CAT ADOPTION POLICIES
Thank you for considering adopting a cat from us! Please read our adoption policies below.
Policies
- cats must be indoors only
- cats can not be declawed
- kittens must be adopted in pairs unless you already have a young, compatible cat at home
- adoptions are a lifetime commitment
An adoption official makes all final adoption decisions with input from the foster parent. These policies are designed to ensure the health and safety of our cats and the compatibility of the cat with their adoptive family.
Our adoption fee is $125 for one cat and $150 for a pair. These fees help defray the veterinary
expenses we have incurred which includes:
exam(s), FELV/FIV testing, age-appropriate distemper and rabies vaccinations, de-worming and all
other necessary care. Also, all cats/kittens over approximately 4 months of age are spayed/neutered
prior to adoption. Note: We determine when it’s appropriate to spay/neuter based on the kitten’s: 1)
age, 2) weight, and 3) various health factors to ensure surgery can be performed safely at a young age.
Renting/Pet Policies
If you rent your home or are subject to condo association rules, does your lease or by-laws allow you to have cats?
If you move, are you committed to finding housing where cats are allowed? Cats are dependent on you like a child and
should be treated as a member of your family.
Note: Moving is rarely a legitimate reason to give up a cat. We expect you to accommodate your SPCA adopted cat if/when
you move, unless there are truly extenuating circumstances.
Reason: We want to ensure that your current housing allows cats so you are not evicted or asked to give up your cat.
And that you are committed to accommodating your cat if/when you move in the future.
Spaying/Neutering
Cats will not be adopted into homes with unneutered cats/dogs. All SPCA adult cats and kittens over 4 – 5 months
of age are spayed/neutered before adoption. We determine when to spay/neuter kittens based on: 1) age, 2) weight,
and 3) various health factors to ensure surgery is performed safely. Younger kittens not spayed/neutered before
adoption must be spayed/neutered by the adopter at approximately 5 months of age at your expense.
SPCA offers discounted spays/neuters through our Spay, Inc program by referring you to a participating local vet.
Note: SPCA verifies post-adoption that all kittens have been spayed/neutered. We also confirm that kittens were not
declawed. We enforce any breach in our contract by imposing a $300 fine and may take other actions to enforce the
terms of our contract.
Reason: Virginia law requires all cats/dogs adopted from animal welfare organizations be spayed/neutered.
Each year, millions of cats/dogs are needlessly euthanized because there are too many of them and too few responsible
homes to care for them. There are also significant health and behavioral benefits to spaying/neutering (e.g., reduced
risk of certain cancers, elimination of spraying urine).
No Declawing
Our cats may not be declawed for any reason. If you want a declawed cat, please adopt
an already declawed cat.
Reason: Declawing is cruel, physically and psychologically, and completely unnecessary. A cat’s claws function as part of its fingers and toes. Declawing is amputating the last joint of a cat’s toes. The surgery and recovery is extremely painful. Declawing impedes a cat’s ability to walk and play as well as protect and groom themselves. Psychologically, cats need to claw as part of their grooming ritual and many cats knead with their claws to express comfort. Declawed cats tend to have higher levels of anxiety because they feel defenseless and often become biters. They also tend to react to stress by acting out (e.g., not using their litter boxes). Frequent clipping of the tip of the claw can help alleviate damage due to scratching. An SPCA volunteer or your vet can show you how to properly clip claws. Give your cat plenty of appropriate things to scratch and gently correct your cat if he/she scratches the wrong things. A little patience, positive reinforcement, and consistency in training will alleviate the vast majority of scratching problems.
Indoors-Only
You must keep the cat indoors at all times, unless the cat is on a leash and accompanied by you.
Reason: An indoor cat with proper care can live 15 years or longer. The average life span of a cat who wanders outside is two years. Cats are killed and injured by cars on neighborhood streets and major roads. Other dangers include contracting diseases from other cats, getting injured by other animals, and being poisoned or abused by people who don’t want your cat to wander onto their property. A cat can also devastate your neighborhood wildlife.
Single Cat or Kitten
Kittens, and many adult cats, need feline companionship. Kittens must be adopted in pairs unless you have a young, compatible cat in your home. In addition, adult cats that need feline companionship, regardless of age, must be adopted in pairs or into a home with a compatible cat. We are happy to identify which adult cats in our care will be happy as single cats and those that need feline companionship.
Reason: A kitten by itself will get lonely, depressed and/or destructive. Also, many adult cats need feline
companionship to be happy.
Children
If you have a child under approximately 6 years of age, you must adopt an adult cat or an older kitten that is
at least 4 months of age. The appropriate age for adopting a kitten into a home with children will depend
on the age of the child as well as the personality and the needs of the kitten.
Reason: Younger kittens are more fragile and can be accidentally injured by a small child. Also, young kittens
have not learned yet to retract their claws. While a scratch is typically no more harmful than falling down on a
playground and scraping a knee, young children who are scratched may develop an unnecessary fear of a kitten. And, the
kitten, in turn, may become fearful of a child who cries after being scratched. Children and pets make wonderful
companions for one another when supervised and matched up appropriately.
Family Member
An indoor cat, with proper care, can live 15 years or longer. When adopting a cat, you need to be prepared to
make a lifetime commitment. A cat is a family member that should be treated with love and respect. Your cat must be
able to share your home with you and your family.
Reason: A cat that is not treated as a member of the family will not be happy and may become withdrawn, mean or destructive.
Costs of Care
A single cat that is already spayed/neutered will cost at least $500 per year in food, litter, other supplies and
basic vet care. This does not include any health-related illnesses or emergencies. Your cat will need an annual checkup
and age-appropriate vaccinations for rabies and FVRCP (“distemper”). All cats require regular vet care. You are
responsible for providing vet care and paying all vet bills once you adopt the cat.
Reason: FVRCPs protect your cat from getting upper respiratory infections (URIs) and panleukopenia (“distemper”)
which can be fatal. Rabies shots are required by law even for indoor-only cats to prevent your cat from contracting
rabies and passing it on to humans if your cat accidentally comes into contact with a rabid animal. Your cat may
develop an occasional URI or ear infection. You should expect medical needs to increase as your cat ages.
Lifetime Commitment
Adopting a cat is a lifetime commitment to care for your cat. Please contact us if there are significant
incompatibility issues or if you have an urgent situation and can not continue caring for your cat. We will do
everything we can to help you resolve your situation such as providing advice, helping you find a new home for your cat, or taking your cat back into SPCA's care at our discretion. Your cat remains your responsibility unless/until SPCA agrees to take your cat back into our care.
Reason: We want our cats to be cared for all their lives. We will do everything that is reasonably possible to
help ensure this happens.
Home Visit
We may visit your home after the adoption to make sure you and the cat are happy and to verify the terms
of the contract are being followed (e.g., no declawing and indoors only). We occasionally do a pre-adoption
home visit if questions arise relating to the compatibility of a certain cat with a particular home environment.
Reason: We want our cats placed in compatible, loving homes.
Revised 4/14/2011