Adopting A Cat Online

Have you looked at all the cats on Craig's List? Here are some other places to check online for cats who are staying with their families until they're adopted.

The Maryland SPCA has courtesy posts on its website.

Baltimore's Virtual Cat Adoption Center is a Facebook page for "owner give-ups." It's sponsored by the Howard County Cat Club.

We encourage people to rehome their cats themselves and keep them until they're adopted. No cat belongs in a shelter or in rescue, and cats "show" better when they're in their own homes.

Here are some suggestions for adopting a cat who's still with his family.

• Meet the cat in his own home, not yours. You'll get a better idea of what his personality is like.

• Ask questions.

1. Why are the people giving up the cat?
2. If the cat has litter box issues, will your home be less stressful than the one he's in now?
3. If the cat wants to be outside, can you provide an indoor/outdoor environment for him?
4. If he doesn't like other animals, are you willing to let him be the one and only for life?

If your answer to any of these questions is no, you and the cat are probably not a good match.

• Have his "ex" bring the cat to you. That will be less frightening for the cat than going off with a total stranger.

• Make sure his "ex" brings his medical records, dishes, favorite toys and an unwashed towel or pillowcase that smells like home. That will be reassuring to him in his strange new environment.

Be patient. It can take a cat several days or even weeks to get used to a new home. But by adopting a cat who's still with his family, you've done a good deed because you've probably saved the cat from a shelter or going into rescue.