# Volunteering with the shelter-Going to be in charge of adoptions. HELP!



## OwnedByIsis (Jun 21, 2011)

So, I have been volunteering at our local shelter. I have been working with the cats, socializing them, grooming them, petting them and overall trying to spoil them.

The new shelter manager is wonderful and she's implemented a lot of new ways and ideas into the shelter already. She approached me today about giving me an important task to do. 

Recently, there have been a number of people coming and adopting a cat (or two) and returning them within the 20 day trial period. There has also been a string of cats being adopted and being abused and returned, or being abused and dying from our shelter.

As a result, the new shelter manager wants to have me interview and screen prospective cat owners/adopters. Her reasoning is because I have been telling her about all the things I have learned from this forum, I have been pushing for them to get better food for the cats at the shelter and not just rely on donations of food. Also my patience working with Isis and what a great success story she has turned out to be has caused her to want to put me in charge of this. She said I am one of the few who truly cares about the health and welfare of the cats there. Her last statement was that she liked my bluntness and the fact that she thinks I would tell it like it is and not allow some dolt to adopt a cat.

I really want to do it, I am just worried about them trusting me with a living, breathing animal's life. I want to make sure the cats are being adopted by loving people who have the cat's best interest at heart. I am just hoping that I can handle it if I allow someone to adopt a cat and something horrible happens to the cat (god forbid.) 

I told her my worries and she said that is the exact reason she wants me to do it. She said she is going to set up adoptions for the two days that I am at the shelter. She also wants me to come up with interview questions to ask prospective owners. This is where I need some help. Aside from the usual paperwork people have to fill out at the shelter (name and address, rental information or owner information, where the cat will stay, who will take care of the cat etc)., I need to ask them some questions to get a feel for them.

I have to hand in the list of questions for the shelter manage to approve them by Saturday. I have a list of questions I thought up that I will post here, but if you have suggestions, PLEASE share. I would love anyone's input on this!

Questions for prospective cat owners:

1. Why do you want this animal?
2. What kind of cat are you looking for? (Temperament, color, age, sex, etc)
3. Is there anything that is not desirable to you in a cat? (meaning if someone says they don't like a cat that meows at all, that would probably disqualify them from getting a cat from us period. Kind of asking this question to weed out the crazies).
4. Do you have a vet? May I call them for a reference?
5. Do you have other pets? What are they? How do you plan to integrate a cat into your household?
6. How do you plan to take care of your cat? Exercise? Food? Vet bills?
7. If you find after the 20 day trial period that the cat is not fitting in with your household, how do you plan to rectify the situation?

I will also ask them if they have any questions for me.

Are there other questions I should ask?

Thanks all!


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

Here's an adoption application from a rescue near me.
It might give you some ideas.
Purebreds Plus Cat Rescue | Adoption Application


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Um, are you saying there are no current screening/questionnaire forms???!!!! They've just been handing the cats over to whoever pays??

You can't possibly do any worse than the current situation, and I'm sure you'll do *much* better.

Here's the application I filled out:

1. Do you live in a: House? Apartment? Condo? Other:__________
2. How long have you lived there? 
If less than 2 years, please give previous address___________________________________
3. Do you? Rent? Own?
4. If yes do you have your landlord’s permission to have a cat/dog? N/A
5. May we contact your landlord? 
Name:_________________________________ Phone #:______________
Do you have a balcony? 
6. Do you have a veterinarian? Name: 
7. Are you willing to provide adequate medical care if this cat should become sick/injured? 
8. Healthy cats require annual vaccinations and routine medical care. What would you estimate the cost to be per year? 
9. Cats can live longer than 15 years and their care may amount to over $400.00 per year. Are you prepared to accept this kind of responsibility for his/her entire life? 
10. Would you object to an inspection of your home by an ARRF representative? 
11. Is anyone in the household allergic to animals? 
12. Have you ever owned a cat or dog before? If yes, what happened to them? (If deceased please state cause of death and how long ago? 
13. Do you currently own any animals? Number of Cats 
14. Have they all been spayed/neutered? 
15. If you have a dog, is it licensed? 
16. When was your dog last vaccinated? ___________ Where? _______________________________
17. Do you plan to declaw this cat? 
18. Where do you plan to keep the litter box? 
19. Cats have been known to claw furniture, carpet and drapes, dig in potted plants, etc. How do you plan to deal with these potential problems? 
20. Where will the cat stay once it’s home with you? 
21. Do you have children at home? 
22. Who will be responsible for feeding, grooming and training your new pet? 
23. How soon after the cat arrives home will it be left alone? 
24. Where will the cat be kept? 
25. Do you have screens on all of your windows? 
26. How often do you travel? 
27. How do you plan to provide for the cat when you are out of town? 
28. What will happen to the cat if you move? 
29. Under what circumstances would you not keep this cat? 
30. Why do you want a cat? 
31. If applicable, why do you want a kitten?________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
32. Why have you chosen this cat? 
33. How did you learn about this cat? Union Tribune___ NCT___800-Save-a-Pet.org___ Petfinder.com___ Adoption Event___ Other 
34. Do you have questions or comments? Include them here: ___________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

The vet reference is important. It should be mandatory, unless this is their first pet ever. Also have the person provide at least three references from people who are not relatives. 

I would be wary of adopting cats out to people with toddlers and really young children - unless their references were stellar. 

It's a big responsibility.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I agree about the vet reference, however, please let the people filling out the application know that if it's their first pet, it's okay if they don't already have one. When I was volunteering at the Petsmart cattery, it was the one question that made people think they wouldn't be approved.

I don't think references are really necessary, especially more than one. Several of the questions I think are either intrusive or over the top. 

Plus, most shelters don't have the time or resources to check them out.


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## OwnedByIsis (Jun 21, 2011)

Thank you all for your input so far.

Marie-They have to fill out a standard shelter adoption form (very similar to the one you posted). The questions that I will be asking will be part of a face to face interview with them. So they are kind of above and beyond questions.

Greenport ferals-Good point. I will be adding that. I was also thinking about being extremely cautious about adopting to people with small children/toddlers.


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## OwnedByIsis (Jun 21, 2011)

Marie-true. I will definitely add that if it's their first pet, the vet reference isn't an immediate dismissal of their ability to adopt.

The reason for the more intrusive questions is that people have been adopting and returning the cats, and some have been coming back severely abused/malnourished, and even dying. The shelter manage figures if we ask more probing questions and get a feel for the people, it may help cut down on the issues they have been having. 

I'll be checking the references and the shelter manager and I will make the final decisions as to approval or not.

Hope all that makes sense.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

OwnedByIsis said:


> Marie-They have to fill out a standard shelter adoption form (very similar to the one you posted).


Oh, whew!!

I'm not sure how much more indepth you can get than the questionnaire. Maybe making sure they know about the real costs of having a pet, food, litter, etc., and how important it is to see a vet right away if there's a problem.

Also, I don't really think it's fair to rule out those with toddlers or small children. We had pets during our entire childhood, I think it's so wonderful to grow up with pets.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

In my humble opinion, what your manager wants to avoid can only be avoided by sending volunteers to visit the cats once adopted, more than once (and visiting the home before the adoption). It is very often that the abuser is not the same person who fills out the form but someone living with them or visiting often. That said, I understand that in the US distances are enormeous, and in my tiny country visiting is very easy.

As for questions to ask before the adoption, all the above are very important, of course, but I would get more explorative - you're interviewing for a job as cat owners, I'd adopt some of the techniques of job interviewers. Eg: tell me of an instance that was tough with your pet and how you handled it. Just by seeing what situations they call "tough", I'd get an idea of how good they will be as providers. Another good one would be "do you have any concerns?". If they said no, that'd be a really red light. When you adopt, if you're truly caring, you have a million apprehensions.


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## christinaja (Aug 28, 2011)

marie73 said:


> Oh, whew!!
> 
> I'm not sure how much more indepth you can get than the questionnaire. Maybe making sure they know about the real costs of having a pet, food, litter, etc., and how important it is to see a vet right away if there's a problem.
> 
> Also, I don't really think it's fair to rule out those with toddlers or small children. We had pets during our entire childhood, I think it's so wonderful to grow up with pets.


I also agree with this. My first pet was a cat as a child, and it helped me learn how to be empathetic toward animals. We had a persian until my daughter was two, and they were great friends. It allowed her to learn the boundaries very quickly, and having pets has made it much easier to teach her kindness. 

One thing that I think is helpful is to ask to meet ALL potential family members before adopting out a cat, to see if they are a match. All of the large shelters in our area do this, and then the family must wait a day or two for the application to be processed before bringing their new furkid home. This also allows them to get a feel for everyone that will have contact with the kitty. Plus, having a day or two between filling out the application and taking the kitty home will help weed out people that might be using the kitty for something awful. 

Just my .02!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Good luck!! I couldn't do that job because I wouldn't let most people have an animal. However, not letting lazy slobs adopt an animal doesn't help the overpopulation problem. 

I think the most important questions should be:
Are you planning on declawing this cat? What if it scratches your expensive furniture or your kid?

I think the answers to these questions will answer perfectly whether or not they will work with the animal or if they will just give up.


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## OwnedByIsis (Jun 21, 2011)

These are all good points and I will be bringing them up with the shelter manager when I talk to her tomorrow.

Cooncatbob-some of the questions on that application are going to be very helpful, thank you for posting that!

Straysmommy-good point and I will be bringing that idea up with her (asking more probing questions/asking if they have any concerns. And you bring up a good point, she is also thinking about getting some of the volunteers to go and visit the home about a week to ten days after the person has adopted the cat. Since I live in a small town, it's not difficult to get people out to visit the homes and make sure things are going well. 

Christinaja-Another great point and we are going to try to get all family members to come and meet the potential cat before adopting the cat out to make sure it's a fit. We are also making it a mandatory two day wait to process the applications. 

Sinatra-Butters-Yes! Thank you! I knew I had another important one but I had forgotten about the declawing question I had on my mind, thank you for jogging my memory.

I am worried too that I will not want to let most people adopt any of the cats, but I do know that there are some wonderful people out there. All the animals are spayed/neutered before they leave the shelter, so at least that will kind of help with overpopulation. I just know something needs to be done in this area, I am tired of seeing and hearing about all the deaths/abuse going on around here.
Keep the ideas coming, this has been extremely helpful!


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

OwnedByIsis said:


> 7. If you find after the 20 day trial period that the cat is not fitting in with your household, how do you plan to rectify the situation?


Hrm... I'm not sure that having an "open" question is best.
At the rescue group I volunteer for, we tell the people to bring the cat back to us...whether it be 2 days, or 2 years. In fact, lately we've had a lot of cats brought back that have been in a home for over a year, mostly as people are in tough money situations and have to move to smaller (cheaper) apartments and can't afford the pet rent/deposit.
We would much rather the cat come back to us, so we can find it a new home, than have something else happen to it that doesn't guarantee a good life. Many times we've had people put cats they've gotten from us on local classifieds to sell (actually, we caught somebody trying to sell a foster!), dump them in the city shelter (we rescued one from the local pound just last week), or just turn them loose in a rural field to fend for themselves...since you know, ALL cats are such GOOD mousers, that's all they really need to eat ;p.

As for declawing, we don't ask...we TELL them not to. Some people argue that it's "better", or "not so bad" with the laser method, or whatever new technology is being used. But it's still an amputation...they're still going to be missing many joints! And it will still hurt, even if "not as much".
If they're worried about the claw issue, we promote SoftPaws (or generics) and will even show a package of them if people just don't understand what we mean by plastic caps.

That's about all I can think of.
Good luck with the whole thing


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

I think everyone who wants to adopt a cat should be required to buy and read
"Think Like A Cat" or another similar book.
Most cat problems are really a failure of the owner to understand the cat's needs and it's behavior.


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## Morquinn (May 2, 2011)

Ok so I may be hated for this but I need to put my imput in... I think that whether or not the person wants to declaw the cat should not even be a factor, nor should what brand or type of food they will be feeding it. Yes we here know what may be a more healthier option of food and I dont know anyone here that is not against declawing, but these are cats, that need a home! There are thousands of cats being put to sleep each year, do you think that most shelters are going to care what you plan on feeding your cat or whether it gets declawed as long as someone has spared its live and helps put more room in for other cats in need of homes! I mean, my SO's mother fed her cat Alley cat for crying out loud and the thing lived for 19 years! (Not to mention it was a strictly outdoor cat) I think the vet reference thing may be important and all the other questions, but turning away a person because they may want to feed it purina cat chow or get it declawed is stupid IMO. Instead of doing that perhaps educated the potential adopters on why declawing is cruel and why this food is better than others and give them informational material to bring home with them. If there was a cat that was on death row and in its last minutes a person came in and wanted to adopt it and was turned away because they may have wanted to declaw it and now that cat has been euthenized, thats just rediculous. Sorry, these are all my opinions, disagree if you like.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

cooncatbob said:


> I think everyone who wants to adopt a cat should be required to buy and read
> "Think Like A Cat" or another similar book.


Or better still, join this forum.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

Straysmommy said:


> Or better still, join this forum.


I've been around cats all my life but since joining this forum I've learned that a lot of what I thought i knew about cats was erroneous.


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## OwnedByIsis (Jun 21, 2011)

Vivid Dawn-Yeah, the declawing issue will have to be discussed with the shelter manager more. She wants the open ended question because she has a handout to give people who say that declawing "doesn't hurt" a cat. 

Morquinn-I think everyone has a valid opinion and I could not hate someone for expressing theirs. I am lucky in that the shelter I volunteer with is a No-Kill shelter so we don't have to worry about that. As for what someone wants to feed their cat, that would not disqualify them, rather if they say they have no idea or they say they want to feed Meow Mix or what have you, I am making a handout for suggestions for better food than Meow Mix. But if they choose to feed their cat that, I would not tell them they cannot adopt. Basically for every question we are asking them, we have a handout we can give them on proper feeding, not declawing, how to exercise a cat, how to take care of them, etc etc. 

I am also putting on the handouts a link to this website, maybe some of them will join so that they can learn from everyone here. I'm not expecting anyone to join, but I am hopeful.

I should make a suggested reading handout as well!


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

You would get a good read on people if you could somehow get them to talk about their current pets. So perhaps just try to be conversational with them and get them talking about how their current pets came to them and what they are like.


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## SpellQ (Dec 12, 2010)

Looks like you've got some great suggestions already! I think the food/litter questions are valid because it will let you gauge whether or not the person has actually and realistically put thought into those things. I don't think it would be fair to turn down based on brand of food/litter, but making sure the potential adopter has thought through that part of the budget is important.

I think I've accidentally deleted my copy of the one I have (from the rescue where I got Pedro & Apple) so I'll have to ask for another one. I should have one anyway. It's about 6 pages. lol I know there's some strange questions on there taht tend to bring up conversations.

Also, I don't feel it wrong to be intrusive. You are investigating to be sure this family and household is the right for this animal and vice versa. To be sure of the best possible placement I kind of think there is a duty to be intrusive and have the best possible picture of the household. Oh yes... I know one of the questions... if a couple is adopting there is the question of what happens if they split. Far too many kitties are returned because of separations and divorces so that question was tossed in there.

Also, is there a mandatory wait period? A sort of required sleep on it time period. lol


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## Abbie (Jan 13, 2011)

Oh wow, I'm impressed by the questions the shelters in the US ask! When we adopted Tammy from a shelther here in England (we're going back 11 years here, so this may have changed), we didn't have to answer any such things. They did do a home check beforehand though, to check where the cat would be being sent to! They had a good look round the house and we had a big conversation with them. I suppose a home check will highlight a lot of potential issues, they could see that ours would be a happy home though!


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I really like the idea of an in-person interview like you're doing. With our two adoptions from the local SPCA, they poured over the application pretty carefully, but never really talked to us or sized us up as people. No one can size someone up completely, but I like the idea of at least trying. 

I'd be tempted to ask a question like, "What do you consider 'spoiling' a cat?" to get an idea of how they plan to treat him or her.


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## Viriam Karo (Jun 3, 2011)

I can't remember if this was brought up or not but the place I applied at also asked about your employment status... student, unemployed, part-time, full-time, and if employed your employer's name and number. The lady that was looking at mine asked me (really immediately, I love that she was so available!) that since I was a student, what my financial means were. It's one thing to say you're willing and another to actually be able to, I guess!

They also had a nice section on cat compatibility:

1. I need a cat that can be left alone for... (___ hours)
2. My cat needs to be good in a _____ environment (calm, busy, loud...)
3. I want my cat to play with... (people, other animals, by themselves...)
4. The activity level I prefer in my cat is ... (couch potato, high energy...)
5. I'm looking for a cat that can be... (adventurous, affectionate, easy-going, independent...)
6. I want a... (young kitten, older cat...)
7. Some cats take more time to adjust to their new home than others. I need a cat that can adjust in (a week, a month...)

It's a smaller shelter, with a lot of their cats in fosters, so they might be able to pinpoint the cats' personalities more than in larger shelters, but I thought it was a good thing to have on the app.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

What I'd like to see is a perspective cat owners pamphlet, that would answer some basic cat owner question and have a list of sources like websites and helpful books.
Basic problems some people have are litter box issues and scratching where they're not suppose to.
A lot of people think you just plop down a litter box and a scratching post and kitty is suppose to know what they're for.


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## OwnedByIsis (Jun 21, 2011)

October-Good idea about that question. 

Viriam Karo-Also good ideas. I will be compiling all these ideas and talking it over with the shelter manager.

Cooncatbob-I agree about a pamphlet. Right now I have several handouts to give new cat owners, but it would be nice to condense them down to a pamphlet size. I'm still working on that 

Abbie-I am fairly certain they are going to implement a home visit after the cat is adopted to see if it is working out and if conditions are suitable.

What I plan on doing is not doing it as a typical interview with the prospective owners, but rather engage them in a conversation and incorporate those questions into it, so it doesn't seem like I am intruding, but more probing and trying to see where the family is at in their thinking and to see if I can help educate them on some better ideas as to how to help them give a cat the best life possible.

For instance, today, a man came in to check out the cats and see if he could adopt one. I started to talk to him to get a feel for the kind of cat he was thinking of, when I was asking what kind of cat he was interested in he said to me "I want a cat that has NO BLACK on its body whatsoever. If it has black, I will return it and it won't be pretty." Um yeah...I told him we had no cats that fit his description and to have a nice day. 

Hopefully the new adoption program will help to keep those kinds of crazies at bay.


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## crazyhappykate (Aug 19, 2011)

We have basic information questions, like those suggested here. We also ask if anyone in the house is allergic to cats, been tested for cat allergies, etc. Then we have "scenario" questions.

For example: 
~your kitty has lived with you for 18 months. Recently, he began using areas other than the litter box to "do his business." How would you handle his new behavior problem?

We don't really have a "right" answer in mind for these kind of questions, but we certainly have seen answers that have prompted us to reject applications! 

We also give out "Information and Options" sheets that go over what to look for in a cat food, pros/cons/alternatives to cats being allowed outside, description of and alternatives to declawing, etc. We have had really good luck by providing information and allowing the owners to decide for themselves what would be the best course of action for their home and their cat. 

Good luck!


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## purpleprincess22 (Jul 15, 2011)

I think it's great that you will be interviewing people and asking all sorts if detailed questions. Just be careful about dening applications to first time owners if they give stupid answers. If someone had asked me what I would do if my kitten stopped using the litter box after 18 months, I would have looked at them blankly and said I have no idea and that I didn't know litter box trained cats could stop using the litter box.... After reading the forum and taking care of my two litter monsters for 3 months, I could give you a great answer. 

I think budget is a great think to discuss at the adoption interview. I thought I would be paying $10 for a bag a dry cat foor and a few bucks for cat litter every month. It would have been nice to know my monthly costs would be much higher.


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## crazyhappykate (Aug 19, 2011)

purpleprincess22 said:


> I think it's great that you will be interviewing people and asking all sorts if detailed questions. Just be careful about dening applications to first time owners if they give stupid answers. If someone had asked me what I would do if my kitten stopped using the litter box after 18 months, I would have looked at them blankly and said I have no idea and that I didn't know litter box trained cats could stop using the litter box....


I could have been more specific, sorry. We wouldn't exclude someone if they answered that they didn't know or had no idea. We even tell people when they are filling out the applications that if they don't know the answer, to just say so, it won't count against them. 

But we will deny on an answer that we feel is "bad." A couple of weeks ago we had someone answer that they would handle it the same way some people used to handle dog messes...drag the cat to the mess, shove their nose in it, yell/hit. When we tried to talk to the person about how that is not good, they argued and insisted that it worked so we denied the application.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

You can't get it perfect and you do have to take some chances or the shelter will fill up.

I'm reminded of an Episode of The Big Bang Theory where Sheldon became a crazy cat guy. When he decided it was time to rehome them he was in a park with the sign "Cats $20"

And as people came up to take a cat. "Her's your cat and your 20 dollars"


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## tarah44 (Jul 18, 2011)

I agree that children should be raised around pets so they learn to appreciate and respect animals but only if the parents are diligent about teaching their kids how to be gentle and respectful. Toddlers require a lot of supervision compared to older kids where parents can leave their kids alone in another room for hours on end. I think the idea of interviewing potential adopters with their whole family is a good idea. You can get a pretty good read on parents by watching how they “control” and interact with their kids. I think most of us can tell when a child is not disciplined and held in check. 

I really like the idea of the scenario questions. Experienced pet owners will have good answers for them, not so experienced pet owners may need more guidance and that is where a pet owner pamphlet can be given to them. Send them home with it, hopefully they read it and make a sound decision based on the facts of what pet ownership really means. I think it's important to educate people on the costs, health issues and responsibilities of pet ownership. Maybe flakes will be less likely to adopt when they realize before they get a pet that it may not be so good for them.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

I think that perhaps one of the thing you'll need to learn is when the applicants are not giving honest answers. Evasiveness and needless hesitation could be two signs. A web search could give you more info.


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## OwnedByIsis (Jun 21, 2011)

I hope I am not upsetting anyone. For the record, I would not personally disqualify anyone because they have small children. I would want them to bring the child in and see how the child interacts with the cat. If the parent allows the child to pull the cat's tail, poke the eyes or do anything damaging without saying something or reacting somehow, then that will give me pause. I would also show the family, if they weren't aware, how to properly pet a cat, how to play with a cat, etc if they needed that. I think cats can be a wonderful addition to a family and help teach a child love, patience, acceptance, etc.

If someone is a first time cat owner and doesn't know how to answer a question, I would give them an answer to a few of the scenario questions and then see how they answer others and help guide them to better choices on how to raise a happy and healthy cat. 

I certainly wouldn't deny someone a cat because they didn't know the answer to a scenario. If someone answered it and said they would dump the cat outside and make it an outdoor only cat, then yes, I would deny them a cat. 

I have worked for about a decade in the psychology/social work field, and have many times figured out when a client wasn't being completely truthful or giving me honest answers. I am hoping my skills in that field will transfer over to this one, but that is a very good point you brought up, Jusjim.

Hopefully I'm not coming across on here like an ogre. I want to have a conversation with the prospective owner(s), ask questions, offer advice if they ask for it, get a feel for the people, check references, wait the mandatory two days and then approve or deny the applications. If someone is denied, I would tell them gently why, and tell them to reapply whenever they feel they want to.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I did adoption counseling for our local shelter for quite a few years. There were two sections of the application form that I found really useful. The first was a section asking for a list of all previous and current pets. This was a great jumping off place to discuss their pets and you find out so much just having a general conversation about the animals they've had. You can just tell by the look on their face and the tone of their voice how they feel about their pets. I always asked whether they still had the pet and if not what happened to him/her. This will tell you whether they view pets as disposable, they're irresponsible etc. 

The second questions was "How much is the annual cost of owning a cat?". This will let you know if they're being realistic and whether you need to provide some education. And also find out how they will deal with emergencies.

With young college aged applicants I always asked about their future plans. What happens to the cat during summers and breaks, what their post graduation plans are. etc.

Oh...and don't forget to talk about introduction processes if they already have a cat or dog. Even with very detailed conversations we would still get cats back in a day or two because they ignored everything we told them.


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## Cally (Jul 24, 2010)

I tried to attach the file I used when I adopted my cat but it was too big. It's located here - 

http://www.spca.bc.ca/assets/documents/pet-care/adopt/cat-adoption-application.pdf

They had some good questions on the second page that really made me think about what kind of cat was the best fit for me.


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## OwnedByIsis (Jun 21, 2011)

Doodlebug-I was thinking about asking about previous pets and what happened to them, if they still have them and gauge the reaction, body language etc., I think that will be very helpful. Thanks!

Cally-Thank you for that, I think the second page of that form is extremely helpful! I will most likely include that in the adoption process. Thank you!!!


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## Rebbie (Jul 11, 2011)

I definitely agree with Doodlebug's suggestion about previous pets. For instance, if they are like my family and goes out to adopt a dog to help the healing process within a month after the last dog died, whether or not they get choked up or have tears in their eyes, or get quiet and solemn (as many do when experiencing grief in public) when talking about said dog will be a BIG hint on whether or not they care about the animals in their care (heck, I do still get choked up after a year!). If they talk about it flippantly or callously, well... they probably didn't care much about their pets. 

What my place did is that they have adoption counselors that they require you to sit with while you visit with the animal, and they talk to you about the animals' past, ask you questions about your household, etc. This way they can see how you interact with the pet, and see how much you have researched into things while informing you of proper methods to integrating a cat into your household. I will be seeing what the next steps are when I go in tomorrow, so that was only step 1! (I also know they cheerfully ring a bell hanging by the ceiling near the desk when a pet is adopted, which I found cute.)


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## Two Siamese (Aug 20, 2011)

I agree with the importance of screening, but I also think some of the questions are intrusive. I can tell you that I wouldn't be willing to answer some of them nor would I be willing to allow a stranger into my home to visit the cats after adoption.

When we got our latest two, one of the main things that scared us off from adopting from a shelter was how intrusive the questionaires were. I just felt like some of the questions were too Big Brothery.


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