Cat Rehoming: Finding a New Home for Your Pet

Cat rehoming is a very difficult decision and should only be considered if all other options have been explored. Always put the needs of the cat ahead of all other considerations.

If you are considering rehoming your cat, it is important that the process is safe and straightforward for both you and your cat. Adopt-a-Pet.com provides a reliable and safe program in the United States that assists in placing your beloved cat directly from your home to another. This program is designed to make rehoming your cat as easy and stress-free as possible.

Before deciding to rehome your cat, make sure you know fully why you want to do so. Some common reasons include moving to a new home, allergies, or financial difficulties. Whatever your reason may be, Adopt-a-Pet.com’s cat rehoming resources can help you find a new home for your cat that meets the cat’s needs, safety, and well-being. 

Understanding Cat Rehoming

What is Cat Rehoming?

Cat rehoming is all about finding a new home for your cat. It means giving up your ownership of the cat and giving it to someone else who can offer a safe and comfortable home for the pet. Rehoming can be a heart-wrenching decision for anyone. But, it is, unfortunately, necessary in certain situations like moving to a new place that doesn’t allow pets, financial issues, or if a person can no longer provide the necessary care for their cat.

Reasons for Cat Rehoming

There are many reasons why a cat may need to be rehomed. Some of the most common reasons include:

• Current owner is moving to a new place that doesn’t allow pets
• Current owner has financial difficulties
• Current owner has allergies
• Current owner has health issues
• Current owner lacks time to care for the cat properly
• Current owner is divorcing or separating
• Cat does not get along with other pets
• Cat has behaviour problems in an apartment
• Death of the current owner

If you are considering rehoming your cat, it’s important to evaluate your reasons carefully and make sure it’s the best decision for both you and your cat. You may want to look at other options like finding a temporary foster home or asking another person you know if they can take care of your cat before you make a final choice to rehome your cat.

Rehoming your cat should be a last resort. After all, they are a member of your family and you are responsible for their welfare. Exhaust all other options before making the decision to rehome.

Rehoming a cat can be riddled with stress and emotions. So, whatever the reason is, it’s important to take the time to find the right home for your cat.

Preparing for Rehoming

When getting ready to rehome your cat, there are a few important things to think about. In this section, we will touch on behavioural problems and the solutions, cat health and wellness checks, and spaying or neutering your cat if the cat is still intact.

Behavioural Issues and Solutions

If your cat has behavioural issues, it’s important that you properly address these before rehoming. Otherwise, you will create bad feelings and a miserable cat. Some common cat behavioural issues might be:  

• Aggression with people and other pets
• Litter box problems, like missing or refusal to use
• Destructive behaviour with furniture and other property

Addressing these issues is tough, but it should be done. If you don’t know how to do it, then get advice from a veterinarian or professional pet trainer. They can help you.

Health and Wellness Checks

Before rehoming your cat, it’s important to make sure they are in good health. Take your cat to the veterinarian for a wellness check and see that the cat is current on all necessary vaccinations. If your cat needs any medical treatment, you need to take care of it before you rehome the cat.

Spaying or Neutering

Spaying or neutering is an important step in readying your cat for rehoming. Obviously, it prevents unwanted litters, but also it can reduce the risk of some diseases and in some instances improve your cat’s behaviour. If your cat is not already spayed or neutered, have this simple procedure done before rehoming. It will improve your chances of rehoming your cat!

To repeat — preparing your cat for rehoming takes some careful consideration of their behavioural, medical, and reproductive needs. By addressing these issues, you’ll have a much smoother rehoming. 

Finding the Right Adopter

When rehoming any pet, it is necessary to find the right adopter who offers a loving and permanent home.  Please consider the following when vetting your prospects:

Potential Adopter Screening

Before giving your cat over to a willing adopter, you’ll want to screen them to find out if they are capable of taking care of the cat. Some questions you should ask the potential adopter are:

• Have you owned a cat before?
• Do you have any other pets at home?
• Do you have children? If so, what are their ages?
• Do you have plans to move in the foreseeable future?
• Do you have a regular veterinarian?

Get answers to these questions and you can get a better impression of the potential adopter’s capabilities and experience with cats.

Location Considerations

The location of the adopter’s home is an important bit of information. You need to know that the adopter’s home is safe and suitable for the cat. Four things you definitely should ask are:

• Is your home located near a busy road?
• Is your home located in an area with a high crime rate?
• Do you have enough home and yard space for the cat to roam and play?
• Do you have any cat allergies or policies forbidding keeping pets in your home?

Only by getting truthful answers to these questions can you assure yourself that your cat will be safe and happy in its new home.

It cannot be overstated that choosing the right adopter is critical when rehoming your cat. By screening potential adopters and asking about their home locations, you can rest assured that your cat will be placed in a good forever home.

Rehoming Ways

When it comes to rehoming your cat, there are at least four ways you can go. Each of these has its own unique good and bad points. So, it’s important to choose the one way that best suits your specific needs.

Animal Shelters

Animal shelters are a frequent choice for those wanting to rehome their pets. Shelters are often run by non-profit organizations and have a dedicated team of volunteers who work hard to find homes for cats in their care. Animal shelters usually have a thorough adoption process to make sure the pets go to loving and responsible homes. Most shelters take in all kinds of pet cats and provide medical care, food, and shelter for pets that are ready for adoption.

Rescue Programs

Cat rescue programs are kind of like animal shelters, but they usually focus on specific breeds or types of cats. They are often run by volunteers who are passionate about rescuing cats and finding them new homes. Cat rescues may have a more relaxed adoption process than animal shelters, but they are still very particular about putting cats in loving and responsible homes.

Online Platforms

Online venues like Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet are a highly popular choice for rehoming cats. These platforms ask you to create a truthful pet profile and will connect those wishing to rehome their cat with potential adopters. They are a valuable resource and provide essential resources and support to help you find the perfect home for your cat.

Social Media

Social media is also used frequently as a tool for rehoming your cat. You can post pictures and information about your cat and ask your friends and followers to share the post. By doing so, your cat can have a greater outreach, thus enhancing the likelihood of discovering a new home. If you choose to rehome your cat this way, make sure that the home your cat is going to has been personally recommended to you. Social sites are no longer the safest venues for locating pet adopters because there are too many scammers and people who want to use cats for nefarious reasons around.  If you use social sites for finding a pet adopter then please be careful.  Proper vetting has never been more important!

Cat Rehoming: Make the Right Choices For Your Pet

There are many ways available to you for rehoming your cat. Each of these has its own unique benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to choose the one that best suits your needs. Whether you choose an animal shelter, a rescue program or an online platform, the most important thing is to find a loving and responsible home for your cat.