Where to put a cat: review of animal shelters, conditions and terms of keeping, reviews

In this article, we propose to consider options for where to place a cat: forever (there may be various reasons for this), for a while, or options for an extension for a homeless person. We will consider each of the proposed options carefully to avoid mistakes. When you think about where to put a cat, be it your pet or a street one, you must understand that she needs to find the best home, where she won’t be hurt, won’t be left hungry, and definitely won’t be thrown out onto the street. First, let's figure out where we can find a home for a purring cat that is completely deprived of a home.

Keep it for yourself

If you haven't passed by a poor, homeless animal, you might be able to keep it. Even if not for good, but only for a while, until the best owner in the world is found for the cat. Perhaps you will fall in love with the purr and will no longer wonder where to put a stray cat, washed and fed personally. This happens to many people, especially if a child brings a poor fellow from the street, and you think “only for a while.”

If it is not possible to keep the animal for yourself, then we suggest considering other options:

animal shelters;
paid and free foster care;
announcement on social networks about the search for an owner.

There should be no issues with homeless people. But how to properly house your cat, who has become unwanted?

What to do with purebred kittens, and how to check the future owner

Breeders with experience rarely have problems placing purebred kittens - on the contrary, a waiting list forms for them even before the babies are born. But beginners may find that there are still very few applications. This means that you need to look for buyers or give animals away for free. Many, after a series of painful searches, renounce raising animals for sale altogether.

To avoid such situations, remember the following:

It is better to breed a female through a club, with the help of which you can find a purebred cat. Its owners may already have contacts of potential buyers. It is better to look for clients before mating in order to understand the level of demand - it even changes depending on the season. For example, in summer animals are bought less frequently than at other times. Use social networks and the Internet to post information about the sale

Also, buyers often pay attention to certificates and pedigree. If you plan to breed for a long time, create groups and communities in which you will post photos and information. Kittens with good photos are successfully sold on websites, so there is no need to skimp on this.

You can check the new owner on social networks to see if there is any negative information about him

It is also important to exchange contact information with him and call him within a week to ask how the kitten is feeling. You can even ask permission to come and visit him

You need to be wary if a person arrives drunk, is confused in answering questions, is nervous, or bargains.

Give to relatives or friends

This is the first thing that comes to mind when you start to think about where to put the cat if it is not needed. Ask your closest people, and even just acquaintances, if they have any desire to adopt your animal. In most cases, the answer will be negative, but you never know, maybe there are people who really like your cat?

If a friend is afraid to adopt an animal because he already has a cat, then convey to him that keeping two is easier than one. Cats love company, and it will be much more interesting and fun for them together. Offer your help in purchasing food, a tray, a sleeping house and toys. But remember that if a friend has a pet of the opposite sex, then one animal, or both, will need to be sterilized in order to avoid the birth of offspring, which will also need to be adopted.

Usually friends and family know the reason why you want to get rid of the animal. Deciding where to place a cat if a child has allergies is much easier than deciding where to place a cat that causes mischief. And what to do if this is really the problem?

Attach to a private house

Probably everyone has friends who live in a private house. Such people very rarely refuse to adopt disadvantaged animals, only if they themselves are not allergic to wool.

Tell them honestly that you are giving your pet away for the reason that he cannot or does not want to learn to use the litter box, and this smell is simply unacceptable in the apartment. Animals that do not use a litter box often become ideal pets to keep in a private home, where you can go outside when needed, hunt mice, and just go for a walk.

As in the previous case, it will be easier to settle with a “dowry”. Say that you will buy everything you need and will provide food and all other necessary supplies.

Again, make sure that your pet's future children do not end up outside. Both cats and cats that have free access to walks must be sterilized. Therefore, before you think about where to take your cat, make sure to take it to the veterinarian for a routine operation.

How to painlessly part with a cat

And now you have found a new owner for your beloved cat. The hour of parting is approaching, which promises to be difficult. Of course, cats tolerate separation from their owner easier than dogs, but it is also a huge stress for them. However, you can make moving your pet to a new home easier:

Before giving your cat to a new home, invite potential owners to visit. Let them meet the cat on its territory. It is advisable to conduct such “acquaintances” at least 2-3 times. If the cat and the future owners get along right away, then there should be no problems.
Tell new cat owners in detail about its diet and habits. If in the new home they follow the old regime at least for the first time, the cat will be much calmer.
With the cat, give away all her things. It will be easier for her to adapt if there are familiar objects and smells in the new home.
Before handing over the cat to its new owners, do not show your excitement, do not cry or squeeze the pet excessively, otherwise the cat will become very worried.
After giving a cat away, you should not visit it, so as not to upset the established balance between it and the new owners. It’s better to ask for a photo report and a detailed story about the first days in the new house.

Parting with a pet can be a difficult necessity.

These measures will help the cat get used to its new home, and you will feel calmer knowing that the pet is in good hands and you have done everything to prevent it from dying on the street, alone.

No matter how difficult parting with a pet may be, sometimes it becomes a necessity. If you show responsibility for the well-being of the cat and do everything to make the new page of its life bright and kind, then the pet will probably be grateful to you.

Advertisement on social networks and newspapers

The newspaper is the last option, but we cannot refuse it, because there are people who do not use the Internet - the older generation. But it is grandparents who most often want to take a cat into the house, and perhaps they will be ready to take exactly the one that turns out to be unnecessary for you, or the street one that you want to place in a warm home.

On social networks it is easier to track an ad, give comments, and answer questions for interested people. Where to put a cat if it has allergies? Of course, add it through an ad, but it must be honest. Today, every second person has this very “allergy”, the reason for which they give away an animal. Most often, the real reason lies in the fact that the animal is simply tired, has had enough of playing with it, or it has started (or never stopped) messing with the house (walking past the litter box, or even far beyond it, carrying things, and so on). And so, the new owners will still find out about these pranks, and may leave not the most pleasant reviews about you on the same social networks. But this is the softest outcome of the matter, they can simply throw away the animal that you did not dare to abandon, and took so long to find new hands!

In the ad, honestly describe the reason why you are thinking about where to put the cat. Write: yes, he is a mess, so he fits in with people who can teach him how to use the litter box, or in a private home. If he steals things, then also describe the problem, and the future owners will be ready to put everything valuable in its place, and not leave it on the dressing table, from where a purring thief can steal it.

Where can I donate?

Overexposures and shelters

In case of a long absence, pets are given for foster care, but this service is paid.
Foster care is the temporary placement of a four-legged friend. This method is used by owners who are forced to leave their cats for a long time when going on business trips abroad. The temporary method is also useful for elderly owners who undergo preventive treatment in the hospital for several weeks or months. It’s convenient to search for people who will host a cat for the right time via the Internet. During the conversation, the owner should explain the reasons for the separation and agree on the conditions of detention. During the period of foster care, the owner buys the pet food, litter, hygiene products, and medicines.

It is important to note that four-legged friends are accepted and kept in a comfortable environment for a fee

Shelters are establishments where found stray kittens are kept, animals that the owners for some reason decided to throw out into the street, depriving them of their home at one point. You can also take an unwanted domestic cat to a shelter, but this option is considered the most undesirable. The fact is that in Russia and other CIS countries there are practically no good shelters where animals are kept in comfortable conditions. Often such an establishment is a separate extension, not heated for the winter. Cats are not always kept there in a favorable environment. In addition, most shelters operate on funds raised by volunteers, and they are often not enough to maintain at least acceptable living conditions. Many cats and dogs taken from the street are forced to spend their entire lives in unfavorable conditions. The owner of the pet will no longer be able to see it or take it back.

Cat cafe establishment

An absolutely healthy and sociable cat can be placed in a cat cafe, where it will bring pleasure to visitors.

This is an exotic establishment where, for a fee, cat lovers are allowed to spend time with animals, chat and play. Pets are accepted at the cat cafe according to strict rules. The cat must be absolutely healthy, socialized, adequate, and easy to make contact with strangers. In essence, the animal gets a permanent job, where the main duty is to bring pleasure to humans. If the establishment decides to adopt a pet, we can assume that he has drawn a lucky ticket.

Relatives, friends

If a cat owner is thinking about the question of where to put the cat, he is recommended to ask friends and relatives, maybe someone will help solve the problem and take the pet home. Placing your cat in good hands with people you trust is the best option. You can visit the animal at any time, find out about its health, and be sure that it will be taken care of properly.

Through the Internet

You can try to place a accidentally found kitten or an adult pet that the family does not need by placing an ad on a social page or on one of the free sites “Avito”, “Yula”, “From Hand to Hand”, OLX. In order for your cat to quickly find a new family, it is recommended to ask friends and acquaintances to spread the information online by reposting the message.

Overexposure

Are you absolutely unable to hold the animal anymore? Is it really about health (it’s just that everything else can be endured until a permanent home is found)? Then pay attention to the fact that in cities there are many foster homes - these are kind people who are ready to temporarily shelter an animal in their apartments. There are two types of such temporary shelters: free and paid; let’s talk about both in more detail.

Getting to know your pet

A cat who first became homeless and then ended up in a shelter gets used to the fact that loneliness is her only friend. She spent all her time remembering life before the shelter, her communication with past owners. Like a person, a cat compares and chooses where it was better. She is given away by force, she does not choose a new home, so you should not immediately expect endless love from her.

See if she likes it in the new place, what signs of attention she gives to the owners, they should never be ignored. For every such case, a cat has a hundred methods to take revenge. Starting from banal damage to things and furniture, ending with screams at night. All this will not just be a signal of attention deficit, but also a serious hint that the relationship is not going well.

Free foster care

Where can you take a cat that you found on the street and couldn’t pass by? Of course, ask volunteers for help. These people accept stray cats and dogs for temporary residence in their own apartments completely free of charge. It’s easy to find them; there are always many announcements from them on social networks about the addition of wards (with photos, descriptions of the terrible fate). How to approach them?

Write that you found an animal, you don’t have the opportunity to keep it, since you already have five dogs, two pythons and an owl, or you simply have unpleasant consequences from communicating with our smaller brothers in the form of itching, rhinitis and other signs of allergies. For the most part, free foster care helps. Even if they themselves do not have places, they will run all over the city, call all the same animal lovers, but will find at least a temporary, but still shelter. What will be required of you?

You must understand that you can’t just dump responsibility on others: you couldn’t keep it, but you didn’t pass it by, but they leave it and will look for a permanent home. You will need basic help in the form of transporting the cat to the place of foster care, purchasing food and the most necessary things - foster care is free, private, and lives only on your hard-earned money and on the mercy of those who care. Then you can help find a home: leave comments under the photo of the animal in advertisements, make reposts, and even post such advertisements yourself.

Why does it become necessary to part with an animal?

Statistics show that almost half of Russian residents choose cats as pets. These animals are not whimsical, beautiful and graceful, and even if the owners are full-time, caring for them does not cause any particular difficulties.

Kittens are a headache for all owners who don’t know where to place them.

When getting a small cat, the owners plan to live together under one roof until she is old. However, there are a number of reasons when a family is forced to part with a pet, no matter how painful and difficult it may be. And there are several reasons:

Allergy in one of the family members. In some situations, when a cat is already in the family, people may not immediately realize that they have an allergy. Symptoms include itchy nose, frequent sneezing, tearing and other unpleasant phenomena. This condition is treatable, but has high costs and low success rates. Only about 20% of those who seek help are able to overcome allergies to fur or animal waste products. If the problem was identified immediately after the kitten arrived at its new home, it is not difficult to solve - it is enough to return the animal to the previous owners, explaining the reason. However, if the cat lived at home for a long time, and an allergy was discovered at the birth of the child, then the addition will take time and effort;
changing of the living place. Most often, this problem occurs among families living in rented housing or who are forced to move regularly. Unfortunately, new apartment owners are not always willing to accept residents with pets;
serious illness or death of the owner. Very often, lonely older people get pets to relieve their loneliness. And after their death, relatives are not too happy to inherit four-legged friends. As a rule, they kick the cats outside. Volunteers or neighbors are forced to look for new families for animals;
unplanned kittens. Owners of unsterilized cats who live free-range are able to get kittens 3-4 times a year. And if there are always people who want to buy purebred animals, then you should also try to place mongrel animals in good families.

Paid foster care

Where to put a cat if you don't need it? Of course, if your conscience allows, you can send it under the guise of a homeless person for free foster care, but still this is very shameful, just like you simply throw out an animal and give it to a place that could be taken by a really needy creature. It happens that it is not possible to place a truly stray cat in a free foster home; what should you do in this case? Find a paid one!

Usually, paid foster care is the same as free foster care: people also accept animals in their apartment while they are looking for new owners, but with the condition of full maintenance on the part of the one who gives the pet + a small monetary reward for care. From these shelters, announcements are also posted that such and such an animal has been betrayed and abandoned, and is now looking for a new home.

But you can’t just trust your (or street) animal and money to complete strangers. It happens that cats are simply placed in cages, and they forget not only to feed them, but also to pour water! That is why it is recommended to conclude a contract for the provision of services with the foster care, and visit from time to time to make sure that the money goes to the maintenance of the cat, and she does not need anything, is well-groomed and occupied.

Paid foster care keeps the animal until they pay for it, or until a permanent home is found for it. But even such animals take in animals for survival (these are a number of poor souls with injuries incompatible with life, disabilities, old people, in general, all those who will definitely not be able to find a home), and they will have to pay for their existence until the end of their days, but, as a rule, such individuals They don’t need much, and they are not expensive to maintain.

How to prepare kittens for adoption

Before actively looking for new owners for a kitten, you need to make sure that it is completely healthy.

It doesn’t matter whether you adopted a furry baby from the street or your cat has added a new addition to the family – a visit to the veterinarian should be the first step. Most likely, the kitten will be prescribed a number of tests and examinations

If a preventive examination does not reveal any health problems (for example, the presence of parasites), then the kitten will still need vaccinations. In any case, you can start adopting a kitten only after it is absolutely healthy and vaccinated. Otherwise, he may end up on the street again - no one likes unpleasant surprises.

"Murzik's House" - a good paid foster care in Moscow

Check-in must be booked in advance. Accommodation for a pet here is inexpensive - from three hundred rubles per day. But this price does not include food, only accommodation and care. If you need your cat to be fed with overexposure food, then the additional payment will be one hundred rubles per day - only premium food.

When moving into Murzik's House, you need to bring food, a tray, and toys with you, since the policy of overexposure is as follows: the more things an animal has of its own, the easier it is for it to adapt!

The cat will live in a personal “room” - this is a very spacious, three-level enclosure, in which the animal will be able to move around calmly, and its relatives will not pester you here.

Upon check-in, a contract for the provision of services is concluded, accommodation is paid (the animal stays for as long as needed). The overexposure provides video and photo reports completely free of charge.

Reviews about “Murzik’s House” are the warmest. Everyone who entrusted the animal to this foster care was satisfied. They write that the conditions are “resort”, and experienced staff helps the cats adapt. The enclosures are always clean, the animals are fed and well-groomed.

Catcafe

Many cities have places like cat cafes, and you can spend time with several animals there! In the cat cafe, the animals are given a lot of attention, they are looked after, and fed tasty and competently. But it is very difficult to place a purr in such an establishment, since there are almost never free places. If it succeeds, then we can consider that the animal is very lucky in life.

How to make sure your animal is accepted into the cat cafe? Get ready! Many people take their foundlings to a cat cafe, not knowing that the cat needs to be treated for all parasites and vaccinated. If you bring an animal that is already ready for adoption, its chances increase significantly!

Moscow cat cafe

There are several cat cafes in the capital, but the most popular are “Cotissimo”, “Black Cat” and “Cats and People”.

These cafes almost never refuse to give shelter to a homeless animal; volunteers themselves pick them up on the streets. Next, the animal is vaccinated, sterilized, washed, treated, and rid of parasites. In the future, a permanent home is found for the cat, and the animals do not stay long in the cafe, as they are chosen by visitors to the establishment.

The cat café accepts even old animals and those with disabilities, but they may refuse aggressive, contagious, and colored animals, of which there are already many in the establishment.

Reviews about all three cat cafes are good. People write that the establishments do not smell like cats, all the animals are clean, well-fed, and affectionate. The only thing is that you cannot find a kitten here, since animals are accepted from six months of age.

Shelter

Many people believe that a shelter is the best place for animals that are left without supervision or that you simply no longer need. A shelter is a good option only if it is really good: with spacious enclosures, competent staff who will feed you on time, play with you, clean the cage, treat it for parasites, give you vaccinations and send you for sterilization. But usually all such shelters are filled to capacity, and they will not be able to accept a new animal, no matter how much they would like to.

But bad shelters are just that: bad. They have cramped cages in which cats sit without walks, toys, and sometimes even without food, since there are few staff and they simply do not have time to look after all the pets. Imagine what a nightmare it is for an animal to sit in a cage meter by meter around the clock, when before it was possible, albeit not on sofas, to jump through trees, along the street - freely! That is why you will think about what is better: leaving the foundling on the street or handing it over to a bad shelter. The only thing is that in a shelter the cat will not freeze, die of hunger or in the teeth of equally hungry street dogs. But the chances of dying from the disease increase significantly.

Shelters, good or bad, are always in need of help! If you decide to send your animal or something you found on the street there, prepare gifts: food, bedding, toys, trays, and so on. Not a single shelter refuses all possible help in cleaning, feeding animals, and walking with them.

Where can you place a cat or kittens besides a shelter?

Sometimes unforeseen circumstances occur in a person’s life when a pet needs to be evicted from the house: an adult or infant has an allergy, the owner has tragically died, the animal is aggressive towards the child. Kind people will not raise their hand to kick a cat out into the street or euthanize it. This means that the pet needs to find a new cat home. There are some suitable options:

Private hotels for animals (not shelters) or foster care. The difference is that the cat will be maintained at the owner's expense. This method will be a great help for those who often travel on business trips.
Another family. This option implies that the animal needs to find a new permanent owner. You can search through the Internet on special sites, through friends, or look at advertisements in the newspaper.
Shelter, private or municipal. Private institutions are created by an individual. Municipal ones exist at the expense of the state. The latter are intended for catching stray animals, and pets are reluctantly taken apart. To place a cat here, you will have to prepare a large list of documents: an act of catching the cat, an act of handing it over to the institution, an order from the prefecture, etc.

How to choose a shelter for cats?

If there is no other alternative, and the decision to surrender the cat to a shelter has been finally made, then you should find out some nuances when choosing an institution:

Availability of volunteers. This fact means that the organization does not hide anything, takes proper care of the four-legged animals and does not refuse additional help. If entry for volunteers is prohibited, then you should think about the conditions of detention. Financial statements. When a shelter does not hide the reporting of funds spent and information about incoming pets, this speaks of them as an open and trusted institution. State of the shelter

When visiting, you should pay attention to the number of animals in one cage, the cleanliness of the enclosures and the healthy appearance of the pets. Cats should not be kept with or near dogs

Review of good shelters in Moscow

“Forest Shelter”, “Gift of Fate”, “Tender Beast”, “Murkosha” are havens for all homeless cats and those that are simply abandoned by their current owners. Before bringing an animal here, you need to contact the foundation’s volunteers and agree on an extension. Nothing is required from you; you can bring your cat in any condition. Here she will be washed, fed, vaccinated, and sterilized when she reaches 8 months of age.

Next, the animals will be photographed and advertisements posted on social networks about the addition to good hands. As soon as an owner is found for the cat, a contract for the transfer of the animal is concluded with him. The further fate of the cat is not left without observation; volunteers will be asked to provide photo reports.

You can bring an old and sick animal to the shelter; here everyone finds their own warm corner and a bowl of food. All cats that cannot be adopted due to age or illness live out their short cat life in a shelter, in good conditions.

This is all clear, we've sorted it out. But often you come across cries for help online, like “Help, I’m leaving, where should I put the cat for a while?” We will deal with this further.

Place yourself temporarily with friends

If possible, simply leave the keys to the house to a loved one who will feed the cat and change the litter in the tray. It will be easier for the cat, because she will stay at home, even if alone.

If there are no people who can come to you every day, then maybe there are those who can temporarily take in an animal? If there are any, then bring her toys, a tray, and her favorite bedding with the cat - this way the cat will quickly adapt to the new environment.

How to create and place an ad to adopt a cat

To increase your chance of adopting a cat, you need to create the right ad:

First of all, high-quality photography. This is the most important thing in the ad. The cat needs to be photographed with high quality, in a beautiful pose, against a beautiful background. Having a good photo increases the possibility of getting a device by 50–70%.
Describe the animal. Be sure to indicate age, gender, name, breed (if any), health status and personality traits. If possible, write a short (no more than 10 sentences) story about your pet.
The effectiveness of the ad will increase if the cat is sterilized, vaccinated, treated for worms and fleas, and well-groomed.
You must provide your own contact information: phone, e-mail, name.
To make your ad even more effective, you need to place it on visited sites. Enter one of the following queries into the search:
cats in good hands;
I'll give away the kitten;
animal notice board;

the kitten is in good hands and the like. Ads should be placed on the first 10 sites. Don't forget to pick them up regularly so they don't end up on the very last pages.

Sample ad:
“Teenage kitten Murzik is being given into good hands. The boy is nine months old, absolutely healthy, vaccinated, neutered, treated for fleas and worms. The kitten is playful, kind, smart, not mischievous, and is suitable even for a family with children. Supplied with a carrier, bowls, tray and bed. Give Murochka a home and a loving family!”
The better and more interesting the photograph, the greater the chance that the animal will find a home.

Hotel for animals

Where to put a cat during a vacation or business trip if none of your friends can help? There are two options to consider:

Paid foster care. It's cheap, but look only for good reviews, because you won't be able to check the conditions in which your pet is kept.
Hotel for animals. This is more expensive than foster care, but here they will definitely feed you, play with you, and cuddle you, so you can rest easy! Reviews of pet hotels are mostly good, so you don’t have to worry about your pet.

In both cases, a contract for the provision of services is drawn up. Let's look at the best hotels.

Review of hotels for cats in Moscow

“Goldie Kat” - there are only 11 rooms, all “Comfort” and “Luxury”, accommodation from five hundred rubles per day. Living conditions: spacious enclosures with toys, tray (food to go). The staff takes care of the cats: games, petting, cleaning, grooming, and so on. Video surveillance is carried out, reports are available at any time and free of charge.
“Booking Cat” - from 300 rubles per day, depending on the comfort of the enclosure (from 1 to 2.1 meters in height). Video and photo reports at the request of the animal owner, haircut, feeding, full care (including games and petting).
“Koshkino” is an even cheaper, but comfortable pet hotel. Accommodation price starts from 250 rubles per day, food is not included, as in previous options. The price includes full care, care, living in a clean enclosure separately from other cats.

Rules for accepting animals in all hotels:

Cats under 4 months of age, unsterilized after 9 months, without a vaccination certificate, and untreated for parasites are not accepted;
You can bring the animal yourself or transfer it from the apartment to a hotel employee (for a fee);
cats should only arrive in carriers;
refusal to aggressive animals;
conclusion of a contract for the provision of services;
payment upon admission + possible additional payment (unforeseen expenses) when releasing the animal back home.