Should I adopt a declawed cat? | The Cat Site

Declawed cat adoption

Cat Adoption / June 9, 2023

Application: MEOW must have an approved Adoption Application filled out and signed. You may complete the application either at the shelter or download it from our website and bring it along to the shelter. You will be interviewed by an Adoption Counselor to help you determine the pet(s) that best fit your household and family situation.

Indoor Only: MEOW is a member of the Puget Sound Cats Indoors Coalition. We have joined with the other animal and environmental organizations of the coalition to encourage families with cats to keep their cats indoors. In King County, the life expectancy of an indoor-only cat in 15 to 20 years. That figure drops to only 2 or 3 years for cats that are allowed to go outside unsupervised. Accordingly, MEOW adopts to indoor-only homes. This means INDOORS ALL OF THE TIME. We admit that MEOW is more stringent in this policy than many other organizations. If NEVER letting your cat outdoors does not suit your household, please let us refer you to other organizations which have a more lenient CONTRACT.

Occasionally, we will have an adult cat who absolutely requires an indoor/outdoor home. In such case, we will make every attempt to ensure that the environment into which this cat is placed is as safe as possible.

Landlord Approval: MEOW will require proof that you are allowed to have pets if you live in rental housing or in a condominium with animal restrictions in the by-laws. To avoid delays in adopting your pet, please bring a copy of your Lease along with your application.

Declawing: There is a wealth of statistical information indicating that cats frequently suffer long term problems after being surgically declawed. These problems include, but are not limited to, aggressive biting and eliminating outside the litter box. MEOW requires that you sign a CONTRACT agreeing that you will NOT have the cat's claws surgically altered in any way, including laser surgery or tendonotomy. If, after serious consideration, you feel you MUST have a declawed cat, please adopt a cat that is already declawed. Thankfully, it is not common for us to have declawed cats relinquished to us, but when we do, our Petfinder ad for the cat will indicate he or she is declawed with a “paw” icon. Read more about declawing at www.declawing.com.

Adopting a Single Kitten: MEOW will not place a single kitten under the age of six months into a home without an appropriate young feline playmate. This is not about placing more kittens and cats. It’s about the future of the individual kittens, their habits and their happiness. Many people have been skeptical about adopting two kittens rather than one only to thank us later for sticking to our policy. The rewards are great. We’ve never had anyone tell us they wished they had only adopted one. Learn More - Single Kitten Syndrome

Source: meowcatrescue.org