In this article, we propose to consider options for where to place a cat: forever (there may be various reasons for this), for a while, or options for an extension for a homeless person. We will consider each of the proposed options carefully to avoid mistakes. When you think about where to put a cat, be it your pet or a street one, you must understand that she needs to find the best home, where she won’t be hurt, won’t be left hungry, and definitely won’t be thrown out onto the street. First, let's figure out where we can find a home for a purring cat that is completely deprived of a home.
Keep it for yourself
If you haven't passed by a poor, homeless animal, you might be able to keep it. Even if not for good, but only for a while, until the best owner in the world is found for the cat. Perhaps you will fall in love with the purr and will no longer wonder where to put a stray cat, washed and fed personally. This happens to many people, especially if a child brings a poor fellow from the street, and you think “only for a while.”
If it is not possible to keep the animal for yourself, then we suggest considering other options:
- animal shelters;
- paid and free foster care;
- announcement on social networks about the search for an owner.
There should be no issues with homeless people. But how to properly house your cat, who has become unwanted?
If you meet a stray cat on the street
Don't pass by, don't remain indifferent. The best way to help an animal is to take it home, at a minimum - get rid of worms, wash it, clean its eyes and ears. Inspect for skin damage or wounds.
The cat needs to be taken to the veterinarian, even if he seems healthy. An examination by a doctor and tests will show possible pathologies. The veterinarian will tell you the approximate age and give recommendations on treatment and nutrition. Cats found on the streets quickly adapt to home conditions.
If you do not plan to keep your pet, take measures to accommodate the animal. Inform animal rights activists about the “find” - many animals are lost on city streets, perhaps a mustachioed stray - a “lost one”, and they are looking for him. Take photos and post on social media, local message boards and online.
Animals trust their owners, and cats have their own Hachiko. It is important not to give away a cat on a whim, but only when there is no other option. Shelters, the street, the basement are not a place for a cat. It is better to find her kind hands and a warm home, where the pet will not experience stress, but will feel loved again.
Give to relatives or friends
This is the first thing that comes to mind when you start to think about where to put the cat if it is not needed. Ask your closest people, and even just acquaintances, if they have any desire to adopt your animal. In most cases, the answer will be negative, but you never know, maybe there are people who really like your cat?
If a friend is afraid to adopt an animal because he already has a cat, then convey to him that keeping two is easier than one. Cats love company, and it will be much more interesting and fun for them together. Offer your help in purchasing food, a tray, a sleeping house and toys. But remember that if a friend has a pet of the opposite sex, then one animal, or both, will need to be sterilized in order to avoid the birth of offspring, which will also need to be adopted.
Usually friends and family know the reason why you want to get rid of the animal. Deciding where to place a cat if a child has allergies is much easier than deciding where to place a cat that causes mischief. And what to do if this is really the problem?
Attach to a private house
Probably everyone has friends who live in a private house. Such people very rarely refuse to adopt disadvantaged animals, only if they themselves are not allergic to wool.
Tell them honestly that you are giving your pet away for the reason that he cannot or does not want to learn to use the litter box, and this smell is simply unacceptable in the apartment. Animals that do not use a litter box often become ideal pets to keep in a private home, where you can go outside when needed, hunt mice, and just go for a walk.
As in the previous case, it will be easier to settle with a “dowry”. Say that you will buy everything you need and will provide food and all other necessary supplies.
Again, make sure that your pet's future children do not end up outside. Both cats and cats that have free access to walks must be sterilized. Therefore, before you think about where to take your cat, make sure to take it to the veterinarian for a routine operation.
Useful tips
Useful tips from experts when searching for a missing animal:
- gradual expansion of the search area only after a thorough inspection of all local areas and other places located nearby;
- search activities are best carried out at different times of the day, since frightened pets can come out of their hiding places in the evening or at night, when it gets dark;
- calling your pet, using your favorite food, toys, or clicker is best used early in the morning or late in the evening, since it becomes quiet outside and the animal can hear familiar sounds and run towards them;
- It is best to carry out searches with assistants, since it is quite difficult to inspect vast areas alone. Additional help can speed up the receipt of positive news;
- finding out information from strangers (neighbors, children walking on the playground, pensioners on benches). You can show a photo of the animal, leave contact information and find out if anyone has seen it in the surrounding area;
- You can also contact janitors or permanent residents who often feed stray animals and may encounter a lost cat on their way.
Advertisement on social networks and newspapers
The newspaper is the last option, but we cannot refuse it, because there are people who do not use the Internet - the older generation. But it is grandparents who most often want to take a cat into the house, and perhaps they will be ready to take exactly the one that turns out to be unnecessary for you, or the street one that you want to place in a warm home.
On social networks it is easier to track an ad, give comments, and answer questions for interested people. Where to put a cat if it has allergies? Of course, add it through an ad, but it must be honest. Today, every second person has this very “allergy”, the reason for which they give away an animal. Most often, the real reason lies in the fact that the animal is simply tired, has had enough of playing with it, or it has started (or never stopped) messing with the house (walking past the litter box, or even far beyond it, carrying things, and so on). And so, the new owners will still find out about these pranks, and may leave not the most pleasant reviews about you on the same social networks. But this is the softest outcome of the matter, they can simply throw away the animal that you did not dare to abandon, and took so long to find new hands!
In the ad, honestly describe the reason why you are thinking about where to put the cat. Write: yes, he is a mess, so he fits in with people who can teach him how to use the litter box, or in a private home. If he steals things, then also describe the problem, and the future owners will be ready to put everything valuable in its place, and not leave it on the dressing table, from where a purring thief can steal it.
Overexposure
Are you absolutely unable to hold the animal anymore? Is it really about health (it’s just that everything else can be endured until a permanent home is found)? Then pay attention to the fact that in cities there are many foster homes - these are kind people who are ready to temporarily shelter an animal in their apartments. There are two types of such temporary shelters: free and paid; let’s talk about both in more detail.
Free foster care
Where can you take a cat that you found on the street and couldn’t pass by? Of course, ask volunteers for help. These people accept stray cats and dogs for temporary residence in their own apartments completely free of charge. It’s easy to find them; there are always many announcements from them on social networks about the addition of wards (with photos, descriptions of the terrible fate). How to approach them?
Write that you found an animal, you don’t have the opportunity to keep it, since you already have five dogs, two pythons and an owl, or you simply have unpleasant consequences from communicating with our smaller brothers in the form of itching, rhinitis and other signs of allergies. For the most part, free foster care helps. Even if they themselves do not have places, they will run all over the city, call all the same animal lovers, but will find at least a temporary, but still shelter. What will be required of you?
You must understand that you can’t just dump responsibility on others: you couldn’t keep it, but you didn’t pass it by, but they leave it and will look for a permanent home. You will need basic help in the form of transporting the cat to the place of foster care, purchasing food and the most necessary things - foster care is free, private, and lives only on your hard-earned money and on the mercy of those who care. Then you can help find a home: leave comments under the photo of the animal in advertisements, make reposts, and even post such advertisements yourself.
Assessment of the situation
Before deciding where to surrender a stray cat, it is worth considering the benefits for it. An adult animal that has gained authority in the pack will have a hard time with shelter and attempts at socialization. This is especially true for males. Moving from conquered territory to a cage or room with other occupants will cause stress to the fighter.
The street hardens. The suburban environment provides the animal with combat experience and resources for survival. Thanks to loopholes in houses, small animals and permanent residents, the country (rural) cat can withstand winters. The city influences conditions in two ways. It is easier for the animal to find food. But safe housing is limited by competition, municipal policies (brewing, installation of fine-mesh grates in basements) and the activities of dog hunter activists.
When you see a stray, you shouldn’t immediately think about where to place the stray cat. Perhaps the pet has found its niche. Yards and villages include quite altruistic-minded citizens. It is worth taking care of your pet if it:
young – kittens without a mother have a low chance of survival;
clearly recently been a pet - the pet is characterized by a neat appearance and increased attention to people.
Often the characteristics are combined. A kitten that has disappointed its owners with its behavior or health status will be drawn to people. This feature distinguishes it from its wild relatives and potentially simplifies socialization.
Possible actions when discovering a stray cat
In cases where stray cats are found, a person must decide where to go when they find them. Someone will pass by, someone will feed them, and some will try to take part in their fate. Active action is required in 2 cases: the pet is clearly lost or cannot survive due to health conditions.
A missing animal has a chance of being reunited with its owner. Cats rarely voluntarily stray far from home. The owner may be in the same entrance, residential complex, or yard with the temporary owner. It’s worth posting advertisements and studying messages from local thematic groups on social networks.
Animals are often thrown away. Unwanted litter suffers, adults who have lost their owner due to:
change in marital status;
Pets that come outside from home have less chance of survival. A slow cat can be attacked by a dog or hit by a car. Having noticed a new animal, an individual with obvious signs of injury or disease, it is worth taking action. Help is also required for pregnant females and females caring for their offspring.
Support for homeless animals
Providing comfort is a simple way to help stray animals that have “legally” settled in the territory. Yards are often inhabited by dogs and cats - their presence does not indicate low social status. Thus, animals become voluntary guards, rid the territory of rodents, and bring joy to people who are unable to keep pets at home.
Yard pets create an ecosystem that is maintained by residents. Those wishing to take part should think about what to feed stray cats. Cheap dry food is a potential treat. For stationary feeding, porridge with chicken neck broth is suitable.
Sending to a shelter
TSA (catch, neuter, release) programs control the dog population by sterilizing both sexes and then microchipping them. Deciding where to give a stray cat is more difficult. Social shelters in Russia and the countries of the former USSR accept guests sent by municipal institutions. They accept animals from private individuals in exceptional cases:
an emergency such as a fire.
Shelters limit cooperation with individuals due to fraud. People are trying to donate unwanted offspring, animals they don’t want to take care of, for free.
Paid foster care
Where to put a cat if you don't need it? Of course, if your conscience allows, you can send it under the guise of a homeless person for free foster care, but still this is very shameful, just like you simply throw out an animal and give it to a place that could be taken by a really needy creature. It happens that it is not possible to place a truly stray cat in a free foster home; what should you do in this case? Find a paid one!
Usually, paid foster care is the same as free foster care: people also accept animals in their apartment while they are looking for new owners, but with the condition of full maintenance on the part of the one who gives the pet + a small monetary reward for care. From these shelters, announcements are also posted that such and such an animal has been betrayed and abandoned, and is now looking for a new home.
But you can’t just trust your (or street) animal and money to complete strangers. It happens that cats are simply placed in cages, and they forget not only to feed them, but also to pour water! That is why it is recommended to conclude a contract for the provision of services with the foster care, and visit from time to time to make sure that the money goes to the maintenance of the cat, and she does not need anything, is well-groomed and occupied.
Paid foster care keeps the animal until they pay for it, or until a permanent home is found for it. But even such animals take in animals for survival (these are a number of poor souls with injuries incompatible with life, disabilities, old people, in general, all those who will definitely not be able to find a home), and they will have to pay for their existence until the end of their days, but, as a rule, such individuals They don’t need much, and they are not expensive to maintain.
Other options
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of advertisements in which people are ready to adopt kittens that have just been born. With their entire appearance, they show that they are doing a good deed, relieving the owner of the need to support the kids and bear all the associated expenses. These are the so-called “box breeders” who use homeless or newly born animals in order to pity passers-by and get money.
Fraudsters do not feed the animals, but simply throw out their corpses and go for a new batch of “goods.” This is why it is so important to look at who exactly you are giving your pet to.
"Murzik's House" - a good paid foster care in Moscow
Check-in must be booked in advance. Accommodation for a pet here is inexpensive - from three hundred rubles per day. But this price does not include food, only accommodation and care. If you need your cat to be fed with overexposure food, then the additional payment will be one hundred rubles per day - only premium food.
When moving into Murzik's House, you need to bring food, a tray, and toys with you, since the policy of overexposure is as follows: the more things an animal has of its own, the easier it is for it to adapt!
The cat will live in a personal “room” - this is a very spacious, three-level enclosure, in which the animal will be able to move around calmly, and its relatives will not pester you here.
Upon check-in, a contract for the provision of services is concluded, accommodation is paid (the animal stays for as long as needed). The overexposure provides video and photo reports completely free of charge.
Reviews about “Murzik’s House” are the warmest. Everyone who entrusted the animal to this foster care was satisfied. They write that the conditions are “resort”, and experienced staff helps the cats adapt. The enclosures are always clean, the animals are fed and well-groomed.
Catcafe
Many cities have places like cat cafes, and you can spend time with several animals there! In the cat cafe, the animals are given a lot of attention, they are looked after, and fed tasty and competently. But it is very difficult to place a purr in such an establishment, since there are almost never free places. If it succeeds, then we can consider that the animal is very lucky in life.
How to make sure your animal is accepted into the cat cafe? Get ready! Many people take their foundlings to a cat cafe, not knowing that the cat needs to be treated for all parasites and vaccinated. If you bring an animal that is already ready for adoption, its chances increase significantly!
How to help a new pet get used to it faster?
After the cat finally moves into its new home, the owner still has a lot of worries related to the physical and mental state of his pet.
An animal that has experienced stress may refuse to eat and drink, panic when trying to pick it up, and show aggression.
In addition, the animal may be seriously ill. To help your cat recover as quickly as possible, you need to:
- Organize a veterinary examination. As a rule, every animal from a shelter needs treatment. Read about the most common cat diseases here.
- Be patient. Even if the pussy was once domestic, during its life in a state institution it managed to run wild, and it needs time to learn to live in a family again. The best medicine in such cases is understanding and love, but sometimes you cannot do without medicine. Cats have their own sedatives, for example, Stop Stress drops for cats, which help cope with anxiety. The price of Stop Stress for Cats will not bankrupt a new owner, but like any medicine, it has its own contraindications, so it is important to read the instructions and consult a veterinarian before use.
- Determine a place to sleep. Cats strive to choose everything themselves, including their place in the house, and therefore a bed or basket for a cat, if possible, should be located in a place chosen by the animal itself.
- Minimize the possibility and consequences of escape. Not so long ago, a new service appeared in veterinary clinics - microchipping of cats, which makes it possible to establish the identity of the animal in the event of its loss. Cats arriving from a shelter are prone to wandering, so there is a temptation to limit their freedom of movement, even to the extent of using an enclosure. But, even if the owners have the opportunity to make the cat’s cage the most spacious and expensive, this idea is definitely unsuccessful. The solution to the problem could be the implantation of an “electronic passport” with an individual number under the animal’s skin. The price for microchipping cats usually ranges from 700 to 5000 rubles.
Adopting a cat from a shelter is an opportunity to do a good deed at once, bring a little happiness into your home and find a reliable friend, because not a single animal bought for a lot of money will love its owner as much as one who was saved from the hardships of shelter life.
Moscow cat cafe
There are several cat cafes in the capital, but the most popular are “Cotissimo”, “Black Cat” and “Cats and People”.
These cafes almost never refuse to give shelter to a homeless animal; volunteers themselves pick them up on the streets. Next, the animal is vaccinated, sterilized, washed, treated, and rid of parasites. In the future, a permanent home is found for the cat, and the animals do not stay long in the cafe, as they are chosen by visitors to the establishment.
The cat café accepts even old animals and those with disabilities, but they may refuse aggressive, contagious, and colored animals, of which there are already many in the establishment.
Reviews about all three cat cafes are good. People write that the establishments do not smell like cats, all the animals are clean, well-fed, and affectionate. The only thing is that you cannot find a kitten here, since animals are accepted from six months of age.
Shelter
Many people believe that a shelter is the best place for animals that are left without supervision or that you simply no longer need. A shelter is a good option only if it is really good: with spacious enclosures, competent staff who will feed you on time, play with you, clean the cage, treat it for parasites, give you vaccinations and send you for sterilization. But usually all such shelters are filled to capacity, and they will not be able to accept a new animal, no matter how much they would like to.
But bad shelters are just that: bad. They have cramped cages in which cats sit without walks, toys, and sometimes even without food, since there are few staff and they simply do not have time to look after all the pets. Imagine what a nightmare it is for an animal to sit in a cage meter by meter around the clock, when before it was possible, albeit not on sofas, to jump through trees, along the street - freely! That is why you will think about what is better: leaving the foundling on the street or handing it over to a bad shelter. The only thing is that in a shelter the cat will not freeze, die of hunger or in the teeth of equally hungry street dogs. But the chances of dying from the disease increase significantly.
Shelters, good or bad, are always in need of help! If you decide to send your animal or something you found on the street there, prepare gifts: food, bedding, toys, trays, and so on. Not a single shelter refuses all possible help in cleaning, feeding animals, and walking with them.
Internal division
Most often, dogs and cats are strays, so most premises should be oriented toward them. For hamsters, rats, mice, parrots, turtles and other small pets, it is enough to purchase one stand designed for ten animals. It will be filled in if animals are brought in by unscrupulous owners themselves.
So how do you open an animal shelter from scratch? The construction of the building must take into account the need to separate the premises:
- for newly arrived pets;
- sick animals;
- healthy cats;
- healthy dogs;
- feed storage;
- personnel.
Other premises:
- manager's office;
- veterinary office;
- shower for animals;
- crematorium or morgue.
In addition, all sick animals must be sorted by disease and kept separately. New inhabitants are necessarily separated into single cells, from which they are transferred to the others only after bathing, vaccination, and treatment for fleas and helminths.
If animals are fed non-dry food, additional kitchen equipment will be required. Excessive consumption of dry food can cause kidney and urethral diseases.
Showers are essential for regular hygiene of animals, because in an attractive, clean state they are more likely to find a new home. In addition, it is advisable to have cleaning products for pets.
Review of good shelters in Moscow
“Forest Shelter”, “Gift of Fate”, “Tender Beast”, “Murkosha” are havens for all homeless cats and those that are simply abandoned by their current owners. Before bringing an animal here, you need to contact the foundation’s volunteers and agree on an extension. Nothing is required from you; you can bring your cat in any condition. Here she will be washed, fed, vaccinated, and sterilized when she reaches 8 months of age.
Next, the animals will be photographed and advertisements posted on social networks about the addition to good hands. As soon as an owner is found for the cat, a contract for the transfer of the animal is concluded with him. The further fate of the cat is not left without observation; volunteers will be asked to provide photo reports.
You can bring an old and sick animal to the shelter; here everyone finds their own warm corner and a bowl of food. All cats that cannot be adopted due to age or illness live out their short cat life in a shelter, in good conditions.
This is all clear, we've sorted it out. But often you come across cries for help online, like “Help, I’m leaving, where should I put the cat for a while?” We will deal with this further.
It is better to wean kittens from their mother after 2 months
This is due to one feature of the species - early weaning threatens problems with digestion and wildness of the animal. The cat must raise its offspring and teach it to contact people, otherwise the cat child will live with complications.
The medical aspect consists of age-appropriate vaccinations and treatment for external and internal parasites.
Ideally, before transferring animals, it is better to sterilize them so that the problem of placing new offspring does not arise. But if you are placing kittens up to 6 months old, then the new owners will have to do this.
Place yourself temporarily with friends
If possible, simply leave the keys to the house to a loved one who will feed the cat and change the litter in the tray. It will be easier for the cat, because she will stay at home, even if alone.
If there are no people who can come to you every day, then maybe there are those who can temporarily take in an animal? If there are any, then bring her toys, a tray, and her favorite bedding with the cat - this way the cat will quickly adapt to the new environment.
Hotel for animals
Where to put a cat during a vacation or business trip if none of your friends can help? There are two options to consider:
- Paid foster care. It's cheap, but look only for good reviews, because you won't be able to check the conditions in which your pet is kept.
- Hotel for animals. This is more expensive than foster care, but here they will definitely feed you, play with you, and cuddle you, so you can rest easy! Reviews of pet hotels are mostly good, so you don’t have to worry about your pet.
In both cases, a contract for the provision of services is drawn up. Let's look at the best hotels.
We write a sales ad (if we are looking for a new owner ourselves)
The expression: “Advertising is the engine of trade” also applies to the case if you need to find someone to give kittens or an adult to. A simple announcement: “I’ll give the cat into good hands. Grown-up, beautiful,” is, of course, not enough. When preparing an ad:
- Get the animal in order - cure all diseases, treat it for worms and fleas, give it a bath. Vaccinate, sterilize (if necessary).
- Take selling photos – be sure to be close-up, preferably against a plain background. Preferably, not just a portrait, but also photographs of life: the cat sleeps, washes itself, plays.
Review of hotels for cats in Moscow
- “Goldie Kat” - there are only 11 rooms, all “Comfort” and “Luxury”, accommodation from five hundred rubles per day. Living conditions: spacious enclosures with toys, tray (food to go). The staff takes care of the cats: games, petting, cleaning, grooming, and so on. Video surveillance is carried out, reports are available at any time and free of charge.
- “Booking Cat” - from 300 rubles per day, depending on the comfort of the enclosure (from 1 to 2.1 meters in height). Video and photo reports at the request of the animal owner, haircut, feeding, full care (including games and petting).
- “Koshkino” is an even cheaper, but comfortable pet hotel. Accommodation price starts from 250 rubles per day, food is not included, as in previous options. The price includes full care, care, living in a clean enclosure separately from other cats.
Rules for accepting animals in all hotels:
- Cats under 4 months of age, unsterilized after 9 months, without a vaccination certificate, and untreated for parasites are not accepted;
- You can bring the animal yourself or transfer it from the apartment to a hotel employee (for a fee);
- cats should only arrive in carriers;
- refusal to aggressive animals;
- conclusion of a contract for the provision of services;
- payment upon admission + possible additional payment (unforeseen expenses) when releasing the animal back home.
Financial calculations
The cat cafe business plan should include detailed calculations of the financial investments required for start-up and ongoing work.
Project investment and maintenance costs
The initial investment in the business will be (in thousands of rubles):
- business registration – 50;
- rental of premises during repairs and preparation for launch – 80;
- repair and decoration of premises – 150;
- purchase of equipment and inventory, including signage – 250;
- cost of an annual license of specialized software – 6;
- sterilization and vaccination of the first pets – 24;
- starting advertising campaign – 20;
- reserve – 20.
Total: 600 thousand rubles
Current monthly expenses will include (the cost is indicated in thousands of rubles):
- premises rental – 40;
- staff salary with all necessary deductions – 80;
- purchasing everything necessary for cats (food, litter) – 18;
- services of a visiting accountant – 6;
- utility bills – 10;
- veterinary expenses – 10;
- supporting advertising campaign – 5;
- expenses for the purchase of drinks and desserts, shoe covers, replacement slippers, disinfectants, cat toys - from 50 (depending on the number of visitors and animals).
Total: minimum 219 thousand rubles
Income and profit of the cat cafe
The income of a cat cafe depends on where it will be located, on the flow of guests, and on the drinks and desserts offered. Profits can be increased by introducing several paid services: photos with cats, selling cat food for guests’ pet cats, and in many similar establishments you can take your favorite animal home as a new pet for a nominal fee. A variety of master classes, thematic lectures, and entertainment events will also increase business profitability. The average income of a cat cafe is 250,000–300,000 rubles monthly.
Project profitability assessment
The calculations made allow us to state that the project’s profitability can reach 30–40%. With a constant flow of visitors, the cat cafe will pay for itself in about 1 year.
This business is profitable today because it has little competition and arouses keen interest among potential clients. In the future, the cat cafe owner may consider expanding his business by opening branches in other areas of the city and neighboring communities.
