Which cat or kitten to choose?

I'm always getting inquiries from people who want to adopt a special type of cat or kitten. I get lots of calls asking for particular breeds such as Siamese or Maine Coon cat. Those two breeds seem to be the most popular, I rarely get calls for Persians or any of the other breeds. Most of the cats we take in are your average domestic short hair mixed breed cats.

Most people seem to want to choose a cat by color. There's one woman who's called often to check back with me to see if I have a long hair orange male kitten. I've had a lot of calls for all white cats. Another called saying she wanted a pair of Seal Point, apple head, male, Siamese kittens, from the same litter. Sorry, but that's a tough order to fill.

I've had adopters want to adopt a certain color because their last cat was the same color. Some who have had a cat for a very long time and it dies, want a new cat exactly like the old cat. Some want something completely different. The reasons are so varied, but I ask so I can try to match cats to those who want them.

Since I post the adoptable cats and kittens on Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet, everyone has the chance to see a photo and read a brief description. I do try to describe the cats and kittens and let people know who's cuddly and who prefers to be left alone. Also which cats should be adopted in a single cat home, that's important.

Last week a mom and two children stopped over to choose a kitten to adopt. This family had adopted a kitten from me two and a half years ago and thought it was time to adopt another. The mom said they didn't want a black and white cat because that's what the other cat is. They wanted  a different color. They liked the tortie/white females they saw on Petfinder.com.

They thought they had their mind made up based on photos they saw online After they arrived and played with the cats and kittens for a while, they had a difficult decision to make about which kitten they wanted the most. The mom fell in love with a cute  black and white kitten who purred in her ear. The son wanted to take home our senior cat, Lily, who is our own permanant resident with skin issues and not for adoption. The daughter sat on the couch with around five purring kittens piled on top of her, totally undecided on which one she loved the most. Every time a different kitten climbed on her, she loved that one too.

 I reminded the mom that she didn't want another black and white cat, which we laughed about several times as the little black and white kitten and his tuxedo sibling snuggled in the moms arms, wooing her with all their charm.

This family was here almost two hours, trying to decide which kitten they wanted to take home. While they were here, all their original ideas of age, sex, color, were tossed aside. They only wanted a cuddly, lovable cat or kitten, nothing else seemed to matter. If the son could have taken home any cat, it would have been Lily, our oldest cat in the house. He wanted to stay here and play with her all day. The mom and daughter would have taken home at least five different cats!

The finally chose one, Rose, one of the tortie sisters, who's around 6 months old and has had some health issues. Great choice. Rose is the perfect lap cat, they'll be happy with her.

Fall adoptions

Now that it's fall, adoptions are starting to pick up again. Summertime is usually a slow time for adoptions. People are busy in the summer, going on vacations, children are shuffled between parents and grandparents, just not enough time to consider adopting a new cat.
Another reason is that in the summer there is an over abundance of kittens. Every spring thousands of unwanted kittens are born around here. Every day the paper is loaded with ads for free kittens. The shelters and other rescues are packed to the rafters with kittens. There are just too many out there to choose from. All the youngest kittens are usually offered for free in the paper, that lowers the odds that someone will adopt from a rescue or shelter that asks for an adoption fee.
When kitten season is over and the youngest kittens are taken, we start getting calls from people who couldn't find homes for their free kittens. That's the time we start filling up with older kittens and momma cats that nobody wants. Many of them are sick, starved, crawling with fleas, worms and who knows what. We take them in, clean them up and start looking for homes.
In the fall, we have a large assortment of great older kittens and young adults ready for their new homes. After being here a while, the kittens are used to being held and played with and much more cuddly than when they are young. They're friendly, happy, and very affectionate. This is the best time to find a new cat or kitten.

A poem by Tigerose for Halloween

One cold and windy night
Feeling the homeless blight
A human came into my sight.

A tall black hat upon her head
I felt not an ounce of dread
As she took me out of my meager bed.

You are my own, my only one
Together we shall have such fun!
We will not ride into the Sun,
But to greet the shadows afore we are done!

So perch thee upon the stick
Mind the straw, for it can prick

Today we go about the town
None shall see,
None shall frown

It is our task, our duty fine
To keep our troth, it is a sign

When they shall see a shadow upon the moon
Not to sigh, not to swoon.

But know them well, that here we be
To keep safe all that we can see!

I spake unto the witch so rare
I am thy servant, true and fair.

tigerose 10/29/11

adoptions

We have a lot of cats and kittens who are in need of a forever home.

I'm always getting inquires about kittens, the biggest problem seems to be the age of the kittens. Most people want a tiny kitten, around 8 weeks old.  Once the kittens reach 4 months old, then they're overlooked and wind up staying here for a long time, unwanted. Not that there's anything wrong with the older kittens, they're just too old.

When kittens arrive here, they're often sick from something. They'll have worms, upper respiratory infections, fleas, you name it. Before they're adoptable they have to go to the vet for a check up, have a test for feline leukemia/FIV/heartworm. They need shots, and if old enough, they have to be spayed/neutered. This all takes time.  I never get kittens who've already been to the vet and healthy enough for immediate adoption.

The only time I have kittens who can be adopted at 8 weeks old is when they're born here. Even then, I prefer not to adopt them out that young. The best age to adopt kittens is at 12 weeks, not 8 weeks. They really need a few extra weeks with their littermates to become better socialized.

Someone recently asked about adopting one of the kittens that I have who's 6 months old. Once the potential adopter found out the age of the kitten, she changed her mind. She said she had to have a kitten under 4 months old so it could grow up with her 10 month old daughter. I don't understand how that works. A kitten grows quickly, human babies do not. A well cared for indoor cat can live to be 20+ years old. So it shouldn't matter if a person with a young baby adopts a kitten or adult cat, they can both grow up with the human children.

Adult cats are much better for small children anyway!

Yes, kittens are cute and adorable. But the cute and adorable stage is so short lived. Then they grow up to be beautiful adult cats. I have a house full of beautiful, well behaved adult cats that have been here a long time waiting for someone to adopt them. They were all  kittens once, then thrown away like trash when they were no longer cute and adorable. Rescues and shelters all over the US are packed full of wonderful adult cats who need homes. Millions are euthanized each year because nobody wants them. They were all kittens once too.

Please consider adopting an older kitten or adult cat. They're better behaved, already have shots, healthy, spayed/neutered, and move in ready.

Time to update this I suppose.... I spend most of my day picking up after the cats, have little time to sit and update a blog!!

The building we had hoped to buy fell through. My funding source backed out at the last minute, after the offer was accepted. Not a good way to do business. I had a suspicion it wouldn't work out. Oh well, better luck next time.

We bought a small lot and looking into buying another building. But since our mayor doesn't like cats, he feels he has the power to prevent us from having an adoption center in town. He already told me I can apply for a variance but getting it depends on if the village board members like cats or not. If we can't use the lot for our rescue, it's going to be a great place to put a bunch of toilets! At least that's legal to do around here. We'll wait and see how far we get through the winter with fighting for the opportunity to have an adoption center in town. If not, then we'll wait until there's a new mayor. From what I hear, the local residents aren't very happy with him anyway.

Vanna's finally all settled in to her new home in Texas.
We'll miss her, she's a great cat, but happy to know she has a wonderful forever home.

Here's an article in the local paper about the trip we arranged for Vanna and Kim.

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103070347

501(c)3

We are officially a 501(c) organization!  This will open more doors for us and allow us to help save more cats and kittens.
This also means your donations are tax deductable!!

Happy New Year

Well another new year has begun, time to make some changes for the better. Last year we were busy, took on a lot of work, made a lot of progress. I expect to do even more of that this year.

I have big plans for this year, I hope I can accomplish most of them. It's going to take a lot of work and determination, but as always, nothing gets done without putting extra effort into it.

It's going to take a lot of money too, so I hope this new year will bring some much needed funds. Going to gather up some friends to share ideas, write for some grants, do some fundraising.

Last year I was able to take in quite a few cats and kittens and find them homes. This year I will try to do even more. I've met some wonderful people along the way, and know the cats and kittens who've left here will live happy, safe lives. This is what it's all about.