Right now, Kzoo Cat Rescue does NOT take in cats at the cat cafe.

However, if you find a stray cat, YOU
can still help them in other ways!

• Report the cat found to Kalamazoo County Animal Services here - someone may be looking for them!!
  • IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT FOUND PETS: Found animals cannot be given away/sold/kept until 30 days has passed from a found report being made at KCASE. You may not vaccinate, neuter or alter the pet in any way until the 30 days has passed. Keeping or altering a pet prior to 30 days could result in theft or other personal property damage charges being filed against you. If you cannot keep the pet for 30 days, you can turn it into KCASE, where the 30 days hold time is reduced to 7-10 days.
    
• Bring the pet to Animal Services or a local vet (VCA Southwest Michigan Animal Emergency and Referral Center is open 24 hours!!) to scan them for a microchip
  • Click here for the PET MICROCHIP LOOKUP if you have found a pet with a microchip - the company will try and contact the owners
• Utilize social media and/or family and friends to try and find if they have an owner
• Hang flyers around your neighborhood
• Place a free FOUND PET AD in the Kalamazoo Gazette
• Contact a "no-kill" rescue in the Kalamazoo Area -
  • Kalamazoo Animal Rescue, Animal Rescue Project, SPCA of Southwest Michigan)
  • Search PetFinder to find more Animal Welfare groups near your zip code - Click Here
• In the hot summer months, make sure there is plenty of water available to outside cats - DO NOT GIVE CATS MILK! Only water - and add ice cubes for fun, and to keep it colder, longer!
• If it is cold outside, consider building a DIY - shelter for them, something like this, these, or these.
• Sometimes, feral cats/community cats need to stay outside.
  • Check out this article from Carol's Ferals - Keeping Feral Cats Feral
  • Make SURE to get them spayed/neutered!! Consider taking advantage of a low cost spay/neuter program like Operation Fix It at the Kalamazoo Humane Society, or contact Animals Best Friend Fund for funding assistance.
  • You can rent humane cat traps at Kalamazoo County Animal Services.

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If you have a cat you can no longer take care of, please consider the following:

• Contact the rescue/foster/person you got the cat from - they may be willing to assist cats they've adopted out
  
• If your cat is having behavioral issues, please check with your vet to see if there are underlying medical problems! Lots of times, these problems can be solved without relinquishing your cat to a rescue or shelter where the problems may just get worse. Check out these resources as well:
  • Solving Litter Box Problems (Humane Society)
  • How to Fix Your Cat Litter Box Problems (Adopt-a-Pet.com)
  • Litter Box Issues (Cat Behavior Associates)
  • Train Your Cat to Scratch Where You Want (Adopt-a-Pet.com)
  • Use Nail Caps - a GREAT alternative to declawing!!
  • Save the Couches!!
  • Common Cat Behavior Issues (ASPCA)
  • Cat Problems (Petfinder)
  • Resources by Pet/Subject (Dumb Friends League)
  • 8 Common Cat Problems and How to Solve Them (Pet WebMD)
• If you need assistance with caring for your cat, or feeding your cat, please consider the following resources:
  • Waggle.org - pet-dedicated, crowdfunding platform that partners directly with leading veterinary providers
  • Financial, Behavioral, Food, Housing and General Assistance in Michigan (Michigan Pet Fund Alliance)
  • Kalamazoo Humane Society Pet Food Bank
  • Animal Meals on Wheels, call (269) 978-3998
  • RedRover.org - comprehensive directory of national and state-specific financial aid resources
  • Michigan Resources for pet owners in need (Humane Society)
  • Veterinary and Pet Financing - https://www.carecredit.com/vetmed
• Moving? Make sure you can take your pets with you!! Use a site like Animal Humane Society, No Paws Left Behind, or select "Pet Friendly" or "Pets Allowed" online to search for pet-friendly housing when you are moving.
• Emergency housing is provided for pets of victims of domestic violence with the Kalamazoo Humane Society. This program is in collaboration with the YWCA of Kalamazoo Domestic Assault Program. Victims must be referred through this program in order to qualify. If you feel you may qualify for this program, please contact a staff member of the YWCA Domestic Assault Program at (269) 385-2869

• If you STILL can't keep your cat, utilize social media and/or family and friends to try and REHOME your cat BEFORE you call a rescue - "The best way to save a beloved pet is to keep them out of the shelter system"
  • Talk to staff at your veterinarian's office, or other local veterinarians
  • Post on local community bulletin boards, or in the newspaper
  • You can also try sites like https://getyourpet.com/ or  Rehome (by adoptapet.com and the Petco Foundation - click on the blue icon)
    

If you are struggling to find a place - PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP! Lots of shelters/rescues  are constantly overcrowded, and underfunded, and as much as we want to take in every cat we hear about, it just isn't possible. PLEASE try the above resources and ideas, and KEEP TRYING!! They're depending on you!!