Adoption Information
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| Monty - Adopted August 2015 |
At Safe House, we are looking for ‘forever homes’ for our cats with adopters wanting to make a lifelong commitment. We strive to match each cat to his or her ideal home and ensure that the pet will be compatible with your entire family so that you have a wonderful adoption experience and have a cat you will cherish its whole life through. Below are our general adoption guidelines which we consider on a case-by-case basis.
Adopters must be 21 years or older, or demonstrate exceptional maturity for their age if younger.
Renters must have permission from the landlord to have the cat applied for.
Our contract will specify that if you are ever unable to keep your cat for any reason, he or she must be returned to us.
No Declawing.
In addition to declawing being illegal in 36 countries and multiple US cities because of its inherent cruelty, we believe in the wealth of information that indicates cats frequently suffer long term behavioral and medical problems after being declawed. We require that each adopter sign a contract that they will never declaw any cat adopted from us. If you feel you must have a declawed cat, we will be happy to contact you when we rescue a cat that is already declawed.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q – How do I adopt a cat?
A – Your first step is to complete an online adoption application. Once submitted, a volunteer will contact you to discuss meeting the cat.
Q – Can I come meet all the pets and then decide which I’d like to adopt?
A – We are a foster home based rescue and do not have a dedicated shelter facility where all of the cats are housed, so there is no central location where you can meet all of our adoptable cats. However, if you tell us which cat(s) you’re interested in, we can arrange a time and location for you to meet them.
Q – What are your adoption fees?
A –
$75 - Kittens/Young (Up to 1 year)
$50 - Adult (1 Year +)
$25 - Senior (7 Years +)
$0 - FIV +
(though any donation would truly be appreciated!)
There is an additional $25 fee for cats considered to be an "Exotic" (Siamese, Persian, etc...)
If you are a senior (65 years or older) you can adopt any of our senior cats (7 years or older) for only $10! Please mention this special when applying.
We also have a kitten special - adopt 2 available kittens (1 year & under) for $125
Sometimes we’re asked why we have adoption fees. Here are the (minimum) medical/care costs we are responsible for when we rescue a cat or kitten:
Spay or Neuter (sterilization): $40-$100+
Rabies Vaccinations: $10
FIV/FELV virus test: $20
Other vaccinations: $20
Microchip: $6-$25
Our minimum cost for each cat and kitten in our care is around $100, excluding any out-of-the-ordinary care that may be needed. We rely on donations to cover all costs above a cat’s adoption fee.
Q – Is the adoption fee refundable if I return my adopted cat?
A – No, adoption fees are not refundable. However, the adoption fee on any returned cat will be turned into a tax deductible donation at your request.
Q – What’s included in the adoption fee?
A – Before adoption, cats and kittens will be spayed or neutered, be current on age-appropriate vaccinations, be given first (or more) deworming, microchipped, and tested for FIV/FeLV.
Q – Do you adopt to out-of-state adopters?
A – Yes, if you live outside of Illinois you may adopt a Safe House cat. You must come here to meet and adopt the pet, we do not ship pets or transport pets.
Q – What should I bring with to adopt?
A – You should bring a photo ID (driver’s license), your adoption fee payable in cash or check, and a pet carrier.
Q – Can I take my new cat home the same day?
A – YES! All approved adopters may take their new cat home the same day.
