Putting cats up for adoption, need advice

[N4S]

Well they are pretty much brothers so I do not want to split them up.

One is about 5 and the other is about 4 years old.

Can someone aware me on the whole adoption/foster care type process?

I just want to make sure they are not split and have great owners.

[Stacykins]

To ensure they go to good homes, truly be careful on who you adopt them to. If you advertise on craigslist, you are going to get a bajillion morons sending you messages. Apparently that was the case when I got my kitty from a woman on craigslist...I was the only one who told about myself, gave a veterinary reference, showed her pictures of my other cat, etc. without her even asking for the info. I still send her pictures to this day, since she had to give up the kitty because of a bad situation.

Require a veterinary reference, and please do check up on it! So many people don't, and scumbags know that. If they go to the Main Street Kitty Clinic and have been seen by Dr. Someone, call and make sure! Mostly you are looking for up to date vaccines, other animals being spayed or neutered, and if they get yearly health checkups.

[N4S]

i have been looking at this place.

Seems pretty good.

http://www.phillypaws.org/

[GoingPostal]

Well they are pretty much brothers so I do not want to split them up.

I just want to make sure they are not split and have great owners.

Then KEEP them. Once they are out of your hands you have zero control over who owns them, if they are rehomed again and again or split up and what kind of care they receive. Older male cats are about the most unadoptable you can get in the shelter world and asking someone to take both is a long shot. Please microchip and leave your name as backup in case they are turned into a shelter down the line. Also, most shelters won't take owner surrenders as they are up to their eyeballs in cats already so you will have to find them a home yourself.

[wolfy-hound]

I would keep your mind open to splitting them up if needed. Cats adjust quite well. If you find great homes for two individual cats, it's fine, rather than trying to find that ideal home that can take both.

Of course, if you can find a home that takes both, wonderful! Just dont' close off the idea of splitting them.

Check up on the vet referances, like mentioned. Ask if they had cats before, and if they say yes, ask what happened to them. If they "had to give them away", ask for the contact info for the new owners. When you call those people, instead of asking "Did you get the cats from Bob?" ask something like "Hey, this is a friend of Bob, were you hanging out at that party?" and see if it's just some friend of theirs vouching for them instead of the real people who got their cats! Be sneaky. If it's legit, they should go "Bob? The guy we got the cat from?" or something else similiar maybe.

Be aware, if you advertise free pet on any service, esp craigslist or pet adoption pages, you'll be likely to get 50+ replies from people who are whackos, or just fiddling around because "I think I might get a cat ten years from now, but I'm not sure", plus a scattering of "You're horrible for giving away your furbabys!!!".

If you put in the ad "Please include a name, location, vet referance, etc", you will get a TON of replies with "I'd like the cat!" with no additional info. Just hit delete on those, and don't bother replying at all. If they can't read simple instructions, they probably can't care for a pet, IMHO.

This is pretty much what I did when rehoming a few normal male BPs. The "hit delete" when I got emails of "I want the snake." saved me a TON of time. Not one person I bothered replying to when they sent that sort of first email turned out to be a decent home. So just don't waste time on them.

I hope this helps.