Q. How did the cats end up here?
A. They each have their own individual story. Is there a cat you're interested in? I'll tell you his story. Unfortunately, none of the stories involve fulfilling a cat's lifelong dream of ending up in the care of an animal rescue group. (No, that is not my actual response. But it's what I'd LIKE to say, sometimes. Often, people seem to believe that there must be some HAPPY reason the cats are in rescue care.)
Q. I want a declawed cat. Are these cats declawed?
A. (Oh my God do not get me started.) No, the cats are not declawed. And no, you may not adopt a cat and then declaw it. If you are adamant in having a declawed cat, I will help you find cats in local shelters who have already (unfortunately) been declawed. Our rescue group strongly disapproves of declawing. (VERY strongly). Would you be interested in a pamphlet on the declawing process and its effect on a cat? (I know, I know, I sound like some kind of PETA weirdo, here, but jeezus CHRIST declawing is brutal.)
Q. I like that cat, but I'm not sure I'm ready to adopt. Would it be mean to go in and visit with it, and then not adopt it?
A. Absolutely not. Come on in! The cats get bored here, and they can use the company. They won't hold it against you if you visit and then don't adopt. You might go home with a little cat fur on your clothes, though. Oh, and only one child at a time, accompanied by an adult - we don't want the cats to get overwhelmed. (And if your child is afraid of cats, this is really NOT the time or the place to try to work through that fear. Do that with a cat you actually KNOW, please. Our cats are not guinea pigs.)
Q. There was a cat here a few weeks ago who isn't here anymore. Did it get adopted?
A. It may have gotten adopted, or it may have gone back to its foster home for a stay. We don't like to keep the cats here for too long in these cages. After a couple of weeks here, they go back to their foster homes for a break. If you can remember the name of the cat, or its coloring, or even just the cage it was in, I can let you know if it was adopted or if it is on break.
Q. Why are the cats so expensive? They're just strays.
A. (cough) The adoption fee is eighty-five dollars. That includes spaying or neutering, all their required shots, testing for feline diseases, a full vet check-up, and microchipping. If you were to
price that out at a local vet, it would be at least four hundred bucks. Plus, some of the cats are ill or injured when they come to us, and require extensive and sometimes expensive medication before they are healthy and ready to be adopted. In the best of circumstances, the adoption group breaks even, and that's not even counting the food while they are in foster care.
Q. The cats don't stay in those little cages, do they? Do they go into bigger cages at night?
A. They stay in the cages you see until they are adopted, or until they go back to a foster home for a break. They do get one-on-one time in the back with volunteers, when volunteers are available, and the volunteers let them out into the visiting area to stretch their legs and play. But no, there are no "bigger cages" in the back. (And THIS is why I am conflicted when my fosters go to PetSmart. The odds of them being adopted skyrocket, but ... little cages.)
Q. Why are there so many older cats here?
A. Many older cats come to us when their elderly owners have to go into a nursing home. It would be great if people would think about who would take their pets if something happened to them, because a lot of the time, the pets end up here.
Q. Why aren't there any kittens here?
A. In this part of the country, there is a "kitten season", which runs from spring into fall, when kittens are available. Few cats get pregnant in the fall, as this would mean having kittens in the cold winter, which is an evolutionary "no-no", so there aren't very many kittens available in the winter time. (That's why the odds of getting your daughter a kitten for Christmas aren't actually all that great.) The few kittens that do come through this time of year are adopted almost immediately.
So! There's some answers to some of the most common questions I get asked. Please keep in mind that I am by no means an authority, and feel free to correct any of my answers in the comments. I'll do another Q & A post as I get more questions - hopefully I'll get some doozies soon!
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