Tough economic times often translate into families and individuals who can no longer afford to keep their pets. Dog and cat families are both affected, but when owners give up their cats, they are more likely to face uncertainty whether their cat will find a new home, say cat rescue experts.

“In many shelter environments, cats are far more likely to be overlooked and not given the same adoption opportunities as a dog,” says Sarah Vicary of Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue in Grand Ledge. “Complicat­ing cat adoptions, the poor economy triggered a 25 percent decline in cat adoptions over the last year.”

Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue, plus many other cat rescue organizations, is shifting its resources to meet the growing number of owner-surrendered, newly homeless adult cats and kittens. Food banks, emergency funding for veterinary expenses and courtesy Web listings are among the services that rescues have begun using to help create a safety net for those feeling the economic squeeze.

“We try to help people keep their cats in their home for as long as possible,” says Vicary. “Cats have extremely fragile health systems and can become highly stressed in shelters and even foster homes. Even small changes are more difficult for cats than dogs. Cats will often stop eating due to stress and can easily become ill.”

In rural North Carolina, one savvy rescue organization, the Animal Protection Society of Rockingham County (APSRC), proactively took steps to help people struggling financially feed their pets. A local television news story told about a food pantry that was started for children who were going hungry from Friday until their return to school on Monday.

“Of course, if there is no food for children, you can bet the pets are going without food, too,” says Rhonda Lamb, an APSRC board member who began stocking the food pantry with pet food donations.

Lamb worked with school guidance counselors to determine the number of children with pets who might need food and began stocking the pantry with small containers of pet food that children could request. She also began a Heroes Club in which she visits schools to teach about responsible pet care. One class collected more than $400 of pet food and donated it to the food pantry after her visit.

In Westfield, Mass., Animal Shelter Renovation Inc. (ASRI) is collecting food, bedding, litter and other donated items through its PAWS-itive Options program. More than 1,000 pounds of dry and canned pet food have been donated to a local food pantry and individuals who are struggling to feed their pets.

“We get donations of cat and dog food, but the cat food seems to go much faster than the dog food,” says ASRI board member Joanne Perry. “Our hope with the food bank is that it will be much easier and better for all involved if we can help people feed their pets as opposed to helping them rehome them.”

The Westfield Homeless Cat Project is one rescue organization that supports ASRI and helps to collect donations. “For every person who doesn’t have money, someone can afford to donate a bag of food,” says director Denise Sinico. “Our job is to create networks so people know how and where to give and can feel good doing it.”

Cat rescues throughout the country have begun reaching out to families who have lost their jobs and are at risk of also losing their cats. Theresa Clifford, co-founder of The Cat Shack in northeast Pennsylvania, says, “When we offer food what we’re really offering is hope that everything can work out. One woman with two cats who was having a difficult time affording basic care for herself burst into tears when we told her we could give her cat food.”

Unforeseen circumstances change commitments that people make when they adopt their cats. “Our adoption application asks tough questions to try to determine whether potential owners are financially solvent and can care for a cat for the next 15 years,” says Feline Friendz director Elizabeth Hamn of Omaha, Neb. “Unfortu­nately, today’s economy forces people to make tough decisions.”

Such was the case when a young woman who had adopted a tiny homeless kitten from Feline Friendz three years ago came to the rescue for help feeding her cat. “She and the kitten had bonded immediately,” recalls Hamn. “At the time the woman was a Web site designer and doing well, but more recently she had lost her job and could no longer afford cat food. We’re providing the food and hoping the situation turns itself around.”

Veterinary Intervention
Helping people keep their cats sometimes means intervening to provide affordable veterinary care. Stray Cat Rescue Associates of Minnesota (SCRAM) helped to reduce the veterinary expenses of a cat named “Miko.” The owner, who was already struggling to make ends meet, was afraid she would have to euthanize the cat who needed a $1,500 surgery to correct a blocked urinary tract. Though desperate not to part with her cat, she felt she had no choice.

“Our 20-month-old son just had surgery, and my husband is looking at getting a second job just to pay for our son’s medical bills,” says Miko’s owner. “I am trying to get more hours at my job, too. We’ve always been able to care for our animals, so we just didn’t know what to do.”

The owner went online and offered to give up her 2-year-old gentle gray tabby if someone would help pay for his surgery. Laura Johnson, director of SCRAM, learned about Miko and arranged for SCRAM’s veterinarian to treat him at a fraction of the cost.

“I couldn’t believe people went so far above and beyond the call of duty to save my cat,” the owner says. “Our kids would have been devastated if we would have had to give Miko away. Thank goodness I ran across Laura.”

Probing to understand the cause of owner-surrenders is key in helping cats stay in their homes, says Johnson. “When this woman called, at first she said, ‘We just can’t afford our cat.’ Once I discovered there was a medical issue, we could offer help.”

Johnson takes seriously helping owners keep their cats in their home. In the past year, she has donated $16,000 to help people in need. Much of the funds cover spay and neuter surgeries for cats whose owners cannot afford the procedures.

“People just can’t afford to have their animals fixed, yet this is a basic part of their care,” says Johnson. “Our goal is to open a 24-hour, low-cost veterinary clinic that will operate on a sliding scale. People unable to pay will be asked to donate their time. I believe owners have a stake in the care of their pets and will help to offset costs if given an opportunity.”

When an adopter contacted The Cat Shack to take back her beloved calico cat named “Zoe” because she could no longer afford the cat’s veterinary treatments, the cat rescue offered hope.

“When I sent the e-mail to The Cat Shack asking them if I could return Zoe, I cried and cried,” recalls Zoe’s owner. “We were terrified that she would be bounced from home to home or euthanized, but we couldn’t afford her veterinary care.”

Clifford arranged for the rescue’s veterinarian, who charges no examination fee and offers a 25 percent discount on her services, to evaluate Zoe. The veterinarian diagnosed bladder inflammation, and The Cat Shack provided special litter and medication to help with the urination anxiety that contributed to the cat’s illness. Thanks to The Cat Shack’s help, Zoe was able to stay in her home.

“Zoe is as happy as can be now,” says the relieved owner. “This is definitely the outcome we wanted.”

Another time The Cat Shack came to the aid of a single mother who had lost her job and was forced to move in with her mother, who was not thrilled about the prospect of her bringing her pregnant gray tabby cat named “Lexi.”

“Just before we moved, Lexi escaped and became pregnant,” the woman says. “I couldn’t afford kittens, but I didn’t want to take them to the local shelter.”

The Cat Shack “arranged to have Lexi spayed and vaccinated and found homes for three of the six kittens,” Clifford says. “We also gave the woman food for Lexi and the remaining kittens, which she is able to keep. Though her mother initially didn’t want Lexi to move in and was even less thrilled about the kittens, she ended up falling in love with all the cats.

“We plan to stay in touch with this woman and help her spay and neuter the remaining kittens when they are old enough.”

Preventing Pet Abandonment
Abandoned cats are becoming more common. As people lose their homes due to foreclosures, they sometimes release their cats to fare for themselves outdoors or leave them in vacated houses. Many people are forced to move in with relatives or to housing complexes that do not allow pets.

Such was the case with a beautiful red marble tabby with huge green eyes lovingly nicknamed “Big Red.” Feline Friendz found Big Red with tiny peck holes on top of his head from starlings that attacked him while he was trying to forage for food from a dumpster.

“He was declawed and neutered and obviously had no clue how to function on his own,” says Feline Friendz’s Hamn. “He was found near an area where there had been a number of foreclosures. We placed Big Red in foster care and in less than three months he was adopted.”

ASRI, the Westfield, Mass., organization, has begun partnering with local real estate companies to help prevent pet abandonment in foreclosures in a program called No Pet Left Behind. ASRI helps supply food so people can keep their animals, and the real estate agencies work to place animals that must be given up in no-kill shelters until suitable homes can be found. The program helps to increase awareness of the prevalence of abandoned cats due to foreclosed homes.

“The realtors have seen firsthand what happens when pets are left behind in a house for weeks with no food and water,” Perry says. “By working together we hope to make a difference and reduce pet abandonment.”

Johnson, the director of Stray Cat Rescue Associates of Minnesota, says a bank representative or real estate agent typically goes by foreclosed properties within a couple of weeks after a property is foreclosed. This is when abandoned cats are discovered, and they call us, she says.

“We’ve dealt with cats from four foreclosed properties in the past week alone,” Johnson says. “One person threw his cats outside and then the neighbors called us. It’s overwhelming. We had a wind chill of minus 60 degrees two weeks ago, the coldest temperatures we’ve had in over 30 years.”

Even though the number of owner-surrenders has spiked up, keeping cats in homes — at least until a new home can be found — is generally the goal of cat rescues. One way rescue organizations are helping is by posting courtesy listings on their Web sites. Posting online photographs and descriptions of cats available for adoption helps to increase the likelihood of finding a new home while also allowing the cat whenever possible to stay comfortably in its current home.

“We also encourage owners to try and keep their cat in their circle of family and friends in hope they may eventually reunite,” says Hamn. “This means asking people if they can provide temporary care. We also encourage people to advertise their cat in their church bulletin or newsletter. They should get creative in trying to find a new home for their cat, hopefully a temporary home.”

Though times are hard, with a little help from cat rescue organizations, friends and family, owners can sometimes find workable solutions that allow them to keep their beloved cats. Doing without in a tight economy shouldn’t also mean doing without a special cat companion.

Keeping Cats in Homes
As more people are forced to give up their pets because they can no longer afford to care for them, here are ways rescue organizations can help.

• People may be reluctant to admit they can no longer financially afford their cat. Keep asking questions to get to the heart of the problem.
• Offer your rescue organization’s discounted veterinary services whenever possible.
• Encourage community donations of food and litter, and be sure donators understand their gifts allow cats to stay in struggling homes.
• Offer hope by reassuring owners you will do everything you can to help them keep their pets in their home.
• Encourage owners to try and keep cats “in their circle” of friends and family in the event they may be reunited once things are better.
• Keep a ready list of pet friendly apartments and condominiums and partner with real estate agencies to discourage owners from abandoning cats due to foreclosures.
• Offer to post courtesy photos and profiles of owner-surrendered cats on your Web site and encourage owners to keep their cat in their home until a new home is found.
• Partner with local agencies that run food banks and see if you can collect pet food to be distributed through their already established channels.