Adopting A Cat From Far Away

I’ve titled this article appropriately to give the cat lovers here a glimpse of the extremes a cat lover in the U.S. will go to in order to adopt a cat that a person has fallen in love with. Many times the distance between the cat and the cat adopter is hundreds, if not thousands of miles.

In the old days before the internet, someone wanting a cat would visit the local shelter and pick out whichever cat they took a liking to. Things are much different now, and the sky is the limit.

By this I mean there’s a whole other world out there in which to search for the perfect cat. This comes in the form of social media, including but not limited to cat adoption sites such as Petfinder. Facebook also heavily advertises cats on death row either through pages set up by individual animal shelters or by individuals and rescues fighting to save them.

I stay on Facebook a lot. If anyone asks me where I live, I simply tell them “on Facebook.” The effort to save death row cats now can have the excitement of Wall Street. Choosing the cat, arranging transport and getting the cat to its new home is fascinating to watch unfold on the pages of Facebook.

For instance, someone checking out the cats available at the different shelters may become discouraged because the cat an individual wants to add to their family is located hours from where that person lives. Distance doesn’t necessarily stand in the way for today’s cat lovers. Let me give a scenario of how the social media system works.

Mary (easy name to remember) sees the most beautiful cat she’s ever seen while surfing internet sites who advertise cats looking for a new home. Unfortunately that cat is 500 miles from where Mary lives. So Mary gets on the social media site (Facebook, for example) and expresses her desire for that particular cat. This is when things get really interesting online. People see Mary’s post and first reassure her there’s no reason she can’t have that special kitty. Soon Mary is put in touch with transporters who take cats from the shelter to a set location.

With cat adoptions where the cat is literally across the country, a cat may be put on board a plane and flown to it’s new owner. If it’s not a great distance, one or more transporters will coordinate and take the cat wherever it needs to go. It’s amazing how time schedules are set when more than one person will be taking the kitty to meet it’s new family. The government should be so well-timed!

Those not familiar with this way of saving cats may be surprised to learn this doesn’t have to involve a lot of money. For example, there’s a transport that leaves out of the shelter we used to rescue from in Greenville, SC. A few months back they had a transporter going straight up the I-95 corridor from South Carolina to New York. The cost was only $45 per cat. The transporter had a van and could carry 15 cats in one trip.

It really depends on where the cat is, where it needs to go, and how much care you want taken with the cat. Some transports will drive non stop from one destination to another. These charge a bit more because there’s more involved. A “layover” where the cat may have to stay with a foster family for a day or two and then continue on to it’s home is also an option. Some trips are just too much for everyone involved, including the cat, without a break in between. In some cases things have to be worked around the schedule of the person getting the cat to its new home. A lot of part-time transporters also hold down regular jobs.

How do the readers here feel about all the options now available for adopting that special cat, wherever it may be? Do you approve, or do you believe people should stick to adopting locally? Have any of you ever adopted from a shelter far from home?

Transporters, please feel free to leave information on the services you offer and any information a cat adopter should keep in mind when choosing a cat that will require a long trip to it’s new home.

Elisa

Associated: Shipping cats in planes.