PLACING YOUR CAT
Salem Friends of Felines currently averages 30 calls a week from people who want to give up their cats.
Because this exceeds the number of cats adopted each week, we often must encourage callers to explore other options
or continue to provide for the cat until we can make room in our adoption center.
We can only accept new cats or kittens when we have space to accommodate them. It's only with an adoption that
a space opens up.
If you must find a new home for your own cat or kitten, please review the following information and tips.
If you have explored these and other options, call us at 503-581-9444 and leave a message.
We will return your call as soon as possible.
Due to policies, please do not walk into the shelter with a cat(s),
as it is not possible for us to take the cat in immediately. We only take in cats in these circumstances
if it is an medical emergency, and if we have veterinary help on staff.
Finding a new home for your cat or kitten:
If you are trying to find a new home for a cat or kitten you currently own, please consider the following
options before contacting our shelter.
Seek Advice from your veterinarian:
We often receives calls from people wanting to turn in cats because
they are urinating outside the litter box. If this is the case with your cat, please seek advice
from your veterinarian. Improper urination
is often the result of a bladder or urinary tract infection, or other physical ailments, often easily treated.
Cats will also refuse to use the litter box if you have changed to a brand of litter they don’t like,
if you have moved the box to a new location or if you have introduced a cover for the box. If you think
it is a behavior problem brought on by stress, anger or territorial disputes with other cats in the household, you might
consider contacting a veterinarian who uses homeopathic remedies or an animal behaviorist to help you resolve the problem.
Ask everyone you know - friend, relatives, co-workers: Because coming to a shelter can be a stressful experience for a cat, you should make every attempt to find a new home for your cat before you bring it to our facility. Ask everyone you know-friends, relatives, co-workers-if they know of anyone who might want to adopt your cat.
Create a colorful flyer with your cat’s picture and ask permission to post it at local veterinarian clinics, pet stores, grocery stores, community service centers, local churches and on your office bulletin board. If someone offers to adopt your cat, always make a personal visit to the prospective new home before giving your pet away to make sure it is going to a home where it will be safe, loved and well cared for. Consider charging the new owner a small adoption fee. Individuals that sell animals for medical research often seek out cats and kittens that are advertised for free. Please take all precautions to ensure that this does not happen to your cat or kittens.
Send an email with a picture of your cat and a blurb about its personality. Emails can travel the world and this is one of the most successful ways to get cats adopted. People connect with stories and pictures. Send an email to anyone you know and ask them to pass it along.
Place an ad
in the local paper or online. Never advertise the cat for free as some people make take it and sell it
for research. Post the kitty for a small fee and then use your judgment. We encourage you to get as
much information as possible from the potential adopters. Some online resources: Craigslist.com and Petfinder.com.
If the above ideas are not feasible or have not worked for you, contact our voice mail at
503-581-9444. Provide us with a brief description of your pet including age,
breed and sex, whether it has been spayed or neutered, tested for FIV (kitty AIDS)
and Felv (Feline Leukemia) or declawed, and whether its vaccinations are up to date.
We’d also like to know why you are giving up your cat, and whether he/she will do well
in a household with other cats, dogs or children. Please keep in mind that we adopt to indoor-only homes; therefore,
the cat needs to be a good fit for this environment. If, at the time, we are unable to take in your cat, we will keep
your information on hand. We do have a long waiting list considering the amount of
calls we receive. However, if we find someone who may be interested in adopting your cat, we will pass along your name
and phone number so they can make direct contact with you.
Remember their life is in your hands