There really is no such thing as a free cat. Generally, their food is more per pound than dog food and most cats also use cat litter.
The beautiful faces you see below are all kittens that were up for adoption at HSWC. They were all FeLV/FIV tested, dewormed and vaccinated multiple times, spay/neutered, microchipped and if they were old enough, had rabies vaccine as well. The medical care, combined with their daily care for the weeks/months that they stayed with comes to at least $200 if not $300. If they were sick or injured when they arrived, add another $100 on average.
This is a rural area, you can find cats all over the place that will get in your car without costing you anything. After that first crazy car ride, you'll realize you need a cat carrier. $30 cha-ching!
Kitty has fleas and is sneezing. Look around Fleet Farm, wondering what you should give her. Do the smart/safe thing and call a Vet for an appointment. Flea treatment, antibiotics, first vaccination and deworming. $150 cha-ching!
Food, cat litter, litterbox, scoop. $25 cha-ching! First couple days and we're over $200.
The next things you need to think about are booster vaccinations, rabies vaccination, FeLV/FIV testing and spay or neuter. Plus more food and cat litter and a toenail trimmer. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching...$150+
Kittens at HSWC have an adoption fee of only $99 plus tax. Adult cats are only $89 and often we have seniors that are even lower. You will still need to get them supplies, but the rest is taken-care of! What a great value!
Here's where someone says, "But what about those shelters who give away cats for free?"
First of all, that's not usually the case either. A "donation" is expected upon adoption. And often, they have not invested the same amount of time and care into their animals as we have. If you're going to take a chance on a "free cat", then make sure you know what you're getting. Do they have all their vaccines including Rabies if old enough? Are they microchipped? Is the microchip registered to you? Have they been tested for FeLV and FIV?? What's their refund policy (If they call it a donation, will they be refunding it?) Will they take the cat back if you don't want to keep it at any point in the future? Do they have knowledgeable staff that will patiently help you through any issues?
Just because there are too many cats in Wisconsin does not make our cats any less precious. We have promised them we would find them great homes, and that means they will not be subjected to bargain basement pricing and aggressive sales tactics. People will choose them because our adoption fees are already a great value and because we are professionals and good at what we do. We make great matches and happy families.
Did you know? Repeat adopters automatically get a 10% discount on any following adoptions. This is our gift to you for joining our family and coming back! If you've been thinking of adopting a cat or kitten, we have a great selection right now!
Please support our common sense approach to sheltering and rehoming animals. We are not a huge shelter but our hearts are definitely in the right place!!