The Animal Center has a strict neuter-before-adoption policy. This means that all cats and kittens are neutered before they go to their new homes. Early-age spay/neuter is endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the CT Veterinary Medical Association, and top animal welfare organizations around the country. If the early age spay/neuter concept is new to you, check out this informative article from Best Friends.
At The Animal Center, we do same day adoptions. This means that if you find a kitten(s) who is a match when you come, you can take him/her home the same day. Here is a list of supplies you will need before adopting:
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cat carrier at adoption (if using an existing carrier make sure it has been recently cleaned and disinfected!) |
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litterbox (we recommend 1 per cat in household) |
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non-clumping litter and scoop (you can switch to clumping when the kitten is 6 months old) >>why use non-clumping litter? |
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toys (cats love feather toys --you will want to get "brain" toys and "prey" toys for enrichment and stimulation) |
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water and food bowls (stainless steel is recommended over ceramic. Never use plastic; it can be toxic to your cat and no matter how well you clean plastic, residue remains and germs and bacteria will grow) |
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Food (we recommend brands with no or few by-products) >more info |
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Cardboard scratching post and/or cat tower |
Some of the best tips and advice we've seen on what litter to use, where to set up the litterbox, preventing and solving litterbox problems when they occur can be found on the Cats International website. This is a great website for those who've had cats all their lives as well as for the beginner cat guardian.
What do I feed my cat? Just like there's a range of how healthy the food we eat is, there's also that same range in cat foods. Different brands are made with different standards and ingredients. What you may hear about low end cat foods being the equivalent of fast food for cats is absolutely true. Before bringing home your new cat, carefully research what brands are best to feed your cat as well as consult with your veterinarian. We strongly recommend reading the following articles from the Animal Protection Institute for information on how to select the best food for your cat:
| Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Nutrition | |
Should I let my cat go outside or keep him in? While this is a subject of great debate among the experts, it's our opinion that this is a personal decision that you should arrive after carefully consideration the risks. Cats are endlessly curious creatures, so if the door is open chances are they will eventually venture outside to explore what's on the other side. However, before allowing your cat to go outside, carefully consider the following:
| Risk of disease. Outdoor cats are at greater risk of exposure to potentially fatal infectious diseases, such as feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline infectious peritonitis, and rabies. If you have cats who wander your neighborhood and you don't know their vaccination history, don't let your cat out. | |
| Road kill. No one likes to see dead animals on the road, especially when it's a family cat or dog. If you live on a busy road, don't let your cat out. Even houses that are set back from the road provide no guarantee that your cat will not get hit by a car. Cats may run into the road chasing prey or if they are being chased by a predator. Even the best of drivers cannot brake in time when an animal suddenly darts in front of the car. | |
| Predators. We receive dozens of "lost and found" calls from concerned families whose cat has suddenly gone missing. It's a fact that we have coyotes, foxes, bobcats and bears in this area of Connecticut. If you have ever seen or heard one of these animals in your neighborhood--or have seen "lost cat" posters hung up in your neighborhood, think long and hard before letting your cat out. | |
Animal Cruelty. Adults and teenagers have been known to perform heinous acts of torture on cats. Some use guns (BB guns are a favorite), others use knives, sticks, fire or their own hands to torture animals. |
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| Connecticut Weather. If you've ever had cats who go outside, you know that they don't always come in when you need them to. Winter storms, freezing rain and high winds can all be a death sentence for cats who are stranded outside | |
Poison. In addition to car antifreeze, there other poisons in the environment. Some people will put out poison for cats or other animals if they perceive them to be a nuisance. Cats who hunt outside are also at risk for ingesting mice and other small rodents who have been poisoned by neighbors. |
If you decide to let your cat outside, here are some suggestions for helping him stay close to home:
Limit outdoor time. Always limit the amount of time your cat is allowed to spend outdoors and always supervise. Do not let your cat out every day or he will come to expect this. Never install cat doors to the outside so that your cat can come and go as he pleases. Cats are nocturnal by nature and cat doors will give him access to the outside when he's at the greatest risk of harm from predators. |
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| Dinner call. When you feed your cat, get into the habit of using a key word or phrase so that your cat will associates those words with the pleasant experience of eating. This may help bring your cat into the house if he's outside. | |
Proper ID. Always make sure your cat has proper ID if he's allowed to roam freely outdoors. While we are not fans of cat collars in general, it make sense to put one on your cat if he goes outside so that neighbors realize he's not a stray or if he gets hit by a car or gets injured outside, people know who to call. Only use Breakaway collars, which automatically unsnap when the cat's collar gets snagged on something. |
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| Lost Cat Strategy. Before ever letting your cat out, have a plan in place for the steps you need to take to find your lost cat. Don't wait until your cat goes missing because you have no time to waste when this happens! We find that the Cats in the Bag website offers top rate information on how to find a lost cat. |
Should I declaw my cat? You should never declaw a cat under any circumstances. It's a fact that:
| — | Declawing leads to behavioral problems. Cats are at greater risk for developing behavioral problems, in particular aggression (especially around children), biting and urinating outside the litterbox. If you don't want your cat peeing on your walls and carpet, don't declaw him! |
| — | Declawing is animal cruelty. Declawing is a surgical procedure called onychectomy in which the animal's toes are amputated at the last joint. It is mutilation of the cat's toes, is extremely painful to the cat, and may result in permanent lameness, arthritis, and other long-term complications. |
| — | Declawing renders a cat defenseless. It's a fact that indoor-only cats escape from the house from time to time (especially if there are kids in the house) and declawed cats stand very little chance defending themselves against predators. |
If your puppy or dog barked more than you liked, or chewed up household valuables, would you have his vocal cords or teeth surgically cut out? Of course not. You'd train him, which is exactly what you can do with your cat when he scratches where he's not supposed to. Cat's don't magically know what surfaces in your house are off-limits. You need to teach him and do so using positive learning techniques (never yell, hit or throw things at your cat!).
Cats depend on their claws for playing, walking, and self-defense. Cats need to scratch; it's hard wired into their existence and helps them relieves stress, exercise muscles, and affirm territory. If you're concerned about your cat scratching where s/he should not (your best furniture), there are many ways to teach your cat to scratch where you want him to. Here are some excellent websites for additional information about catscratching:
| Why Cats Need Claws (***highly recommended) | |
| http://www.pawproject.com/html/faqs.asp | |
| http://www.declawing.org/ | |
| http://www.catscratching.com/ | |
| http://www.de-clawing.com/ |
Alternatives to declawing:
| — | Regular nail trims (Click here for HSUS's helpful brochure on how to trim a cat's nails) |
| — | Appropriate scratching surfaces, especially ones that the cat approves of. If the cat likes to scratch on wood, get a wood and sisal scratching post; if the cat prefers carpet, get carpet posts. Corrugated cardboard will most likely not disappoint the cat and is inexpensive to provide. Train the cats to use them. |
| — | Soft Paws are vinyl sheaths for the nails. |
| — | Double-sided tape will protect furniture (our favorite is Sticky Paws). |
| — | Cat-Around scratchers will fit on corners of couches. |
Whether to adopt a male or female cat is a personal preference. There are no generalities you can make about the nature of female cats vs. male cats. Personalities are cat specific, not gender specific. Here are some tips that will help with the integration of a new cat into your home:
| — | If you have a cat at home, consider adopting a cat of comparable age and of the opposite sex. |
| — | If you have a senior cat at home, do not adopt a kitten. This will be extremely stressful on your senior cat who deserves to enjoy his golden years in peace. |
| — | If you're going to adopt a kitten, adopt in pairs. Kittens love to play, wrestle as well as snuggle with each other. They thrive on companionship and when left along for long stretches of time, they will get extremely lonely, depressed, and problem behaviors may occur. It's been our experience that cats who have the companionship of other animals in the home are generally happier, healthier and more well behaved than cats who grow up alone. Here is a great video clip from one of our adopters who has captured her kittens hard at play: Video clip |
Foster Program: Foster families play a vital role in our ability to help local homeless animals. The more foster homes we have, the more kittens we can help.
Volunteer foster parents take in kittens and look after them at home. Foster parents handle them, talk to them, and play with them so when the kittens are old enough for adoption, they are healthy, frisky and very friendly—and they all go to their new homes spayed or neutered.
Our foster program is an opportunity for you to:
- Help save more locally abandoned animals by offering your home as a temporary foster family.
- Give love and affection to an animal who is so young that yours will be the first safe human interactions for that animal, giving him/her a lasting foundation for human interaction.
- Provide a safe environment for frightened or unsocialized animals who have not learned that humans can be trusted. You can help them learn new behaviors and better ways of interacting.
How much time will they require? Kittens stay in their foster home for 2-4 weeks, but the time they remain with you will depend on how old they are when you get them. They generally will need to be fed three times a day and have their litterbox cleaned at least twice a day. Warning: some kittens are messy eaters and/or poopers and require frequent bathing. You should also plan in playtime where you interact with the kittens directly.
What about food and medical care? The Animal Center pays for 100% of the kitten's veterinary care and medicines while they are being fostered by you. We also provide all the food (kittens eat a lot!). Foster homes are generally responsible for purchasing non-clumping cat litter.
Can the kittens mingle with other animals in the home? No. You need a separate room to foster (ideally one that is small and can be easily ventilated and disinfected). Why? Most times, the kittens you are fostering are too young to test for infectious diseases or vaccinate against diseases and virus. Keeping the kittens separate from your animals at home will greatly reduce the risk that your animals will contract a disease or virus from the kittens.
How do I care for them? We will match you up with a litter of kittens based on your kitten experience. Our Foster Program coordinator follows up regularly with foster homes to ensure that all your questions are answered. Below are links to the best manuals on kitten care that we've come across and that we use in our program. If you are considering fostering for us, we recommend reading the following manuals to fully understand the foster experience.
- UC Davis Shelter Medicine: Guide to Raising Orphaned Kittens
- Humane Society Boulder Valley's Cat & Kitten Handbook
Contact us today about fostering (203)270-0228.
Barn Cat Program. If you believe, as we do, that killing healthy animals is unacceptable, adopt an undomesticated cat(s) whose home/territory has recently been destroyed. These cats will keep your barn tidy and present no danger to people or other animals. Cats are neutered and up to date on vaccines.
To request a barn cat(s), please fill out our adoption form. Our fee for barn cats is $50, whether you take one or more of them.
We operate our adoption program through volunteer foster homes in the community. To adopt from us, the first step is filling out our form (below). The information you provide will help us match the kittens in our program with your needs and lifestyle. Once we receive your form, we will contact you to set up a time that's convenient for you to meet the cats/kittens in our program. Adoption appointments are held 7 days a week, evenings and days.
| Download Adoption Form, Word Format | Download Adoption Form, PDF Format |
