Save Money - Adopt a Cat

When it comes to adopting a homeless cat from a pet rescue organization, do they all offer the same product? Not necessarily. Pet rescue groups should be judged not only on the quality of the pets they adopt, but the principles on which they are based. While some rescue groups shy away from taking in sick or injured animals, the SPCA rescues both healthy cats and cats that require medical treatment. We do not hesitate to rehabilitate an animal whenever possible, sometimes incurring very high medical bills in the process. One example is Seeker, who was rescued from a Southwest Michigan pound with an upper respiratory infection, two broken bones in her front paw that required two surgeries and a pin to correct, and a hernia that required an additional surgery. Although her medical bills totaled many hundreds of dollars, the SPCA was committed to her full recovery.

A beautiful young tabby named Fern is another example. Fern was found at a local pound with a deep laceration on her side caused by a flea collar that had gotten caught around her leg. In spite of her open wound, Fern was nursing and protecting her one, tiny kitten, Poppy, who was also saved by the SPCA. Fern required two surgeries to heal her wound and was also suffering from an upper respiratory infection. She and her kitten are now healthy and in their lifelong homes.

Lovell & Tony (right) looked horrible when we Lovell and Tony

saw them together at the same pound. From the blood on Lovell’s feet, it was clear there was an injury of some sort. Realizing that no one from the public was likely to risk untold medical bills by adopting them, the SPCA stepped in and rescued the pair. But even we were shocked to learn that Lovell had bitten off his own tongue during some recent trauma. He can eat only soft food and cannot groom himself, but he’s an otherwise wonderful, bright-eyed, loving young cat. He and his equally adorable buddy, Tony, are both neutered and ready to go to a special home together.

Even when we treat a cat for extensive injuries or illness, we still charge the same adoption fee: $125 for kittens, and $100 for adult cats. A recent survey of local veterinary clinics found that the SPCA's adoption fee, which includes spay/neuter, feline leukemia testing, vaccinations, flea treatment, and deworming, is less than the cost for a spay surgery alone, which can average from $130 to $160. How can we afford to do that? For starters, the SPCA has negotiated lower vet prices for our pets at several local clinics which care about homeless pets and want to help us keep our costs down. Secondly, generous people in the community donate money so that we can continue to help sick and homeless animals and keep adoption fees down, thereby increasing adoptions. When you drop a dollar in one of our donation canisters, or drop a check in the mail, you are directly helping a homeless cat or dog find the home it deserves.

The SPCA offers a good deal not only monetarily, but also ethically. The endless stream of unwanted pets in Southwest Michigan is the reason the SPCA practices an absolute spay/neuter policy. This policy means that an animal is spayed or neutered before it can be adopted. We will not risk any animal leaving our hands unaltered and contributing to the very pet overpopulation problem that we are trying to solve.