Where to adopt cat from?

Question

My mother and I are looking to get a cat.

My grandmother highly reccomends going to the humane society because cats get put to sleep far too often.

However, Id rather adopt from a no kill facility.

I completely understand my grandmothers point, but Id rather have my money go towards keeping animals alive, rather than putting them to sleep.


Im interested to see what other people think.

Humane society, or no kill facility?

Answer 1

Not all branches of the humane society kill. Where I am, we have animal foster homes and as long as I've volunteered, we've only put animals to sleep who are too ill for any hope of recovery. If you're going to decide to get a pet based on whether or not the animal might be killed, be sure that you check to see whether or not your HS branch kills animals.

I understand wanting to adopt from a no-kill facility, but in my own opinion, I would opt to save the life of an animal who may die without me intervening.

Hope you decide on what works the best for you, good luck! :)

Answer 2

Both play a vital role in a community!
There isn't a single animal shelter out there with employees that enjoy euthanising animals.. It is not some business that will just stop if you don't support them.. They will still kill animals, they will just kill more animals..
"Humane society" is a rather loosely used term, so, for the sake of clarity, I'll use 'open-admission' instead..
What are the good aspects of a open-admission shelter?
Well, for one, they will take any dog or cat at any time from anyone.. BUT, the person surrendering an animal knows full well that their pet may not survive.. Hopefully, that is something that sticks in their mind next time they consider purchasing a pet on impulse or not spaying/neutering.. Fact of the matter is, people surrendering their pets should not have it made completely guilt-free for them.. Otherwise, they'll just get a new puppy next year and dump it when it grows up again.. The other good thing about them taking anything, is that it allows people that find pets and can't take a stray home to be able to bring it in right away so that hopefully the owner can be found.. Open admission shelters also cut down on the dumping of pets when the no-kill shelter is full.. What's worse then possibly being euthanized? Getting hit by a car and dying in a ditch alongside the road or starving to death.. Both much worse the euthanasia.. A good open-admission shelter works with the local no-kill shelters.. They also enforce local cruelty laws and help people find their lost pets.. Normally, the open admission shelter is also the one that picks up strays..
Now, on to no-kill shelters...
Ideally, a good no-kill shelter does not accept animals from local residents except for an extremely extenuating circumstance or as open space dictates.. A good no-kill shelter rescues adoptable animals from the local open-admission shelter and further preps them for adoption.. It works the best when animals are sent through the open-admission shelter first, with all the appropriate surrender paperwork and screening being done there.. Then, the rescue can save animals appropriate to their program from the open-admission shelter thus saving lives without "enabling" dumping..
I do not really like no-kill shelters that allow people to surrender their pets there guilt free.. Just about anyone I know who has surrendered their pet to one has gone on to just get another one when it's more convenient a few months or so later.. In the meantime, the no-kill shelter has shelled out their limited funds to spay/neuter and otherwise vet the pet and the owner just goes out and gets another that they'll surrender as soon as there's problems..
I guess what I'm trying to say, is if that no-kill shelter exclusively rescues animals from the local open-admission shelter and doesn't enable 'guilt-free' dumping, then adopting from there would be saving a life and is an extension of saving a pet from the open-admission shelter..
I would check both.... No reason to limit your options to one or the other.. You aren't supporting a business, you're saving a life..

Answer 3

You definitely have posed an interesting question. I suggest adopting from a shelter that does kill but also donating to the no-kill shelter. That way you can save a cat's life and also support the no-kill shelter. The cats don't get to choose where they go and shouldn't have to die because of where they end up when you can help save a life. The no-kill shelters do run at much higher costs so they do need more support.

If you can't afford both and vet costs you can always donate a little here and there to the no-kill shelter or, even save a few dollars a week to give them in a larger lump sum later.

Answer 4

Either way you'd be saving a cats life. No kill shelters often go to the kill shelters and take in the most adoptable cats. So if you go to the no kill shelter there's a chance it came from a kill shelter.

Don't blame the shelters that euthanize. Blame the people that don't spay and neuter their pets. Kill shelters are often city shelters that have limited facilities and operate on a very tight budget. While no kill shelters tend to have a pretty good network of foster homes to enable them to take in more animals.

Answer 5

If you go to the humane society you will be saving a life. They keep them for a while before destroying them. And you will be saving a life. Also, they will already be spayed and or neutered. Sometimes you can get ones already declawed. They do kittens early, they go fast.
Other than that the newspaper is full of them, they will end up at the humane society eventually.

Answer 6

Humane Society! The pets at a no-kill facility at least get to live... the pets at the humane society are put to death daily and are on a very very short waiting list... ;-( Adopt one tomorrow!! It may be too late!

Answer 7

Perhaps you could look for a small shelter to support. You might get a good deal, and you'd be helping the shelter be able to care for more homeless animals. I got my three cats at a small, unheard of shelter that provided getting the animal up-to-date on its shots as well as spaying or neutering (if not already done) without extra cost.

Answer 8

What kind of a moron are your? Do you think they pick up animals and kill them for enjoyment? There's an overpopulation of animals, cats especially, and not enough people to adopt. The buck has to stop somewhere..

Answer 9

Humane society, they deserve a second chance♥

Answer 10

i would go humane society first.either way your saving one