No one likes to think about or admit it often, but there are times when pet parents love a pet cat yet can’t keep it for some reason. It could be a new family member with severe allergies to cats. For example, a new spouse who can’t live with a house cat despite antihistamines. Or it could be a new baby and an aggressive old cat that poses a threat. Despite efforts to reduce danger, accidents can still happen.
An old cat may also be aggressive towards a new cat. After months of trying to introduce them, if they still don’t get along, for the new cat’s safety, rehoming may be the best option. No situation is completely clear cut. Sometimes progress can be made on pet issues, but not always. Some situations are unsolvable or not worth the risk. If you find yourself in this situation, start at the beginning. Before giving up your pet, try to fix problems. You could be in a stressful situation where you love your pet but are frustrated by behavioural issues. You could also be closer to hating your cat due to frustration. Or you could have fleeting resentment due to the burden of pet ownership. If any of these make you want to re-home, dig into the behaviours and see if there’s something left to try.Facing issues with your cat that make you question keeping them? It’s crucial to address these problems to maintain a happy relationship with your pet. Begin by exploring this blog, particularly the training section, or leave a comment detailing your issue. Other pet parents who’ve faced similar challenges may offer valuable advice and support.
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by your cat’s behavior, but remember, you’re not alone. Many pet parents struggle with their cats, and it’s okay to feel frustrated. Just because cats are typically well-behaved doesn’t mean all cat owners have had easy experiences. Some may judge those facing behavioral issues, but it’s important to remember that resentment towards a loved pet is natural and doesn’t make you a bad person. If you still care for your cat despite the challenges, there’s hope. It’s okay to feel upset and resentful at times. I’ve personally dealt with significant issues with my cats and have managed to resolve many of them. This blog is filled with advice on the problems I’ve encountered and those shared by other pet parents. I’ve experienced my cats waking me up early, meowing and crying at night, and begging for food all day. When I introduced a second cat, there were many concerns, especially regarding the aggressive behavior of my first cat towards the new one. However, I found solutions and shared them here. Feeling stressed and anxious over cat problems can make you think living with your pet is impossible. But if you love your pet and only have a few behavioral issues that are unbearable, there’s often a solution. In many cases, it can be a quick and easy fix. For instance, if your cat’s problem involves regular eating, consider investing in a PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feeder, which I’ve found to be incredibly helpful.Discover the benefits of using an automated feeder for your cats. It’s an automated feeder that will go off whenever you set it – I schedule it to go off every four hours. This has fixed so many problems in my household, from cats vomiting on empty stomachs to aggression between cats caused by hunger.
It helps prevent my male cats from scarfing down too much food at once and overeating, sometimes to the point of vomiting. Additionally, it keeps my cats awake in the morning so they finally sleep at night, as they always get up from their naps regularly for food. I also use it in combination with the Catit Design Senses Food Maze to keep my cats mentally stimulated. These feeders could also stop cats from begging pet parents for food, redirecting their attention to the feeder instead. PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Cat & Dog Feeder – Available on Amazon / Chewy. Catit Design Senses Food Maze – Available on Amazon / Chewy. Dealing with cats that scratch furniture? You can train them to stop scratching furniture. Protect your couch with couch protector covers, integrated couch scratchers, and easy-to-throw-on scratch guards. For cats that never stop asking to play, try self-play cat toys like Spot Ethical Pet Cat Springs, which I highly recommend. My cats also love the KONG Kickeroo and KONG Cat Hugga Wubba. Combining these with high energy cat exercise toys can help remedy your problem within a single weekend. For pet owners with issues that cannot be resolved, consider humane ways to get rid of a cat you can’t keep. To increase chances of adoption, take a really good picture of your pet looking happy and cute, and write a short biography highlighting any training they have received.When preparing to re-home your cat, it’s crucial to gather comprehensive information. Include your cat’s medical history, current medical conditions, and any medications they might be on.
Be sure to list their favorite things, such as toys and scratching trees, and highlight the positive attributes of your cat. It’s important to be honest about any issues, especially regarding their interaction with children. You want to avoid placing your cat in a home where they might face problems. Emphasize the positive traits that others might appreciate, like being warm, loving, and friendly, even if these attributes don’t align with your current lifestyle. From Pets for Patriots, it’s advised to prepare your pet thoroughly. Ensure your cat is groomed, up-to-date on vaccinations, and free from fleas and ticks. If not already done, consider spaying or neutering your pet. Low-cost vaccination and spay/neuter clinics may be available in your area; consult with local shelters and pet stores. Preparing your cat in this way will make the adoption process smoother for the new family, as there will be fewer immediate tasks for them to handle. The steps for re-homing a cat begin with finding a new home. Start by reaching out to family members, friends, co-workers, or acquaintances who might be interested in taking your cat. If you know someone who would be a good fit and can provide a loving home, this is the best place to start. Be open about discussing the types of items you’d be willing to supply with your cat, such as food, litter boxes, cat beds, toys, and trees. This can alleviate some of the负担 for the new family. Explain the reasons for re-homing your cat, whether it’s due to allergies, stress, or a move. Encourage potential adopters to meet your cat, as a personal connection can often influence their decision. If your immediate circle is uninterested, ask them if they know anyone else who might be open to adopting your cat. Someone they know might be looking for a new pet or considering adding to their family.Whatever the case may be, be sure to inquire about whether your friend or family member thinks this person would make a good pet parent. Are they responsible? Have they known each other for a while? What’s their living situation like – is it safe? It’s important to make sure your cat is going to a good home.
Reach out to a cat foster home and ask if they have advice on re-homing in your area, or know someone who might want to adopt. There are so many amazing people who foster kittens and adult cats to the point where they are able to be re-homed. See if you can find a few in your area and ask them for advice about re-homing in your area, as well as if they know anybody who’s “in the market” so to speak for a cat with your feline’s attributes. Petmaker Kitty Cat Condo with Overhead Balcony – Amazon Use pet re-homing sites & services to find your cat a good, new home. There are pet matching services like Rehome that exist to match up pets with pet parents. Same with sites like Get Your Pet. While I’m not sure quite how good of a job they do, a lot of sources advise using them over sites like Craigslist or Kijiji, as with regular classified ad sites, your cat has more of a chance of ending up in a home where abuse is possible. The best option, in my opinion, is giving your cat away to a person you know firsthand or through a friend, someone you vet yourself and would trust. If you can’t, than going through a cat foster parent is another excellent way, since those who foster can typically do the vetting themselves. Using re-homing sites and services that are reputable gives you a lot more assurance that your cat is going to a good home than the alternative (the alternative being looking for a home for your cat on free classified sites). The Final Option: Surrendering to a Shelter or Animal Rescue. As a final option, you can get rid of a cat by surrendering it to a local shelter or animal rescue. As Pets for Patriots Points out, “many adoption contracts require you to return pets to them rather than have you rehome on your own.” So if you brought your cat in from a shelter, be sure to reach out to that shelter again in case things didn’t work out and you need to return your pet. Explain why things didn’t work. Describe your pet’s personalities and any behavioural issues that may have existed to the shelter so they know, when finding a new home for the pet, what type of household to look for and what to advise new pet owners. In my opinion, this should absolutely be a last resort, and you should 100% try to re-home yourself if you can find a home that’s safe and loving for your pet. But there are times when that isn’t possible, sadly, so this final option exists for cases like those. Your Thoughts on Getting Rid of Cats? Have you ever had to get rid of a cat before, and if so, what was the circumstance like? Was there anything you did or tried to fix the issue, or was it an unsolvable circumstance? Do you have any advice for pet parents looking to re-home a pet? Any advice on what to do/what not to do to make sure a pet goes to a good home? Please leave any and all thoughts, opinions, stories, and ideas you have in the comments below.If you’re a pet owner seeking to rehome your cat in the most humane way possible, you’ve come to the right place. Our mission is to assist you in finding the best solution for both you and your feline friend. This approach ensures that your cat is treated with the utmost respect and care throughout the process.