What If the Cat Can’t Stay?
May 29, 2025
Strategies to Ensure Safely Rehoming a Cat
Laurie Coughlan
Taking on a pet is supposed to be a lifelong commitment. Responsible pet owners consider a number of factors—activity level, size, care requirements, socialization—before deciding on the right breed for their homes. At the same time, cat breeders screen potential pet homes carefully to be sure that there is an understanding of what the cat’s needs are and that the cat’s new people can provide those needs. The breeder acts as a matchmaker, trying to be sure, for example, that a quiet, shy kitten is not placed in a boisterous household with lots of kids and dogs, and the super-social kitten is not placed as an only pet where there is no one home during the day. Usually all goes well with the placement. Sometimes, despite all of the research and discussion, things do not work out or circumstances change unexpectedly. What happens then?
One of the benefits of getting a pedigreed cat is the advice and assistance available from the breeder. If there are problems, it is a good idea to consult with that breeder. Sometimes the problem is a temporary behavioral one that can be solved. Remember that in the cat’s mind, s/he has been kidnapped by strangers and needs time to explore and determine that the new territory is safe and the people are friends. A little shyness is not unexpected. For example, perhaps the cat is hesitant to use a litter pan next to a noisy washer/dryer, and simply moving the pan to a quieter, less exposed area may fix the problem. Although many issues can be solved with a little time and advice, that is not always the case. The most common reasons for rehoming are previously undiagnosed allergies or changes in the family or living conditions.
The primary concern for everyone should be that the cat is safe. Many breeders provide a rehoming guarantee, or at least a right of first refusal, when cats cannot remain where they are initially placed. Often a breeder will maintain a small percentage of ownership in the cat to allow it to be reclaimed if it ends up in a shelter situation. This provides a safety net for the cat. Sometimes the best option is to place the cat with another family member or friend of the initial owner. The point is to pass that safety net along with the cat to the new home by sharing contact information and any special concerns or requirements. Some breeders request that new owners make specific provisions for the cat should anything happen to prevent them from keeping their pet, and to make those plans known to family and friends. This is also a good idea in cases when an owner may be temporarily disabled through illness or injury and can’t care for themselves or their pets. Some breeds have specific breed rescue programs that may provide help. The worst option is to turn a cat over to a shelter, where owner-surrendered pets may be assumed to have behavioral issues and are often first to be eliminated when room is needed. It is far better for everyone to contact the breeder rather than to just pass the cat along to someone else.
The contract for Platina Luna Russian Blues, for example, notes that if the owner can no longer keep their cat, the cattery has right of first refusal. Owners are to contact the cattery first before trying to place their cat (understanding that they may place it directly to someone that they know and trust). The rationale is that breeders are in a better position to find a new home as people contact them looking for cats, and that breeders have experience screening potential new homes. According to breeder Teresa Keiger, “I’ve only had to deal with this a couple of times, and in each case, I was able to find a home for the cat that it could move from its current home to the new owner’s home; less stressful for the cat than coming back to us and then to a new home.”
Rehoming can work out very well for all involved if handled carefully. Teresa provided an example of a family change issue. “…a young couple got a cat from us early in their marriage. Several years later, they had two children who were…very active kids. The cat was terrified of them, and the kids weren’t that great about getting outside doors closed. The cat would only come out to them after the kids had gone to bed. No harm, no foul. As it turned out, the day after they contacted us and agreed to keep the cat until we could rehome it, we got an inquiry from a couple who wanted an older cat…AND lived only like 20 miles away from the couple! We talked to them, put them in touch with the original owners…things just literally fell in place!”
Some of the hardest cases involve owner injury or death. Even then the cat can be kept safe with proper communication and provisions. Falcon, an Egyptian Mau placed in eastern North Carolina, had the ideal home. His owner loved him and taught him behaviors like retrieving specific-shaped items on verbal command from an assortment floating in the bathtub. He bragged about his wonderful cat at work and at the vet’s office, and he kept in regular touch with the breeder. When he passed away unexpectedly, people knew his cat was special and kept him safe until the breeder could make the 700-mile round trip to get him. Because the original placement contract specified that the breeder maintained a 1 percent ownership of the cat, she was able to legally reclaim him and obtain his veterinary records. On the way home, they stopped to see a carefully screened possible new owner for a meet-and-greet. It was love at first sight, and Falcon moved to a wonderful home in Virginia.
With proper communication and careful screening, rehoming can be good for owner and cat. Ideally, a kitten or cat is placed for life, but if things just don’t work out, that is the time to take advantage of being able to consult with the cat’s breeder. Having breeder help means the cat maintains a safety net, perhaps including a rehoming guarantee. It may be fine to place the cat with family or friends, making sure they are aware of the cat’s safety net. Because accident or illness may overtake someone at any time, a responsible pet owner should make arrangements for both short- and long-term care for their cat. The objective is to be sure that the cat has a safe and happy home throughout life, even if more than one home is involved.