I don't know if this is true in other places, but around here, Freecycle works very well for adoption of kittens and older dogs and cats. I know that some Freecycle forums don't allow animals in their posts and I am not sure why that is true. Try it anyway.

People who would love a pet and can't afford the amount that shelters charge will often come to your rescue.

We had two bad experiences with Craiglist...One too sad to talk about
The other, a lady adopted out a kitten through Craiglist without spaying the kitty...and people returned the cat back pregnant, a year ago :[

Craiglist/Freecycle does work if you S/N first and ask the people adopting to reimburse you

I foster kittens, and they do go into the shelter where they sit in the cages before they get adopted...But at the end, they do get adopted ( it is a no kill shelter) and to me, this is worth the wait for them

8 week old kittens will go fast :)

Before I started working with the local shelter, I would post fliers at vet offices and adopted a few kittens out like that - worth the try :)

We do have one rescue group (St Francis Animal Rescue)..they do not have a location/shelter, so they let fosters bring their "kids" to show them at Petsmart on weekends..I wonder if you have groups like that around?

Good luck!
Olya

Continue working with the rescue and ask them about showing the adult female, especially since she's so sweet. As you know, adult cats... not to mention the fact she's black...... are difficult to adopt out. Maybe she'll work her way into your clan! : )

I don't know how your rescue group works but the one I worked with had fosters for the cats when they weren't being shown on weekends. And those that didn't have fosters were usually let out into a play area so they could stretch and move around.

As Olya mentioned........the kittens have a better chance the sooner you show them.

oh boy, newhomeseeker, we are two of a kind! My cats were also the longest residents at the shelter, and I, too, cannot stand seeing a cat or kitten for weeks in a cage. Fortunately, our shelter does not keep many in a cage.
I am the wrong one to talk sense into you... but I would say.. why don't you put an ad at your workplace, or at places in your neighborhood that you know well enough: pet store, grocery store, your vet's, your church (?).. etc. An ad in the paper? Don't be afraid to specify they need to go together, and explain why. You can do the same thing for the black one, but as you well know, these are always the last ones to be adopted. If you let your heart speak in the descriptions of these 3 cats, you may touch the right person. This is what I would try first... Here, I would trust the shelter to do their best. But, still, that would be as a last resort as they are just OVERCROWDED!
Best wishes to your "porch" cats,
Anne-Marie

If people can't afford to pay a rescue or shelter fee for a pet then they shouldn't even be considering a pet. Anyone who is a responsible pet owner knows there is no such thing as a free pet and anyone looking for a free pet has no intention of spaying/neutering or giving any type of regular pet care to the animal they get for "free."

Whatever you do, do not advertise them as "free." Also, before you adopt them out, check out references for past or current vet, work, home (own or rent), etc. Always charge an adoption fee. Have them sign an adoption agreement that they are expected to get the kitten spayed/netuered by 4 months of age.

If you google you can find sample adoption applications that rescuer's and shelters use. You can print them out and use them yourself.

If I adopt out a young kittten or puppy, I specify a date for their spay/neuter surgery and it is written that if the person fails to get the animal spayed/neutered on that day, they are to contact me to set another date. If they fail to have the animal spayed/neutered, I go retrieve the animals. Thank goodness I've only had to do this twice.

When people adopt animals out and don't ensure their spay or neuter than it's like the rescue was in vain because they will be out multiplying and adding more and more numbers to the population

Because I'm so leary of everyone who wants to adopt, I for the most part, only adopt to previous pet owners. It just gives me peace of mind when I can call their vet and learn that they have been excellent pet owners. Let's face it, if they bring an animal to the vet at regular intervals and when it's ill, that's a pretty good indication they will be a responsible pet owner. I have adopted to first time pet owners but, I did put them through the ringer to ensure they were responsible and ready for a pet.

I understand how you've gotten attached. It's so easy to do. Good luck.

Whatever you do, do not advertise them as "free."
I hope I did not imply this in my previous post.

If people can't afford to pay a rescue or shelter fee for a pet then they shouldn't even be considering a pet. Anyone who is a responsible pet owner knows there is no such thing as a free pet and anyone looking for a free pet has no intention of spaying/neutering or giving any type of regular pet care to the animal they get for "free."
I do agree with you. People do not realize how much they get from the fee to the shelter/rescue group! (at our local shelter: vaccinations, health check, spay/neuter and a free visit at a participating vet's). If they can't afford that fee, then, this is no solution for the cat.

YET, newhomeseeker, you might find someone you know (from work, relatives, neighborhood, church) that you can trust. There would be nothing wrong in "giving them" away--but, of course, I would not advertise them as such.
Best of luck, and keep us posted.
Anne-Marie

Kittens generally go pretty fast from shelters so I doubt your kittens would be there very long. It's the older cats that seem to stay at the shelters longer. Everyone wants a kitten, so I'd think if you could get them there as soon as they're weaned, they'll probably find good homes.

Let me relay a story about a pup I adopted out and how it came back to me because I didn't check out the person thoroughly. I took the word of a fellow rescuer when she sent this woman to me to adopt the puppy. My thought was if she's being sent over by a fellow rescuer than surely she's a good pet owner, right? WRONG!! The woman already owned a dog, who was 7 years old. Good sign, the dog lasted that long. I didn't check her vet reference and just had her fill out the application and handed the dog over to her. She and the daughter went on and on pretending to really care about the dog and had me believing they were going to be the perfect owners.

The pup was already spayed before I adopted her out so that was not an issue. The other requirment whenever I adopt out a large dog or a dog with issues. is that they have to be brought to obedience school. So two months after she adopted the puppy I checked in with her to see if she had brought the puppy to obedience school. When I called I was not prepared for what I learned. First thing she tells me is the dog does not listen and it's still not housetrained. Then she tells me the dog is "afraid" of her son. Bells went off when she made that statement since the dog left my house not afraid of anyone or anything. First thing came to mind is the boy is abusing the dog. Lastly, the puppy hadn't been to obedience school and no, she had not started in on HW preventative. I asked her when would be a good time for me to come pick up the dog since she obviously couldn't care for it and had broken the adoption agreement. She told me anytime would be fine. I rushed over there and picked up the dog. Poor little dog was so, so happy to see me. Because I didn't know what she had suffered at the hands of this woman and her kids, I was afraid the dog would now have major issues. My worry was unfounded becasue as soon as she saw my husband she went crazy with excitement. When she saw her brother Brutus she was tickled to see him and they hit it off like they'd never been apart. Here is a photo of them watching a squirrel skirt along the telehone line.

Anyway, my point is, don't take anyone's word and when I say anyone, I mean anyone. Unless you know the person has a pet or has had a pet that they take excellent care of, don't let "oh I just love them" be the words that seal the deal. Those words are worthless, believe me.

I've seen more people mistreat and abuse animals who were very willing to express "oh, I just love animals." The sad truth is you cannot take anyone's word when it comes to adopting animals out.

Lastly, I do not allow my kittens or cats to be declawed so that of course cuts down on my pool of potential adopter's also. If this is a point with you, then make sure the potential owner knows this before you even get into the interview process. Good luck

Sorry, I forgot to post the photo.

That is why I want to send them thru the rescue. You have to pay $100 to adopt a kitten and it is spayed and has its shots. I don't want to give them away because you run the risk of someone whose kid wants a kitten cause it is cute and then it will end up outside and discarded like my black porch kitty. If someone is PAYING a fee for a pet they are more likely to be serious about adopting and caring for one (hopefully). Thanks for the responses. I just want these babies to have good homes.

Yes, be really careful to ensure the kittens go to a good home. When we found our lab 4 years ago (the people he used to belong to moved and left him behind to fend for himself), we tried really hard to find a good home for him. Someone we know highly recommended a friend of hers, who called me the next day. This woman initially sounded great, but the more I talked to her, the more I thought "HELL NO".

Her two previous dogs had escaped from her yard (probably because of boredom because she she worked 9 hours a day and had a 2 hour commute). One of them was never found, and the second was hit by a car. She told me that was especially traumatic because the dog was pregnant and she was going to sell the puppies. I still can't believe our acquaintance recommended this woman!! I called her after I talked to the woman and told her there was no way we would ever let her friend have the dog. She was angry, but I didn't care. So, we ended up keeping him and are very happy we did. :o)

petra, I contacted the rescuer who referred this bad pet owner to me and told her what happened and told her I couldn't believe she recommended this woman. Her retort was, "well you should have checked her out." Yes, I know that now!! I thought she'd be upset by the woman's irresponsible pet care, but she wasn't. I then realized not everyone's standards of pet care are necessarily the same as mine.

brutuses, I told the woman who recommended her why we would not let her friend have the dog, and she acted like we were too picky!! Some people just shouldn't have pets.

or children. LOL

Might you consider bringing the black cat into your home, or are you at your limit? If you are thinking you can't bc the cats won't all get along, you can get them to get along eventually if you work at it. All 5 of my cats were rescued from different locations and at different times, and they all get along just fine. I know ... 5 cats! ... hair everywhere ... but they ARE just so precious to me.

I had considered bringing her inside but I'm really at my limit! It wouldn't be fair to my four kitties (I promised them it would only be the three of them a few years ago and then last summer (4th of July weekend actually) I was down by my mailbox and a little bundle of gray fur shot out of a bush and climbed up my leg, crying loudly the whole time. That is when I added #4. I tried to find a good home for her but became so attached to this LOUD whiny NEEDY little baby girl that I couldn't give her up. Now, at 11 lbs she is still my "little" baby girl. The four of them get along great but I don't think this black cat would be a good addition. She is very aggressive with other cats (even through the doors and windows she tries to attack my inside cats.) She is very sweet with people though. I used to have a solid black cat when I lived with my parents. My uncle found him dangling off the side of a major bridge and he stopped his truck and got out and rescued him. Someone had tried to throw this kitten over the bridge. He would not let anyone pick him up but he was a good cat and lived to be almost 15. He could open bedroom doors and also the pantry door to get his own crunchies.

There is currently a cat at the rescue that has been there 2 years (longest of any cat there) I really wish I could adopt her! But I have to keep capacity at four because I don't want any of them to get too stressed.

And as hard as it is, the kittens and the mother cat are going to the rescue at the end of the week.