*Note: Some No-Kill
Shelters are included here to provide access in cases where local rescues
have no available openings. Rescuers generally do not have their own shelters, but
provide foster care and *in home* care.
to educate current and future cat owners
regarding cats, including care
and maintenance
to promote and improve communication
and networking between Rescue organizations and involved individuals
to provide information regarding Rescue
organizations and cats in need of rescue
to attempt to assure loving homes for all
rescued cats by providing communication between individuals who would like to adopt
a rescued cat and rescue organizations and involved individual
to
promote animal welfare and
related animal advocacy as compared to animal
rights philosophy
Rescued cats come from
Animal Shelters, Humane Societies and sometimes from individuals that have no other resort
than to relinquish their pet. Rescues take these cats and have them vet checked for Feline
Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, spayed or neutered, vaccinated,
wormed and groomed. Rescues provide temporary homes for such cats. In those cases where
the rescued cat has previously acquired any problematic attitude or behavior, Rescues work
with the animal to correct these problems before placement.
In far too many cases, people give up animals because they do not understand
animals basic behaviors and needs or because of "lifestyle" changes that are
beyond their control. Please do help educate others about each species or breed
BEFORE they get a pet and caution them to ONLY get a pet if they can honestly commit to
that responsibility for the lifetime of the animal. If they are considering buying a whole
animal as a pet, please tell them the advantages of spaying or neutering that pet.
Only a very few purebred cats, as identified by knowledgeable breeders, are likely to contribute to their breed's important health, beauty and temperament characteristics.
It is a rare cat that is qualified for a responsible, pedigreed breeding program!
If a person is not ready to undertake the increased level of commitment to a breed which that entails, then other options are available that will still allow them the enjoyment of their chosen breed. Please ask them to consider the neutered or spayed rescue cat as one of those
options!
Total U.S. owned cat population – 71 million (1)(1)
Of
the 71 million, 87% are already neutered or spayed by their caring owners (2)
Total
unowned/feral cat population – est. 25-40 million (3)
Number
of cats *and dogs* entering shelters annually – 8.3 million
(4)
(4)
More than half of cats entering shelters are relinquished by their owners
for reasons such as: a) moving b) landlord won’t allow pet; c) too many
animals in household; d) cost of pet maintenance; e) owner’s personal
problems; etc. (5)
Approximately half of the cats entering shelters are unadoptable because they are too old,
sick, have serious behavior problems, or are unweaned litters of unowned/feral cats.(6)
Less than 1% of cats entering shelters are purebred (7)
Breeders and cat fanciers
are uniquely qualified to rehome the relatively few purebred cats that enter
shelters, and many work very hard to accomplish this, both as individual and
as club or group efforts. The low incidence of purebreds entering shelters can
be attributed to the cat fancy’s dedication to good breeding principles,
careful screening of kitten purchasers, and to the principle that only the
very best representatives of breeds should be bred. The vast majority of
pedigreed kittens are either sold with a neuter/spay agreement or sterilized
before going to their new homes. Responsible breeders involved with purebred
rescue exercise the same exceptional care in rehoming rescued cats that they
do with placing their own kittens.
Thank you for caring!
Please click below to find our
how you can help
REFERENCES:
1. The Pet Food Institute 1999 survey. 2. Five studies:
85% San
Diego 1994 NPA Report
87% Santa
Clara Cty, CA NPA 1993
83% Las
Vegas, NV 1981; R. Nassar;
Am J Vet Res 1984;45
91% Tufts
Univ. 4 Mass Towns 1991; A. Rowen;
_Anthrozoos_ 1992, vol 5,3
87 % MSPCA
1991 (Dorr Research for MSPCA - report) 3. National Pet Alliance
studies of "back door fed cats". 4. Study by Phil Arkow, referenced in _Companion Animal Demographics
for Communities and Shelters_, 1997, Rowan and Patronek, editors 5. National Council on Pet Population and Policy study, 1999 6. Reports of shelter personnel & NPA study on
Euthanasia 7. American Humane Association Shelter Reporting Study and various
purebred cat rescue organizations
If you have a Rescue group that you would like to have listed here please
click here.
Please do link
your site to the Feline Rescue Network to show your support of rescue efforts.
If you wish to put a link on your site, instructions
are provided & a Logo Banner is offered for use.
