsociety.org
www.petfinder.com
Sample flier for posting
Spay/neuter assistance
Spay Georgia (770-662-4479)
Friends of Animals (800-321-4387)
Feline Rescue Contacts
All Dog & Cat Rescue Angels, Inc.
770-714-2880
e-mail:
Siems@bellsouth.net
Web:
www.petfinder.org/shelters/GA323.html
Animals Deserve Better, Inc. (Dog & cat rescue group)
Kimberly Brenowitz or Lisa Peachey
770-402-0297/404-735-6013
e-mail:
ADB@AnimalsDeserveBetter.com
Web:
www.AnimalsDeserveBetter.com
Animal Action Rescue
e-mail:
chrissy@animalactionrescue.org
Web:
www.animalactionrescue.petfinder.com
Arkful Designs & Animal Rescue (Dog & cat rescue)
Mindy Nelson - 478-836-9507
e-mail:
arkful@aol.com
Web:
www.arkful.com
Atlanta Persian & Siamese Rescue
770-694-6275
e-mail:
cheryldarity@acninc.net
Web:
http://www.cat-rescue.org/
Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption (takes mixes)
404-815-6680
e-mail:
info@atlantapetrescue.org
Web:
www.atlantapetrescue.org
Carroll County Humane Society
770-830-2763
e-mail:
cchs@westga.edu
Web:
www.carrollcountyhumane.org
Cherokee County Humane Society
770-928-5115
e-mail:
admin@cchumanesociety.org
Web:
www.cherokeeanimals.petfinder.com or
www.cchumanesociety.org
Cherokee Humane Society, Lori Gastaldo (Cats Only)
678-755-3227
e-mail:
peanut_lg@yahoo.com
Cherokee County Pet Rescue (Siamese, Rexes and Ragdoll, will take
mixes)
Caroline Boudreau
e-mail:
wittle13@yahoo.com
Web:
ccpr.petfinder.com
Clayton County Humane Society
No kill adoption facility for dogs & cats
770-471-9436
e-mail:
info@claytoncountyhumane.org
Web:
www.claytoncountyhumane.org
7810 North McDonough St., Jonesboro, GA 30236
Cobb County Humane Society
770-428-5678
e-mail:
humanecobb@aol.com
Web:
www.humanecobb.org
Fancy Feline Rescue of the South LLC, Dale Thompson
Cats ONLY: Persian, Himalayan, Exotics, Ragdoll, Birman, Maine Coon,
Siamese and mixes of these breeds.
678-522-2152
e-mail:
fancyfelineresq@bellsouth.net
Web:
www.fancyfelinerescue.petfinder.org
For Paws Sake, Lisa Zarem (Conyers)
Cat adoption group (Also gives information and advice on trap/spay
and release of ferals)
770-918-9057
e-mail:
ForPawsSake@aol.com
Web:
www.ForPawsSake.org
Furkids (Cat division)
Cat adoptions and advise on feral cats.
770-613-0009
email:
info@furkids.org
Web:
www.furkids.org
Griffin - Spalding County Humane Society
770-229-4925
e-mail:
sgbdoggingalong@yahoo.com
Web:
www.griffinhumanesociety.org
Good Mews Animal Foundation (No-kill, roam-free cat shelter in Cobb
County)
770-499-CATS (2287)
e-mail:
info@goodmews.org
Web:
www.goodmews.org
Homeless Pets Foundation
pet adoptions & will pay for life saving veterinary bills for pet
caregivers in financial need
404-451-9494
e-mail:
homes4pets@earthlink.net
Web:
www.homelesspets.com
Homeward Bound Pet Rescue (Gilmer County)
706-698-HOME (4663)
e-mail:
homeward@ellijay.com
Web:
www.homeward.petfinder.com
J Hopeful Hearts, Sherrie Forbes
678-232-2695
e-mail:
sherrieforbes@mindspring.com
Web:
www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA205.html
Humane Friends Feline Rescue, Devan Pander
678-491-4140
e-mail:
humanefriends@bellsouth.net
Web:
www.humanefriends.org
Humane Friends of West Georgia, Inc., Sharon Pate
770-301-6914
e-mail:
info@humanefriendsofwestgeorgia.org
Web:
www.humanefriendsofwestgeorgia.org
Humane Society of Forsyth County
770-887-6480
e-mail:
Forsythpets@aol.com
Web:
www.Forsythpets.com
Humane Society of Morgan County (Madison)
706-343-9977
e-mail:
Hsmc30650@yahoo.com
Web:
www.morgan.petfinder.com
Humane Society of Northwest Georgia
706.226.5002
email:
info@hsnwga.org or
adoptions@hsnwga.org
Web:
www.hsnwga.org
Paulding Humane Society, Inc.
770-443-3565
e-mail:
PauldingHumane@aol.com
Web:
www.pauldinghumanesociety.org
PAWS Atlanta (formerly DeKalb Humane)
No kill adoption shelter for dogs & cats
770-593-1155
e-mail:
volunteers@pawsatlanta.org or
dirop@dekalbhumane.org
Web:
http://www.pawsatlanta.org/
5287 Covington Highway, Decatur, GA 30035
Pet Matchmaker
A unique pet adoption service designed to help people find their
perfect pet.
312-543-5473
e-mail:
Denise@petmatchmaker.net
Web:
www.petmatchmaker.net
Pup And Cat Co., A Humane Society (Gwinnett, Hall, Barrow County
area)
770-867-1622
e-mail:
pupandcatco@alltel.net
Web:
www.pupandcatco.com
Rescue Cats, Inc. (Fayetteville)
house cats only - no ferals
678-817-9647
e-mail:
rescuecats@hotmail.com
Web:
www.rescuecats.org
Rome-Floyd County Humane Society, Inc.
706-234-7979 or 706-295-3115
Web:
www.rfhs.org
e-mail:
rfhs@cybertyme.com
Society of Humane Friends
Gwinnett group that rescues and finds new homes for dogs and cats.
e-mail:
humanefriends@yahoo.com
e-mail:
shf@petfinder.com
Southern HOPE Humane Society
holds adoptions every weekend at the Kennesaw Petsmart, Petsmart
Ponce DeLeon every Saturday, Petsmart LaVista every Saturday
770-445-7294
e-mail:
shhspvar@aol.com
Web:
www.hopehumane.org
Stray Atlanta
e-mail:
strayatlanta@comcast.net
Web:
www.strayatlanta.org
Susan Thompson (Hemingway/polydactyl cats)
706-654-5412
e-mail:
svkinsey2002@yahoo.com
Website that specializes in FIV/FeLV/FIP Cats
www.bemikitties.com/felv/cgi-bin/suite/classifieds/classifieds.cgi
Feral Cat Resources
Alley C.A.T.S. (Alley Cat Alliance for Trapping & Sterilization)
770-436-6758 (please leave message)
e-mail:
lverner@abraxis.com
Catlanta
Provides education and information to individuals in order for them
to implement a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program in their residential
or business neighborhoods; also provides connections to low cost
spay/neuter vets and trap depots.
404-292-8800 ext. 21
Web:
www.atlantapets.org
Feral Friends Network
If you know of feral cats that need to be trapped, fixed and
released, this group can look to see if they have anyone to assist
you with the trapping in your area. Then if you need financial help
getting them fixed, you can contact SPOT at 404 584-SPOT(7768).
www.alleycat.org/feral_friends.html
Project CatSnip
Project CatSnip leases traps for use in their Trap-Neuter-Release
program. Traps are available at their Doraville Animal Welfare
Center. A small deposit is required and is refundable when the trap
is returned.
Spay $55.00 / Neuter $35.00 (Cats or kittens only!)
Reservations Call 770-448-6806
Web:
www.projectcatsnip.com