Our adoption process typically includes the following steps:
You see a cat or kitten that we currently have available or you are interested in a certain breed or personality. If you are like most potential adopters, you are probably excited to get this adoption process rolling and get your new cat! Just a reminder though: We are all volunteers and the majority of us also have full time jobs. The timeline given is approximate but is generally valid.
You fill out the application, which includes questions about your living situation, your experience with cats, and your thoughts on various subjects. We also require references, including contact information for a veterinarian who has seen your current or previous pets. If this is your first pet and you do not have a veterinarian reference just note that on the application.
The foster of the cat or kitten you are interested in will be sent your application. A cat or kitten can get many applications. Our goal is always to find the best fit for both the cat or kitten and you the adopter.
The foster will typically contact you in 2-4 days to interview you and get to know you. If you are not contacted please feel free to call the foster directly. If you have tried to reach the foster please feel free to contact the help line.
The foster will talk with you about what you are are looking for and what drew you to the one you are interested in. In addition the foster will ask about who lives in your home, other pets and your home environment. how often you or others are home, your past cat history. The foster will also discuss the personality of the cat you have chosen and what that cat needs in its new home. The fosters are matchmakers working to match your choice for a new companion with the right home for that kitty. If we feel we have a good match for you we assign a reference checker.
Your references will then be contacted for more information. This can take 2- 4 days. Please let your vet, if you have one, know you are willing to have them speak with us. It also helps to let your personal references know that you have given us their names so we can turn the application around quickly. Landlords can also be hard to reach so please let them know we will be calling.
The foster mom or reference checker will generally call you for a little more discussion during this process. Quite often, for example, in the vet records there might be confusion because the names of humans or pets change. Or a personal reference is traveling.
If everything checks out the foster will get back with you to set up a time to come and meet the kitten.
Foster moms vary in how many members of an adoptive family must come to meet a cat. For example, many foster moms insist on observing the interaction between an adopter’s children and the cat. The adoptive visit can have several possible outcomes:
Your family loves the cat, the cat loves your family, and you take the cat home.
Your family loves the cat, the cat loves your family, but the cat cannot immediately go home because of an outstanding issue: for example, you still need to get an appropriate carrier, or the cat is not quite old enough or has caught a cold and needs to recover before going home.
Your family and the cat turn out not to be a good match. In this case, we’re happy to explore whether some other cat might be a better fit for you.
The whole goal of the process is to ensure a successful adoption for everyone – the cat or kitten and you the adopter. We want everyone happy and the cat or kitten in a loving, forever home.
It does happen, now and then, that we decline an application. In such cases, we often provide suggestions as to where you might look for a cat or kitten that would be a good fit for you.