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In recent years, “open adoptions” have become a growing trend in the animal welfarefield. This approach bases adoption decisions more on conversations with potentialadopters and an assessment of individual needs rather than a standard set of criteria.Other new trends include “same day” adoptions where decisions are made by screeningthe adopter but without home visits or checking references. “No fee” adoptions, whereadopters are screened but no adoption fee is charged, are also becoming more common.The primary rationale for these approaches, which are more flexible than traditionalmethods, is it’s more important to get the cats out of shelters where the risk of euthanasiais high than to find perfect homes.While these approaches may have great value for the animal welfare field as a whole,in our view they are best implemented by shelters and experienced rescue groups whohandle large volumes of cats and dogs. We do not believe they are appropriate forindividual caretakers who may only ever adopt out a handful of cats or kittens and lackexperience making the kind of judgments required with these more liberal approaches.Instead, in order to protect the cat, we recommend caretakers follow certain predeterminedprocedures before doing adoptions on their own.First, when someone expresses a serious interest in adopting a cat in your care, asklots of questions and don’t be afraid to get personal. The right person will understandyou’re trying to help the cat and appreciate it, not be put off. Here’s a checklist ofquestions you can use:1. Is the cat for you or a gift for someone else? If a gift, this is notnecessarily a bad thing, but you’ll want to speak directly to whoeverwould receive the cat, to make sure they want him and will provide a goodhome.2. Do you have a cat now? If yes, ask about his/her health, age, personalityand diet. Is the cat fixed? How the potential adopter treats his current catis likely how he’ll treat yours. Also, is your foster cat a good fit? Arambunctious young male may not be a good companion for an olderfemale used to being alone. Be sure to get a veterinary reference and call.3. Have you had cats in the past? If so, how were they cared for and whathappened to them? Again, get a veterinary reference and check on it. Ifthe person does not have a cat now and never had one, ask about how theyplan on caring for the cat – what kind of food they’ll use, have they linedup a veterinarian, what toys will be in the home? What research have theydone on caring for cats?4. What would you do if your cat scratches the furniture? This question isdesigned to see if a person would immediately think to declaw the cat. AtNeighborhood Cats, we strongly oppose declawing. The procedureinvolves amputating bones and cutting ligaments and tendons, and cancause permanent physical and psychological damage. Often people don’trealize how extensive the surgery is, so if someone mentions declawing,explain the procedure and its risks and see how they react. Also explain143