Adoption Standards

Thank you for considering Cat Care Society as the place to adopt your new cat or kitten. He/she will provide you many years of companionship and enjoyment. Our adoption fee includes: spay/neuter, first series of distemper/upper respiratory vaccinations, leukemia testing, deworming (if necessary), 15-day health guarantee, collar and I.D. tag, microchip, and a cardboard cat carrier. All adopters become Associate members of Cat Care Society for one year and will be placed on our mailing list. Cats come here from a variety of sources. Each cat is examined upon entry and health is routinely monitored, but a cat may be incubating a disease without showing any clinical signs. After the 15-day health guarantee, the cat's health is the new owner's responsibility.

The purpose of our adoption program is to place a cat in a responsible, lifetime home where it will:

• Receive veterinary care when needed
• Not add to the pet overpopulation problem
• Not cause a problem in the neighborhood
• Be accepted into the household as a family member
• Be happy with its owner and the owner be happy with the cat

In order to accomplish this goal, Cat Care Society has established the following standards and guidelines for adoption:

1. ADOPTERS SHOULD ALLOW FOR A MINIMUM 30 DAY period for the cat/kitten to adjust to its new environment and family. Please call us with any questions or concerns regarding your newly adopted cat.

2. ADOPTERS MUST BE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD. Identification is required to adopt a cat. All adults in the household must agree to the selection of the cat. Family members, roommates, etc. are encouraged to visit with the cat prior to the adoption process. All children in the home must visit prior to adoption.

3. ALL KITTENS WILL BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED. All kittens/cats will be spayed/neutered prior to adoption.

4. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE ADOPTION OF KITTENS TO HOMES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. In general, kittens should be 6 months old before being placed in homes where there are children under 6 years of age. Health and humane authorities agree that a young child usually cannot be expected to handle a kitten properly. Mishandling is likely to result in an injury to the child, the animal, or both.

5. ADOPTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO GIVE LIFELONG CARE TO A CAT. Renters should be aware that it could be more difficult to find rental housing that accepts pets.

Adopting a Cat

Cats are easily stressed by drastic changes in their homes and surroundings. A cat's habits may change with each owner. If you are unable to give a cat at least 30 days to adjust, please do not adopt. In addition, the following behaviors are normal for a cat. If you are unwilling to deal with them, we don't recommend adopting:

• Shedding hair all year long
• Periodically throwing up hairballs
• Jumping on counters, tables, generally going EVERYWHERE
• Scratching furniture (cats CAN be trained to use a scratching post)

Cat Care Society staff is trained to assist you in selecting the right cat. We are also available to assist with any questions or problems you may have concerning your cat in the future and we offer behavior problem assistance should you need it at any time.

Placing cats into new homes is a responsibility we take very seriously. Cats in the shelter are under the care of Cat Care Society and we reserve the right to refuse the adoption of any cat to any home at any time. When you are ready to adopt a cat, please come into the Shelter and complete the Adoption Application and one of our staff will assist you.