There are different reasons why you may think it's necessary to look for another home for an animal. Keep in mind that finding a home for an animal can take time, so it's important to plan ahead and to explore every possibility. The first step is to make sure that re-homing is the only option. If you are moving, look for a new home that accepts animals -- there are pet-friendly landlords in every city. Even if a landlord says that pets are not allowed, it may be possible to negotiate and offer an additional pet deposit. 

If there are no other options available and re-homing your animal is absolutely necessary, the best place to start looking for a home is within your network of family and friends. Use social media and local groups that you participate in to post information and photos of your animal. In addition, Infinite Hope may be able to help by posting photos and a bio online. We will need several good-quality photos of the animals (good quality photos make a huge difference in catching the eye of potential adopters!) and a description of the animal, including age, personality, and any special needs. The animal should be up to date on veterinary care before posting.

Deciding on the best thing to do really depends on a number of factors -- including the age of the kittens and the location where you find them. Kittens that are older than 8 weeks are much more difficult to socialize and they may need to be TNR'ed and cared for as outdoor cats. Kittens that are younger than 8 weeks can become used to people and adopted into homes, if they are taken into foster care and socialized. Alley Cat Allies has a great kitten progression guide to help you to estimate the age of kittens. If you find newborn kittens and you do not see their mom in the area, don't assume that they have been abandoned. The mom may be out looking for food and may be cautious about returning to the kittens if she sees you in the area. You can read more about finding newborn kittens at the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals. Contact Infinite Hope if you have questions or to see if we have room in our foster network for young kittens.

Spaying and Neutering saves lives! ! Spaying and Neutering is the most important way to reduce the number of animals in shelters and pet overpopulation. This routine procedure allows your pet to lead a longer happier life by preventing many medical and behavioral issues. Spaying and neutering increases health by reducing risk to breast cancer, infections of the uterus, testicular and prostate cancer and other medical conditions. This common medical procedure won't change your pets personality but can help reduce certain behaviors such as inappropriate urination and marking, howling, and roaming.

There are many reasons to adopt from a shelter or rescue organization. By adopting through a shelter you are saving lives and helping to reduce pet overpopulation.  Many rescue groups have a broad range of pets to choose from know a lot about the personality of the pet and are able to find a good match for your home. The rescue group or shelter will provide your pet with basic vet care and spay/neuter as part of the adoption. By adopting a homeless pet you reduce the demand for kitten and puppy mills where animals are often treated cruelly.

Indoor cats live longer and healthier lives. By keeping your cat indoors you eliminate major risks such as being hit by a car, being exposed to FIV or Feline Leukemia, dog attacks and cat fights, getting lost and myriad other dangers.

There are several options for getting certified in TNR (Trap Neuter Return). Visit the NYC Feral Cat Initiative and Neighborhood Cats for more information about workshops throughout the NYC area that you can attend to learn about TNR and become certified. Becoming certified gives you access to trap banks, animal transport assistance, and free spay/neuter appointments with the ASPCA (a rescue agreement with the ASPCA is required for these appointments).

Infinite Hope has a policy to adopt young kittens in pairs or to homes where there is already a cat for company. Kittens learn appropriate play and socialization from their litter mates and other playmates, and greatly benefit from the stimulation of other cats. We believe that it is best for a kitten's behavioral and social development to have the companionship of another kitten or cat for this reason. We have found that kittens who do not get appropriate feline interactions can sometimes develop problematic behaviors. Here's a some additional insight from the Kitten Lady's website: "One of the most important ways we can support the behavioral and emotional development of a kitten is to make sure they’ve got a friend. Despite the common belief that cats are solitary animals, they’re actually incredibly social beings who thrive when they have feline friends from an early age. It may come as a surprise to hear this, but two kittens are actually half the work of one! Giving your kitten a buddy will improve the lives of the cats while also making your life easier."

Learn more about our adoption process here