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Policies Regarding Care of Adopted Pet

Application: Fur Babies Rescue must have an approved Adoption Application filled out and signed. Please reference our Adoption Process for current information about completing and submitting the application. You will then have an interview to help you determine the pet(s) that best fit your household and family situation.

Indoor Only: The life expectancy of an indoor-only pet in 15 to 20 years. That figure drops to only 2 or 3 years for pets that are allowed to go outside unsupervised. Accordingly, MEOW adopts to indoor-only homes. This means INDOORS ALL OF THE TIME. We admit that MEOW is more stringent in this policy than many other organizations. If NEVER letting your cat outdoors does not suit your household, please let us refer you to other organizations which have a more lenient CONTRACT.
Occasionally, we will have an adult cat who absolutely requires an indoor/outdoor home. In such case, we will make every attempt to ensure that the environment into which this cat is placed is as safe as possible.
Landlord Approval: MEOW will require proof that you are allowed to have pets if you live in rental housing or in a condominium with animal restrictions in the by-laws. To avoid delays in adopting your pet, please bring a copy of your Lease along with your application.

Declawing: There is a wealth of statistical information indicating that cats frequently suffer long term problems after being surgically declawed. These problems include, but are not limited to, aggressive biting and eliminating outside the litter box. MEOW requires that you sign a CONTRACT agreeing that you will NOT have the cat’s claws surgically altered in any way, including laser surgery or tendonotomy. If, after serious consideration, you feel you MUST have a declawed cat, please adopt a cat that is already declawed. Thankfully, it is not common for us to have declawed cats relinquished to us, but when we do, our Petfinder ad for the cat will indicate he or she is declawed with a “paw” icon. Read more about declawing at www.declawing.com.

Adopting a Single Kitten: MEOW will not place a single kitten under the age of six months into a home without an appropriate young feline playmate. This is not about placing more kittens and cats. It’s about the future of the individual kittens, their habits and their happiness. Many people have been skeptical about adopting two kittens rather than one only to thank us later for sticking to our policy. The rewards are great. We’ve never had anyone tell us they wished they had only adopted one. Learn More — Single Kitten Syndrome.
Age/Employment: MEOW seeks to adopt to those who are financially secure and in a stable living situation in order to maximize the likelihood of a lifelong bond. Older teens, newly on their own, or still living with parents, may find themselves, in a year or two, making life changes that result in their no longer being able to care for their pet. Because of these reasons and  as our desire is to find forever homes for our cats, as of January 1, 2016 we have implemented 21 as a minimum age to adopt. Additionally, as there may be, at some time, significant veterinary costs involved with any pet, we ask that people adopt only if they are adults, have seriously evaluated the meaning of a twenty year commitment and are financially able to bear the cost of future emergencies.

Family Decision: Having a pet should be a pleasant and rewarding experience for all involved. If you have small children, please bring them with you when you come for your adoption interview. Because small kittens are vulnerable and young children may be unable to predict the consequences of their actions, MEOW does not place kittens under 6 months old into homes in which there are children who are less than 6 years old. MEOW often has cats who have shown themselves to be particularly tolerant of children. Our Adoption Counselors will work with you to determine the best fit for your family.

Other Pets: We do our best to place each cat into a home where the family bond can be successful. To that end, our adoption process includes specific advice regarding introduction to other pets. It is possible that the cat in whom you are interested, may not be deemed an appropriate match for your furry family. If that is the case, please understand the decision was made in the best interest of the cat and your other pets. All resident pets must be spayed or neutered prior to an adoption from MEOW Cat Rescue.

Lifetime Commitment: MEOW expects that when you adopt a pet you have made a decision to care for that pet for its entire life. A cat may be a 20 year commitment. Please think through this extremely important decision before you come to the shelter. A pet becomes a family member. A responsible pet owner/guardian makes life decisions to include their pets. Over the years we have placed more than 15,000 cats and kittens. Each year we still get hundreds of cats returned, for any number of reasons. Our goal is PERMANENT placement. For this reason, our Adoption Counselors have been trained to help you find the right pets for your home and your lifestyle.