How to Find a New Home for Your Cat 

Cats are wonderful companions. If they receive good care, they can lead long, healthy lives. Sadly, families that did not act responsibly towards their cat abandon thousands of cats. It is difficult but not impossible to find a great home for your cat.  

Medical and Litter box Issues

If you are trying to find a new home for your cat because he stopped using the letterbox, stop. No one wants to take on a cat that is going to mess up his or her house. If someone offers, find out what is wrong with him or her, you cannot take it why would he or she? If your cat is not using the litter box, take the cat to the vet. If there is nothing, wrong with the cat try working on the issue through tips from a cat behavior expert. This problem can be solved. 

Vaccinations, Spay or Neuter and Testing

One way to make your cat more attractive to adopters is to bring your cat up to date on veterinary work. The cat should be tested for FIV and FELUK. Rabies and other vaccinations should be current and your cat must be spayed or neutered. 

Eight Out of Ten Cats Entering Michigan’s Animal Shelters Will be Killed

Michigan’s sheltering system is little more than a tax and donor funded killing machine. Even shelters that try to find homes for cats rarely adopt more than 50%. Do not count on a shelter to either find a home for your cat or even kill the cat humanely. Michigan allows shelters to kill animals in carbon monoxide gas chambers, carbon dioxide 55-gallon drums and sell or give to research dealers to be used for experimentation. In other words, ask many questions and think very seriously about what you are doing if you send your cat to a shelter. Do not pretend that the cat is going to find a new home. 

Your Address Book is Your Best Resource

Send an email to everyone in your address book explaining why you need to find a home for your cat. Include good pictures of the cat. Explain the cat’s qualities, personality and any tricks the cat can perform. Offer to include all of the things you have for the cat including beds, food, dishes, litter box, six months supply of litter, furniture and any medicine the cat needs. Ask your contacts to pass the information along to anyone they think might want a new pet. 

Animal Rescue Groups

Animal rescue groups can be a useful resource when you need to find a home for your cat. Contact local groups to find out if they will help, you find a home by displaying your cat’s picture on their website. Can they allow you to bring your cat to adoption shows? Is there any other assistance they can give? 

Be careful before you give your cat to a rescue group to foster. Ask to visit the place where the cat will stay. If there are cages for cats, consider whether you want your cat living in a cage. Ask yourself would you want to live there if you were a cat. Also, consider that conditions can change. Many animal hoarders start out as rescue people and turn into animal abusers when they become overwhelmed. If the person you are giving your cat to says yes quickly or says yes to many people, then just say no. It may save your cat’s life. 

Free to Good Home, Craigslist and Freecycle

Never advertise your cat as free to good home. Michigan is the home to three of the 15 research dealers in the United States. Class B Dealers take animals from individuals or shelters and resell them to research facilities. Free pets are also attractive to pit fighting trainers. Sadly, unethical snake owners take free kittens to feed to their snakes. In addition, animal hoarders usually have a desperate need to “protect” pets so they will try to take free to good home cats. 

Always charge a fee for your cat. Check out the person who is adopting your cat. Contact their veterinarian and make certain that they have taken care of previous pets. Drop the cat off at their home. Ask to see their driver’s license to make certain they live at the house you are at.  

You Can Find a Home for Your Cat, Be Persistent

You love your cat and are responsible for how your cat lives. Start looking for a home as soon as you find out that you are moving. Do not expect anyone to drop everything to take your cat. The sad truth is there are thousands of homeless cats in Michigan. You can find your cat a new home, but you must work hard and start early.