How to adopt a cat
Do you really want a cat? There’s nothing more soothing than the purring of a happy cat – those who have one around, know it’s true. And our cats, too, want a loving, forever home, warmth and care. That’s how we raised then, that’s how we taught them – because they also deserve to be happy.
So we’re trying to find those owners who can offer decent conditions. We saved them from the streets, from boxes, bags and we struggled to prepare them for their new families. Besides, we loved each one of them, so it really does matter to us how they will be treated and where they will live after being adopted.
In order to make sure that the kitten or cat in our care will find a nice home, we will talk with the potential owner… about cats, of course. Nothing unusual so far, is it? It’s just a talk between two (or more) persons who love cats, because why would anyone want to adopt a pet if he doesn’t love animals?
We want the cat adopted from us to have a good life. To be loved, cared for, fed properly and, if needed, to be taken to the vet’s to be treated. We want the owner to treat her as a family member, like we did.
And last but not least, we want to keep in touch! Because everything that we do is for the cats!
If everything is fine so far, we will pick the lucky cat. Or she will pick us, because sometimes, you go home with a totally different cat than the one you saw in the pictures.
We also sign an adoption contract – well, here is where the troubles start arising…
The adoption paper we have since the beginning proved to be quite a serious problem in the case of some adoptions. In the end, the cat stayed with us, although she certainly would have wanted a forever home…
The contents of this contract is not something unseen before: the personal data of the new owner, address, phone, information about the cat to be adopted and… conditions. Why do we need personal data? To know who the person who assumes the responsibility for the cat is, to be able to ask about the cat once in a while and to know where to go if we agree upon a visit. We love them very much, each one of them and we’re happy when we get news about the cat we cared for.
On the second page there are some conditions which the future owner must respect. For most people who love cats and want one, these are normal things.
But let’s see some of them:
- not to abandon the cat and if, for any reason, she is no longer wanted, they will return the cat to the Association; [Of course, a responsible owner will never ever abandon the cat. But we had some cases when the cat was brought back for various reasons: she couldn’t accommodate, personal problems, she scratched the couch etc. And then, there was Bonzo, whom we found on the streets a few months after having been adopted…]
- to treat the cat kindly; [This point and the next need no further explanations.]
- to offer food, water, liberty of movement etc.
- to go to the vet’s for the regular check-out / vaccine and to ensure veterinary care and treatment in case of illness or injury; [Just like us, cats get sick from now and then and therefore, she needs help. Besides, the vaccine and the deworming must be done regularly in order to avoid trouble.]
- to spay/neuter the cats when they reach the minimum age for sterilization, if not neutered/spayed at the moment of adoption; [Here, we speak about kittens – 3-5 months old, adopted, who couldn’t have been sterilized so young. But the owners must know this, because they assume responsibility not only for the adopted cat, but also for her kittens.]
- to allow the members of the association to visit the cat to make sure that the conditions imposed by the association are met; [ Of course, we do not burst into people’s houses, we ask permission to visit. In many cases, we don’t even need to go. We get pictures and news about the cats and we know they are safe and loved, so it’s pointless to stress them.]
- to keep cat on private property and not leave her unattended in public; [Many bad things can happen on the streets, believe us, they all come from there …]
- to make sure the cat doesn’t run away from home in the first month. [Most of the cats need some time to adjust to their new environment – some more, some less. Even the shy ones, if given enough time, will become loving and friendly. But maybe not in the first 2-3 days, or week, when they are stressed and frightened. That’s why you need to keep an eye on them at first, keep them indoors and show them that they have everything they need right there, with you, there’s no need to look anywhere else for love, food or care.]
As you can see, our conditions are not there just because, there’s a good reason for them being in the contract. Some are for information only, but others will make a potential adopter think before acting. But we do not sell things, we give cats for adoption. They have been saved from the streets and they have received another chance which we want them to keep: a chance to a happy life.
