Here, (rescued purebred) kitty kitty!
March 25, 2011 7:37 AM   Subscribe

Can anyone tell me their experiences adopting a cat from a purebred cat rescue group? (Dog rescue stories are a dime a dozen) Any cat-rescue-specific things to look for, or recommendations? I'm in northern CA and can drive.

My 15-year-old cat died in January, and I've had so many major life transitions just in the past few months (mom died, I moved, my dad came to live with me, I'm starting a business, I'm completing a certificate program at a local college - whew!) that I decided to be petless for a little while.

I'm starting to REALLY miss the snuggle and purr factor now. I'm interested in adopting an adult indoor cat. This will be MY cat, though if Kitty and Dad liked each other and Kitty kept Dad company while I was away, that would be great.

I am also playing with the idea of adopting a purebred cat. I love certain purebreds - Siberians, Maine Coons and Russian Blues primarily because of temperament, size (in the Siberians and Maine Coons) and allergy issues (Siberians and Russian Blues). Alas, I feel wussy liberal guilt about plunking down four figures for a kitten when I could get a cat in need for far less. So, breed rescues.

What are your experiences? I hear great stories of pet matchmaking, but also horror stories of micromanaging jerkass rescue people humiliating potential adopters. I also hear far more feedback about dog rescue versus cat rescue, so I'm specifically asking about CAT rescue only.

I'm in northern California, and am willing to drive a reasonable distance to get a cat. And oh yes, I'm a super-experienced cat owner and have had cats all my life; I know exactly which vet I plan to take a cat to, and will keep it indoors.
posted by Rosie M. Banks to Pets & Animals (14 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I can't speak to cat breed rescues, but my sister and I have both gotten Maine Coons from the city animal shelter. I got mine first and just picked the cat I liked, and she turned out to be a Coon. My sister liked my cat and wanted decided she wanted Coons as well, so she checked the shelter and found a brother-sister pair of Maine Coon kittens. They're absolutely breed-typical in size, look, and personality (my girl is a little smaller than average, but still quite typical in behavior and looks). So I hope you get some good info on rescues, but it's worth keeping shelters in mind -- and you'll probably deal with less micromanaging to get your kitty home.
posted by katemonster at 8:45 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


Maine Coon respresent! My cats came to me by way of a Maine Coon rescue group -- Louisa was part of a 60-cat backyard-breeder-gone-awry ASCPA seizure and, long story short, has minor health maladies that still pester her seven years later. Haggis (only part-Coon) was supposed to be a short-term foster (His family was dumping him! He lived right down the street! Who could resist those slightly misleadingly soulful eyes!) but the big crazy lug won me over and has been, shall we say, a lesson in unconditional love. From what I've seen during my time on their email lists, yes, they are purebred, but these are still very much "rescued" cats, with varying levels of trauma and problems. A happy retired show cat with no physical or mental issues is a rarity.

My only other pet adoption experience was with a humane society dog many years ago. I chose the breed-rescue organization because I was familiar with Maine Coons and there was a fairly active outpost of the national rescue group in my area. What struck me with my cat-rescue experience was the very high level of concern that they match the right person with the right cat. They took my work schedule and lifestyle (kids? no kids? other pets? travel much?) into serious consideration, and I interviewed via email and phone, and met in person with Louisa's foster "mom" before it all shook out. I appreciated their level of commitment -- they want their cats to go to forever homes, with people who can be patient and proactive with health problems and, in the case of the occasionally totally deranged Haggis, mental-basketcase situations. They are very passionate about this. It can rub some people the wrong way, but the flip side is that their cats have very well-documented personalities and medical records. I would not trade my cats for the world, but I don't think the experience is for everyone.

Happy to answer any questions you have!
posted by kittyb at 9:05 AM on March 25, 2011


My parents do/have done Siamese rescue. They do it through our local humane society, and apart from the standard two-month check, they have no issues with being micro-managed. In fact, the shelter staff know to keep an eye out for Siamese for my parents, and will often give Mom a call when a cat comes in.

Be prepared for older and sometimes infirm animals. Some of the cats may have long-term disabilities due to injury. Vet bills will be a consideration.

Some cats may have behavioural problems, which, in my parents' experience generally means the cats have (understandable) trust issues for the first few months. Don't expect the cat to jump into your lap and start purring. These are generally abandoned and sometimes abused animals, and often have emotional scars to go with their physical problems. The best thing you can offer is a loving, stable environment. Cats love routine. For abused or abandoned cats stability is essential for recovery. This may take months, so don't be discouraged. Every one of their dozen or so rescues has come around to liking and accepting my parents, but sometimes that takes as long as a year. The stable, safe environment is enormously important.

Some may have food issues: they'll gobble food when it's available, sometimes so fast that they puke. This can last a while, until the cat learns that food always will come and will always come on schedule. This will usually settle down after a few weeks. Cats are keenly aware of the feeding schedule. Ours are much better at telling the time of day than you might think, to within a half-hour or so if food is involved. Again, stability in their environment helps a lot with feeding behaviours.

All of them have been worth it, but because of their infirmities, you may have to be prepared to only be able to care for them for a few years. One of the sweetest cats my parents have ever had was a beautiful Burmese who had been severly injured, probably hit by a car, found in the city dump. His bones never set right and he had great difficulty even walking, but everyone in the familiy remembers him extremely fondly. For all he had been through, abandonment, injury, privation, he loved people and was well loved in return. Eventually, though, it was clear that he was in tremendous pain all the time and his kidneys were failing. You may need to be prepared for the hardest responsability a cat owner has too.

For all that, IMO it's totally worth all of that if you have the right environment to bring these cats in.
posted by bonehead at 9:20 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


This is not a direct response to your question, but, like katemonster, I would encourage you to look at shelters/general animal rescues. I have two beautiful half-Persian cats that I adopted from an animal rescue place. Their mother was a purebred Persian breeding queen who ran amok. When we took them for their first vet visit, in the same neighborhood as the animal rescue, the vet said: "oh, more of the half-Persian kittens." I guess the point is if you don't need to have a cat with papers, you can probably find a cat with fewer health issues, and get it more cheaply and easily, if you go with a shelter or regular animal rescue. And you could very well find a cat that fits your requirements even if it's not a purebred.
posted by bokinney at 9:42 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


Yes, please do check out the shelters! I cannot for the life of me figure out how anyone could ever let a Maine Coon go (I mean, just look at this kitty!), but they do. And Persians, and Siamese...it's definitely worth going and rescuing a cat--it will make you both feel better!

And remember that whatever you decide to do, and wherever you go, you MUST update this thread with a picture of your new feline friend. ; )
posted by misha at 10:14 AM on March 25, 2011


Response by poster: All answers so far are very helpful. Thanks!

For the record, I am not allergic to cats but I'm afraid that a potential relationship might fizzle due to allergy issues - "hack hack it's me or the cat aaa-choo!" I don't know how common severe allergies are, though (and I know I'm pre-emptively worrying). Hence a possible lower-allergy breed.

What I love about Maine Coons is their size, fluff, and laid-back temperament. It sounds like I could do as well going to an ordinary shelter and saying "I want a big smooshy fluffy male cat who will be an affectionate lap fungus" (my ideal cat!).
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:15 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


I got a Turkish Angora kitten from a breeder in the Boston area. I'm severely allergic to some cats, but not others, so going to shelter is impossible for me - I can't even tell which cats set me off. The breeder mentioned that there are some Turkish Angora rescues out there. For example, this reputable Turkish Angora breeder also rescues TA adults. Because Turkish Angoras are rare breeds, many breeders will ship their cats. The breeder I bought my kitten from doesn't ship cats, and frankly I don't know how I feel about subjecting a cat to a cold airplane ride, but lots of people who really care about cats do it.

As for Turkish Angoras as pets - you just couldn't possibly get a better friend. I find myself spontaneously remarking every day how much I love my cat. My fiance is equally devoted. My cat follows me around at home like a dog, greets me when I walk in the door, plays fetch, jumps in to my arms, and curls up on my lap and purrs whenever I sit down. She's unfailingly gentle, but playful. She hops in to bed whenever we go to sleep each night, waits politely until we open our eyes in the morning, and then tries to groom us. She is extremely active and will explore anything and everything you leave out with her paws - so, no uncovered water glasses for us. She also likes to jump on every possible high surface (she jumps to the tops of open doors) and no knick-knacks stand a chance. She is smart and determined, and she knows exactly what she's not supposed to do - if it's getting late and we haven't fed her, she goes up to the top of the bookshelf and starts dumping books off. She never does that, or even goes up there, at any other time.

I grew up with cats, dogs and birds and while I have loved every pet I've ever had, I've never had one as affectionate and devoted as my Turkish Angora. (Oh, and as a bonus, TAs are generally very healthy and long-lived. The worst of our troubles are hairballs. She doesn't even overeat, and doesn't require grooming.)
posted by Cygnet at 10:17 AM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]


What I love about Maine Coons is their size, fluff, and laid-back temperament. It sounds like I could do as well going to an ordinary shelter and saying "I want a big smooshy fluffy male cat who will be an affectionate lap fungus" (my ideal cat!).
We adopted a Maine Coon years ago from our vet's office - he was an adult and FIV-positive and thus considered "hard to place." Squeaky (so named because he made a raspy sound instead of a "meow") was such a delight - "smooshy affectionate lap fungus" is the perfect description! He loved to cuddle and be cuddled, and one of his favorite places to lay was on my Dad's chest (almost smothering him with that huge, furry body), head tucked under Dad's chin when Dad napped. When my Dad suffered a heart attack in 1992 (he recovered, thankfully) and the paramedics were hooking him up to their machines in our living room, Squeaky (always Dad's shadow) ran into the room and hopped up onto the portable EKG for a second until the squatting paramedic shouted in surprise and fell backwards. "What the hell was that?!" he asked as Squeaky dashed away in fright. "Squeaky. He's a Maine Coon." Dad replied. "Are you sure it's safe to have a raccoon in the house??" the guy said as he collected himself.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:34 AM on March 25, 2011 [6 favorites]


Nthing Turkish Angoras. I rescued one myself when his family moved and left him behind. He was red; not kitty orange color, brick red, and the smartest animal I've ever met. He obeyed commands instantly like a well trained dog, and brought me animals - completely unharmed - to just examine and watch. He'd watch them too without harming them one little bit. This latter included hedgehogs he "herded" onto my patio.

For reference, I grew up with: a salt water fish tank with lion fish, ferrets, a coati mundi, raccoons (2) ferrets (2) and never less than two dogs and four cats. This cat put them all to shame in terms of affection and intelligence.

So, to your point: he was at least three when he came to us, and so anecdotally, I would say a rescued Turkish Angora would be a great choice in terms of adaptability.
posted by digitalprimate at 3:33 PM on March 25, 2011


We adopted a adult purebred Maine Coon from, prepare yourself, craigslist. We even called his breeder to verify his medical history/etc.

Craigslist is worth checking, there are some purebreds that desperately need homes. Better yet, they're often local so you can come and interact with the cat without investing more than a couple of hours of driving time to see if you click.
posted by arnicae at 6:56 PM on March 25, 2011


Have you tried petfinder.com? I just did a search on Maine Coons around Sacramento and retrieved 171 results within 100 miles. Most of them will be mixed, but many look like purebreds. You'll have a choice of different organizations you can adopt from so if you get a bad feeling from one, you can try another.

Have you considered ragdolls? I ended up with a part ragdoll from a foster organization listed with petfinder and the fluff and lap time is dialled all the way up.
posted by waterandrock at 5:24 PM on March 26, 2011


Response by poster: Oriole Adams - I love your story about Squeak! LOL at the repairman who thought he was a real raccoon.

All the advice on the thread is great. I will probably wind up going to a foster place through Petfinder (I believe foster homes have a better idea of a cat's temperament than a big crowded shelter). I looked on Petfinder and they have great listings and pictures of the pets.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 6:49 PM on March 28, 2011


My mother has a devon rex rescue (look up DRRL--a great rescue program). Even if they do not say they have any cats available, email them, they are often slow to post new cats. I have a devon from a breeder, as I have allergies to cats, but not to devon rexes. My mother fell in love with my kitty and decided, after her 15 yr old dog died, that she wanted a devon as well so I inquired with the rescue league.

Mom's rescue was (is) 5 yrs old-- was given up b/c the previous owners had two dogs that would not leave the cat alone. The kitty had some thinning hair spots, but her coat is finally coming in as she relaxes in her new home and bonds with my mom.
posted by psususe at 4:19 PM on March 29, 2011


I got my two cats through a (non breed-specific) cat rescue, and I can't say enough good things about the rescue process. The saved my favorite fluffy mans from a kill shelter where his first owner (who bought him as a pet store kitten) had dropped him off. He's the kitty love of my life, and has only one bad habit (apparently not unheard of in Persians) of pooping outside the litter box. Usually on my kitchen floor. I consider this a small price to pay for all the love and entertainment he gives me. So, yes, definitely go through a rescue. They're wonderful!
posted by MsMolly at 10:21 AM on March 31, 2011


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