Animal care facilities and rescue groups throughout San Diego County receive calls daily from cat owners wishing to give up their pet cats.
The reasons vary, but the most common ones are:
- I lost my job.
- I have to move into a place that doesn’t allow pets.
- We had a baby.
- The cat’s human has sons and daughters who think it would be best of their mom or dad no longer had a cat.
- The cat’s human had to move into an assisted living facility.
- The cat’s human died.
Many of these people at least care enough to try to find a facility that is no-kill – that’s the good news I suppose. But finding a no-kill resource that will take the unwanted cat isn’t as easy as we would like it to be.
What is no-kill?
The no-kill philosophy is at the heart of all independent animal rescue groups. The most widely accepted definition of a no-kill shelter is a place where all adoptable and treatable animals are saved and where only unadoptable or non-rehabilitatable animals are euthanized.
The California Legislature definition of no-kill
California Law, SB 1785 Statutes of 1998, also known as "The Hayden Law" has defines the aspects of no-kill as follows:
What is Adoptable? 1834.4.
"No adoptable animal should be euthanized if it can be adopted into a suitable home. Adoptable animals include only those animals eight weeks of age or older that, at or subsequent to the time the animal is impounded or otherwise taken into possession, have manifested no sign of a behavioral or temperamental defect that could pose a health or safety risk or otherwise make the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet, and have manifested no sign of disease, injury, or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the animal or that is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the future."
What is "Treatable"? 1834.4.
"No treatable animal should be euthanized. A treatable animal shall include any animal that is not adoptable but that could become adoptable with reasonable efforts."
What is "Unadoptable"? 1834.4.
"Unadoptable" or "non-rehabilitatable" means animals that are neither adoptable or treatable. By way of exclusion, SB1785 defines "unadoptable":
- Animals eight weeks of age or younger at or subsequent to the time the animal is impounded;
- Animals that have manifested signs of a behavioral or temperamental defect;
- Those that could pose a health or safety risk or otherwise make the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet and
- Animals that have manifested signs of disease, injury, or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the animal or that is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the future.
While the guidelines may seem quite clear, they are actually very subjective and the application of these well-intentioned guidelines can and do vary from one person's opinion to the next.
What are the options?
Most no-kill rescue groups run at full to over capacity, but will take in a relinquished cat if they can. In San Diego County, these include Friends of Cats, The Rescue House, National Cat Protection Society and the Rosebud Society.
Local humane societies strive to be no-kill and take only cats they deem adoptable if they have room.
Municipal shelters are government run facilities and must accept animals from the public, whether they have the space for them or not. Being the recipients of all of the animals that have nowhere else to go, this results in there being no municipal shelters in San Diego that are no-kill.
Some pointers
If you do surrender a cat, make sure you have it spayed or neutered before sending it anywhere other than to a reputable rescue organization. Low-cost spay/neuter services are available upon referral from the Animal Welfare Foundation, 619-702-4400.
You will have the most luck finding a rescue placement for your cat outside of kitten season during the months of December, January, February and March.
Be wary of using the "free to good home" approach so that the cat doesn't end up being sold to a laboratory as a research subject.
Understand that any rescue group other than your local municipal shelter will ask you some tough questions about why you are giving up the cat. They do this in the best interest of the cat and its future.
Up next…Working to keep cats with their owners
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