Considering cat rescue? What you need to know before rehoming

Adopted black cats Guillermo and Wednesday. Photos courtesy of AC Dimatatac

MANILA, Philippines –  Called in by inviting meows and purrs, many animal lovers swoon over cats they find everywhere. But as charming as these feline friends are, one should know better than just taking them home or elsewhere. 

Cats are attached to locations

According to International Cat Care, cats are location-attached with territorial instincts. 

“Cats form a strong association with a specific place, not people. Even friendly cats prefer familiar territory. That’s why moving them abruptly often results in them fleeing or failing to adapt,” the organization said. 

In contrast with man’s best friend, cats are not instinctively social, meaning they are more likely to try to “return” to their familiar territory once moved or relocated. 

Often, cats prioritize the familiarity of their “comfort place” rather than its actual condition -- which is why cats can be seen frequenting places regardless of location: residential areas, places with high traffic, and other community places. 

Cat care is about responsible rescuing

June is “National Adopt a Cat Month” and according to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society, cats rescued in their center outnumber dogs with a ratio of four cats to every rescued dog. 

For instances when one comes across an abandoned litter of kittens or cats living in unlikely places, PUP Sintang Pusa, a student-led rescue organization in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, reminds that there are responsibilities that come more than just one’s good intention. 

PUP Sintang Pusa chairperson Yelen Nepomuceno enumerates the top considerations one aspiring furparent should consider before adopting a cat: readiness and responsibility. 

Inspired by the tabby cat named Pogi who was killed on campus prior to his adoption, the organization believes that creating a movement in responsible rescue will help people to understand more about how cats should be handled. 

“Napaka-importante talaga no’ng initiative [to rescue], kasi kung walang mag-iinitiate, sino ‘yung mangunguna para maprotektahan o magsabi nung mga panawagan na pakinggan lalo na ‘yung mga hawak namin na animals na sila ay voiceless,” Nepomuceno said. 

Cat parent AC Dimatatac and their partner with their cats

Methods in cat rescue must involve proper handling and assessment of their current environment to ensure safety for both cat and its rescuer, as per PUP Sintang Pusa. Relocating cats abruptly may affect not only the cat but also the environment they belong in. 

Alongside Nepomuceno, Jay Pollicar shared that cat rescue also involves vaccination and spay-and-neuter initiatives wherein cats are returned to their familiar environment afterward. 

Cat parenting is opening your home

AC Dimatatac, a cat parent to two, Wednesday and Guillermo, shared cat adoption involves a gradual and careful process.

With cats, Dimatatac explains that having a cat in your home means letting them belong to the whole space instead of just caging them in a specific area. 

“They have to have a sense of ownership in [your] place,” Dimatatac added. “We slowly introduced them in our place and let them explore but of course we cat-proof first.”

They explained that it is not uncommon that when adopting, some pet owners have prejudice like cat breeds or color but it should not be like that whereas as fur parents, Dimatatac and their partner opts to actively adopt black cats who are mostly prejudiced based on superstitions.  

Adopting a cat involves a safe space wherein cats can have their basic needs met and their personal space assured to be stress-free. 

With cases like Mt. Pulag’s Pugal wherein relocation is conducted, it is important to realize that picking up our feline friends randomly is not always the ideal way to adopt or rescue.