Even people who aren’t animal lovers feel a pang when they see a thin, dirty, battered stray cat on the street. Many of those cats once had homes. Sometimes, though, life changes, and an owner genuinely can’t keep their cat. If that’s your situation, this article explains how to rehome a cat responsibly, so it ends up in a safe, loving new home.
People give up their cats for many reasons:
- Someone in the family is allergic to cats.
- The cute kitten has grown up and lost its kittenish charm.
- The cat has developed unwanted habits, such as chewing plants, knocking things off shelves or scratching furniture.
- You’re moving and can’t take your cat to your new home.
- The cat is sick, and you can’t afford or manage its care.
- Changes in your own health, work or family situation.
Many of these problems can be solved, as we’ll explain below. But if you really do need to rehome your cat, look carefully at the options and choose the one that’s best for your cat.
Options for Rehoming a Cat
Temporary Care (Boarding or Fostering)
If the problem is temporary, such as a hospital stay, a short-term housing problem or a period of travel, your cat doesn’t necessarily need a new home. A cattery, a trusted pet sitter, a friend or a temporary foster arrangement can look after it until you’re back on your feet. Some shelters and charities run short-term foster programs for owners in crisis, for example people fleeing domestic abuse or facing a hospital stay.
Agree clearly on how long the arrangement will last and what it includes, and provide everything your cat needs: food, litter, any medication and its vet records. Leave money or contact details for unexpected vet bills, and make sure your cat’s microchip details are up to date.
Pros:
- your cat stays in a home environment and can return to you;
- you can stay in touch and check on how it’s doing.
Cons:
- paid boarding and pet sitting can be expensive;
- there may be other pets in the home, so check this in advance;
- it’s hard to check that your cat is really getting the care you were promised, so choose carefully and ask for references.
Family and Friends
If you need to rehome your cat, start by asking friends, relatives and coworkers. Someone may have been dreaming of a furry companion for a long time.
Pros:
- you may be able to visit your cat sometimes;
- you can keep up with how your cat is doing;
- you can arrange an introduction in advance and see whether your cat and the new owner get along;
- someone who knows you is more likely to take good care of the cat.
Cons:
- after a while, the person may decide they can’t keep your cat after all and ask you to take it back;
- you’ll need to be completely honest about your cat’s habits and any problems.
This is often the best option. If you’re lucky enough to find a new owner among people you know, try not to criticize them. Even if you don’t like their choice of cat food or litter, your cat now belongs to someone else, and they have the right to make decisions about its diet, care and health, as long as the cat is well looked after.
Shelters and Rescue Organizations
In the US and UK, rescue organizations and shelters are a safe and responsible way to rehome a cat. Reputable organizations health-check, vaccinate, microchip, spay or neuter and assess cats, and carefully screen potential adopters. Many will also take back cats they’ve rehomed.
Well-known options include your local humane society or SPCA and the ASPCA in the US, and Cats Protection, the RSPCA, Blue Cross and Battersea in the UK. Breed-specific rescues exist for most pedigree breeds. If you bought your cat from a breeder, contact them first: many responsible breeders’ contracts require them to take back cats they’ve bred.
Keep in mind that many shelters and rescues are often full, especially during “kitten season” in spring and summer. You may need to join a waiting list, and some organizations offer “managed intake” appointments. Contact them as early as possible.
Pros:
- your cat is safe, fed and cared for, and gets veterinary care;
- experienced staff and volunteers match cats with suitable adopters;
- many rescues place cats in foster homes rather than kennels while they wait.
Cons:
- a shelter is stressful for many cats, especially shy or older ones;
- there may be a waiting list, and some shelters charge a surrender fee;
- you usually can’t choose the new owner or stay in touch afterward;
- in some overcrowded shelters, especially in parts of the US, cats that aren’t adopted may be euthanized. Ask about the shelter’s policies and, if possible, choose a “no-kill” or limited-admission rescue.
Online Rehoming Services
In the US, services such as Rehome (by Adopt-a-Pet) and Petfinder let owners rehome their pets directly, with guidance and adopter screening. In the UK, many rescue charities offer similar “home to home” services, where your cat stays with you until a new owner is found. These are much safer than general classified ads or social media posts.
Pros:
- your cat stays at home with you until a new family is found, which avoids shelter stress;
- you can meet potential adopters and choose the best match;
- your listing can reach many people quickly.
Cons:
- it takes time and effort to screen applicants yourself;
- once your cat leaves, you may lose touch with the new owners.
Be careful with “free to a good home” ads. Unfortunately, some people respond to them to resell animals or for other bad purposes. Use a reputable rehoming service, ask for references (including from their vet), visit the new home if possible and charge a modest rehoming fee, which helps deter people who aren’t serious.
Read also: How to care for a kitten
How to Write a Good Rehoming Listing
- Take several good-quality photos of your cat. Try to show it both active (for example, while playing) and relaxed (resting or watching you with interest).
- Write an honest, informative description that stands out from other listings. Don’t write “great with kids” if your cat has only seen children a couple of times and hid under the bed. Include your cat’s breed (if it has one), age, sex, coat and eye color, personality and daily habits (playful? loves laps?), whether it’s spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, any health conditions and what it eats.
- Mention your cat’s quirks and less-than-perfect habits too, since no cat is perfect: for example, it likes to sleep in your bed or doesn’t use a scratching post. Of course, list its good points as well: affectionate, purrs a lot, always uses the litter box and so on.
- You don’t have to include every detail; you can tell potential owners more on the phone or in person. A very long text may distract readers from the main points. And don’t lie, or you could end up with an unhappy adopter and a returned cat.
How to Make Rehoming as Smooth as Possible
Changing owners is very stressful for a cat. In a short time, it loses not only the family it’s used to but its home territory too, and cats are very attached to their territory.
When you’ve found people who seem like good owners, don’t rush. Ask questions and get to know them first: their experience with cats, other pets and children in the home, whether they’re home a lot and how they plan to care for your cat.
Invite potential owners to your home, so your cat can meet them on its own territory. It may not be love at first sight, but if your cat is still very aggressive or won’t come near them after an hour or so, keep looking.
Never give a cat to children or teenagers, even if they say their parents definitely agreed. Only rehome your cat with responsible adults. If they rent, ask them to confirm that their landlord allows cats.
Tell the new owners everything about your cat’s food preferences, habits, routine, vet records and past illnesses. Give them its usual food, litter, bed and toys, which carry familiar smells and help your cat settle in. Transfer the microchip registration to the new owner.
After a week or two, call to find out how your cat is settling in: whether it’s eating well and whether there are any problems. Ask the new owners to send you some photos of your cat in its new home.
Why You Should Never Abandon a Cat
The worst thing that can happen to a pet cat is to be abandoned outdoors. Abandoning an animal is also illegal: in the UK under the Animal Welfare Act, and in most US states under animal cruelty laws. A cat that has lived with people since kittenhood is very unlikely to survive on its own:
- It probably won’t find enough food. When hunger becomes unbearable, it will scavenge in trash cans, and spoiled scraps can make it seriously ill. Many pet cats never learn to hunt successfully.
- Every neighborhood already has its own cats, even if you don’t see them, and the territory is divided up and marked. A newcomer will be met with aggression, and your cat will probably lose the fights.
- Pet cats, especially indoor and pedigree cats, haven’t been exposed to many of the diseases and parasites they’ll meet outdoors, such as FIV, FeLV, cat flu, ringworm, fleas, ticks and worms.
- There are many dangers outdoors that a pet cat isn’t prepared for: traffic, dogs, wildlife, cruel people, extreme weather and poisons.
Putting a pet cat out on the street to fend for itself is cruel and puts its life in serious danger. If you can’t keep your cat, contact a shelter or rescue instead. They’re there to help.
Do You Really Need to Rehome Your Cat?
As we said at the start, most of the problems that make people think about giving up their cat can be solved. Let’s look at some of them.
Allergies
Allergies are unpredictable and can appear even in people who never had them before. First, see a doctor or allergist and get tested. Sometimes the reaction turns out not to be caused by the cat at all, but by dust mites, pollen or mold.
If you are allergic to your cat, there’s still a lot you can do. The main cat allergen, a protein called Fel d 1, comes from the cat’s saliva and skin glands and spreads onto its fur and around the home. Many people with mild to moderate allergies manage well by keeping the cat out of the bedroom, using HEPA air purifiers and vacuum cleaners, washing bedding and soft furnishings often, and wiping or bathing the cat regularly. A cat food that reduces the allergen in the cat’s saliva (Purina Pro Plan LiveClear) may also help. An allergist may recommend medication or allergy shots (immunotherapy).
Aggression
A cat that suddenly becomes aggressive may well be ill or in pain, and it’s showing you with its restless and sometimes angry behavior. Aggression can also be caused by a new pet or a new baby in the home. In that case, introduce your cat to the new family member properly and help them get along, and the aggression will often go away. So before deciding to rehome your cat, take it to the vet and try to solve the problem. Read more: how to stop a cat from biting and how to introduce cats.
A grown-up kitten
Sometimes the clumsy blue-eyed kitten that used to melt your heart has turned into a teenage cat that just annoys you. Yes, animals grow up and change. But you knew that, right? Try to work out exactly what bothers you about your cat. Take a sheet of paper, divide it in half, and write all the things that annoy you in the left column. Then turn them into positives and write those in the right column. For example, you used to love the kitten’s wobbly walk, and now you have an elegant, graceful cat whose agility you can only envy. Many “teenage” behavior problems also improve with more play, neutering and patience.
Moving house
If you’re moving and think you can’t take your cat, think carefully: is it really impossible? If you’re renting and the landlord doesn’t allow pets, look for pet-friendly housing, or ask whether the landlord would accept a pet deposit or pet references. In England, recent renting reforms make it harder for landlords to refuse pets without a good reason. If you’re moving from an apartment to a house, keep your cat indoors at first, and consider a catio or cat-proof fencing if you’d like it to enjoy the outdoors safely.
Money and health problems
If you’re struggling to afford your cat’s food or vet care, ask your vet about payment plans, and look for local pet food banks and low-cost vet clinics. In the UK, charities such as the PDSA, Blue Cross and RSPCA offer reduced-cost veterinary care to people who qualify. In the US, many humane societies and nonprofits offer low-cost clinics and financial assistance.
In most cases, you’ll be glad many times over that you didn’t give up your cat.
A Final Word
This article has focused on adult cats. But what if your cat got pregnant and had kittens, and now you need to find homes for them? Kittens are much easier to rehome than adult cats. Ask friends first, or contact a local rescue, which may help you find homes. Wait until the kittens are at least 8 weeks old (ideally 12 weeks), and make sure they’re vaccinated, dewormed and, if possible, microchipped before they go. Then have the mother cat spayed, so you don’t face the same problem again.
