The Cat Handbook. Karen Leigh Davis

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      Your will and your cat: To further ensure that your pet will be cared for if something unexpected happens to you, include your cat in your will. More and more people are recognizing the importance of doing so. In fact, legal experts recommend that you will your cat outright to a friend or relative who has agreed in advance to comply with your wishes regarding its care. In your will, appoint that person as your cat’s guardian. You also may wish to bequeath a modest sum of money to that person to cover the cost of your cat’s care during its remaining years. For more information about wills and the laws in your state, consult a lawyer.

Where to Find the Right Cat

      Once you’ve decided that you want a cat, and what type of cat you want, the next step is finding a suitable candidate. If papers and pedigrees are not important to you, you should not have to search far for a feline companion, as there is no shortage of random-bred cats in need of good homes. To begin, check your local animal shelters, humane society chapters, animal rescue organizations, or cat clubs. Larger organizations are usually listed in the telephone book or advertise in local newspapers. Most veterinarians’ offices have information about such organizations, and many even post a list on their bulletin boards of pets needing homes. Other avenues to pursue include the classified section of your local newspaper, pet stores, or friends and neighbors with unplanned litters.

       Adopting from a Shelter

      An animal shelter is an excellent place to begin your search for a cat in need of a good home. While you’re more likely to find random-bred cats there, even purebreds sometimes end up being surrendered to shelters for adoption.

      Not all shelters are alike, however. Some are private or volunteer organizations, while others are funded by tax dollars and operated by city or county governments. Generally speaking, an animal control facility is a public institution that must accept any animal brought in. Some animal control facilities, especially those in poorer areas, operate on low budgets and have limited space, and as a result, may be forced to euthanize more animals than they are able to keep and place in homes. Private shelters and volunteer rescue organizations, on the other hand, are more likely to have a no-kill policy. Such organizations are able to exercise this policy by refusing to accept more animals once they reach capacity, or by using a network of foster homes where cats are cared for until they can be permanently placed.

      Adoption practices vary widely, but most shelters will require that you fill out a questionnaire and sign a form agreeing to have the cat spayed or neutered, unless this already has been done. Often, by asking a few questions, the shelter workers can help you select a cat that has a temperament best suited to your own personality and lifestyle. Some shelters may even want to visit your home, to ensure that the cat will be housed and cared for properly. Do not be offended by organizations that attempt to investigate your suitability as a pet owner; they are acting in the best interests of the animals they have sworn to protect.

      Most shelters also request a donation or charge an adoption fee–usually no more than $50 or $60–to pay for the food and veterinary care the cat received there. If the organization had the animal spayed or neutered, the fee helps cover that cost as well. Another reason shelters charge a fee is that people naturally tend to place greater value on and take better care of a pet that they pay for, as opposed to one that is free.

      High-end shelters, or those with bigger budgets to spend, sometimes screen their animals in advance for various parasites and diseases, and administer at least an initial series of vaccinations. Some even spay or neuter animals prior to adoption. Other organizations offer vouchers that can be redeemed at most veterinarians’ offices for a free or discounted medical exam and spaying or neutering. Some shelters also operate information hot lines that you can call if you have general questions about cat care and behavior.

      Before adopting from a shelter, find out as much as you can about the history and care that has been provided to the cat. For example:

      • Under what circumstances did the animal arrive at the shelter?

      • Has a veterinarian examined the cat?

      • Has the cat received any vaccinations?

      • Has he been checked or treated for internal parasites?

• Has he been tested and found to be negative for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)?

      Knowing these details is especially important if you have other cats at home. Usually, this information is spelled out in the contract or adoption agreement that you sign, but if not, always ask. In addition, make sure you understand the shelter’s return policy, in case the animal you adopt turns out to be sick or simply doesn’t work out in your home.

       Taking in a Stray

      Sometimes, it is the cat that finds and adopts a new owner, instead of the other way around. We’ve all heard variations of the typical scenario: A scraggly stray shows up on your doorstep, hungry, perhaps even hurt or sickly. The pathetic plight of such a homeless creature pulls at your heartstrings, so you set food out for him, which is, of course, an invitation to the cat to stay.

      Countless cats are cruelly abandoned each year when their owners move, die, or simply grow tired of them and give them the boot. While it’s hard to imagine how people can be so irresponsible and cold-hearted as to leave a cat on the side of the road or to move away and abandon the animal to fend for himself, the sad reality is that this happens all too often. Most homeless strays suffer a meager existence and eventually die from disease or starvation, or they end up being hit by cars or killed by other animals. Only a lucky few happen upon the yards and homes of kind-hearted folks who eventually take them in.

      Before taking in a stray, however, make sure he is genuinely homeless, and not just a neighborhood pet looking for an extra handout. Ask around or advertise in the Lost and Found section of your newspaper. If the cat is lost, the original owner may come forward and claim him. If the cat is tame enough to let you safely handle him without him scratching and biting, check for any form of pet identification–collar, ear tag, or tattoo (usually on a rear inner thigh). Some owners have tiny microchips implanted between the pet’s shoulder blades. These can be detected by a special scanner, which your area’s animal shelter may have.

If you do happen to find a homeless stray, there are some special precautions you should take.

      • Warning: Assume that the cat has had no vaccinations, including rabies, and approach the animal cautiously, for your safety.

      • Wear thick gloves if you handle or pick up the animal the first time. Many abandoned cats revert to the wild after only a short period without human contact, and they will fight fiercely if captured.

      • If you have other cats, do not expose them to the stray until he has been checked by a veterinarian and quarantined from your animals for at least a week, preferably two, to make sure the stray isn’t incubating a contagious disease. Before bringing the stray into your home, capture him if you can do so safely and take him to a veterinarian immediately for a thorough examination.

      • If you intend to keep the animal, request that he be checked for parasites and tested for FeLV and FIV. If the latter tests come back positive, you will be faced with a difficult decision, as you will not want to take an infected animal home and expose your other healthy cats to him. If you have no other cats at home, you will want to weigh the costs of providing ongoing medical care for a sick animal before you definitely decide to keep it. FeLV-and FIV-infected cats can live a long time with their chronic conditions. Your veterinarian can tell you what to expect.

      • If the animal checks