Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
Why can't you take my cat?Help! My cat is scratching everything.
Why don't you give your address on your website?
What should I know before I adopt a cat?
What should I know before adopting a cat if I already own a cat?
What should I know before adopting a cat if I already own a dog?
Why should I spay or neuter my cat?
Q: Why can't
you take my cats?
In 2006, over 10,000 cats were turned in to the Portland branch of The
Oregon Humane Society and Multnomah County Animal Control combined.
Over 7,000 cats were turned in to The Humane Society for Southwest
Washington.
House of Dreams is home to between 50 and 60 cats at any given time.
17,000 cats turned in in 2006 (and that doesn't count all the strays
who are still out there), vs. 50-60 "beds" in our shelter. We help as
many cats as we can, but that's only a small percentage of those in
need.
The solution to this problem isn't more shelters, it's more responsible
pet ownership.
What can you do to help? Spay/Neuter your pet!
Shelters are overwhelmed with "accidental" litters of kittens every
year, and as much as we all love kittens, there aren't enough homes for
all of them.
Make every kitten a wanted kitten! Go to our Resources page for more info
on spay/neuter services.
Think before you adopt.
Are you going to be moving soon?
Going back to school?
Getting married?
Having a baby?
Getting a puppy?
If so, will a cat fit into your changing life circumstances? Can you
commit to the care of the cat for the rest of it's life (perhaps as
long as the next 20 years)?
Pet guardianship should be carefully considered. We get 5-20
calls and e-mails each day from people who want to give up
their kitty for the reasons listed above. Unfortunately, given the
numbers of unwanted animals in the area, they find it very difficult to
place their cat in another home or a shelter.
Here is a link to other area
shelters and other animal welfare organizations.
top of page
Q: Help! My cat is scratching everything!
We frequently receive emails from people who want to give up their cat because it is scratching--scratching the furniture, the new baby, friends and family making a visit.
This is a frustrating problem, but there are alternatives to de-clawing (which we do not endorse), or giving up the kitty. Many people in this situation have found another option: Soft Paws. Soft Paws are caps that are glued to the tips of kitty's claws, blunting the points so that they can't do any damage. They are recommended by vets. They are painless and non-toxic to cats.
Learn more here: www.softpaws.com
top of page
Q: Why don't you give your address on your website?
We are a very small shelter, and are open only limited hours every day. As we have no paid staff, but are run entirely by volunteers, our hours vary from day to day according to the schedules of the volunteers working that day. So we are not able to accomodate "drop-ins", human or feline.
If you would like to come by the shelter, please email or call 503.262.0763 to make an appointment.
If you are interested in adopting a kitty, contact our adoption coordinator to set up an appointment.
top of page
Q: What should I know before adopting a cat?
Here are some links to several sources of information about the best way to bring a new cat into your home:
http://www.cat-world.com.au/adopting-a-kitten-or-cat
http://volunteerguide.org/volunteer/fewhours/adopt-a-cat.htm
http://www.pet-advice.net/article.php?aid=50
top of page
Q: What should I know before adopting a cat if I already own a cat?
To help you with the process of bringing a new cat into a family that already includes a cat, we have provided you with these links:
http://www.suite101.com/content/getting-a-second-cat-a20956
http://www.ehow.com/how_5060948_adopt-cat-one-already-one.html
http://www.fourpaws.org/pages/adopting_pages/introducing_cats.html
top of page
Q: What should I know before adopting a cat if I already own a dog?
We have provided you with these links because we understand that there some added challenges involved with bringing a new cat into a family that already has a dog:
http://www.fourpaws.org/pages/adopting_pages/introducing_cats.html
http://cats.kenanderson.net/html/cat_issues.html
http://dogtime.com/introducing-dog-and-cat.html
top of page
Q: Why should I spay or neuter my cat?
Because there are so many different ways to answer that question, we have provided links that should help to provide even the most skeptical person with information.
First, let's deal with the math. Here is a link to where someone calculated the suprising number of kittens that can be propagated by a single pair of cats in one year : Click here to see the page
Next is the saddening news from The Humane Society about how many pets end up being homeless and abandoned: Click here to see this information
This next two links help to dispel some of the myths that people use to prevent them from having their pets spayed or neutered:
http://cats.about.com/cs/spayneuter/a/earlyneuter.htm
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/pregnancyreproduction/tp/TP_spayneuter.htm
top of page