Often, when one of us meets a homeless animal on the street, the idea immediately comes to mind to take it to a shelter. If you think that an animal will feel better in such an establishment than on the street, think again. Most of these shelters are concentration camps for pets. Let's figure out together how to choose a good shelter for cats or how to take an animal home.
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What is worth knowing about the shelter?
Millions of unwanted, street-born or abandoned cats pass through volunteer groups every day. Some of the pets are lucky - there are people who want to get a pet, but this is rare. Most cats die living in terrible conditions. There are many reasons for this - illness, euthanasia, old age... Therefore, giving your pet to a shelter is not the best best idea, especially for domestic cats, and not an aggressive semi-wild animal that lacks trust in people.
But it is difficult to say anything for sure on this issue, since today there are more and more reputable private organizations that really take care of lonely pets.
Shelter - rescue of homeless animals
Cat shelters are designed to protect the animal and provide care. Of course, neither food nor attention in such an institution will replace the comfort of home, but still the activities of the institution are aimed at performing 4 main functions:
- Caring for the animal and prompt assistance, which includes veterinary care and the relief of suffering through euthanasia.
- Long-term care for an animal that has not immediately found an owner.
- Efforts aimed at reuniting a lost pet with its former owner.
- Searching for a new habitat or a new owner for an animal thrown out into the street.
It is not worth judging the treatment of stray cats based on a particular shelter, since depending on the type of shelter it can differ dramatically. They are all divided into several groups. The main types of such organizations that are most widespread:
- state-owned are establishments for keeping cats that are financed from the state treasury. Often this money is too little, while there are twice the optimal number of cats. These factors influence the quality of life of cats in such facilities;
- frequent - these places for keeping animals are established by private individuals. The vast majority of such shelters are funded by sponsors. The care and maintenance of cats in such establishments is usually several orders of magnitude higher than in state-type establishments;
- hotels - such establishments are businesses. Keeping cats in such organizations is temporary and has paid basis. The care and maintenance of homeless pets in such temporary shelters is guaranteed to be at a high level;
- volunteer - premises for keeping cats, organized by volunteer forces. Establishments of this type does not have any specific format, and can be organized either in the private home of one of the volunteers or in rented premises. The care and maintenance of life for cats in shelters of this type depends on the group of volunteers themselves, but it is always at least an order of magnitude higher than state support.
World practice
In individual countries, the problem of stray cats receives varying degrees of attention and support from the state and the public. For example, in Japan, cat shelters have been operating for more than three centuries. In this state, most cat shelters are private organizations. They are financed by citizens who care about the problem.
Regarding shelters with sick stray cats, here volunteers try to find not a new owner, but a “sponsor” or “guardian”. The point is that a person who does not have the opportunity to have pet, formalizes all financial obligations - the purchase of medicines, food, if necessary, clothing. Please note that in Japan, property rights to an apartment do not always include the right to keep pets.
In Europe and the United States of America most of shelters are private in nature. Cats are kept neat and well-fed, and are housed whenever possible. But it is necessary to say about the negative point - shelters for homeless cats in the USA take on obligations to keep pets for a limited time (2 months-1 year). If the organization fails to find a good owner for the kitten within the approved period, the animal is simply euthanized, regardless of age or health condition. In the USA, it is a common practice for a citizen to shelter a pet; even lost cats are found in almost all cases, because they are microchipped.
In Holland there is one very interesting shelter for cats, called the “Cat Barge”. The establishment is located in the very center of Amsterdam. It is unique in that a barge is equipped as a cat shelter. This is the only shelter in the world for cats where they live in literally words on water. The barge has been adapted into a modern professional cat care center.
How are things going with us?
On the territory of Russia, a private cat shelter can turn out to be either a fairly decent or run-down institution. The last option, unfortunately, is much more common. In them, the maintenance of cats is at a very low level - cramped cages, dense packing of animals, cold in winter, feeding with garbage. Officials simply don’t care what happens in such organizations, so they don’t go through any checks.
Based on the cases interviewed, volunteers often remove cats from such institutions. Often they even steal. The cats will not be given away just like that, because the subsidy is calculated based on the number of pets, but the allocated funds, of course, do not go to the maintenance of the inhabitants of such an institution.
Today's realities suggest that there are many more people who want to give a cat to a state and volunteer shelter than to take a cat from a shelter to their home. Of course, there are also quite presentable shelters, the organizers of which were able to find good sponsors. It's clean, the food is relatively good, and the staff is quite attentive to the pets.
Volunteer rescue groups
Separately, we need to talk about groups of volunteers who do a lot for thousands of homeless cats. For example, in the United States, thousands of such groups work for the benefit of animals, without even having a specific building for a shelter. And it must be said that many of these organizations are well-equipped places where animals are looked after and actively searched for owners.
Volunteers in Russia also rescue and tame already feral cats, and care for very small kittens abandoned by their mother or left alone due to her death. Such charitable groups find sponsors for homeless cats and kittens and collect money for their castration. It happens that volunteers give money to cat owners who are unable to pay for such an operation.
Anyone can help groups of volunteers, even directly becoming a member of such an association. Helping cats is also relevant for ordinary shelters, which often employ the same volunteers. The easiest way to get involved is to visit a shelter.
You can be useful to such an organization in everything: bring the necessary medicines, food, a bed to sleep in, donate toys and much more. You can learn more specifically about what cats need in a particular institution from its administration or from experienced volunteers.
Shelter cat: rules for adopting an animal into your home
Did you know the fact that in Finland people don’t just adopt a cat from a shelter - they officially adopt a pet. And, such a person as the guardian of an EU citizen (cats have passports there) is obliged to show weekly pet a special social commission, which is obliged to closely monitor how the newly-made family member adapts. In Russia, of course, everything is simpler.
If you have a desire to adopt a kitten or cat from a shelter, take this step responsibly. Such animals are often frightened, unsociable, and sometimes even aggressive. Know that it will take time for the kitten to get used to and trust caring people again.
We recommend adopting a cat from a reputable shelter where pets are treated appropriately. Otherwise, you may be faced with a long and expensive need to treat the animal. Keep in mind that cats from a shelter already have a clearly formed character and certain habits.
Directly about the transfer of a pet from the shelter you need to know the following:
- cats are given to the new or old owner after both parties sign the transfer and acceptance certificate, as well as after registering the animal in the Unified City Database;
- if the owner wants to return to his home a cat that was caught on the street, previously belonged to him, but was lost, then, according to established procedures, he is obliged to cover the shelter costs for delivery to the shelter, as well as for the entire period of detention;
- At the time of discharge, the kitten is vaccinated against rabies at the expense of the future owner, if it has not been done within a year.
If the shelter from which you decide to adopt a cat or kitten is really good, you are required to provide information regarding the pet’s background, its health, breed and character. Employees of institutions high level will advise future owners before choosing a cat, and will also give recommendations in case of behavioral problems in a new home. Some organizations even offer to provide their former pets veterinary services with a big discount.
What does it take to give a cat to a shelter?
If you decide to give your cat to a shelter, for whatever reason, look for a good institution. Such establishments accept lost animals for free, but if you come to hand over your pet, you will have to pay a small amount. When transferring a cat to such an organization, you will be required to sign Required documents to abandon the animal. If this is a city shelter, then an application to surrender an animal must be submitted by calling a special service that deals with the number of animals. You can also think about groups of volunteers whose phone numbers are in free access you will find on the Internet.
Video “Keeping cats in shelters”
Are you interested in seeing how animals live in such establishments? The video provides an overview of one of the American establishments for pets.
For many people whose family has a cat, dog or guinea pig, the animal becomes a real member of the family, and everyone, without exception, from adults to children, adore it and cannot imagine their life without a pet.
It is clear that no one will give away a beloved and already completely dear creature anywhere (for many it would never even occur to them), but there are times when, due to urgent need, the animal has to be left with someone for a short time or somewhere. For example, the owners decided to go on vacation to Turkey or Egypt, take their dog or cat with them in this case impractical: firstly, it’s a big hassle with various vaccinations, paperwork and other formalities, and secondly, a pet doesn’t need extra stressful situations, it is unknown how he will survive the flight and the new climate.
As a rule, when finding themselves in such a situation, people leave their pet with friends or relatives, and the latter, out of resentment towards the owner, takes advantage of the opportunity to run away from people who are strangers to him.
Owners returning from vacation make incredible efforts to find the missing animal, but in most cases the search ends in vain.
To avoid such unpleasant situations, to relieve pets and their owners from unnecessary stress, and, in addition, to receive a good income (the service will be really in demand, because people often have no one to leave their pet with), the idea arose to create a temporary “shelter” for animals , where they will be professionally cared for during the absence of their owners.
Now let’s talk in more detail about what a temporary “shelter” or, simply put, a hotel for animals will be like. There is nothing too complicated in organizing such a business, something that professional veterinarians and dog handlers could not handle. So, in order for the animal hotel to operate as usual, you need to allocate a special room for it, equipped with spacious enclosures. If the temporary “shelter” will house different types animals: cats, dogs, hamsters, rats, fish and other pets, then you need to make sure that each type of animal has its own spacious room with enclosures, you understand, not every dog will calmly tolerate the presence of a cat nearby, and even cats They are quite violent, creating a real madhouse at the sight of dogs.
When animal enclosures are equipped, you need to ensure the availability of professional staff. An impromptu animal hotel, of course, should employ a veterinarian, as well as people who know, love and know how to treat animals.
In a temporary “shelter” there will be medical examination animals (if necessary, the veterinarian will preventive vaccinations), and they will also be carefully looked after: this is not only feeding and walking, but also haircut, cleaning, and possibly trimming their nails.
Agreements will be concluded with the pet owners and the owner of the animal hotel for the temporary residence of the animal in the so-called “shelter”, where the terms and conditions for keeping the pet will be agreed upon.
The owner of the animal himself will be able to determine what types of services his pet needs; it is likely that one owner will want his dog to be fed cut of meat, combed every day and given a super modern haircut, while another will limit himself to regular walking and traditional feeding, without any frills. Prices for caring for each type of animal should be strictly regulated, the approach and prices differentiated, but the degree of respect and care for the animal should be the same as possible.
Later, when your establishment has sufficient quantity clients, with a temporary “shelter” for animals, it will be possible to organize short paid courses for pet owners, which will provide training in the proper care of animals. Believe me, not all pet owners know how to care for and what to feed their little pets, while improper nutrition can lead to serious illnesses and not proper care especially for dogs and cats with abundant hair - problems with the skin.
If you organize the business correctly, it will bring good income, because every owner dotes on his little four-legged friend...
“We are responsible for those we have tamed...” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, through the mouth of the Fox, reminded man of his responsibility for our little brothers. The author of these lines was right. When you take a puppy or kitten into your home, you need to provide it with everything necessary, create comfort and convenience for your pet, and properly care for it. But full care for pets is possible only with the constant presence of the owner. I think the author would not be offended if his words were generalized a little: “... we are responsible for everyone who lives next to us...”.
In the absence of the owner, pets, in addition to the street, can only rely on hotels and shelters. Similar types institutions have a significant and fundamental difference. Hotels are commercial structures, the maintenance of animals is paid by the owner at certain rates. In addition to temporary foster care, various Additional services. The purpose of shelters, both municipal and private, is to provide homeless animals with minimal conditions for existence. In shelters, animals are kept indefinitely: at best until their new owners arrive, at worst until the end of their lives...
Hotels for animals
A caring owner, if necessary, has the opportunity to temporarily place his pet in a pet hotel. There are similar establishments in Moscow great amount. It is interesting to find out what signs of attention are paid to the “tailed” guests and what is the price for this attention. And the most important thing is how different outside care will be from the usual home care. And how do homeless mongrels and abandoned mongrels feel? purebred dogs in municipal and private shelters.
Animal shelters In Moscow, both municipal and private shelters operate in parallel. And if the first have, albeit meager, but constant funding from the city authorities, then the private ones exist only through charitable contributions, free work of volunteers, personal funds and other material assistance from kind-hearted citizens. To maintain a small shelter you need about 30,000 rubles per day. And this is only the most necessary - food, medicine, electricity and care for enclosures. The number of incoming animals is constantly growing. The purpose of the shelters is to protect homeless people from starvation, cruel treatment, and also to find new owners for them. Unfortunately, we have to state an unfortunate fact. On the forums of the websites of some shelters there are comments about the poor maintenance and condition of pets, their half-starved existence.
Did you know that in Finland you don’t just adopt a cat or dog from a shelter - you officially adopt the animal. And, as a guardian of an EU citizen (yes, cats and dogs have passports!), he is obliged to show the pet to a special social commission once a week, which will closely monitor how the new family member adapts.
In our country there are animal shelters, the volunteer movement to help the “nobles” is gaining momentum, but, of course, it is far from reaching the European level. However, the “Pick a Friend” project pushes the usual boundaries for us about a shelter for homeless animals.
Project curators and creators of the Kotodom centerLyudmila Tsivileva and Natalya Krikunovain an interviewVegetarian talked about the uniqueness of the new center for cats and cats in trouble, shared their thoughts on the culture of keeping pets and gave useful tips to all those who want to find a friend.
The very first and most banal question: how did the idea of creating this project come about? And what makes it unique is that we still have shelters for homeless animals in our country.
The “Choose a Friend” charity project has existed for quite a long time – 3 years. At first, we helped municipal shelters for homeless animals; we know firsthand what the conditions are there and what happens there. That is why we came to understand the need to do something radically different from what already exists. We are for “reasonable good” - you need to help wisely. It is necessary that the animals are kept clean, well fed, and that veterinary care is always available. While we have decided to focus our efforts on cats and cats, first we need to understand whether the scheme will work within the framework of Russian reality.
Our project is unique in its essence. We do not position ourselves as a shelter, we are a temporary home for cats. Our plans are to carry out educational work and organizing small seminars and lectures. We welcome guests: everyone who wants to help and communicate with our charges can come and visit.
Did you rely on existing similar programs and projects?
The “Cathouse” project was not born out of nowhere. We went to London and visited perhaps the most famous shelter in the world for homeless animals - the “House of Dogs and Cats” in the London area of Battersea (Battersea Dogs and Cats Home). The experience and knowledge of our colleagues was very useful to us in creating our center
So what is a “Kotodom”? A hotel for those owners who can pay for a pet? Or any cat caught in difficult situation, maybe find shelter here?
“Kotodom” is a center where cats live who are looking for a home, as well as those cats who need adaptation and socialization. On the territory, temporarily living furry tenants forget pain and suffering, they receive warmth from a person. Over time, cats become sociable and curious. Cats are allowed to do everything, they have no prohibitions or restrictions. Residents receive everything they need, are loved and cared for. But each of them dreams of finding a real home and family!
“Kotodom” is the result of the friendship of our “Pick a Friend” project with the Vet Point veterinary center. Finally, we have completed a joint project at the clinic, for which we are very grateful to our colleagues. Our “Kotodom” is as comfortable as possible and feels close to a real home. The wards receive a weekly examination by a doctor. Animals are supervised by professionals 24 hours a day. Cats receive care and nutrition with premium food. We take professional photographs of each resident and take a very careful approach to searching and selecting families and homes. On our website http://adoptapet.ru there is an opportunity to observe the life of pets online.
“Kotodom” is a place open to the public. We invite everyone to come and visit us. Wednesday-Sunday – days open doors. Monday and Tuesday are sanitary days. Visiting times are discussed individually. Admission is free, by appointment. With great pleasure, we will tell you about our work and introduce you to our students. You can chat and play with the furry residents, take a break from the bustle of the metropolis and, perhaps, become a real friend for one of our cats, giving him your warmth and care!
Don't you think the situation is somewhat hypocritical: a cat/dog (or even cats/dogs) are fed in the entrance or in the yard, but they are not taken into the house? There are a lot of such cases, unfortunately, the animal becomes a “bone of discord.” And the consequences are sometimes tragic.
Absolutely, the street is no place for animals. But, we repeat, you need to help wisely. If you can’t take the animal home and feed it at the entrance, keep it clean and tidy, sterilize the animals, there is no need to aggravate the problem.
Why, in your opinion, is there still a prejudiced attitude towards “mongrels” in our country? Many people take dogs/cats from nurseries, with a pedigree, etc.
It just seems to us that the trend of adopting mongrels from shelters is gaining momentum. More and more often we meet on our walks purebred dogs, but ordinary mongrels. Our statistics show that more and more animals are going home from shelters. Well, let’s add on our own: any animal can find a family!
Tell us more about the “Young Master’s School”? Why is such a program needed and why is the culture of keeping pets not developed in our country?
We decided to develop this direction not by chance. They often write to us and ask questions about certain issues related to keeping pets. This happens for the first time for every person, and many are faced with questions. How to choose food for your ward? How to provide proper care comfortable life and become the best owner for your pet? We decided to gradually collect an encyclopedia practical advice, where everyone can find the answer they need. We invite professional animal psychologists, dog handlers and veterinarians. This project should help everyone who is thinking about taking an animal home for the first time. The project is designed to help a person answer numerous questions and do right choice ward.
We teach lessons about kindness and caring. Our lectures and seminars help expand the environmental and legal knowledge of children and their parents, and instill responsibility for their pets. We encourage families to participate in environmental activities, in animal protection activities, and develop initiative, independence and creativity. Everyone who has completed the “School of the Future Owner” still has skills in caring for animals, basic knowledge of socialization and adaptation to home life, and most importantly, barriers and fears of wanting to adopt a dog or cat from a shelter or volunteer organization disappear.
Tell us about the process of selecting a friend from the shelter?
The main advice to anyone who wants to adopt an animal is not to give in to the first impulse. Assess your strengths. Don't forget about the animals that may already live in your home. It is important to take into account that not all pets get along equally well with each other. Find out as much as you can about the pet you like. Try to think through everything to the smallest detail. Collect minimum required information about what awaits you with the appearance of a cat or dog.
Be sure to make sure that neither you nor anyone in your family is allergic to animals. When choosing an animal, you must take into account your temperament, lifestyle and hobbies. Decide which animal your living conditions are more suitable for. Assess your financial capabilities, this also plays a big role. If you have children or are planning a child, take this into account when choosing a pet.
By deciding to adopt a dog or cat from us, you will be able to make not only them happy, but also yourself. Love your pet - small or large - be calm and consistent, and you will succeed!
What to do if you find an animal on the street that needs help? Should I take it straight to the vet or home?
The first thing to do is evaluate external condition, behavior, motor activity, breathing. If the animal's condition is of concern, it is advisable to take it to a veterinary center.
If you get the impression that the animal is lost, ask the doctor to pay attention to the mark, it is located on inside ears or groin. See if there is an “addresser” (this is a small metal capsule on the collar or a plate on which the owner’s phone number can be engraved). The capsule needs to be untwisted; it contains a piece of paper with the dog owner’s contact information. Check the phone number on the inside of the collar.
If you are sure that the animal is homeless, and you do not have the opportunity to shelter it for a short time, you can give the cat or dog for temporary foster care. This could be a hotel or a quarantine zone veterinary center. During your stay in veterinary clinic it is necessary to take blood tests, check the animal for infections, and if the animal is clinically healthy, vaccinate it and sterilize it.
The most valuable thing you can do for a found animal is to take responsibility for it while you search for a home and family. You don't have to be an animal expert to do this. You just need to be willing to lend a helping hand. Write a detailed text about the animal you found, take photographs, provide a contact phone number and send this information to us. We will post an ad on our sites in in social networks and card index on the website.
And finally: who best friend person? Dog or cat?
This is a rhetorical question for many. In general, according to statistics, there are almost 30 million more cat lovers in the world than dog lovers - 204 million versus 173 million. For us there is no difference. We love both cats and dogs. The debate between cat people and dog people can go on forever. But it seems to us that Konrad Lorenz summed it up many years ago: “Those who love dogs often cannot stand cats, and those who love cats cannot stand dogs. For both of them, this, in my opinion, indicates a certain pettiness of character - I believe that only the person who truly loves and understands animals is inspired by these two animals closest to us with equal sympathy. He who loves nature with a true love is most delighted and awed by the endless variety of living beings and the countless ways in which nature creates perfect harmonies.”
Liliya Ostapenko
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