Adoption contract for kittens

[DallasRechelle]

I have kittens that I will begin adopting out in about 4 weeks time. I am trying to set up an adoption contract and want to know what to include. I know I definitely will state:

1. That the pet must be spayed/neutered by 6 months of age.
2. That in the event the person adopting the cat is unable to keep him/her they will contact us to return the pet.
3. That the pet is not to be declawed for any reason. (I feel *VERY* strongly about this one).

Is there anything else that I should include?

[moosmom]

Are you charging an adoption fee??? I would. It weeds out the undesireables who can't afford the fee, let alone the upkeep of a pet. When I adopted out my rescues, I always included the clause that $25 of the $50 fee would be refunded upon proof of spay/neuter. Everything else sounds good. Might want to put that the cat would be indoors only. I would also get their vet's name and phone number. Ask the vet how they are as pet owners, whether they have ever declawed their pets. People who adopt can tell the rescue organizations ANYTHING they want to hear until they take possession of the cat, then do what they want. When interviewing the prospective adopter, ask them how they feel about declawing (without giving away YOUR feelings on it). It's kind of a "trick" question, but a good one. MOST people don't have the first clue how inhumane declawing is, or what the procedure entails. Might also want to get a few pamphlets on declawing and it's drawbacks (litterbox problems, biting, etc.)

Good luck! I wish I lived closer. I'm still looking for a kitten for my friend Levar.

[DallasRechelle]

Are you charging an adoption fee??? I would. It weeds out the undesireables who can't afford the fee, let alone the upkeep of a pet. When I adopted out my rescues, I always included the clause that $25 of the $50 fee would be refunded upon proof of spay/neuter. Everything else sounds good. Might want to put that the cat would be indoors only. I would also get their vet's name and phone number. Ask the vet how they are as pet owners, whether they have ever declawed their pets. People who adopt can tell the rescue organizations ANYTHING they want to hear until they take possession of the cat, then do what they want. When interviewing the prospective adopter, ask them how they feel about declawing (without giving away YOUR feelings on it). It's kind of a "trick" question, but a good one. MOST people don't have the first clue how inhumane declawing is, or what the procedure entails. Might also want to get a few pamphlets on declawing and it's drawbacks (litterbox problems, biting, etc.)

Good luck! I wish I lived closer. I'm still looking for a kitten for my friend Levar.

Yeah I definitely will want some references. One of them, my black girl Dora (she's the one who took to running first) is going to my step daughter, so there won't be a fee for her, but there will still be a contract (I'm a notary in Texas, so I'll have my husband sign it, and the new owner and I'll notarize it). The other 2 that we're adopting will have a fee probably about $30 to $40, since they'll need a vet check before going and that'll cover most of the costs. My husband said I can keep one of the babies, but I'm not sure who I want yet. I'm torn between the "runt" who is named Squirt and my solid gray boy named Gandulf the Gray (can ya tell we like Lord of the Rings?? ) Last night, Gandulf curled up with me and slept and purred the entire time. He's so precious! They all are!!

Ah well, time to feed the babies .... sheesh! I wish they'd hurry up and start eating solid food!

Ok, Stormy must want to say HI he keeps rubbing against the monitor.

[AbbyMom]

By all means, the adoption fee, like Donna says. When I grew up, kittens were always "free to good home." Now we know that that leads to disposable kittens.

The org that I volunteer for also asks them to agree to these things:

-Indoors only.

-Keep kitten up to date on vaccinations. (I know some people don't agree because the cat will be indoors only, but feline distemper is VERY contagious.)

-Must keep the kitten as a companion (meaning, you can't sell for animal research or pit bull bait)

-No guarantees of health or disposition.

-They can bring the kitten back within 2 weeks for a refund. After that they can return the kitten for any reason. This last clause has saved the lives of many cats when it didn't work out in their new home. The adopters knew they didn't need to kick the kitten outside.

Since kittens can be EXTREMELY annoying and mischievous, this is how they end up being "thrown away." Giving the adopter a humane alternative can help.

I wish you the best of luck in finding purrfect homes for your babies. Give Stormy a head scritchie from me.

Pat