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Craiglist vs Humane Society?
I know some of you have strong opinions and I WANT THEM!
We got our two cats at the HS and it was awesome. The entire experience was great and our two adult cats were awesome. Sadly we lost one a few weeks ago and our cat is getting lonely.
I see tons of cats on Craigslist, but running some numbers, if we had to spay/neuter one, it's cheaper to go HS, whether kitty or adult.
I guess I'm just wondering is one better, worse, more "ethical" than another? It seems most CL posters are trying to avoid the HS and find a home directly.
And on another note, I LOVE making chocolate chip cookies. Is it appropriate/appreciated if I brought a warm batch next time we visit the HS, for the volunteers/staff? I don't even know how many are usually on a shift.
Re: Craiglist vs Humane Society?
If you use CL to take in a cat they are trying to rehome you should not be paying for the cat. So you could technically use the money that wasn't spent on an adoption fee to spay/neuter and vaccinate. I would also request their vet records. I would even request that they give their vet permission to release them to you (you never know what they may omit).
There are some excellant rescues out there for cats you can explore(Cause for Paws and St. Francis of Assisi Animal Rescue). The H.S. is a fine choice for adoption as well.
One thing you should do no matter where you get the new cat is have it FeLV/FIV tested. The last thing you want to do is bring the virus into your home.
Good luck!
my read shelf:
Why get one, when two is twice as nice?
I'm only half kidding, but I love the Double the Love program because this time of year there are thousands of cats turned in. I have HS cats and one CL cat. I will probably never go the CL route again.
I admit I am biased because I fostered for the Golden Valley AHS.
That was the program where we got Jack free when we bought our girl cat. And we've talked about it...THREE cats. Oi! I think we're open to it if we go and fall in love with two. But, mostly I think 2 is quite nice and 1/3 less poo and furr than 3. :P
Nah! 3 isn't much worse than 2. I've been doing it for about 4 years now.
Do it! Do it! Do it!
Ok I'll quit.
I've got you beat with six! Yep SIX kitties! We took in a very nice stray off the street only to find out she was preggers. We're still working on finding homes for some of the little ones. Talk about a full house! That said, not everyone on CL is trying to offload their family pet. Some might be looking for homes, like us (although we haven't chosen to go the CL route yet).
We've had friends adopt from RPAW (usually through PetSmart), and they have been pleased with both the cats and the organization.
Here's Gansta, my kitty from the hoodie.
Since now you can only surrender by appointment, I think that people have gone the Craigslist route.
BUT there are several awesome rescues out there. Pet Project Rescue saves their cats from Minneapolis Animal Care & Control (sometimes the same day they might be euthanized...) AND right now MACC is EXTREMELY full because of the tornado. Some people have left their pets long past the 5 day mark and are not going back for their pets.
Actually, last week when I was there, three families with all of their belongings on trailers were surrendering their pets so... MACC would be a great place to go to adopt.
We got Boston off Craigslist before we knew any better. You just never know who you are dealing with on there. I would DEFINITELY go through either the h.s. or a legit rescue situation. I want my money going to a group that will help lots of animals find homes.
Craigslist is great for furniture, boats, car etc. but I don't think it is the place for living breathing creatures to be bought and sold.
Have you looked at Petfinder.com?
I found my kitty through them 8 years ago. He was at a no-kill shelter in Canon Falls and his $100 adoption fee covered neutering and de-clawing (yeah yeah, I declawed him . . .it wasn't an option and I don't regret it. He's vicious enough with his back claws!) . Best "purchase" ever!
oh - The adoption fee also covered his first round of shots.
I would go with a humane society or established rescue over craigslist. You know that a shelter/rescue cat has been seen by a vet, and you'll get accurate info on the health and temperament of the pet. Sure, this might happen with a random person on CL, but I guess I would just be too distrusting in that situation. A person trying to rehome their own pet via CL might say anything just to get you to take the pet, and who knows how much of it is true.
Plus, I would like my adoption fee to go to a shelter/rescue that will in turn take that money to help more homeless pets.
There should be tons of cats/kittens in shelters right now. It's kitten season, which means lots of people are bringing kitties into shelters.
Mr. Sammy Dog
Both of our cats came from shelters and I would always adopt that way. We adopted from HS and Animal Ark in Hastings. You at least have an accurate history of the animal when it comes from a shelter. I would have a hard time trusting a private sale on CL, especially if they want a fee.
9/24/2011 Plymouth Firefighters 5k: 47:13
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5/5/2012 STEM school 5k TBD Coming up in 2012:
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11/10/2012 Diva Dash 5k
FWIW, I know someone trying to rehome their cat on CL right now.
If you're interested, let me know. I can vouch that he's trustworthy.
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Actually it's GOOD if they want a fee on CL. There are reports of people taking "Free to good home" animals and using them for testing.
Having a fee helps weed out those awful people and tells someone a person is serious if they are willing to pay an adoption fee. -BUT- If someone wanted a $1200 "adoption fee" I would be SUPER hesitant. Something in the neighborhood of $50-$100 seems reasonable to me. (But I'm not condoning it, don't get me wrong.)
Boston was "free" but she asked us a zillion questions before letting us take him. She got over 200 emails on him and for whatever reason responded to mine. :-) I'll never go the CL route again though knowing what I do now about rescues/shelters.
I have read some posts on Craigslist where I am pretty sure it is a desperate person trying to find a good home for their pet. I can imagine if someone really loves their animal and cannot get them into a no kill shelter, they would try craigslist ? it offers some assurance that your pet found a home. So if you got a cat from one of those people you would have a grateful cat and person.
That being said?.I bought my cat from a no kill shelter; I wanted to know I had a healthy animal and I trusted a shelter to be honest on that. Even though I thought a shelter would be pretty honest, his was pretty different then what I expected, but I just couldn?t leave him there with the intentions of retrieving him?.I guess I thought it would leave him with an ?unwanted? complex J I was pretty pleased with myself thinking I ?saved two? because I saved one from a shelter and allowed the shelter to save another?.although, my cat was technically safe in the shelter....
Unfortunately, Kiz is right. I actually am the "Craiglist volunteer" for my rescue. I reply to people offering "free to good home" animals. Not only is the animal being sold for testing a real issue, but also dog fighting bait, animal torturers, and just plain animal hoarders. And these people are skilled at looking like they want a family pet - it is scary. What we do is advise people to charge a $25-$40 rehoming fee that is donated to a shelter or to a vet to help get the mama fixed if it is puppies or kittens the person is giving away.
To answer your question - I personally would go to the humane society. There are certainly people in desperate situations on CL who are telling the truth.. the trouble is that you never know. (and I would never pay a fee to the person dumping their animal - only as a donation to a shelter)
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Thanks everyone! Petfinder is cool but horrible search function, like 50 mile radius. Looks like animal control you just have to show up - no photos online like the HS
My cousin is a super animal rights person and shared a link where a bunch of shelters offered FREE PETS. The people who showed up were not only highly qualified owners, but the rates of adoptions went up. Apparently it was this exciting, crazy experiment that proved it's safe and the crazies don't come out. This is the article...arg, an't get it to link:
http://www.maddiesfund.org/Resource_Library/The_Truth_About_Free_Cat_Adoptions.html
Anyway, I think HS sounds like the best, to avoid weirdo CL people! I just feel bad since some say the HS is full so their pet will die. But, if I get a HS pet then at least I open up one space for another animal!
And maybe a kitten and adult isn't a bad idea. We're gonna wait til after our summer vacation if we go the kitten route