FAQs

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Adopt

 

How can I adopt a cat?

 

Thank you for considering a Purr-Fect Haven cat! You can find our online adoption application and policies on our website here. If you have questions about any specific cat or our adoption policies please feel free to reach out via email at phcradopt@gmail.com.

 

Why should I adopt a Purr-Fect Haven cat?

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All Purr-Fect Haven cats have been fostered in private homes.  We know their personalities and preferences, likes and dislikes, and any special needs they may have. This information helps us to ensure that each cat is matched with the perfect family during the adoption process. All Purrfect Haven cats also undergo extremely thorough medical evaluations and testing before being placed for adoption. 

 

Our volunteers truly love each of the cats in our care and our commitment to them is lifelong. We expect adopters to provide a committed and loving lifelong home for their new pet. But we know problems can arise at any time and we can always be contacted for behavioral counseling and general feline care advice for the life of the cat.  In the event a family is unable or unwilling to keep an adopted cat, our cats are always welcomed back into the rescue.

 

What is your adoption fee?

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Our standard cat adoption fee is $90 for adult cats and $115 for kittens under the age of one year with a $10 per cat discount for multiple kittens (e.g. $210 for 2 kittens). For purebred and purebred/purebred-cross cats our fees range from $125-$200. As part of our adoption package, all cats have been spayed or neutered, are up-to-date on rabies and distemper vaccinations, and are current on flea and parasite preventative treatment; they also have been microchipped, FeLV/FIV tested and tested for fecal parasites and Giardia Elisa (and treated, as indicated). All adopters also receive a free starter bag of cat food and a gift bag with cat toys! We give adopters all  the information they will need to help introduce a new pet into their family and home and will provide behavioral help for the life of the pet should any difficulties arise in the future.

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Why are many of your cats marked as needing a home with another friendly young cat?

 

Contrary to many popular misconceptions, cats are highly social creatures and kittens in particular benefit immensely in terms of their health and socialization from having a feline friend. We regularly have bonded pairs available for folks open to adding two cats to their family. We also almost always have cats available who would thrive in a home where they are a solo pet or where they have a dog companion and can make recommendations accordingly – we make decisions based on the personalities, ages, and needs of each individual cat. Regardless of where you adopt, if you’re considering a kitten (especially a very young kitten) please consider the ways in which two kittens are better than one!

 

Donate, Foster or Volunteer

 

How can I donate to Purr-Fect Haven?

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Thanks so much for your interest in supporting our mission!

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There are three main ways you can support us: donate, volunteer, foster!

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We strive to provide the cats we rescue the best possible vet care – all Purr-Fect Haven cats receive comprehensive preventative care, including vaccines, spay/neuter, FIV/FeLV and fecal testing, microchipping and more – but also receive specialty care as needed (e.g. dental procedures, cardiology consults). We can only continue to provide this level of care – the care every cat deserves – with the help of our friends and supporters.

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You can donate via Paypal – you can donate using the guest checkout option with a credit card and do not need to have a PayPal account -- or by sending a check made out to Purr-Fect Haven Cat Rescue to our mailing address, PO Box 1737 Dover DE 19903.   

 

We are a 501-C3 and all donations are tax-deductible.

 

You can also donate supplies; our Amazon wish list is here. Donations of food and litter especially are always much needed!

 

And if you prefer, you can always support us by contacting one of our veterinary partners to make a contribution directly to our account: Forrest Avenue Animal Hospital (302-736-3000) and Brenford Animal Hospital (302-678-9418).

 

​How can I volunteer or foster for Purr-Haven?

 

Again, thanks so much for your interest in supporting our mission!

 

You can find our volunteer and foster applications on our website under the “forms” section – if you are unable to print it or need a hard copy mailed to you, please feel free to reach out via email at phcradopt@gmail.com. We are always in need of volunteers to help with caring for cats and cleaning our adoption center at the Dover Petsmart, as well as for other needs including transportation, laundry and special events.

 

What does fostering entail anyway? And why should I do it?

 

Fostering is the real bottle neck point in rescue work – we could help so many more cats if we had more fosters! It’s a deeply rewarding and meaningful way to give back and to help the cats in your community. It also can be a great option for folks who want cat companionship in their lives but can’t make a lifelong commitment to a cat at this stage in their life, whether for financial reasons, because of upcoming moves, or any number of reasons.

 

The first step is to fill out our foster application, which you can find on our website under the “forms” section (if you cannot download or print it, please contact us at phcradopt@gmail.com to request a copy). We work with foster homes to identify cats that are appropriate placements for their home, considering factors including age, health status and special needs. We provide all veterinary care; we can also provide food, litter and other supplies as needed! You provide the love and TLC. 

 

So often people say they don’t want to foster because it would be difficult to give the cats up. It undoubtedly can be hard, but the even harder reality is that without foster homes many cats would be unable to be saved in the first place. And every foster cat that finds an adoptive home opens a space for a new cat to be rescued. When you look at it that way, fostering does not seem quite as hard -- fosters are true heroes in animal rescue!

 

Spay and Neuter and Helping Our Community’s Cats

 

Are you able to trap cats for TNVR (trap-neuter-vaccinate-return)?

 

While TNVR is hugely important in terms of supporting and humanely managing our local community cat population, and we may be able to help with an individual case depending on location, number of cats and volunteer availability, we do not currently have the volunteer capacity to assist with trapping at large scale. Please check out the TNVR resources offered by other local organizations including Forgotten Cats, Community Cat Action League, and Brandywine Valley SPCA. 

 

Do you provide assistance for spay/neuter?

 

We are able to offer different types of assistance for spay and neuter of stray or feral cats based on available funding from special programs and grants, which can change over time.  You can find an application to request assistance with spay or neuter of stray or feral cats on the "forms" section of our website.

 

Where can I find low-cost spay/neuter services for my owned cat?

 

Thank you for spaying and neutering your cat! You may wish to check out Brandywine Valley SPCA’s low-cost spay/neuter services. For Delaware residents receiving public assistance, you may be eligible for the state of Delaware’s Fixed and Fabulous program, which provides for comprehensive spay/neuter services with such a $20 copay!

 

I found a stray cat. How can I surrender the cat to Purr-Fect Haven?

 

One key thing to understand about Purr-Fect Haven is that we are a foster-based rescue, which means we don’t have a shelter facility (we do have an adoption center located in the Dover Petsmart, but all cats need to be spayed/neutered, fully vaccinated, fecal and FeLV/FIV tested and otherwise medically ready for adoption before they can be placed there – no one can go there “off the street”). We rely on a network of foster homes, and intake into those homes from a waiting list; indeed, space in foster homes tends to be one of our biggest limiting factors. While we understand that not everyone is in a position where they can foster, if you are in a position where you are able to temporarily foster the cat you found in a safe indoor location, separate from other animals in the home (e.g. in a bathroom or spare room) until they can be evaluated and space is available, that can be a huge help in terms of helping us help more cats. We may be able to lend a cage or other supplies to assist you with temporary fostering. 

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To request admission for a cat into our rescue, you can submit our “request for admission” application, found on the “forms” section of our website, along with pictures of the cat(s) and copies of any veterinary records. Since we do NOT euthanize cats to make room for more cats, we must continually balance the needs of our current feline residents with the welfare of cats seeking admission. To ensure our ability to permanently and safely place a cat for adoption, Purr-fect Haven follows intake procedures based on behavioral and health assessments of all candidates for admission. For safety and legal reasons, cats six months or older must have a current rabies vaccine before our volunteers are able to handle them for assessment. Priority is given to cats originating in Kent County and northern Sussex County, Delaware.

 

As a small, all-volunteer organization, we strive to accommodate as many requests for help as we can, and appreciate any help you are able to give to help us help them!

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I found a tiny baby kitten outside. Should I pick it up?

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While it can be tempting to help a baby kitten seemingly in need, it’s important to remember that their mom may be nearby, and in many cases a baby kitten may be better off being left outside to remain with mom until they are of age to eat on their own. We highly recommend the Kitten Lady’s “CASA” method for deciding the best course of action should you encounter this situation: https://www.kittenlady.org/casa