It is possible for you to find a place for a cat you can't keep or a stray that you have found following this advice. It isn't necessarily easy, but it is extremely rewarding to know you are responsible for making a cat safe and happy.
First, if the cat is a stray and you can take it inside, that is a very important step. This way, you know that you can access the cat to get it to an adopter, you know the cat is being fed and has access to water, and you know it's safe from predators, poison, traffic, and other outside dangers. The cat does not need full run of your house - just a single room with food, water and litter box. Cats instinctively use a litter box after about five weeks of age, so you do not need to teach the cat to use it.
If this is a stray, take it by a local vet to have it scanned for a microchip. If they have one, you can have the company the microchip is registered with call the owners and you're done!
If the cat does not have a microchip, you may want to get the cat vaccinated for rabies while you are there. The microchip scan should be free, though the rabies shot will not be. Check online for lost cat postings. Post your own "found cat" posting.
You'll need appealing photos of the cats. Try this in natural light so that you don't have to use your camera flash, and get on the cat's eye level. When you have these photos, you can make adoption flyers, specifying the details about the cat and his/her personality. These flyers should have hang tags specifying the cat's name and your phone number for people to rip off. Place them at every vet office in your area. Most of them have a bulletin board of some kind and if they don't, some have books you can put the flyers in.
First, if the cat is a stray and you can take it inside, that is a very important step. This way, you know that you can access the cat to get it to an adopter, you know the cat is being fed and has access to water, and you know it's safe from predators, poison, traffic, and other outside dangers. The cat does not need full run of your house - just a single room with food, water and litter box. Cats instinctively use a litter box after about five weeks of age, so you do not need to teach the cat to use it.
If this is a stray, take it by a local vet to have it scanned for a microchip. If they have one, you can have the company the microchip is registered with call the owners and you're done!
If the cat does not have a microchip, you may want to get the cat vaccinated for rabies while you are there. The microchip scan should be free, though the rabies shot will not be. Check online for lost cat postings. Post your own "found cat" posting.
You'll need appealing photos of the cats. Try this in natural light so that you don't have to use your camera flash, and get on the cat's eye level. When you have these photos, you can make adoption flyers, specifying the details about the cat and his/her personality. These flyers should have hang tags specifying the cat's name and your phone number for people to rip off. Place them at every vet office in your area. Most of them have a bulletin board of some kind and if they don't, some have books you can put the flyers in.
Petfinder.com will allow you to post pictures and descriptions of your cats and kittens for free!
Go to Petfinder.com, Click on "Classifieds" and follow the directions to place "Post Free Pet Classifieds". Be sure to use a good picture and write a good description.
You can post the flyers other places as well - anywhere there is a public bulletin board, like at Petsmart, grocery stores, etc. Tell everyone you see in your daily life that you have a cat for adoption - at the dry cleaners, at the grocery store, at the bank, at work, etc. The more people you tell, the more chance you'll encounter the right home for him/her.
Be very careful about advertising to the general public, like in the newspaper or Craigslist. People looking for cats as bait for dog fights, etc. try to get animals from there, so be sure to do some research on the people interested in the cats, such as a vet check or a home ownership check.
This sounds like a lot, but you can do it. A rescue has many cats to find homes for, but you are likely to have only one or two. That focused energy can yield quick results. There is nothing like the feeling of knowing you did the right thing to help an animal. Hang in there - you can do it!
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