While the process to adopt a pet is similar at most shelters and rescues, every place has their own regulations. We’re here to walk you through the process of adopting at the Humane Society of Macomb. This post is about how you can adopt a cat with us.
Step 1: Meet and Greet
When you, the potential adopter, walk into the Humane Society, our adoption assistant will direct you to cat adoption area, where you are welcome to walk around freely.
In the adoption area, there will be information about each cat on his or her card kennel. Some of the information includes behaviors, other animals they get along with, and if they are kid-friendly.
Step 2: Pre-Adoption Forms
After deciding which cat or cats you would like to potentially adopt, you have to fill out the pre-adoption form.
On the pre-adoption form, you will have to fill out your contact information such as address, preferences for pets, home and family information, personal references, and if applicable, previous veterinary and pet information. When the pre-adoption form is filled out, you are welcome to meet with as many cats as you would like.
The pre-adoption form is kept on file for one year, pending any changes in address, pet policy, etc. This means that you will not have to fill out a form if you decide to come back and adopt another day.
If the meet and greet with one of the cats goes well, we may put you in one of our cat playrooms or interview rooms for some one-on-one time with your potential pet.
If that goes well, there is the possibility to take the cat home that day.
There are some circumstances where we do not allow same-day adoptions. These include special cases where we need to conduct home visits, multiple meet and greets, lease-agreements and pet-deposits for apartment complexes, or waiting for veterinary records.
Step 3: Paperwork
If you find a pet you like and are able to take it home the same day, it is then time to fill out the paperwork. We make copies of the cat’s veterinary records and microchip your pet with the contact information you provided us earlier.
Adopters are also required to sign a receipt and a specific adoption policy depending on the cat they’re taking home. These adoption policies mention needs specific to certain breeds.
Step 4: Take Home
Finally, we snap an adoption picture and sent you home with a “goodie bag.” In this goodie bag, there are some toys, a sample-size bag of the food they are fed at the shelter, and a folder containing the animal’s records and flyers with common questions and concerns.
We hope this has helped you understand and become more comfortable with our adoption process for cats. You can also check out our post on the adoption process for dogs. Be on the lookout for our blog on our follow up procedure.