Strays & Adoptions
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). We encourage cat people to contact Good Mews regarding their concern for a stray cat. Dr. Ray volunteers his time regularly at the Good Mews adoption facility to help these cats in need.
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!
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.
The Cat Clinic of Roswell will be hosting weekend adoption events with Dr. Ray present to answer all your questions regarding cats. Please contact our office to find out the schedule, and look for postings on the web site.
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
Spay/Neuter Assistance
Spay Georgia – 770-662-4479
Friends of Animals – 800-321-4387
Feline Rescue Contacts
All Dog & Cat Rescue Angels, Inc.
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
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
Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption (takes mixes)
Cherokee County Humane Society
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
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
Good Mews Animal Foundation (No-kill, roam-free cat shelter in Cobb County)
770-499-2287
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)
J Hopeful Hearts, Sherrie Forbes
Humane Friends Feline Rescue, Devan Pander
Humane Friends of West Georgia, Inc., Sharon Pate
Humane Society of Morgan County (Madison)
Humane Society of Northwest Georgia
706.226.5002
email: info@hsnwga.org or adoptions@hsnwga.org
Web: www.hsnwga.org
Paulding Humane Society, Inc.
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)
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
Susan Thompson (Hemingway/polydactyl cats)
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 404 584-7768
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