where can i donate my cats

How do shelters help cats?

Shelters around the country rescue thousands of cats every day from dangerous and often life-threatening situations. Many shelters are run entirely by volunteers and depend on their communities for labor, money, and supplies to continue their work. Since each shelter will inherently have its own unique set of needs and requirements, ...

What do shelters do?

Shelters often count on volunteers to clean, feed cats, scoop litter boxes, groom, and transport cats to and from veterinarian appointments and adoption events. Or maybe you have other skills that would benefit a shelter.

Do cats eat a lot?

Individual cats eat a lot. Multiply that by all of the cats that live at an average shelter and you can imagine the amount of cat food your shelter needs. Contact your shelter beforehand to see whether they have a preference for wet or dry food. Image Source: Tracie Hall via Flickr.com.

What do shelters need?

Pet supplies aren’t the only supplies shelters need. Some other things that come in handy for shelters include: 1 Cleaning supplies (call your shelter and ask what cleaning supplies it uses/needs) 2 Old newspapers 3 Paper towel and toilet paper rolls 4 Old towels and blankets 5 Hand sanitizer 6 Office supplies

Is fostering a pet rewarding?

Fostering a pet is not only a rewarding experience, but it’s a great way to help out your local shelter from the comfort of your own home. Learn more about fostering cats and dogs, why you should and how to start in our articles on fostering cats and fostering dogs. (Photo: Thinkstock)

Can shelters use extra supplies?

Shelters can always use some extra supplies . Contact your local shelter or rescue group to see if it has a wish list of items it needs, just be sure to clean any supplies before you donate them. Often a shelter’s wish list will include:

Saying Good-bye

Before you relinquish your pet to a shelter, find out if there are other options.

Giving Up Your Pet

Pets are family, and new pet parents generally bring a pet into their life with the intention of providing them with a forever home. However, the circumstances of life can interrupt a person’s ability to properly house and care for their beloved pet. Studies show that every five years, 6.12 million households rehome or relinquish their pets.

Can you leave wet cat food out?

Leading pet food manufacturer Purina suggests removing uneaten wet food after one hour, while Hill’s says it’s safe to leave the food out for up to four hours at room temperature. Anywhere in between in a cool room is probably safe. Many cat owners leave wet food out for the day with no harm to their cats.

What happens if you leave wet cat food out?

Even if your cat prefers to eat their food in a few sittings, don’t be tempted to leave wet food out all day, as this increases the risk of disease-causing bacteria developing. After a maximum of four hours, throw out the old food and wash the bowl properly with soap and water before refilling with fresh food.

How do you store leftover cat food?

Your pet’s bowl should be emptied of moist or canned food not eaten by your cat or dog within 4 hours if the ambient temperature is above 50°F. Opened cans should be stored in the fridge, at temperatures between 40-45°F, for a maximum of 5-7 days. Any cat or dog food remaining after that time should be thrown out.

What do you do with opened cat food?

Your pet’s bowl should be emptied of moist or canned food not eaten by your cat or dog within 4 hours if the ambient temperature is above 50°F. Opened cans should be stored in the fridge, at temperatures between 40-45°F, for a maximum of 5-7 days. Any cat or dog food remaining after that time should be thrown out.

Does Petco accept cat food donations?

Each PETCO store will partner with an existing food bank that has a pet food component, or with an animal welfare group that has set up its own pet food bank, to donate the food directly to economically stressed pet parents in that store’s local community.

Does PetSmart accept food donations?

PetSmart Charities will distribute the meal donations to pet shelters, food banks, animal welfare organizations or other similar organizations based on the needs of these recipients.

How to promote your pet?

Place flyers promoting your pet at work, school, church and other public places you frequent. Include a good-quality photo and appealing description of your pet. Leverage your social network. Post your pet’s photo and story and ask your friends to share it on their social streams. Be transparent with potential adopters.

How to advertise your pet?

Advertise through friends, neighbors and local veterinarians. Your personal network is the best pool of adopters for your pet. Ask your veterinarian if you can place a poster advertising your pet’s need for a new home. Place flyers promoting your pet at work, school, church and other public places you frequent.

How to find a new home for a dog?

Finding a new home 1 Make your pet more attractive to potential adopters. Have your pet vaccinated and checked by a veterinarian. Making sure your pet is spayed or neutered may also make them more likely to be chosen by a new owner. 2 Advertise through friends, neighbors and local veterinarians. Your personal network is the best pool of adopters for your pet. Ask your veterinarian if you can place a poster advertising your pet’s need for a new home. Place flyers promoting your pet at work, school, church and other public places you frequent. Include a good-quality photo and appealing description of your pet. 3 Leverage your social network. Post your pet’s photo and story and ask your friends to share it on their social streams. 4 Be transparent with potential adopters. Be prepared to share details about your pet's personality and how they get along with other pets and people. Share your pet’s favorite things and not-so-favorite things. And share any medical or behavior issues your pet is experiencing so that potential new owners will have the information they need to determine if your pet would be a good fit for their family. 5 Get help from shelters and rescue groups. Some sheltering and rescue organizations may post your pet’s picture and profile on their website as a courtesy listing, while your pet stays in your home. Your local agencies may have other programs to help you rehome your pet.

Why does my dog pee in the house?

For example, a house-trained pet may begin urinating in the house due to a urinary tract infection that a veterinarian can diagnose and easily treat.

Is it better to rehome a pet or adopt?

If you decide that rehoming your pet is the best option, keep in mind that despite the best efforts of shelters and rescues to care for their animals, your home is usually the best place for your pet while you search for an adopter. By taking on the task of finding your pet a home, you can also reduce competition for limited space ...