Blogi

In the last few years, Rekku Rescue has received an increasing number of adoption enquiries from non-Finnish speakers. To accomodate this welcomed change, we’ve put together a series of blog posts that answer the most frequently asked questions we receive from the public.

Part one focuses on questions relating to our cat adoption process and in part two we will answer questions about finding just the right cat for you. Part three will focus on dog adoption process.

Q: How can I adopt a cat from Rekku Rescue?

A: Adopting a cat from our organization is a three-step process. First, you’ll need to visit our homeless cats page, https://rekkurescue.com/elaimet/kissat/kodittomat/ and find a cat that seems suitable for you. Once you’ve found a cat that you feel is right for you, please fill out the enquiry form found at the bottom of each cat’s page. On the form we ask you some questions regarding your current life situation, your previous experience with cats as well as your reasons for applying for the cat in question. At Rekku Rescue, we make every effort to match you with an animal that is most suited for you, and therefore it’s important to fill out the form as accurately and detailed as possible. This helps our volunteers do their work and makes the process quicker for you as well.

One of our adoption coordinators will contact you usually within a week from the day you’ve sent the enquiry form. Please understand that we are a volunteer based organization and we may not be able to check e-mails every day. Our adoption coordinators answer all applications as soon as possible. If you haven’t received a reply in a week, please check your junk mail folder.

The second step of our adoption process is a phone interview that one of our adoption coordinators will set up with you via e-mail. During the interview you will be asked some routine questions and the adoption coordinator will also discuss with you the individual character, behavior and needs of the cat you are interested in. The purpose of the interview is to give us an idea as to what kind of a home you could provide the cat as well as for you to receive more information to help you decide if you want to continue the adoption process.

Once you’ve spoken to an adoption coordinator about the cat you are interested in, the adoption coordinator will discuss the matter with the cat’s foster carer and together they will decide whom to invite for a home visit. If you would like to continue with the adoption process as well, arrangements will be then made for you to meet the cat at his or her foster home.

Please note that we will reserve the cat for you only after the visit to the foster home and once an adoption decision has been made.

Q: I have enquired about a cat. Why haven’t you contacted me?

A: All of our adoption coordinators are volunteers, who work in our organization in their spare time, often around work and other commitments, so sometimes there can be a delay in response. We usually recommend allowing up to seven days for someone to respond to your enquiry. If it has been longer than this, you can try contacting the cat’s adoption coordinator during their calling hours or via e-mail.

Q: If I am the first one to apply for a certain animal, will I get to adopt him/her?

A: We do not adopt out animals on a first-come, first-served basis. Our goal is to find the best match for the animals in our care, and while being first can sometimes help, it’s not a guarantee. If the first home candidate is not quite right for the animal in question, we will wait for more applications. We commit to being as open and honest about the selection process as we can and always give an explanation why we think a certain animal is not suitable for you.

Q: What does your adoption fee cover?

A: All our cats receive a health check up at the veterinarian and are spayed or neutered, vaccinated at least once as well as microchipped before being rehomed. Cats over the age of 10 months will also be tested for FIV and FeLV.
We also treat all of our cats’ current health issues and place them up for adoption only once the cat is healthy or has a working care-plan for a chronic illness.

During their time in foster care, we also cover the costs for all of our animals’ feed, toys and other supplies, and in the case of our cats, their litter.

Q: I can’t seem to find any suitable cats to adopt on the website. What can I do?

A: A pet is a long-term family member, so we recommend that you take time to find a cat that is just the right fit for you or your family. We have new cats coming into our care regularly, but some of them might not be featured on the website yet. Therefore you might want to check our website again at a later date to see if any new adoptable cats have been updated. Unfortunately we can’t accept open applications, since we don’t have enough volunteer resources to go through them.

Emmi Räikkönen

Adoption coordinator