Adoptions

ACR rescues stray, homeless and abandoned cats. All cats are spayed/neutered, tested for FeLV/FIV and vaccinated prior to adoption.

If you are able to welcome a new cat into your home, please visit our Adoption Center at PETsMART on Cherry Hill Rd, Silver Spring, Maryland. Call: 301-586-8262. Or visit our cats virtually by visiting Pets911 or viewing them at Petfinder below.

 

ACR Guidelines for Adopting a Cat or Kitten
Alley Cat Rescue wants our rescued cats placed in homes where they will be treated as a member of the family for the rest of their lives which, with care, can be for 12 years or longer. If you do not agree with our guidelines, we suggest that you reconsider whether or not adopting a cat is right for you. When you adopt a cat you must sign a legal contract stating that you will comply with our requirements, which are to give the cat a long healthy life in a loving home.

1) Member of the family
A cat is not a possession, but a member of your family to be treated with love and respect. He or she should share the house and not be locked in a cage, or in a room separating him/her from the people in the family, except perhaps for the first few days, while they become accustomed to the new environment.

Reason:  A cat who is not an accepted member of the family will not be happy and may become withdrawn, exhibit other behavioral problems. The cat may even become sick if he is stressed and unhappy.

2) Neutering and Spaying
Your cat must be neutered (male) or spayed (female) by five months of age. ACR’s cats are usually already STERILIZED

Reason:  There are already too many unwanted cats killed in shelters each year. A female cat can become pregnant as early as five months of age. Spaying and neutering will prevent homeless kittens and will help your cat live a longer, healthier life. Neutered and spayed animals are less prone to cancers. Unneutered males often spray on furniture.

3) Declawing
Our cats must not be declawed. If you want a declawed cat, let us know. ACR often have cats who have already been declawed by their previous guardians before relinquishing them to ACR.

Reason:  Cats have a psychological need to claw as part of their total grooming ritual. They remove the sheath that continues to grow over their claws in a manner similar to our cuticles. Just as a cat cleans her fur, she also takes care of her claws. Clawing also helps keep the muscles toned in the rest of the cat’s body. Frequent nail clipping by the guardian can help alleviate scratching problems. Your vet can show you how to do this. You can also help by giving your cat plenty of things of his own to scratch and by gently correcting him when he scratches something of yours—a spray bottle works as a deterrent. It is cruel and inhumane to remove the cat’s claws, which function as part of his/her fingers and toes. Many cats will never feel right and may not walk properly after declaw surgery. Think about how you would feel if someone amputated your fingers down to the first joint! If you do adopt a declawed cat, she should not go outside without supervision.

4) Indoor/Outdoor cats
You should keep the cat indoors or allow her outside only under supervision. ACR recommends a catproof fenced-in yard if the cat goes outside. Instructions for building such a fence are available from ACR.  Cats must be kept inside at night. We also have information available on a variety of outdoor structures so that he can enjoy the outdoors safely.

Reason:  Domestic cats left outdoors without supervision could face dangers.  It is vital that cats always have access to their home, either by supervision or through a cat door so they can escape from danger and/or the elements.

5) Medical Care
Your cat will need to visit the veterinarian at least once a year for his or her annual check up. A cat is subject to the same sort of ailments we are, and when ill will need to be treated by a veterinarian.  You are responsible for medical bills, except for the initial set of shots we supply. Many veterinarians now recommend a three-year vaccination cycle, instead of annual boosters.

Reason:  The FVRCP booster prevents your cat from catching distemper and other cat ailments. Rabies vaccinations prevent your cat from contracting rabies and may be required in your state. Expect your cat to catch an occasional cold, ear infection, etc., and to develop some ailments as he or she gets older.

6) Children
If you have a child under six years of age, you should adopt a cat or kitten six months of age or older.

Reason:  Young kittens have not yet learned to retract their claws and could scratch if handled improperly. The younger a kitten is, the more fragile, and the easier she could be accidentally injured by a small child. No matter how good your young child is with animals, children are often unable to properly carry and handle kittens. Also, children frequently have high-pitched voices which can frighten a young cat.

7) Single Cat
Kittens and cats should be placed in a home with another cat or dog.

Reason:  One kitten alone in a house will get very lonely and can exhibit behavior problems. He or she may beg for affection when you come home. A young cat needs companionship and someone with whom to play.

8) Cats must be permitted where you live
If you rent your home or apartment, or live in a condominium, you need to be sure that cats are permitted. Your lease or bylaws should specifically state that you are allowed to have cats. Cats are a life-long commitment, so you must always live in situations where cats are permitted.

Reason:  Many people get a companion  and are then told by their landlord or condo association to give up the animal or move out. Rental housing permitting animals is becoming harder to find. ACR can assist your efforts to get permission.

9) Post-Adoption
We reserve the right to investigate the living conditions of your new cat through follow-up telephone calls and/or visits.

Reason:  ACR wants our cats placed into loving, caring homes as members of the family. The vast majority of people provide excellent homes for their cats. Occasionally, there will be a personality conflict between a cat and a person. If this occurs and is not resolved in a couple of weeks, it is best to return the cat to us. Follow-up calls and visits help us to ensure that our cats are being treated with the love and respect laid out in our guidelines. ACR wants to help you through your adjustment period with your new companion and we will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

10) Relinquishment of your cat
If you must give up your cat, he or she must be returned to Alley Cat Rescue. You must not turn the cat over to a shelter or another person. Shelters euthanize over 80 percent of the cats that come to them.

Reason:  ACR will accept your cat at any time if you must give her up. We want to know that our cats are cared for all their lives, so we will take them back and find a new home if necessary. Do not, for any reason, leave one of our cats at an animal shelter. They may be killed before we can rescue them.

11) Literature
There are several excellent books on cat care and cat behavior.  Books and magazines are an excellent resource for answering your questions about your cat.

ACR suggests these books and magazines:

The Wild Life of the Domestic Cat, by Roger Tabor
Understanding Cats, by Roger Tabor
Adopting Cats & Kittens, by Connie Jankowski
The New Natural Cat: The Complete Guide for Finicky Owners, by Anitra Frazier
The Purina Encyclopedia of Cat Care, by Amy Shojai
The Stray Cat Handbook, by Tamara Kreuz
Kitten Care & Training, by Amy Shojai
Magazines: Cat Fancy Magazine, The Whole Cat Journal, Catnip and Cat Watch

ACR Kitties in Happy Homes

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Dre

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Schnoop

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Rosie

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Claire

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Cranberry

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Mayhem

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Rolls & Martin

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Professor

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Chase

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Brooklyn

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Autumn

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Gizmo

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Macintosh

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Minnie

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Phoebee

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Smoky

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Spidercat & Rowdy

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Mork

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Ize

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Max

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Azure

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Beemer

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Tibbie

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Sonny
Sonny is a DSH about 2 years old, who is buff colored with darker stripes. He is a very lanky cat with gorgeous golden eyes. He came to ACR in the spring of 2008 as a stray, but was soon adopted.

 

Unfortunately, he was only in a home for a short time, because the person’s other cat did not like him, so he came back to ACR. We planned to put Sonny back into our adoption program, but we quickly realized that something was different about him. We noticed that he has a bit of a split personality. He can be the sweetest of cats and want nothing but attention and to rub against your leg, but he is also quick to “not like you” and will display his aggression.

 

Subsequently, Sonny is now an ACR office kitty. He has his own room, where he loves to sit on a scratch post and look out the window. He also receives visits from the occasional kitten, who ventures into his room to play.

 

 

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Miss Kitty

Miss Kitty was found by a young boy hanging around his neighborhood. When she came to ACR, she was pregnant. She lived with a foster family until she had her babies, but sadly, only one survived. Miss Kitty also has been diagnosed with FIV (luckily, her baby tested negative and was adopted), so finding her a forever home is tough. Therefore, until that day comes, she will stay with us and pull at anyone’s hair who walks by her cage and “talk” to us every morning as she awaits her breakfast.

 

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Harrison

Harrison is a gray and white, long hair kitty, who is about 7-8 years old. One day about 5 years ago, Louise was at the Baltimore Shelter picking up kittens, when she met him. He was very friendly and kept reaching his paw out of the cage for her. He was on the list to be euthanized that day, so Louise couldn't leave him there. Sadly, when she brought him to Brentwood Animal Hospital , he tested positive for FIV, so he became an Alley Cat Rescue permanent resident. Except for his bad teeth, Harrison is a very healthy cat. He is also one of the sweetest cats you could meet; he craves affection!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a male tabby cat, about 3 years old. Another rescuer saved him from the PG County shelter and brought him to ACR. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with bilateral eyelid agenesis, a birth defect, where the eyelids do not completely form. So, Pumpkin underwent surgery, and now he is able to relax on a windowsill and watch the day go by.  

 

Sadly, during post-surgery recovery, doctors also discovered that Pumpkin has a urinary issue. He underwent surgery to have his urethra widened, to prevent future blockages. But with plenty of fresh water and special tasty food, Pumpkin is feeling much better.

 

But, because Pumpkin needs special food and eye drops for the rest of his life, he will live in the ACR office. He gets along well with other cats, and especially loves to romp around with kittens.

 

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BARN HOMES :

From time to time, feral cats end up at ACR and because we do not euthanize healthy cats, they become semi-resident cats. Whether a feral mom cat comes in with her litter of kittens or a scaredy cat comes in (no matter how hard we try to socialize him, he just does not want to trust people), we will have a few cats that are hard to find homes for. Therefore, the best option for kitties who fit this description is to find them barn homes or someone who owns a few acres of land, where these cats can be cared for by humans but where they can also live independently.

 

Again, no-kill shelters are unable to place feral cats in homes. They will never be a family pet or companion animal to people. However, these beautiful cats (which number in the thousands in PG County, MD alone), deserve to spend their days living the best life we humans can provide for them and it doesn't take much.

 

Each cat has been spayed or neutered and received all vaccinations necessary to live a healthy life. Individuals who participate agree to confine the cats to an area of the barn for at least the first two weeks, thus increasing the likelihood that the cats will consider this their new “home” and stay put. After that, all the cats need is a safe shelter from weather and regular food and water. The reward for the barn owner — superior and dependable rodent control!

 

These cats are ready for a place to call “home” and will gladly work hard for their room and board. They are truly experts in their field, making it clear to all mice that they are not welcome. So, if you're tired of the “rat race” and would like to adopt one or several barn cats, please contact Alley Cat Rescue.