Rehome Your Kitty

There is never a shortage of unwanted homeless animals so we want to make every effort to help keep cats in their original homes unless we believe the animal is in danger or there is a history of abuse or neglect. Rehoming is very stressful on kitties because they do not understand why they are being moved away from their family. We know your cat would rather live out its life with you and we want to help keep cats in their homes if at all possible.

Allergies

Are you or a family member suffering from cat allergies then you are not alone, about 10% of the U.S. population has pet allergies. It’s not the cat fur that’s the real issue, it is the proteins in the cat’s saliva, urine, and dander (dried flakes of skin). People with cat allergies have an oversensitive immune system and their bodies mistake harmless things like cat dander for dangerous invaders, so their bodies attack them as they would bacteria or viruses.

Allergy suffers rarely have a response just to one single allergy. Other culprits like dust mites and pollen may also be causing a reaction. Some people have had success managing their allergies with these remedies below and increased cat exposure. We recommend not to ignore the signs of cat allergies and seek your doctor’s advice on the best method to tackle the solution.

Cat allergies can be controlled with standard allergy drugs such as antihistamines, decongestants, eye drops, or aerosol inhalers.
An allergy specialist can provide testing to determine the exact source of the allergic reactions. Immunotherapy may help increase tolerance to cats with the use of allergy shots once or twice weekly for up to six months followed by monthly boosters for three to five years.
For a more holistic approach, try Nettle tea, a bioflavinoid called quercetin or acupuncture. In recent studies, antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E have demonstrated significant anti-allergen effects.
The cat’s diet can be an effective method to reduce allergic reactions. Fish oil or omega-3 fatty acids will reduce the amount of the allergic protein present on a cat’s body and keep the cat’s coat healthy. Omega fatty acids can be found in wet cat foods that contain salmon oil or flax oil. Fish oil like Welactin can be added to the cat’s food.
Purina Pro Plan has designed cat food and cat shampoo to help reduce cat allergies called Liveclear.
Cleaning rigorously and often can help control cat dander. Vacuuming blows as many allergens through the air as it removes, so when you vacuum, please use an allergen-proof vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filter. Removing carpets altogether in your home and using only hard flooring is the most effective method for better management. A central air cleaner and adding filters on the vents can help prevent cat dander from circulating through the house. Make sure to use plastic covers that are designed to prevent allergens from penetrating your mattress and pillows. Anti-allergen sprays like Allersearch ADS are also a convenient way to deactivate pet allergens.
Grooming the cat frequently with a fine-tooth comb will help to remove the dander, although this aerosolizes the proteins, so it’s best done outside or by someone who does not have cat allergies. Check out these grooming tools: FURminator, brush, comb, and rake (removing mats and tangles).
Some cat breeds are known to produce fewer allergens than other cats. They are the Balinese, Siberian, Devon, Cornish Rex, Oriental Shorthair, Russian Blue, Sphynx, and Bengals. It is important to keep in mind that no cat breed is ever completely non-allergenic and each person has a different allergy threshold.

Behavioral

If your cat is exhibiting unwanted behaviors some can be fixed with some minor adjustments once you understand the language your kitty is trying to communicate. The kitty advice page has additional information on handling common cat issues like litter box aversion, scratching, biting, and managing nighttime zoomies as well as some cat behaviorist recommendations that can provide a more personalized approach to help correct the unwanted behavior.

Financial

If you need to rehome your cat because of financial burdens, here are some resources available to help keep your pet at home.

Many vet clinics offer low-cost spay or neuter services, vaccinations, and other medical services. Please see our list of low-cost spay & neuter clinics and voucher programs for feral cats.
Check out Animal Cancer Foundation, American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF), and SpayGeorgia for more financial assistance programs.
Ahimsa House provides assistance to those fleeing domestic violence with their pets.
CareCredit is a healthcare credit card that understands that pets are family so they offer veterinary care financing which can help with routine vet appointments, emergency situations, or surgeries. They have a comprehensive range of plan options as well as a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every budget.
Coco’s Cupboard provides assistance with basic supplies like cat food and medications for flea/tick, and heartworm prevention. They also provide spay/neuter assistance.
Frankies Friends Hope Funds provides financial assistance to family-owned pets in need of lifesaving emergency or specialty veterinary care whose caregivers cannot afford the full cost of treatment. Hope Funds may be available at hospitals that have agreed to offer a discount on their services and collaborate with Frankie’s Friends, including BluePearl Veterinary Partners. This program is designed to help with the treatment of emergency and specialty medical conditions where the pet would otherwise suffer, be euthanized, or relinquished without proper veterinary care.
Kibble 2 Care provides Georgia residents with pet food, supplies, and veterinary care to help keep pets with their families during times of financial hardships.
League for Animal Welfare supports the Red Door Food Pantry at the Episcopal Church of Ascension in Bartow County by providing dog and cat food each week.
Pet Buddies Food Pantry helps families who have fallen on hard times by providing pet food, supplies, spay/neuter services, and education through their mobile outreach program.
Pets for Life (PFL) is an outreach program run through LifeLine Animal Project that provides free pet food, free veterinary care, free pet supplies, free transportation, free behavior assistance, and more.
Pets Are Loving Support (PALS) ongoing care and support to the pets of Atlanta residents living with disabilities due to HIV/AIDS, terminal illnesses, and the elderly.
Paws Between Homes provides temporary foster homes to the pets of Atlanta residents who are being evicted or otherwise losing their housing. They serve low-income households in the following zip codes: 30310, 30311, 30312, 30314, 30315, 30318, and 30331.
Red Door Food Pantry is a food pantry to serve those in need in Downtown Cartersville and Bartow County.

Pregnancy

Cats are not harmful to pregnant women or their babies so there is no reason to get rid of your cat during pregnancy. There are precautions that you can take to stay safe.

The chief concern is catching toxoplasmosis from a cat. Toxoplasmosis is a disease that results from infection with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, one of the world’s most common parasites. Infection usually occurs by eating undercooked contaminated meat, exposure from infected cat feces, or mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy.
The truth is that you are more likely to catch this parasite from eating undercooked meat than from your cat feces. This is especially true if your cat lives indoors since cats get this parasite from eating infected prey. The parasite is transmitted from cats to people through cat feces so as a safety precaution, we recommend pregnant women avoid cleaning the litter box. Ask someone in your household to take on the duty of cleaning the litter box while you are pregnant. If this is not possible, consider wearing gloves or purchasing a self-cleaning litter box.
Here is an article on cats and pregnant women from PetMD.

Final Considerations

Our organization can only take a small number of owner surrenders on a case-by-case basis when we have funding and space available which includes securing a foster home. We are a small foster-based rescue and currently do not operate a physical shelter.
Per the guidelines of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, we must prioritize cats in high-kill shelters.
Cats adopted from our rescue can be returned to us but we ask for some notice to give us time to secure space with a foster home. We are unable to take cats that come from another organization so please contact the original rescue where you adopted your cat.
Our organization does not accept out-of-state animals.
Please be aware that our rescue does not accept unsocialized feral cats. We recommend feral cats be sterilized and returned to their colony as part of TNR.
If your cat is accepted into our rescue, you will be required to sign a relinquishment form. You will give up all rights to your animal and this cat will become the property of our rescue. We will request a monetary donation toward the care of the kitty especially if the cat requires any additional medical care.
We will need a complete detailed medical history of your cat and provide copies of all vet records. Our rescue will want to be made aware of any behavior or medical issues, the reason you are giving up your cat, and a description of the ideal home. We will request current photos and a bio of your cat for our adoption sites.

Rehome Application

We regret we can only accommodate a very small number of owner surrenders on a case-by-case basis as our funding and space permit. To have your cat be considered for a rehome, please submit your request by either completing our application or through our contact page along with photos and a complete medical history of your cat. Please be aware that submitting a request is not a guarantee for acceptance of your cat to our organization.

Additional Resources

There are so many homeless cats and kittens that rescue groups like ours are flooded with requests. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate all of them. If you are still thinking about rehoming your kitty, here are some additional resources to help find a new home.

Rehome by Adopt a Pet is a peer-to-peer pet adoption platform designed for pet owners to help them find good homes for their pets. Make sure to check out their resources page for a wealth of helpful information. If you decide to create a free online profile to rehome your pet, please make sure to select “All About Cats Rescue and Adoption, Roswell GA” as the referring rescue for this service.
Re-Home Me Georgia is a Facebook group with a page devoted to finding new homes for cats and small pets in the state of Georgia. Individuals and small rescue groups are welcome to post individual pets needing rehoming or adoption.
Home to Home Animal Adoption is an online interactive pet placement platform that helps pet owners find new homes (permanent or temporary) for their pets.
Georgia Spot Society has a list of cat rescue organizations located in Georgia.