Let's get some kittens adopted today!
Thank You for Considering Rescues!
Our primary goal at Adopt-A-Purr is to get homeless, rescued and stray kittens (and sometimes cats) adopted! Since the animals are found locally, we prefer to adopt locally.
The kittens, cats, and many other animals that find their way to us typically do so through word-of-mouth from previous adopters, friends, neighbors, and our local veterinarians. We take in orphans, newborns, and other young kittens. We are not an adult cat rescue, although we will try to take in moms with their kittens when we can. We also sometimes take in older kittens or adult cats if we have space and time. We also offer to take back and rehome any of our own kittens/cats that the owners can no longer keep.
We are not traders or resellers. We do not breed kittens or cats. Our animals are all strays, orphans, ferals, homeless, or in situations that are unsustainable (divorce, death, job loss, major life changes). We put our time, love, vet care, and resources into every kitten. All so we can adopt them out to the best homes possible.
Sadly, there are those claiming to be kitten rescuers who know exactly where their kittens are coming from--cats on their own property they refuse to have fixed! We do not condone this activity and if we learn of it, we will not be helping these individuals place their kittens.
Other folks--sometimes private individuals, sometimes other "rescues"-- try to use us a "backup plan" for the kittens they can't "sell" or that are getting older. Our kittens come to us from legitimate situations and we always let our adopters know their kitten's history.
There are also kitten "rescues" out there that grab feral kittens and rehome them just to make a quick buck--they are not able to offer any knowledge of proper care or feeding to the new owners, downplay or blow off any possible diseases or parasites the kittens may carry (many of which are deadly but can't be seen just by looking), do not care about where the kittens end up after they are off their hands, cannot offer any follow up help with behavior or medical issues that may pop up, and provide no veterinary records with the animals. It's all about the money--not the cats or their adopters.
When we take in feral litters--and again, this is only in very special cases-- we do our best to make sure the mother cats are fixed and have a secure future, either with a permanent adoptive home or with a caretaker who agrees to care for them. We have found that often when we step up for a litter, the community steps up for the mom--it really doesn't do any good to place a litter, but leave the adults out there to keep making more. That is also not our idea of rescue. Usually, we take in the litter when the mother cat has died. When we have the space available, we will take in mom and a litter together.
The animals are almost always from Ramona and the Backcountry, although we have taken in quite a few orphans over the years from all over San Diego and even Riverside counties (many just happened to be found by Ramona residents). We've even taken in kittens from Moreno Valley and Arizona--all thanks to Ramona ties.
Our town is full of individuals who have adopted and rescued the pets they love and live with, and many here have soft spots for unwanted pets. By adopting our rescued animals locally, or to nearby areas where the owners have strong local ties to residents of our town, the pets and the people they live with become part of the fabric of our community. It is not unusual for us to still hear tales of our rescues and see them years later; at the vet's office, while grocery shopping, or grabbing dinner around town. People often bond through the kittens they've adopted or by knowing the stray they found ended up in a good home. It's part of what makes living here in Ramona so special!
Our kittens are always vaccinated and dewormed, and treated for ear mites, fleas, etc when needed. We strive to adopt out the healthiest, happiest kittens we possibly can. Our kittens are eating dry kitten chow and using the litter box before adoption.
We do not have very young kittens available. Not only do we insist that our rescues have their first shots, we also want to make sure they are healthy and happy before going off to their new lives. Kittens receive their first vaccinations at 8 weeks of age; for this reason, we do not adopt out kittens younger than 8 weeks, as all our purrkins have their vaccinations started before leaving us. This often means that we have to keep them a bit longer, in order to treat health issues, monitor behavior or continue socialization.
We also know their personalities, and do our best to make sure the match works for both pet and persons. When we ask questions--and we ask a lot!--we aren't trying to be invasive or put anyone on the spot. We just want to make sure that everyone thrives when a new family member enters the picture. We don't mind adopting to families with children or to the elderly, as long as the match works out for all concerned. Actually, we love to brag on our kid-friendly kitties!
We want these babies to thrive! And just as important--we want our adopters to love their new companions, and to know that even though they have taken a risk by adopting, it is totally worth it and very much appreciated!
As to what happens to the kittens we don't adopt out--we don't know yet! So far, we've just kept at it, making new flyers, new posts, new photos, new acquaintances, new ideas--whatever it takes. We don't want to collect kittens--our goal is always to adopt them out. So we just keep going and going, and so far--for more than 30 years--we've found good homes for all the kittens we've taken in. Not a single one has been relinquished to a shelter, dumped, or euthanized as unadoptable.
So if you see a kitten or cat and think, wow, that one sure has been there a while, there probably isn't anything wrong with the animal. Maybe, just maybe, they've been waiting all this time for YOU to find them!
We are limited in what we take in, as the animals are kept in a private residence. We also want to make sure we continue to give each kitten individual attention. We will help if we are able, and will try to offer other resources when we cannot.
Not all available kittens are listed on our website. Sometimes we just don't have time to get good photos and some of our lucky ones get good homes without us having to advertise.
Visitors are limited to serious adopters only.
Ghost, Adopted 2015. Found as a dirty, sick stray in a parking lot. His family adores him!