Cat Corner
Cat Corner is a regular column on our website. Kayce Daniels shares her experience and knowledge gained through several years of humane and rescue work. It is Kayce’s wish that all animals have the best home they could possibly imagine.
Simple Steps to Find Your Next Best Friend at North County Humane Society of SLO County
by Kayce Daniels
Each cat at NCHS holds a special place in our hearts. We can’t help being a little sad when they leave us to go to new homes, but there is nothing we want more than for each of these cats to go to a special place of their own. Because of this we do everything possible to help match our kitties with their perfect forever home. And we want you to leave with the cat that will best fit into your life.
Visitors are sometimes overwhelmed as they walk through the doors of NCHS. They find themselves in the middle of a sea of kitties (we have over 200 at the shelter), and it can be hard to imagine that in that mass of soft, furry bodies is that one very special cat. Sometimes prospective adopters come in, walk around for a few minutes, and leave saying they don’t see any cat they are interested in. We know that with a little time and patience, you will find your next best friend here at NCHS. Below are tips to help you have a successful adoption experience.
We recommend that before you come to the shelter, you spend some time on our “Cat-alog” (Link Here). This is a great starting point and you can take all the time you need in the comfort of your home looking at pictures and reading biographies. While on our website, feel free to fill out our adoption application (Link – either adoption application or Petango link). There is no obligation to take a cat, but it gets the paperwork out of the way so you can focus on finding your new kitty when you come to the shelter.
When you arrive at the shelter, don’t be intimidated. We are here to help you with introductions to our cats. Our volunteer greeters and staff are available to answer your questions and point you in the right direction.
To make it easier for you to identify specific cats, we have a list of our cats posted on the wall. The cats are listed by tag number. Some of our cats aren’t particularly fond of collars, so they don’t all have tags (staff and volunteers will be able to identify the cats without tags). However, many do and if you are interested in a cat, you can check their number out on the list to learn their name, gender and approximate age of a cat.
As for Lap Cats, my advice to anyone interested in a lap cat is to sit down! Yes, sit down on one of our benches in the shelter and it won’t be long before you will be covered in lap cats.
I always recommend that our visitors have an open mind when looking for a cat. Often prospective adopters come in with very specific desires of color, breed or hair length.
However, it is still helpful to look at the many other special cats in the shelter. We have seen many an adopter who came in looking for a female long-haired white Persian but left with that heart-stealing male tabby.
After all your work, in some ways it really isn’t up to you. We find it is often the cat that picks their new human, and that makes the whole process much easier. Just come on by and wait for your new friend to come up and introduce himself/herself to you.
One final note: Don’t expect to find your new companion in one day. It takes time. Knowing that your new kitty will be a part of your family for many years, it is well worth waiting to find the right match. So, take your time, hang out at the shelter and come back as often as you like. Who knows, you just might find TWO perfect kitties!
