Choosing a cat

So many cats, how to choose?

Think about your home and lifestyle

Are you a single person with a quiet lifestyle? A family with young, active kids? Do you live in a small apartment? Do you have a cranky resident cat? No matter your answers, we have a lot of options for you and family. We strongly encourage you to spend some time thinking about what kind of cat(s) would best fit with your current situation. Reach out if you have questions!

Kitten Pair: Get ready for nonstop action and high energy — for the next few years! Young kittens need a lot of supervision, patience, health monitoring and vet visits — and eat a lot!

Adult Pair: Double the love without much more effort on your part! Bonded adults keep each other company when you’re not around and cause less mayhem than young kittens or single adult cats.

Single Cat: Some cats would prefer all the attention to themselves — and we don’t blame them! From young and sassy to chill and thoughtful, there is a wide range of energy levels to consider.

Companion Cat/Kitten: We have many sidekicks looking for a buddy! We are very strict on pairing playmates with an age appropriate feline friend. It’s better for the cats and their human families.

Adopting a cat as an ESA

Animals can provide incredible emotional support, however, we ask you to deeply consider all the reasons that you want to adopt a cat. While the act of caring for another living being can be healing, it can also produce its own anxieties. Please make sure that you are fully prepared for all of the responsibilities involved in pet ownership before applying. Consult a professional and consider fostering first to make sure caretaking is a helpful part of your healthy lifestyle. If you are a student without a full-time job, we will ask for a financial guarantor. If you live in student housing, we require documentation approving an ESA as well as a back-up plan should your housing situation change.

Adopting young kittens

Young kittens still need several vet visits and adoptions are not considered final until they complete vaccinations and are spayed/neutered. We are happy to organize these visits through us at no additional charge, but you will be responsible for responding promptly to scheduling emails and for transportation to and from the cafe for each visit.

Adopting a hypoallergenic cat

There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat. Some cats may affect you differently than others, but it’s unlikely that it has to do with the fur color or type of coat. There are things you can do to minimize your reaction, like using cat wipes to reduce dander or not letting the cat on the bed. If you’re concerned about allergies in your home, we suggest that you foster first! This gives everyone a chance to gauge their reaction with a “trial run.”

Adopting a cat with FIV

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is one of the most common cat diseases. Recent studies show that FIV+ cats will live a normal healthy and long life when provided with quality care such as a balanced diet and yearly wellness exams (like any cat). As FIV+ is not transmittable between neutered/spayed cats under normal circumstances, we are happy for FIV+ cats to mingle with FIV- cats in their adoptive homes.

Adopting a cat with FeLV

Cats with feline leukemia can live normal and healthy lives for prolonged periods of time when provided with quality care such as a balanced diet and yearly wellness exam, however, most likely their lifespans will be much shorter than other cats. FeLV+ cats need to be adopted as a single cat or with another FeLV+ companion. We greatly appreciate adopters who are interested in providing an FeLV+ cat a forever home and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Adopting with a guarantor

If you don’t have full-time employment or a steady income stream, we will ask you to provide a financial guarantor. It’s not that we don’t trust you to provide for the cat, we just know how costly unexpected vet bills can be and we want to ensure that everyone has a back-up plan. If you live with your family, we will also ask them to sign on as guarantors.