Cat rescue centre/ rehoming or adopting a cat

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Hi everyone

I have scoured the forum for advice on where to get a kitten/ cat in the Horgen (or greater Zurich) area. All the posts seem to be a few years old and the database that is referenced doesn't exist anymore.

Does anyone have any advice on where to look or contact? In the UK there are often kittens given free to good homes - but I don't know how this would be advertised here.

I'm open to suggestions on this one - please feel free to share your experiences of adopting a cat here, just to prepare me for the journey!

Thanks in advance

2
https://www.zuerchertierschutz.ch/en/home.html

3
Tierheim Pfötli in Winkel (near Bülach), they just advertised a pretty but shy cat (they have other ones too), not all on their website though

4
I got my car from a Tierschutz (SPA in french). They paid for neutering him + necessary vaccinatons + ID chip, but don't forget, the cat isn't yours, it belongs all it's life to the Tierschutz and you have to inform them if it leaves the country or dies. They do that to protect the animal and have power if the cat/dog needs help.

5
It's so sad that the national database closed down, responsibly finding a new pet is definitely more difficult now.

Here is a list, albeit not wholly inclusive, of various Tierheime by canton: simply scroll through and check each listing's website.

http://tierheime.ch/tierheime/index.html

There is also another aggregating site, Tieronline. Be aware that this is a commercial site.

www.tieronline.ch

Good luck with your search!

6
which is a brilliant thing too.

BTW, you also have no right to give away or sell your pet; if for whatever reason you can no longer have it with you, it needs to go back to the SPA who will in turn find it an appropriate new owner.

7
WOW! I did not know this! Thank you for pointing this out to me (I feel a bit silly for not knowing this).

8
The clause retaining ownership is there for the animal's protection, to prevent a repeat of the kind of situation that caused the poor critter to end up homeless in the first place.

In practice for a good owner this clause is not onerous at all; once I had convinced the shelter that I would be the right owner for each of my mutts, what further contact we had was initiated on my part as I became a supporter of the shelter. I've never felt constrained in any way because I am the 'Halter' not the owner. I have made all decisions, major and minor, on my own. When the sad day comes and I know my friend is facing a terminal diagnosis I inform the shelter, and every time the response has been the same - sympathy and trust that I will do the right thing when the time comes.

The retained ownership clause protects the animal from an irresponsible owner. If an irresponsible owner is found to be in egregious violation of one of the conditions of the adoption contract, if the animal is found to be living in abusive conditions, the shelter has the right to take the animal back. If an owner for some reason can no longer care for his pet the shelter will take the animal back, or one could recommend a new owner and the shelter will go through the assessment process with that person, then if they agree do the transfer. Either way, the animal doesn't land on the streets or in inappropriate hands.

Be aware that most shelters will require that a cat be neutered or spayed, baring any medical contraindications of course. This is central to the mission of most rescues, as overpopulation is a main driver of homelessness - and misery, and untimely death. Most will neuter before adoption, but in the case of an animal too young to be neutered many will ask for proof, that is, a letter from the vet, that this has been done at the appropriate age.

It's important that you read, understand, and honestly agree to the contract. Most of the shelter's policies will be on their website, read those before you inquire about an animal. If there is a clause in the contract that you feel you cannot live with, then the answer is simple: adopt elsewhere.

I should point out that AFAIK legal liability remains with the Halter even in a case of retained ownership by the shelter.

But really, the retained ownership clause is something you should be glad to have, it's peace of mind for you, too, knowing that there is always a 'plan B' available to help your pet should the unforeseen happen. It's not something to worry about, seriously.

Anyway, good luck with your search, I wish you and your future furry friend all the best.

9
You can also check in Aargau:

https://www.tierschutz-aargau.ch/

Good luck

10
Just as a heads up - if you work full time and kitty cannot go outside, they may insist on you getting two cats. Furthermore, when I was looking to adopt two cats from the shelter, they refused to let me have kittens because they cannot go outside.

Since I did not feel ready/knowledgeable enough to adopt two senior indoor cats AND I'd been dreaming of owning a certain breed for many years, I bought two kittens from a reputable breeder (who also did a home check and the contract with them is very similar to the one of the Tierschutz).

As a principle, I would always champion adopting a pet rather than buying one, I merely mention the above for the sake of providing additional information. The situation was over seven years ago, so things may have changed, but it is worthwhile investigating what the requirements are before you set your heart on something that may not be feasible.

It is also not advisable to try and fit your pet to your circumstances rather than the other way around - it will not make you or the animal happy. So if you want an indoor only cat, please get a cat that has never known the outside and make sure they have a friend to play with. If kitty can go out, make sure they are spayed/neutered by 4 months at the latest (if you get the cat from the Tierheim, this will be sorted already).

Possibly stating the obvious here, just wanted to put it out there for anyone who may read it at a later stage and who is new to "cats in Switzerland".

The federal department of veterinary affairs has an excellent guide on keeping cats but it is unfortunately only in German.

11
Sure about that bit? I just got a 3 months old kitten and while he wont go out yet (till he is a bit bigger) has the breeder told me that the de-balling is typically done at six months as he ́d be too small before. But its admittedly one of the smaller breeds...

12
Well, it depends. I would agree that waiting until six months is a good idea for various reasons but only if you can guarantee that the cat stays inside until they've been fixed. This can be more of a challenge than some people realise, kittens are fast and agile.

My comment is applicable to a kitten that is being let out from the start, which I would not do anyway as they are not the brightest...

13
May become relevant if you get a 2nd one and make it a mixed-sex couple. If both are mature early, you may not notice and they may have an unintended kind of fun together.

14
Hi all,

I'm in a similar position to the original poster. I'm looking to buy/adopt two cats, and while I'm happily looking at adoption I'm struggling a bit because I'm looking for 'indoor' cats. I was thinking of looking up some reputable breeders, just to get options, but have absolutely no idea how to find one here. If I do end up going that way, I'd be particularly interested in Maine Coons.

Thanks for any help you guys can give!

15
We had to neuter a brother and sister quite early for that very reason, their play fights became less fighty..... the boy was fine but the girl changed from the quick, crafty, leader to a slow, sleepy, lump. She lived to 19 though, probably because she did the minimum of risky behaviours, like going outside or being awake, maybe because she was a vampire cat who sucked the life force of the males (she outlived her brother and 4 other repacement cats..... despite having a fast growing granuloma at 8 years old, I still miss the old girl)

16
I got two lovely (if a little timid) brothers, one year old and indoor cats, from Tierheim Sauber http://tierheim-surber.ch . They have a more ‘find a cat/dog a decent home’ type policy than many shelters I contacted whilst looking (who were basically looking for ‘100% perfect’ homes. They rehome a lot of animals from abroad and quite often have indoor cats, not so much kittens (which I didn’t want because of working full time).

17
Ah, thanks. I've checked out their website before but for some reason it doesn't show any of the cats for me - maybe I'll just send them an email.

18
Their link is still to the (shut down) national database. They are really helpful.

19
This might be a bit far-fetched but you could also consider adopting from abroad.

I'm currently in Bangkok for work and there are many private rescue groups that would be more than happy to work with overseas adopters and help with the necessary paperwork an logistics to bring the animal to Switzerland.

I have volunteered to be a Flight Volunteer (FV) on my next flight back to Switzerland, so any animals that are being adopted can travel on my flight as my "extra luggage".

You'd really be saving lives... there are so many strays here and there is no support from the government. Most of the rescue groups were started by foreigners as Thais, while not generally cruel to animals, don't understand humane treatment. Many kept pets are just locked up the entire time outside. Many locals with outdoor cats and dogs (yes, outdoor dogs) are against neutering their own pets as they think it's against nature, which just increases the stray population. There are lots of cases of puppies and kittens dumped in plastic bags. There are many abandoned pets from expats who've moved away, so it's not just the locals.

For instance, I volunteer for PAWS Bangkok, which has many adult cats available and maybe a few kittens. The organisation keeps the cats for a while for quarantine and socialisation, and they would be able to give you a good idea of the cat's personalities. Kittens would be tougher to get as they would need to be old enough to have their rabies vaccination and test.

Something to consider, I do hope you get a kitten/cat that you love, wherever it's from!

20
Am I the only one who does not find the idea of a dog living outdoors strange? Its certainly more natural than living as a lap dog...