Cat Adoption Help

I am sorry to hear that your wife has severe allergies to cats. Has she gone to an allergist to find out what her options are? I developed severe hayfever a few years after we got our first cat years ago, and we thought we'd have to give her away. But the allergist, as a last resort, since I had tried just about everything, had me go through a series of shots to ease my symptoms, which worked.

No kill shelters usually will take pets if they can find foster homes to take them until there's a vacancy. You may want to think about offering a donation that will give the cats a better chance of getting fostered. Good luck.

I agree with seeing an allergist first to see if there are options. Unfortunately the cat problem is so enormous 5 year old cats are not going to be easy to rehome.
Toledo Animal Shelter is no kill, have no idea how long a wait you might have to get them in though. Maybe keeping them in one part of the house in the meantime might help?

We have some feral cats that we rescued.

Contact Planned Pethood, and the Toledo Humane Society.

Planned Pethood puts on adoption days at local stores like The Andersons. We took several kittens there and they were adopted.

Good luck. I know you feel badly about possibly having to give them up. However, at the adoption days you can meet the families who will be taking care of them. That process made us feel better.

The Toledo Area Humane Society is not a no-kill shelter, so I would be careful taking adult cats there. I do have respect for this facility, don't get me wrong. But I would not surrender a pet there unless they tell you in writing the cats will not be euthanized unless they contact you first. Obviously, there may be circumstances in which that may be necessary, like if they are very ill. Cats and dogs are at risk of getting illness at shelters because of all the animals in the facility. I would urge you to find the cats a home. It really isn't that hard, in my humble opinion, particularly if they are already fixed. There are always young people moving out of their homes and into apartments who would like a cat that is already fixed, has all its vaccinations, is an adult, and has mellowed. Same with people whose cats just died and they want another one. You may also want to consider placing an ad in the newspapers. Just be sure to say there is an adoption fee of at least $50, which is much cheaper than the shelters. If you want to make it less after you meet them and you are confident they are good people, you may want to reduce the fee. The fees are just to keep unethical people from adopting them for harmful reasons. Or you may want to advertise at $25 or for free, but require references from their veterinarians. I think advertisting has gotten a bad rap. I found homes for a stray cat and dog that way. You get a good mix of people, and many are good, honest people. You also get a "vibe" on who is going to give them a good home. They will usually tell you what they want them for. I had a guy who wanted the dog as a companion for his 95-year-old widowed mother, but the dog was going to be an outside dog. The dog was young and trained to be indoors, so I told him I didn't think it would be a good fit. Another guy wanted the cat as a mouser in his detached garage. The cat was declawed on its front paws, and was also an indoor cat, so that wasn't going to work, either. Fortunately, I found homes for both of them. It took about a month. Don't give up.
I also told people to take them home for a week to see how they adapt to their environment. If they decided against keeping them, I told them they could bring them back. I also gave them my e-mail address and work number so if they had any questions, they could call me at any time. I also told them if for any reason they did not want them, to bring them back. I never had someone return a pet I had found a home for.

Are they sociable or more independent? Do they get along with other cats and dogs? Do they have their own claws, or declawed? These are the type of things you might want to put in an ad. Good luck, Matt.

I don't know a lot about allergies, but how do they just appear after 5 years of owning the cats? Anyway, I volunteer at the Toledo Humane Society, and I do believe you sign a contract saying you legally have to return them back to the shelter if need be. Check your contract- I don't know if that was true back then.

I hope she has exhausted every effort with seeing an allergist, etc. I don't have a lot of advise, as the thought of my family members sitting in a shelter makes me want to vomit.

I hope you find some way to keep your pets, but if you can't- get them to a shelter soon and make a hefty donation. Kitten season is quickly approaching and 5 year old cats are bound to be waiting in the shelter a long time, raising the shelter's cost. Good luck.

If you have no other option, you'll want to adopt them out - carefully - yourself. I've written a guide to rehoming cats you can follow and have also included an adoption contract.

If you need any additional help, just email me through the address listed.

http://forgottenfelines.wordpress.com/about/how-to-rehome-cats/

Shelters and rescues are booked - and over-booked. My rescue is on the very, very small scale, yet I still get bombarded with emails and calls on a weekly basis. The best advice I can give you is to do it yourself. This also ensures your cats get into the best homes for them. In the meantime, speak to an allergist as well as your vet for maintenance options.