Rehome a Cat

Rehoming a pet can be difficult for both you and the pet. Finding a new home in a world with so many animals is hard, and then your cat must readjust to a new family. Nonetheless, you can do it with some time and preparation. However, don't forget that depending on your reason for giving up the cat, you may be able to keep your cat with you if you make a few adjustments.

Getting the Cat Ready

 * 1) Have the cat spayed or neutered. If you're trying to find a cat a home, it's much easier if the cat is already spayed or neutered. It's one less hurdle that the new owner will have to jump over, making the cat that much more attractive. Most cities have cheap or free programs for getting animals spayed or neutered. Check with your local animal shelter for more information. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 1.jpg|center]]
 * 2) Ask the vet to give your cat a clean bill of health. A healthy pet is a more attractive pet. Therefore, have your vet check your cat out to make sure she is in perfect health. Also, ask for papers showing she is up-to-date on shots and in good health. That way, when you ask people to give your pet a home, you can prove she is in good health. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 2.jpg|center]]
 * 3) Fix any problems she may have. If your cat has a problem, try to get it fixed before you rehome her. For instance, if your cat has fleas, ask for a flea medication to help stop the issue. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 3.jpg|center]]

Advertising Your Cat

 * 1) Take pictures of your cat. Before you take photos, take a moment to make sure she looks her best. Brush out her fur. Clean out any eye gunk. Make sure she's looking like her beautiful self before you move ahead. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 4.jpg|center]]
 * 2) * Pick a room with natural light to take the photo. Try using your cat's favorite toy or a treat to get her attention. Alternatively, use a picture you already have.
 * 3) List your cat's traits. When you start the list, be sure to include both physical and behavioral traits. For instance, maybe you have a longhair calico who's about 10 pounds. However, she may also be sweet and affectionate, good with other animals, and shy until she gets to know you better. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 5.jpg|center]]
 * 4) * Don't forget to include her age. Also, be upfront about the cat. You don't want to trick someone into taking a pet he or she can't keep. For instance, you don't want to say she's good with children if she's not or she's never been around them.
 * 5) Write up a description. Using your cat's traits above, write up a short description of your cat that you can use on flyers, on social media, or in the newspaper. You may need to modify it a bit for each medium, but the basic idea should stay the same. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 6.jpg|center]]
 * 6) * For instance, you could write, "Veronica is a 3-year-old calico with a great personality. She's very sweet, though she may take a bit to warm up to you. She's 10 pounds, spayed, up-to-date on her shots, and in good health. We love her so much, but we can't keep her because we're moving out of country. Won't you give her a good home?"
 * 7) * Include contact information when appropriate.
 * 8) Spread the information around. Use social media to contact your friends and family. Also, call up anyone you know who isn't on social media. In addition, try putting flyers up and placing an ad in the newspaper. You can also ask at your vet clinic to see if your vet knows anyone who will take her. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 7.jpg|center]]
 * 9) * Don't forget to include the picture you took.
 * 10) * Check with your local shelter and pet advocacy groups. Some of these organizations allow owners to post animals on their sites to help them find new homes.

Choosing a New Home for Your Cat

 * 1) Talk to people who show interest. If people show interest in your pet, talk to them over the phone or the internet. Try to figure out if the person will be a good pet owner for your cat. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 8.jpg|center]]
 * 2) Ask questions. Ask about the home the pet will be going to. For instance, are there other pets in the home, and does the person have experience caring for an animal? You can also ask questions about whether the cat will be an indoor or outdoor cat. In addition, you can ask if you can do a home visit prior to bringing the pet over. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 9.jpg|center]]
 * 3) * You should feel comfortable with who you're choosing to give your cat to. Make sure the person is ready to take on the responsibility of a cat. For instance, ask if the person has a plan in place for taking the cat to the vet, including having a vet picked out.
 * 4) Invite them to come meet the pet. If they seem like good candidates, invite them to come meet her. If you don't know them, be sure to have more than one person at the house so that you're not alone. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 10.jpg|center]]
 * 5) Pick a new home. Hopefully, if you are patient, you will find a good home for your pet. Remember, it can take awhile, especially if your pet is older. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 11.jpg|center]]
 * 6) Provide the new owner with what she needs. Once you choose a new owner, make sure you provide her with the goods and information she needs. For instance, take over your pet's favorite toys and bed. Hand over the food you have leftover, as well as treats. Give the person the cat's medical history in paper form, and provide information such as the cat's favorite games, her preferred food (if you're not handing it over), what odd behaviors she has, and the treats she likes best. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 12.jpg|center]]
 * 7) * Try to provide some documentation that you transferred ownership of the pet. It can be a simple written document saying you transferred ownership from you to another person on a specified date.
 * 8) Say goodbye to your animal. Your cat has likely grown very attached to you, and you should help her transition to her new home. Try to spend some time with the cat in her new home so she can adjust. In addition, it may be helpful to leave an item of your clothing that smells like you, so she will have something familiar in her new surroundings. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 13.jpg|center]]

Ensuring Rehoming is Necessary

 * 1) Minimize allergies. One reason people rehome cats is because they find out one person is allergic. However, you can take steps to help minimize allergies when it comes to a cat. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 14.jpg|center]]
 * 2) * Try grooming the cat in a room that's not in the main part of the home. Try the garage, for instance. That keeps the hair and dander that fluffs up when you groom the cat in that area.
 * 3) * In addition, try cleaning the cat regularly, such as with a bath, which helps cut down on hair and dander. If you cannot manage that with your cat, try animal cleansing wipes instead.
 * 4) * Clean regularly. It's important to keep cat hair picked up to help with allergies. Vacuum and dust regularly. In addition, use a wet washcloth on your furniture after you've vacuumed. Also, put anything your cat likes to lounge in the wash on a regular basis.
 * 5) * Give the cat flea medicine, especially in the summer. Cutting down on fleas can help cut down on allergies. Also, put anything your cat likes to lounge in the wash on a regular basis.
 * 6) Get help with expenses. If you've hit a rough patch, you may have resources available to you in your area to help with pet care and food. Ask your vet or the local shelter if either one knows of any place in the area that provides help. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 15.jpg|center]]
 * 7) Have someone else clean the litter box if you're pregnant. If you've recently become pregnant, you may have heard you have some risk of catching toxoplasmosis from cat feces. While there is some risk, you are at a higher risk catching it from not cooking meat enough. It is not necessary to get rid of a cat for this reason. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 16.jpg|center]]
 * 8) * Nonetheless, it is prudent to have someone else do the litter while you are pregnant. If no one else is available, be sure to wear rubber or latex gloves while cleaning the litter box.
 * 9) Ease worries about a new baby and your cat. Most of the time, introducing a new baby into the house with a cat isn't a problem. Most cats warm up to having a new little one in your house, and your child will enjoy growing up with an animal around. In addition, studies have shown that children who grow up with animals are less likely to develop animal-related allergies. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 17.jpg|center]]
 * 10) * That doesn't mean you don't need to take a few steps to ensure your baby's safety. For instance, don't leave your cat alone with your baby, especially at first. In addition, make sure to put cat food and litter out of your baby's reach, especially as she grows into a toddler.
 * 11) * Keep your cat up-to-date on vaccinations.
 * 12) * Finally, be sure to wash your hands after handling the cat litter.
 * 13) Work on behavioral problems. Behavioral problems can be frustrating. However, you can work to improve them in your cat before handing your cat over to someone else. Depending on what your problem is, you can find information on pet advocacy websites to help you deal with it. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 18.jpg|center]]
 * 14) * For instance, the cat going to the bathroom in the wrong place could have some easy solutions. Your cat may have a fixable health problem that's causing her to seek other parts of the house to use the toilet.
 * 15) * On the other hand, she may have a problem with the litter you use or the liners you have in the litter box. Some cats don't like clumping litter, for example. Other cats may not like having a cover over the litter box.
 * 16) * If you have more than one cat, you'll likely need to get multiple litter boxes, and if you have a large house, you may need to space them throughout the house.
 * 17) Find cat-approved housing. Start looking early. Most areas have rentals available where you can have a pet, as long as you start looking in time to find a place. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 19.jpg|center]]
 * 18) * Check local laws about pet ownership. You may find something to your advantage.
 * 19) Plan ahead. If you are older (or even if you're not), plan ahead for your pet. Ask your lawyer about putting information about putting your cat in your will, including any funds you feel appropriate to take care of her. In addition, talk to your family and friends, and see if anyone is willing to take care of her after your death. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 20.jpg|center]]
 * 20) * If you have no luck with friends and family, try looking into pet advocacy organizations in your area. Some organizations will agree to take pets after your death as long as you offer a small donation to help them find a new home.
 * 21) Contact Dogs on Deployment if you're military. This service is for all pets, not just dogs. Basically, it helps connect you with people in your area who are willing to take care of your pet will you're deployed. [[Image:Rehome a Cat Step 21.jpg|center]]

Warnings

 * Don't abandon the cat if no one is going to adopt it. Try a no-kill shelter first, and if that's not an option, take her to a regular shelter to try for adoption.

Related wikiHows

 * Keep a Cat from Running Away when It Is Moved
 * Get an Escaped House Cat to Come Home
 * Make a Flyer

Sources and Citations
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