Increasing Cat Adoptions

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• Increasing Cat Adoptions
• Wendy Blount, DVM

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Get Heard Unexpected Ways to Gain Attention for
Your Cats

• Beyond PetFinder - Get a Facebook Page
• Facebook.com gets more hits every day than any
  other website on the planet
• Facebook advertising gets more exposure than
  Google
• Facebook is widely used by every age group except
  those gt65 years of age
• Used by male and females of all education levels
  and occupations
• Used at home, work and school
• Its Free!!

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Get Heard Unexpected Ways to Gain Attention for
Your Cats

• Outgoing Voicemail recording
• MEOW!
• This is Mercedes, I'm a 2 year old spayed female
  kitty with personality plus.
• The Animal Control Officer is not in right now,
  so please leave your message and don't forget to
  tell the ACO that you can't live without me.
• Adopt me today - you won't be disappointed!
• Submitted by Jaylin Ramos of Hugoton Animal
  Shelter in KS

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Get Heard Unexpected Ways to Gain Attention for
Your Cats

• Look for Performances of the musical Cats in
  Your Area
• With permission, assemble outside to distribute
  flyers of cats up for adoption.
• get creative and wear cat costumes.
• Bring animals to showcase and take applications
• Submitted by Ally Harris of Halfway Home Rescue
  in CT

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Get Heard Unexpected Ways to Gain Attention for
Your Cats

• Do Not Litter Campaign
• Take a photo of a Do Not Litter sign with a
  basket of kittens under it
• Make up flyers to post with permission at local
  businesses with high traffic
• If you have restaurants with waiting lists, this
  is a great place to take advantage of a captive
  audience
• Promote adoptions and get leads for your low cost
  spay-neuter program
• Submitted by Kathie Tonnessen of Communities
  Altering The Strays (CATS) in NJ

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Think Outside the (Litter) Box!Alternative
Off-Site Adoptions

• Pet Friendly Apartment Complexes
• Approach reputable, pet-friendly apartment
  complexes and offer to hold adoption fairs.
• The apartment manager publishes ads to advertise
  the fair while promoting their pet-friendly
  atmosphere in an effort to attract new tenants.
• The complexes offer a special, reduced-rate
  pet-deposit good for any new tenants and current
  tenants adopting from your shelter
• Submitted by Cheryl Knox of Humane Society of
  Alamance County in NC

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Think Outside the (Litter) Box!Alternative
Off-Site Adoptions

• Showcase cats in local busineses
• Family-owned used book store located in an old,
  refinished house in downtown Lufkin.
• That bookstore has become the official home of
  the Lufkin Chapter of O'Malley Alley Cats.
• The customer traffic helps socialize feral
  kittens as well as providing the visibility they
  need to steal hearts.
• Customers always ask about the kitties if they
  are not promptly greeted when they walk in the
  door.
• Submitted by Brooke Cooley of The O'Malley Alley
  Cat Organization in TX

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Think Outside the (Litter) Box!Alternative
Off-Site Adoptions

• Showcase kittens in pet friendly schools
• Many school rooms have small mammal pets
• Some might be open to a cat cage for fosters to
  visit from time to time
• Reluctant 1st grade readers can read aloud to the
  kittens in the reading corner by the cage
• Foster kittens can be socialized
• Springboard to humane education for the kids
• Nothing is more fun than watching kittens play
• Adoptions to teachers, other employees and
  parents might surprise you
• Submitted by Cynthia Dewy of GRASP in NY

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Think Outside the (Litter) Box!Alternative
Off-Site Adoptions

• Cats Only off site adoptions
• Invite local cat rescues to show their cats.
• Invite all pet associated groups to have tables.
• Dog rescues
• Pet Pantries, food and supplies
• Pet show, performance and therapy groups
• The atmosphere is quiet so the cats are calmer
  and show better.
• Get serious cat people who are ready to adopt a
  cat and are turned off by barking dogs.
• Submitted by Julie Bates of Hendricks County
  Humane Society in IN

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Think Outside the (Litter) Box!Alternative
Off-Site Adoptions

• Local Veterinary Clinics
• Set up a cage behind the reception desk
• Or in the cat area of the waiting room near the
  desk
• Great for adoptions and socializing kittens
• Submitted by Linda Brown of Backyard Friends in ON

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Dress Up Plain Jane Cats for Formal Adoption Days

• Esperanza Ball Black Tie Affair
• What to do with all the black, tuxedo and gray
  tabby cats?
• Room decorated like a formal ballroom
• Punch and treats for those who visit this room
• Oreos and black and white mms
• Music is nice
• Female cats get hot pink soft paws and pink
  frilly collars
• Male cats get bright blue soft paws and turquoise
  bow ties
• Volunteers staff dress in black and white

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Dress Up Plain Jane Cats for Formal Adoption Days

• Esperanza Ball Black Tie Affair
• No flashy cats allowed that might steal the
  show
• Some call it a Black Cat Ball host it in the
  fall
• Special evening hours for the event
• Adopted cats delivered by limousine service with
  a donated pet supply gift basket
• Photograph the delivery and submit to the local
  paper or use in advertisements
• Submitted by Tina Puentes of A Pets F.A.T.E. in
  WA Linda Young of KittyCorner of CNY, Inc. in
  NY

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Baby Shower Day
• Donors bring kitten/puppy/bunny supplies to help
  during critical spring baby season.
• Kitten milk replacer Pet nurse bottles
• Cat beds and kitten toys
• Post a Kitten Gift Registry
• Showcase the adult female cats that have had
  their babies and now need good homes.
• Showcase kittens that are ready to go.
• Decorate like a baby shower for the day.
• Submitted by Debbie Ringer of S.T.A.R.T. in NJ
  Tyler Lewis of Providence Animal Rescue League
  in RI

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Mothers Day Event
• Feature all the little mama's who are the
  "leftovers" of the kitten season.
• They are often only kittens themselves.
• For all qualified adopters, offer a goodie bag
  full of coupons, samples and handouts and of
  course a low-cost spay/neuter certificate for the
  very young kittens.
• Post on Petfinder website and Facebook page
• Submitted by Rebecca Endsley of C.A.T.S. Cats Are
  Totally Special in TN

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• We Have Irish Cats for St. Patricks Day
• Put a shamrock on each cage with the cat's Irish
  name.
• Sally O'Patch for a calico
• Mitch McStripe for a tabby
• Mr. Stubbins for a Manx
• People may stop in to see what an Irish Cat looks
  like
• Green softpaws and collars on the cats
• Submitted by Cindy Seigel of PATCH in NJ

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• 2012 Models Just Arrived for New Year
• Name Cats after Cars
• Herbie the Love Bug
• Fiesta
• Marquis
• Audi
• Lexus
• Submitted by Cindy Seigel of PATCH in NJ

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Cinco de Meow-O! first week in May
• Pre-event ticketed raffle to raise money for the
  adoption center called the Purr Pad
• More than 25 donated prizes.
• TV-DVD player, gift certificates from area
  businesses
• Boutique with donated gifts and fabulous Cinco de
  Meow-O t-shirts
• Food and drink booth.
• Over fifty adult cats for adoption, as well as
  several kittens.
• More than 30 adoptions that day
• Submitted by Elizabeth Ledet of Friends of the
  Jefferson Animal Shelter in LA

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• June is Adopt A Cat Month
• Cats are like potato chips you cant have JUST
  ONE!
• No fees on the second cat if you adopt 2
• Some give the new owner up to 2 months to choose
  the second cat
• Adopter gets a bag of potato chips
• Cats get a goodie bag with toys and catnip
• Submitted by Lorraine Askam of Maui Humane
  Society in HI Nikke Beer of Humane Society of
  Northwestern Pennsylvania in PA

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Karoke Kitties Event
• Public can sing, sponsor a singer, send a
  donation or come just to show their support.
• Winners are recipients of "Ameri-Cat Idol" prizes
  for
• "Purrrrrfect Singer" (best voice)
• "Money Cat" (most sponsors)
• "Alley Cat" (the crowd pleaser).
• Everyone that sang is awarded a little "Cool Cat
  trophy
• Submitted by Diane Show of Sheltara Humane
  Society in MA

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Fundraiser Pool Tournament
• Tables are "named" after select cats who need
  medical care.
• When players' names are called to play, they must
  read the descriptions on the placards to find the
  cat name and locate the appropriate table.
• Kitties gain additional visibility and tournament
  participants learn about the animals who are
  receiving the donated entry fee.
• Submitted by Vivian Cooper of Companion Animal
  Rescue Alliance in MD

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Love an Experienced Cat
• Pair Senior Cats with Senior Citizens
• Some well funded programs have senior foster
  programs where the rescue
• delivers food and litter monthly
• Conducts a welfare check at this time
• handles all vet care
• Cat returned to the rescue if senior can no
  longer care for the cat
• Submitted by Carol Storm of Callie's Home for
  Cats in CA Nancy Engel of Pet Angel Adoption
  Rescue Inc. in MI

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Pair Handicapped pets with people with the same
  handicap
• Deaf, blind local schools for deaf/blind
• Epileptics
• Diabetics
• Amputees
• Typically unadoptable animals might become
  adoptable
• Submitted by Diana Nelson of Cornish and Devon
  Rex Rescue NW, Sphynx Too in OR

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Pet Care Expo
• County Fair type event that benefits the shelter
• Rent tables to those in the pet care and rescue
  industry
• Canine Good Citizen Certification
• Of site adoptions
• Pony Rides for the kids
• Petting zoo (work with your health department on
  this)
• Concessions
• Sell t-shirts listing sponsors

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Pet Care Expo
• Kitty Cake Walk
• Numbered squares are laid out on a path.
• Tickets are sold to participants, and they walk
  around the path in time to music, which plays for
  a duration and then stops.
• Use songs like Cat Scratch Fever, Whats New
  Pussycat?, etc.
• A number is then called out, and the person
  standing on the square with that number wins a
  cake or other kitty gift as a prize.
• Multiple cakes are given out, one for each round.
• Cat theme cakes and cookies are great

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Pet Care Expo
• Kitty Cake Walk
• The stepping stones the participants will be
  walking on are the actual pictures of kitties
  looking for homes.
• Use placemats that are taken to local restaurants
  after the cake walk.
• Have sponsorship levels for the walkers
• 5 pays for a shelter kitties vaccination
• 10 pays for the vaccinations plus parasite
  removal
• 25-45 pays for the spay/neuter
• 50 covers the whole schmeal for a healthy cat
• Submitted by Denise Novak of Save1Pet in MS

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Pet Care Expo
• Kitty Cake Walk

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Pet Care Expo
• Kitty Cake Walk

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Themes Days Have Fun and Boost your Adoptions

• Pet Care Expo
• Kitty Cake Walk

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Attention Grabbing Housing

• Stage Your Cage
• Blue towel and a blue stuffed animal to bring out
  the eye color in a blue eyed cat
• Colorful rugs rather than newspaper in the bottom
  of the cages
• Color coordinate the bedding and litter pan with
  the cat
• Well staged photos of the cat on the cage, rather
  than the usual mug shot in the metal cage
• Submitted by Dee Carroll of Marin Cat Connection
  in CA Submitted by Linda Hickam of Friends of
  Ferals/Greater Huntsville H.S. in AL

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Attention Grabbing Housing
Stage Your Cage
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Attention Grabbing Housing
Stage Your Cage
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Attention Grabbing Housing
Stage Your Cage
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Attention Grabbing Housing
Stage Your Cage
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Attention Grabbing Housing
Stage Your Cage
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Attention Grabbing Housing
Stage Your Cage
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Attention Grabbing Housing
Stage Your Cage
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Attention Grabbing Housing
Stage Your Cage
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Attention Grabbing Housing

• Crash the Cat Show
• Rent a table at the cat show for your mutt cats,
  and actually enter them in the Household Cats
• Decorate the cages like show cats
• Create some catchy competition CAT-egories for
  the cages
• Champion Heart Stealer
• Black Belt Ninja Kitten
• Put all the ribbons they win on the fronts of the
  cages
• Display ribbons at the shelter and off site
  adoptions
• Submitted by Lee Ann Causey of Little Orphan
  Angels in TX

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A Way With Words Creative Writing on the Cage
Cards

• Humorous Talent Lists
• types 50wpm, snow boards and does windows!
• Trained with Jackie Chan
• Speaks 7 languages
• Official food taster
• Gifted AND talented!
• Submitted by Michelle Brandenburg of
  Brenton-Franklin Humane Society in WA

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A Way With Words Creative Writing on the Cage
Cards

• Humorous Talent Lists

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A Way With Words Creative Writing on the Cage
Cards

• Promote Adult Cat Adoption
• Adult cats know their way around a litter box
• Adult cats love couch potatoes
• Adult cats don't climb curtains
• The bigger the better
• Submitted by Andrea Traganza of Noah's Ark Pet
  Adoptions in AZ

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A Way With Words Creative Writing on the Cage
Cards

• Pet Personal Ads
• TwinkleToes - 20 pound cat
• "Full-figured single black white spayed female
  seeks human for brushing, petting, and LONG
  walks."
• Smudge very talkative
• Young single gray white neutered male seeks
  Lovely Lady (or Gentleman) for late night chats
  and long naps in front of the fireplace or on the
  heat vent."
• Kayla prefers quiet
• Recently divorced mother of two seeks quiet
  family who will take care of me during my
  retirement.
• Submitted by Jeannette Srivastava of The Kitty
  Cat CARES in MI

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A Way With Words Creative Writing on the Cage
Cards

• Pet Personal Ads
• Whiskers doesnt like other cats
• 7 year old Libra enjoys long naps in sunny
  locales and prefer chicken over tuna. My ideal
  home is one where I can be adored...meaning I
  prefer to be the only cat. Some describe me as
  sensitive, and this can be said about me on many
  levels. Not only do prefer a quiet household, I
  eat a sensitive stomach diet. If you are looking
  for a long-term committed relationship, please
  speak with my people at the front desk."
• Submitted by Moon Wymore of Pioneer Valley Humane
  Society in MA

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A Way With Words Creative Writing on the Cage
Cards

• Pet of the Week Letter from Pet
• Dear Editor,I turn one year old this month.
  Everyone has been coming in and saying "Happy
  Birthday, Mary!". You're probably saying
  "Congratulations". Except, it's not a happy day
  for me -- you see, I'm a shelter kitten,
  correction, a shelter cat. Very few people look
  at the cats in the shelter they go for that cute
  cuddly kitten. The younger the better, or so they
  think. They don't take the time to look at the
  others like me, who dont attack like a Ninja in
  the middle of the night and dont think its fun
  to climb curtains any more. The volunteers at the
  shelter sing high praise about us cats, but it
  falls on deaf ears.

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A Way With Words Creative Writing on the Cage
Cards

• Pet of the Week Letter from Pet
• Don't get me wrong, we get love from the
  volunteers at the shelter, but they are there
  only so long during the day and they have so much
  to do and so many cats to love. Oh! To have the
  freedom to roam around a real home, looking for a
  sunny place to sleep, or a warm lap to curl up
  in. This is my dream. Please, would you help us
  and print my plea, so when people are looking to
  add an animal to their home, they adopt from a
  shelter, and take time to look at the older
  animals? We make great companions for humans of
  all ages. Thank you for listening to me. Maybe
  after this is printed, my family will find me.
• Mary, A Shelter Cat

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A Way With Words Creative Writing on the Cage
Cards

• Pet of the Week Letter from Pet
• From a cat named Easter
• The kids went back to school so I am here. No had
  time for me. The volunteers brought us all toys
  with dangling skeletons for Halloween but I did
  not get to see any costumes this year. I was
  hoping to go home for Turkey Day but everyone has
  been so busy. I asked Santa for a new home but he
  just couldn't find one. I made a New Year's
  resolution to enjoy my time here. Everyone is
  very kind and I do have my own room. Now it's
  spring and I miss my family. I'm hoping for one
  more Easter Egg hunt....

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A Way With Words Creative Writing on the Cage
Cards

• Off Site Placement
• 4 color tents on restaurant tables
• Christmas trees at local vet clinics and pet
  stores
• Each ornament has pet picture and info
• In photo albums for the rest of the year
• Pet of the Week at store cash registers

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Its All in the Finish

• People often cant remember the name of the pet
  they were interested in
• People may not know how to contact the shelter or
  rescue group from an off-site adoption
• Make up business cards for each pet for people
  to pick up and take with them
• Example Angelo, Quality Control Analyst, Treat
  Department.
• include the animal's picture on the business
  card.
• Submitted by Rebecca Leinenback of Open Door
  Animal Sanctuary in MO

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Its All in the Finish

• Goodies to Go
• Kitty Kupon book with each adoption
• Free grooming
• Volunteer home visit if any challenges
• T-shirt with each adoption
• I adopted a Feline Friend
• T-shirts are cheap advertising that keeps working
  for years
• Submitted by Nancy Job of Affection Connection
  Rescue in MI

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Its All in the Finish

• Even Exchange
• Guilt free exchange for another cat if the
  adopted cat doesnt do well in the household
• Encourage sleepovers to try out cats prior to
  adoption.
• Paws to Consider Program
• Finding the right owner-cat fit is crucial to
  long term adoption success

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