Congratulations on taking the first step toward sharing your home with a cat! We know you want to make sure your cat has the happiest healthiest life possible.
Pono cat parents know what to expect when adopting and are prepared to care for their pet at every stage of life. Here are some tips to get you started.
Pet Preparation Checklist
☑️ Ready for long-term commitment
Long-term commitment is key to being a Pono Cat Parent. Did you know that indoor cats can live up to 20 years? When considering taking a new cat into your life, you might ask yourself:
- Is my lifestyle compatible with having a cat as a family member for its natural lifespan?
- Do I change jobs or residences often? (For example, if you are a student or a military service member.)
- Do I know how to find rental housing that allows pets?
- Am I committed to finding a new home for my cat if something unexpected happens and I can no longer provide care?
☑️ Willing to budget for my cat’s needs
Budgeting may not be the most exciting part of being a Pono Cat Parent, but it’s critical to making sure it’s the right time to bring a new pet home. Cats need food, toys for enrichment, and veterinary care. You can look at your personal financial situation and ask:
- Can I set aside resources every month to care for my cat?
☑️ Committed to supporting my cat’s best life
Cats are known for being wonderful, low-maintenance pets, but they need entertainment and stimulation to live their best lives indoors.
- Am I ready to create an enriching and safe indoor home for my cat?
- Can I set aside time each day to interact with my cat?
- Am I willing to find solutions for my cat if it exhibits challenging behaviors (scratching furniture, hiding, swatting, etc.)?
Adoption Alternative
If you’re unsure about the answers to the questions above, there are other ways you can bring cats into your life!
Visit a Cat Café
There are now a number of cat cafés across the Hawaiian Islands where you can spend time with cats or just enjoy coffee and pastries while watching cats. Some establishments are helping to socialize and adopt out cats that are in need of homes. They may have special event days, like game days or cat yoga, and some host special events like birthday parties. This is a great way you can help get to know a cat before committing to adoption, and no matter what, your time there will socialize and give the cats plenty of company until they find their forever home. Whether or not you are looking to adopt, we recommend supporting cafés that offer cats for adoption, versus those who import cats to entertain patrons. Cafés that offer cats for adoption are supporting nonprofits striving to get cats into new homes.
Visit a Sanctuary
While most cat sanctuaries keep a low profile and are only open to adopters or volunteers, some, like the Lanaʻi Cat Sanctuary, welcome visitors to spend time socializing their cats.
Foster a Cat
Foster care programs help animals that need temporary homes before adoption. This can be a great way to have a pet in your life when you aren’t sure how long you will be in one place. It also helps reduce the burden on shelters and gives more cats a chance to find permanent homes.
- KAUAʻI: Become a foster parent with Kauaʻi Humane Society
- OAHU: Become a foster volunteer with the Hawaiian Humane Society
- Foster an adult cat as a short-term Lap Crasher
- MOLOKAʻI: Foster a pet with the Molokaʻi Humane Society
- MAUI: Join the foster program at Maui Humane Society
- HAWAIʻI Island: Join the foster team at Hawaiʻi Island Humane Society
Navigating Common Challenges
The Hawaiian Humane Society has gathered resources to help you overcome some of the most common reasons people surrender their pets on the rehoming and resources page: https://hawaiianhumane.org/rehome/
Remember that in Hawaiʻi it is illegal to abandon unwanted cats or kittens outdoors. As a last resort, use the rehoming resources or take the cat to a shelter where they may be adopted. Please be aware that when local shelter populations are high, it may take several days or even weeks to get an appointment to surrender your cat.