Giving up a beloved pet is not easy. But, sometimes it is necessary due to unforeseen life events such as financial hardships, health concerns, or behavior problems.

Your first instinct may be to surrender her to an animal shelter or rescue group. The shelters in our state do an amazing job, but they get thousands of requests for help each year. They often are full and there are simply not enough resources to care for them all. A good alternative is to try to find a new home for the cat yourself. This solution is much less stressful for the cat and you’ll rest easy knowing your pet is in a good home.

Do You Really Need to Re-Home?

There are many reasons why people consider giving up their pets. The most common reasons pets are surrendered are: moving to a new home, landlord won’t allow pets, financial difficulties, conflicts between pets in the home, and frustrating pet behavior problems. Although some of these problems are challenging, others may be easier to resolve than you think. It’s important to thoroughly consider alternatives to re-homing before making your final decision. There may be solutions that you never considered.

• Reach out to your local shelter and rescues for low-cost veterinary care or free food from their pet pantry.
• Find pet-friendly apartments by calling around or contacting your local animal shelter. Also use websites like ApartmentList.com and check “pet-friendly” in your search criteria.
• Seek advice from organizations like the HSUS on solving some of the most common pet dilemmas.
• If your pet is not spayed or neutered, doing so may solve many common problems.
• Call the Pet Life Line hosted locally by Faithful Friends Animal Society for information on solving pet issues 302.427.8008
• Contact a pet behaviorist to help you work with your pet to address behavior issues, or seek credible advice online such as ASPCA Virtual Pet Behaviorist OR HSUS Cat Answer Tool

The Re-Homing Process

If you decide that you do need to re-home your cat, follow these guidelines to maximize your search efforts and help your cat make a smooth transition into her new home. Keep in mind that finding the right home might take some time, but in the end, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your pet is well cared for.

Return to Office of Animal Welfare home page.