Frequently Asked Questions - Cat Fostering & Adoption
- How do I put a cat up for adoption?
- How do I remove listings of adopted cats from the board?
- How can I edit or amend my adoption listing?
- How do I go about selecting a good adopter for the cat/kitten I have put up?
- I wish to sign a simple contract for the adoption of my cat. Do you have a sample and does a contract protect the cat?
- What should I do if I would like to adopt a cat? Is there an adoption fee?
- Why didn’t I get the cat I requested? I wrote in as soon as the cat was posted.
- Why doesn’t the fosterer respond to me?
Our automated system allows you to personally post up details and pictures of the cat.
Firstly, you need to sign up for a user account on the top of this website.
To post up a cat for adoption, upload a good photo and a short write up of the cat, along with its name and your contact details. Our moderator will go through your posting and publish it when everything is in place.
If a potential adopter is interested in the cat that you have posted up - they will contact you directly.
If the cat is above 6 months old, you must sterilise it before putting it up for adoption. You warrant that the cat is sterilised when you post it for adoption at our website.
For a detailed guide on how to register an account, post cats for adoption as well as removing adopted cats from the board, please refer to User Guide (right-click to download). You will need Adobe Reader to read the file.
Login and go to 'Fosterer's Corner' under the 'Public Adoption Board', you will see a list of your cats. Just change the status to 'Completed' and click 'Submit' to remove the listing.
You will not be able to see the listing once it is removed. To put it back on the board, you will have to submit a new listing.
For a detailed guide on how to register an account, post cats for adoption as well as removing adopted cats from the board, please refer to User Guide (right-click to download). You will need Adobe Reader to read the file.
The listings are not meant to be edited. This is to prevent possible abuse where the content is changed once the listing is approved. You may re-submit a new listing and remove the old one if you need to change anything.
It is good practice to screen adopters to ensure that they are aware of the responsibilities that come with adopting a cat. Their decision to adopt shouldn't be made on impulse and it is to adopters' advantage to have fosters take the time to let them know more about the cat they plan to adopt and what it takes to keep it for life.
An Adoption Questionaire is available for you to send to potential adopters before you arrange for the viewing of the cat. It is important that all members of the potential adopter's family to be comfortable with the adoption of the cat as after all, the cat is going to be a new member of their family.
A home visit to the potential adopter's home is recommended before a final decision is made to ensure that the home is cat-safe and that the adopter has prepared the necessary such as suitable cat litter and cat food for the cat to move in.
The adoption process is often a learning experience for everyone. Many fosters and adopters have also become friends through the process. Ensuring that our fostered cats go to good homes is important and so is helping more people become good cat owners.
The purpose of an adoption contract is to ensure that both fosterer and adopter are fully aware of their responsibilities.
Disputes arising from the contract should be settled in mediation or in court. It is not under the purview of the police unless it is a case of cruelty and abuse.
Signing an adoption contract remains a good practice and an important step in building trust between the fosterer and adopter. A Sample Adoption Contract is available for use. Feel free to download, amend and use it.
Please contact the fosterers directly (click on 'Contact Fosterer') to find out more about the cat and arrange for a viewing. Please note that we are not affiliated to the fosterers who have put the cats up for adoption on our public adoption bulletin.
The recommended adoption fee is $40 - $60. However, there may be cases when the cat received extensive veterinary care such as sterilisation, vaccination and treatment which warrants that the adoption fee be set higher. It is good practice to show the proof of such vet care to justify the higher fee.
Ultimately, adoption is about saving lives and more lives can be saved when adopters help with the cost of foster care through the adoption fee. This enables fosterers to continue to do more for other cats once the present are rehomed.
As a responsible pet owner, please do your research before you make any decisions to adopt. A pet is for life.
Fosterers make the decision as to a suitable adopter for their cat. As they are trying to find the best match for the cat, selection is not always on a first-come-first-serve basis.
CWS runs the adoption board as a public service -- as such anyone can post on the board.
While we do provide guidelines on the adoption screening process, we do not know most of the fosterers and they have full control over their screening process for adopters.
