It is very hard for cats who are surrendered by their owners to adjust to a shelter
environment. The comfort of home is all they’ve ever known, so they often become
depressed, can become aggressive and even give up the will to live. For the well being
of your cat, surrendering him or her to a shelter should be an absolute last resort.
Please try and find a home for your cat by contacting friends, neighbors, co-workers or
family members. This is always a better alternative. Cats who are surrendered to
shelters are more susceptible to stress, illness and depression. They grieve the loss of
their families and often stop eating or contract an upper respiratory infection. Senior
cats are in the most danger of falling ill or giving up.
Shelters can't save and support the huge number of accidental litters, stray and family
cats brought to the shelter doors everyday. In the U.S. the most comprehensive data
indicates that nearly 72% of cats that enter these facilities are killed. There is no
guarantee your cat/kittens couldn’t end up being euthanized or losing his or her will to
live.
Almost all shelters and rescue groups will have a waiting list especially during kittens
season. (Kitten season is the time of year when cats give birth, flooding animal shelters
and rescue groups across the nation with homeless litters. Kitten season is really three
seasons in one, starting in spring, peaking in late spring or early summer, and ending in
fall) Please be patient.
Finding adoptive homes takes time and creative effort, but it is not impossible.
Thousands of grassroots groups and rescuers find homes for cats every day by
following these steps, being persistent, diligent, and remaining positive. Here are
screening tips and a sample application you can use to find a good fit and safe home on
your own: Alley Cat Allies rehoming resources
ReTailsIndy (phone: (317) 536-3227)
reTails is an organization devoted to ending the death of pets in shelters. They don't
operate a shelter. All of their adoptable pets are housed in foster homes until adopted.
If you are interested in having reTails help rehome a pet, please help them by providing
as much of the information as possible at http://www.retailsindy.org/rehome. Since
their adoptable pets are kept in foster homes, their ability to accept pets depends on
a number of factors, including the size/breed of a pet, how well it gets along with other
pets or children, and it's spay/neuter and medical status. Even if they don't have a foster
home available to accept the pet, they can still provide free courtesy postings on their
Petfinder listing and their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/reTails and may
have other resources available for helping.
Special considerations for kittens
Your first instinct when you see kittens may be to swoop them up and take them home
with you, but that is not always in the best interest of the kittens--or you. If the kittens
look healthy and safe - wait and see if mom returns. It is ideal that they stay with mom.
Please read the info on our kitten care page to help decide next steps.
Never give a pet away for free
Craigslist
If you spend much time at all on Craigslist, you’ll see lots of cats, dogs and other critters
looking for a new home. While the site is good to network a couch or other items you’d
like to sell, think twice about using Craigslist to market your pet. Lots of bad things can
happen to pets on advertised and rehomed on Craigslist: Please take the time to read this article.
Spay/neuter or medical care
We can help. Visit FACE Spay Neuter Clinic or please call
our clinic at 638-3223. We answer our phones M-F between 10-5. If you have an
urgent medical need call anytime and you will be prompted how to proceed. For non-
emergency medical questions please e-mail our patient care coordinator directly at
carecoordinator@facespayneuter.org
Food Assistance
Indianapolis Pet Food Pantry, 456 Holmes Ave, Indpls. IN 46222. The pantry is open for
dog/ cat owners and colony caretakers every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month from
Noon-4:00 pm. Animals must be spayed or neutered. Operated by FIDO,
(www.fidoindy.org), call 221-1314.
FIV/FeLV+ Cats
FIV and Felv is not an automatic death sentence. Learn more about the virus on our FIV/FeLV page.
This study shows that FIV positive cats can live harmoniously with FIV negative cats.
Behavior Tips
Jackson Galaxy is cat behaviorist with more than fifteen years of experience – and the
host of Animal Planet’s hit show My Cat From Hell – Jackson Galaxy specializes in
helping individuals whose “out of control” cats are turning their lives and homes upside
down. If you need help with issues such as spraying, introductions to a new home or
pet, litterbox issues, aggression etc please visit his site for helpful tips.
Allergies
While it is not uncommon for an individual to be allergic to cats and dogs, they are not
always the culprit when it comes to irritated eyes, sinuses and itchy skin. Every spring
and summer when the pollen count begins to rise, we see an influx of animals
surrendered due to allergies. We find many family doctors and pet owners
automatically jump to the conclusion that pets are to blame for allergies without doing
the proper testing or considering seasonal allergies. A simple blood test can determine
if you are allergic to pet dander. We encourage you to take that step before assuming
the pet you’ve lived with for all these years is now the cause of your sniffles. There are
numerous over the counter options to help control allergy symptoms as well. Here are
some additional pointers on how to help control pet related allergies: WebMD article.
New baby
We are constantly amazed by the number of dogs and cats who are surrendered not
only when the new baby arrives, but sometimes when they get the news! For many
couples, they assume a baby cannot safely co-exist with a pet. Not so! While there are
certainly dogs, and cats for that matter, who would not be appropriate for young
children, we urge you to speak with us regarding your pet’s temperament so we can
help you determine if they would be suitable and how to do a proper
introduction. Check out these very interesting articles regarding pets and babies!
We’re moving
According to the 2011 Census, Americans move 11.7 times in their lives. The average
life span of a dog or cat depending is around 10 years. This means your pet is
depending on you to take him or her with you every single time life takes you in a new
direction. In fact, their lives depend on it. Surrendering your pet, especially an older
one, is very hard on them both physically and emotionally. And if you take them to a kill
shelter, it is very possible they won’t survive. There are countless options for rental
properties that allow pets. And while there may be some pet rent or a deposit to pay,
isn’t that part of the lifelong commitment you made to your loyal companion? The price
they may end up paying is far greater. Please, before you sign a lease, make sure you
have confirmed that your pet is welcome too.
