
As a small rescue, we do the best we can to help as many cats and kittens get the second chance they deserve, but we are just a handful of volunteers and fosters who spend their personal time and money to ensure these kitties get the care they need as we get them ready to find forever homes. Our funds, space, manpower and resources are limited and we often face an overwhelming number of requests to take in kitties both from the public as well as our local shelter and, as much as we wish we could, we just can’t help them all… but we can help you find homes for the kitties in your care on your own.
If you have a cat or kitten that you found or can no longer keep, here are some things you can do to find a new home for the kitty.
If you have a cat or kitten that you found or can no longer keep, here are some things you can do to find a new home for the kitty.
First and foremost, if you have found a kitty, please attempt to find possible owners before trying to rehome the cat. It is always possible a stray cat is actually just lost and has loving owners looking for her. Even if she appears uncared for, it's possible she slipped out and simply doesn't know how to fend for herself. You can take the kitty to a local vet clinic or shelter to have her scanned for a microchip. You should also contact your local shelter to submit a "found" report so that if someone is looking for their kitty, they will know she has been found. Post a photo and information on Facebook, at local vet clinics, groomers, etc. to help spread the word and attempt to find an owner. Then, if after a reasonable amount of time no owner come forward then finding a new home for the kitty can be pursued.
FINDING YOUR KITTY A NEW HOME
Take nice photos of the kitty and post them to your facebook page. Offer as much information as you can about the kitty (gender, age, personality, if it gets along well with other pets and/or kids, what the “ideal home” for this kitty would be like, etc.) and ask friends and family to help share/network the kitty. (SEE BELOW UNDER "NETWORKING RESOURCES" FOR FACEBOOK PAGES YOU CAN POST/CROSS-POST TO).
Post your kitty(s) to reputable adoption/rehome sites like:
RescueMe.org - you do not have to be a rescue to post a cat in need of a home. This is a great way to reach thousands of people seeking a new kitty. Just click on the "more" tab at the top of their home page and select "log into posting account" to get started.
Rehome (by Adopt-a-Pet.com) - Adopt-a-Pet is a Petco Foundation online adoption resource. Once you complete the information for your kitty, your pet's profile will be posted on Adopt-a-Pet.com and be seen by thousands of visitors each month.
GetYourPet.com - The online pet adoption community where people who want to adopt a pet connect with people who need to rehome a dog or cat.
Rehome My Pet - The nOkill Network can help find a new home for your pet with a free listing on their website.
Also post the kitty’s photo and information to area “pet” pages on Facebook that were created to help people just like you who need to rehome pets. You can search for these groups/pages on Facebook using key words like "rehome pets in (your area)." Just be sure to read the rules of the page and make sure it's a reputable source (Looking for Home: Northeast Texas Pets and Rehoming Foster Cats and Kittens in North Texas are examples of pages that may be helpful when posting your kitty - SCROLL DOWN FOR LINKS TO MORE RESOURCES). Check with local vet offices, pet supply stores and/or groomers to see if they will allow you to put up a flyer for your kitty. Network with co-workers, church members and friends to see if anyone you know and trust would be able to take your kitty. Please allow plenty of time as it may take a few weeks (or even months) to find the right home for your kitty.
It is always a good idea to screen families interested in taking your kitty. Ask questions about the home, where the kitty will spend most of its time, what they plan to feed the kitty, if they have other pets that will get along with the kitty, if they are willing to give this kitty a home for the next 10-20 years, if they are willing and able to provide proper vet care for the kitty, etc. We highly recommend asking for a vet reference and calling the vet to make sure their current pets are spayed/neutered and current on shots (this will help you get a better feel for how well this home will care for the kitty and if they will provide basic vet needs). If you are able, it is always a good idea to take care of some basic vet needs before sending the kitty to a new home (vet visit, worming, vaccinations, flea treatment, and/or spay/neuter if old enough) to ensure the kitty is healthy. Always provide any vet records for the kitty to the family so they can share this information with their vet. We also suggest asking for a small rehoming fee ($25 - $50) to help show that the family is willing to invest in the kitty (and this will also deter people who might not want the kitty as a family pet but instead have ill intent for offering to take you beloved cat). A rehoming fee will also help to reimburse you any of the costs you have put into any of the above mentioned vet care you recently provided for the kitty.
*if the kitty you are needing to rehome is not spayed/neutered or is too young to be spayed/neutered, please stress the importance of spay/neuter to the family that wants to take the kitty in. Spaying/neutering is essential to help with the pet overpopulation issues we face every day. If someone is not committed to spaying/neutering the kitty you need to rehome - they are not the right person for your kitty.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
Do not offer your kitty as “free to a good home.” Sadly, even people who seem like great folks may not have the kitty’s best interest in mind and may not be seeking a pet to love. There are a lot of people out there who will take in pets that they cannot afford to care for, or that have ill intention (like using the kitty as bait for fighting dogs or to torture/kill). We do not want to scare you, but rather give you as much information as we can to help you make the best choice you can for the kitty in your care. (click here for more information on why you should never offer your pet as "free to a good home")
Do not rush putting your kitty into a new home or letting the kitty go to “just anyone.” The last thing you want is to second-guess or doubt you made the right decision for your kitty.
Do not “let your kitty go” somewhere. Kitties are familiar with their home, even if they spend time outdoors, to put them in a place that they are not familiar with that may have cars, predators or other hazards will leave your kitty in a very bad predicament that will likely lead to injury, starvation or death. Abandoning a pet is illegal and considered animal cruelty in the state of Texas.
IF YOU NEED TO FIND ANOTHER RESCUE THAT IS IN A POSITION TO HELP:
A few resources to reference in finding area rescues to contact include:
Petfinder.com Shelter and Rescue Search - You can then enter your location (city/state or zip code) and it will bring up a list of rescues in your surrounding area and their contact information.
n0kill Network (Texas No Kill Animal Shelters): includes a link to the shelter/rescue website
Rescues/Shelters Taking FIV Cats - a list of the Shelters, rescues and sanctuaries that take FIV cats (easy to navigate by state)
Texas Cat Rescue Groups - (courtesy of RescueMe.com) Listings are alphabetized by county (if known). Listings on this site include shelters, some of which are not no-kill so be sure to ask when contacting.
NETWORKING RESOURCES TO HELP FIND RESCUES/HOMES:
IF YOU ARE ON FACEBOOK below are some reputable rescue/rehoming networking groups and pages you can share kitties in need to:
TEXAS Urgent Code Red Cat Network: This group was created to network Texas URGENT cats in or outside of the shelter who are in need of rescue/pledges/fosters.
DFW Cat Rescue Network: This group is devoted to helping ALL cats in need across the Dallas-Ft Worth TX area. This includes homeless cats, street cats, Feral cats, sick and injured cats, abandoned and those that need to be re-homed.
Networking Cats in Need (NTCR): The sole intention of this FB page is to assist in networking the cats and kittens in danger of euthanasia in our local shelters or in other dangerous situations.
Looking for Home: Northeast Texas Pets: The mission of this Group is to reunite lost and found pets with their owners, and to help find loving homes for homeless dogs and cats.
Texas Dogs, Cats, Etc Adoptions & In Need: This group was created for individuals and organizations alike to network for animals in need in Texas. Posts for adoptable, stray, lost, found, etc animals are welcome.
Saving Cats and Kittens of Texas: This group is to help find the many cats and kittens in TX shelters Good homes. You may also share if you find a cat/kitten and you need to find home/rescue as long as you add all info on cat, location and contact info. If you don't post will be deleted!
Cats In Need: Fort Worth and surrounding areas: Networking Stray, Abandoned, and Shelter cats in need of Rescue And Homes.
Please list location in post.
NTX Cat Rescue Resources: NTX Cat Rescue Resource is for all members of the public looking for homes for their rescue kitties or for the general public to ask questions and share the cats they are trying to rehome.
Animals Needing Adoption or Fosters: This is a place to safely share any and all animals world wide who need urgent adoption or fosters or safe urgent placement.
DFW Kitty Rescue Channel: A place to post cats in need, business that provide services for cats, funny pics, just about anything cat related.
The Cat's Meow Saving All Felines (not affiliated with TCMR): This group is for all cats needing rescue, foster, and forever homes.
CAT & KITTEN RESCUE NETWORK 4 Precious Loves Needing Urgent Help: For sharing ALL cats and kittens needing any kind of help.
When contacting a rescue or posting to a rescue/network group, it is helpful to provide as much information as you can about each kitty, including age, gender, whether or not they are spayed/neutered and/or current on vaccinations, their vetting history, personalities, and definitely be sure to include photos. Also let the rescue know where you are located and how you can help them help you (if you are able to foster, donate toward the cost of care of the kitties, get them current on shots if needed or spay/neuter, if you can transport them to the rescue, etc). Keep in mind all rescues face numerous inquiries for help daily, so please be patient and understanding when contacting rescues.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Tips for Finding a Home for a Pet (via Petfinder.com)
Help! I need to Rehome my Pet (via PetRescue.com)
Rehome My Dog, Cat or Other Pet (via BestFriends.org)
TNR Texas (This website can help you find where to get TNR assistance for feral/colony cats in your area of Texas as well as some State & National groups)
FINDING YOUR KITTY A NEW HOME
Take nice photos of the kitty and post them to your facebook page. Offer as much information as you can about the kitty (gender, age, personality, if it gets along well with other pets and/or kids, what the “ideal home” for this kitty would be like, etc.) and ask friends and family to help share/network the kitty. (SEE BELOW UNDER "NETWORKING RESOURCES" FOR FACEBOOK PAGES YOU CAN POST/CROSS-POST TO).
Post your kitty(s) to reputable adoption/rehome sites like:
RescueMe.org - you do not have to be a rescue to post a cat in need of a home. This is a great way to reach thousands of people seeking a new kitty. Just click on the "more" tab at the top of their home page and select "log into posting account" to get started.
Rehome (by Adopt-a-Pet.com) - Adopt-a-Pet is a Petco Foundation online adoption resource. Once you complete the information for your kitty, your pet's profile will be posted on Adopt-a-Pet.com and be seen by thousands of visitors each month.
GetYourPet.com - The online pet adoption community where people who want to adopt a pet connect with people who need to rehome a dog or cat.
Rehome My Pet - The nOkill Network can help find a new home for your pet with a free listing on their website.
Also post the kitty’s photo and information to area “pet” pages on Facebook that were created to help people just like you who need to rehome pets. You can search for these groups/pages on Facebook using key words like "rehome pets in (your area)." Just be sure to read the rules of the page and make sure it's a reputable source (Looking for Home: Northeast Texas Pets and Rehoming Foster Cats and Kittens in North Texas are examples of pages that may be helpful when posting your kitty - SCROLL DOWN FOR LINKS TO MORE RESOURCES). Check with local vet offices, pet supply stores and/or groomers to see if they will allow you to put up a flyer for your kitty. Network with co-workers, church members and friends to see if anyone you know and trust would be able to take your kitty. Please allow plenty of time as it may take a few weeks (or even months) to find the right home for your kitty.
It is always a good idea to screen families interested in taking your kitty. Ask questions about the home, where the kitty will spend most of its time, what they plan to feed the kitty, if they have other pets that will get along with the kitty, if they are willing to give this kitty a home for the next 10-20 years, if they are willing and able to provide proper vet care for the kitty, etc. We highly recommend asking for a vet reference and calling the vet to make sure their current pets are spayed/neutered and current on shots (this will help you get a better feel for how well this home will care for the kitty and if they will provide basic vet needs). If you are able, it is always a good idea to take care of some basic vet needs before sending the kitty to a new home (vet visit, worming, vaccinations, flea treatment, and/or spay/neuter if old enough) to ensure the kitty is healthy. Always provide any vet records for the kitty to the family so they can share this information with their vet. We also suggest asking for a small rehoming fee ($25 - $50) to help show that the family is willing to invest in the kitty (and this will also deter people who might not want the kitty as a family pet but instead have ill intent for offering to take you beloved cat). A rehoming fee will also help to reimburse you any of the costs you have put into any of the above mentioned vet care you recently provided for the kitty.
*if the kitty you are needing to rehome is not spayed/neutered or is too young to be spayed/neutered, please stress the importance of spay/neuter to the family that wants to take the kitty in. Spaying/neutering is essential to help with the pet overpopulation issues we face every day. If someone is not committed to spaying/neutering the kitty you need to rehome - they are not the right person for your kitty.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
Do not offer your kitty as “free to a good home.” Sadly, even people who seem like great folks may not have the kitty’s best interest in mind and may not be seeking a pet to love. There are a lot of people out there who will take in pets that they cannot afford to care for, or that have ill intention (like using the kitty as bait for fighting dogs or to torture/kill). We do not want to scare you, but rather give you as much information as we can to help you make the best choice you can for the kitty in your care. (click here for more information on why you should never offer your pet as "free to a good home")
Do not rush putting your kitty into a new home or letting the kitty go to “just anyone.” The last thing you want is to second-guess or doubt you made the right decision for your kitty.
Do not “let your kitty go” somewhere. Kitties are familiar with their home, even if they spend time outdoors, to put them in a place that they are not familiar with that may have cars, predators or other hazards will leave your kitty in a very bad predicament that will likely lead to injury, starvation or death. Abandoning a pet is illegal and considered animal cruelty in the state of Texas.
IF YOU NEED TO FIND ANOTHER RESCUE THAT IS IN A POSITION TO HELP:
A few resources to reference in finding area rescues to contact include:
Petfinder.com Shelter and Rescue Search - You can then enter your location (city/state or zip code) and it will bring up a list of rescues in your surrounding area and their contact information.
n0kill Network (Texas No Kill Animal Shelters): includes a link to the shelter/rescue website
Rescues/Shelters Taking FIV Cats - a list of the Shelters, rescues and sanctuaries that take FIV cats (easy to navigate by state)
Texas Cat Rescue Groups - (courtesy of RescueMe.com) Listings are alphabetized by county (if known). Listings on this site include shelters, some of which are not no-kill so be sure to ask when contacting.
NETWORKING RESOURCES TO HELP FIND RESCUES/HOMES:
IF YOU ARE ON FACEBOOK below are some reputable rescue/rehoming networking groups and pages you can share kitties in need to:
TEXAS Urgent Code Red Cat Network: This group was created to network Texas URGENT cats in or outside of the shelter who are in need of rescue/pledges/fosters.
DFW Cat Rescue Network: This group is devoted to helping ALL cats in need across the Dallas-Ft Worth TX area. This includes homeless cats, street cats, Feral cats, sick and injured cats, abandoned and those that need to be re-homed.
Networking Cats in Need (NTCR): The sole intention of this FB page is to assist in networking the cats and kittens in danger of euthanasia in our local shelters or in other dangerous situations.
Looking for Home: Northeast Texas Pets: The mission of this Group is to reunite lost and found pets with their owners, and to help find loving homes for homeless dogs and cats.
Texas Dogs, Cats, Etc Adoptions & In Need: This group was created for individuals and organizations alike to network for animals in need in Texas. Posts for adoptable, stray, lost, found, etc animals are welcome.
Saving Cats and Kittens of Texas: This group is to help find the many cats and kittens in TX shelters Good homes. You may also share if you find a cat/kitten and you need to find home/rescue as long as you add all info on cat, location and contact info. If you don't post will be deleted!
Cats In Need: Fort Worth and surrounding areas: Networking Stray, Abandoned, and Shelter cats in need of Rescue And Homes.
Please list location in post.
NTX Cat Rescue Resources: NTX Cat Rescue Resource is for all members of the public looking for homes for their rescue kitties or for the general public to ask questions and share the cats they are trying to rehome.
Animals Needing Adoption or Fosters: This is a place to safely share any and all animals world wide who need urgent adoption or fosters or safe urgent placement.
DFW Kitty Rescue Channel: A place to post cats in need, business that provide services for cats, funny pics, just about anything cat related.
The Cat's Meow Saving All Felines (not affiliated with TCMR): This group is for all cats needing rescue, foster, and forever homes.
CAT & KITTEN RESCUE NETWORK 4 Precious Loves Needing Urgent Help: For sharing ALL cats and kittens needing any kind of help.
When contacting a rescue or posting to a rescue/network group, it is helpful to provide as much information as you can about each kitty, including age, gender, whether or not they are spayed/neutered and/or current on vaccinations, their vetting history, personalities, and definitely be sure to include photos. Also let the rescue know where you are located and how you can help them help you (if you are able to foster, donate toward the cost of care of the kitties, get them current on shots if needed or spay/neuter, if you can transport them to the rescue, etc). Keep in mind all rescues face numerous inquiries for help daily, so please be patient and understanding when contacting rescues.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Tips for Finding a Home for a Pet (via Petfinder.com)
Help! I need to Rehome my Pet (via PetRescue.com)
Rehome My Dog, Cat or Other Pet (via BestFriends.org)
TNR Texas (This website can help you find where to get TNR assistance for feral/colony cats in your area of Texas as well as some State & National groups)