08/21/2026
FYI: I agree with this policy. I've taken a lot of indignation and accusation by people clearly offended over it. That's okay, but I have to be a realist. I won't adopt a kitten or a puppy myself at my age. It's not necessarily that it might outlive me --it might--but because I may not be able to handle all of it's needs in 23 more years, which was the age of my oldest cat when he passed away. Every adopter needs a legacy plan. None of us is guaranteed to be here tomorrow.
That being said, people who are older do amazing work for rescue. In many cases they take on burdens and workload that younger adults just aren't doing, maybe because they don't have the time, the bandwidth or maybe they don't have a passion for it. The great love, labor and generosity of people well past retirement age--any and all ages really--many who are life long rescuers is such a gift. We are truly grateful for their devotion, help, and dedication. ❤🙏🫶
Today I want to talk about a subject that has come up multiple times in recent days … POLICY. My policies. . . CCATS Policy.
My Policies Are Not Personal. They Are About the Animals.
I have dedicated my life to animals in need.
For more than a decade, I have run CCATS Rescue. The policies and procedures I have put in place aren’t arbitrary, and they aren’t based on one bad experience. They come from years of hands-on rescue, years of watching what happens to animals when things go wrong, and the wisdom of the people who mentored me along the way.
I don’t rescue a cat just to put that cat in a home.
I rescue them to find the right home.
A home where they will be loved. Where they will receive enrichment, proper nutrition, a safe environment and the veterinary care they need throughout their lives.
You do not have to be wealthy to adopt from CCATS. I am not looking for perfection, and I am not expecting anyone to have unlimited resources.
But you do need to have the ability to provide the basics and the foresight to understand that life happens.
Cats need food. They need litter. They need vaccinations and routine veterinary care. They get sick. They get injured. Things happen. Veterinary care is not optional simply because it is inconvenient or unexpected.
And sometimes protecting an animal means making decisions that people don’t like.
One of my policies is that I do not place kittens with senior citizens.
I know that policy can be uncomfortable for some people to hear. It isn’t because I believe older people can’t be wonderful pet owners. They absolutely can.
It is because kittens can live 20+ years.
I have seen what happens when an elderly owner dies and the cat is suddenly left behind. I’ve seen cats thrown outside because the family members who were supposed to take them didn’t. I’ve seen cats placed into unfamiliar homes without anyone considering the tremendous grief they were experiencing.
And I’ve seen cats become so devastated by the loss of their person that, despite everyone’s efforts, they stopped eating and ultimately died from the consequences of that grief.
Those experiences stay with you.
So when I make an adoption decision, I am not just thinking about whether the person standing in front of me would make a wonderful owner today.
I’m thinking about what happens to that animal five, ten, fifteen or even twenty years from now.
That’s my job.
Another policy is that I will not place a cat into a home where providing the basic necessities—food, litter, vaccinations and appropriate veterinary care—would place an unreasonable financial burden on the household.
That should be common sense.
Unfortunately, after seeing far too many animals suffer because it wasn’t, I will be the person who says no.
My policies are in place for a reason.
If you don’t agree with them, that’s okay. There are other rescues and organizations whose policies may be different and whose adoption requirements may be a better fit for you.
But please don’t ask me to bend my policies for you.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a stranger, a longtime friend, or family.
My policy is my policy.
Not because I enjoy saying no.
Not because I think I’m better than anyone.
And certainly not because I don’t care.
Quite the opposite.
I say no because I care deeply about what happens to that animal after it leaves my care.
My responsibility isn’t to make every person who wants a cat happy.
My responsibility is to make the best possible decision for the cat.
That is my passion. That is why CCATS exists. And that is what I will continue to fight for.
If you know me personally, you know this.
If you’ve followed CCATS, you know this.
I am not looking for perfection in people. I know none of us are perfect.
But there are certain expectations that must be met when you are taking responsibility for another living being.
When those expectations cannot be met, my answer will be no.
And I will stand by that answer—even when saying it is difficult, even when someone is angry with me, and even when the person asking is someone I love.
Because when it comes down to it, the animal doesn’t get to speak for themselves.
So I have to.
And I will.
