This blog post was inspired by a podcast I listened to recently In a Purrfect World by Pamela Merritt entitled the Used Cat.

I think the biggest reason why people do not adopt shelter cats is because they feel they are taking on someone else’s problem which is true to a point but in a way that is really unfair towards the cats. There are some huge misconceptions about how cats arrive in animal rescue and does a huge disservice to the cats. When I am interacting with the general public the biggest question I get asked “is where did they come from?” When I am at an adoption event and someone sees a cat they like one of the first questions I get is “where did the cat come from?”

I think for any would be adopter doing their fact checking trying to ascertain the history of a cat is a good question to ask. For people attempting to establish a connection with an animal two facts that help tremendously are knowledge of the origin and history of the cat. Many people do not ask these questions deliberately but we as humans are better able to bond with people and things if we know their origin and their history.

The reason “problem cats” are in an animal rescue is because the home they lived in was the problem. People who surrender cats feel the cat is a problem they just do not want to deal with any more. For the surrendered cat their problems are really a human problem either the human refuses to acknowledge or does not know how to solve.

One of the biggest cat problems cited for surrender is improper use of the litter box. If you know anything about cats you know that most litter box problems are created by the human and not by the cat. A cat that goes outside the litter box may be unhappy about the cleanliness of the box, it’s location or the type of litter used. If they recently acquired a second cat, the litter box issues could be cat unhappiness caused by the human’s improper introduction of the cats.

Even if the litter box is maintained perfectly the cat’s litter box issues could be medical in origin and require a trip to the vet. The reason why I bring up litter boxes is I think many have it in their mind that cats are surrendered because of litter box issues. I am sure many people who surrender the cats do so unaware through ignorance or denial that they are the problem.

I feel if you value the cat you would soon discover that there are a lot of solutions to be tried to resolve litter box issues. If the owner truly loved the cat then they would be willing to work with their cat to resolve the problems. There are also those who choose to surrender their cats due to a change in life circumstances such as a job loss, death of the owner or living arrangements.

If you are worried about adopting a problem I can tell you that 99% of the cats who are surrendered are due to human problems that are being blamed on the cat. Yes many cats will arrive into a rescue with problems caused by their previous human owners but the good news is cat problems are really not becoming of cats. The cats with a lot of love, care and attention will give up their so called problems.

The point of a cat rescue is to work with the cats and help them overcome their problems by finding strategies that work for the cat. I have had my fair share of bad cat behaviors but by the time the cat’s were adopted, 90% of their problems were resolved and the other 10% were really minor. If any of my fosters have had any issues I will mention to the adopter as well what I did to resolve the issue. Full disclosure is how we build trust and belongs in its own blog post.

If you are reading this wondering if adopting an owner surrender is right for you, you need to remember you won’t be adopting a problem cat but a cat that had some problems that the cat rescue would of resolved. Cat rescues do not want to see cats returned so they will go to a lot of time and trouble to deal with cat problems to ensure they adjust to their new homes.

Something I believe is most people who surrender a cat will never tell you the true story or their true motivations. Many of the problems the cats had in their previous home are never disclosed during the surrender intake interview. I believe a lot of these undisclosed problems are never seen in the animal rescue because the animal rescue unknowingly provides a new home that solves the reason for the cat’s problems.

I find most people who adopt from animal rescue’s tend to be a different breed of cat owners and are really good about providing a home that does not lend itself to cat problems. If you are seriously considering adopting from a cat rescue agency you probably already are one of those special people who will give the cat a problem free home. If you do have any fears it is probably because you care enough to make sure the cat is happy.

I hope that by explaining the facts behind your possible fears you will be willing to open your heart and home to a rescue cat.