FAQ

Surgery FAQs

  • When do I drop off/pick up for surgery?
    • Drop off is between 8am and 9am on the day of your appointment. Please call if you are running late, and call when you arrive in our parking lot! Pick up will be the same day, around 3pm (staff will notify you if that time varies), and we’ll call you only if your pet is ready before the pickup time!
  • Do I need to administer pain medication after surgery?
    • No, pain medication was administered while your pet was under anesthesia and lasts for 48 hours!
  • Is there a difference in recovery times for males and females?
    • Yes, females generally take longer to recover since their surgery is a little more invasive compared to males. You can expect your pet to be a little sleepy/lethargic the night after their surgery, but males tend to bounce back 1-3 days after their surgery. Try to limit jumping and excessive playing for the first 1-2 days regardless of gender (at least 4-5 days for females). Keep an eye on your female’s incision site (located on the stomach) for at least a week following surgery; if you notice redness/discharge from the incision, contact us for an appointment/medication! 
  • What form of payment do you accept?
    • We accept credit/debit cards and cash.
  • If I have two cats, should I bring them in the same carrier or separate carriers?
    • We require that every cat be brought in a humane and secure carrier for their appointment. For multiple cats, you should bring them each in their own carrier
  • Do I need to bring an e-collar or surgery suit?
    • You don’t need to bring either to your appointment, and we usually only recommend using them if you notice your female licking at the incision site. We do not have e-collars/surgery suits for purchase, so you would have to purchase your own if needed!

Questions/Concerns? Email ca*******@ya***.com or Call Us at (708)-352-3914

Adoption FAQs

  • How much do cats/kittens cost at your facility?
    • The adoption fee is $100 for adults, $125 for kittens and $200 for two adults/pair of kittens! You can always check out our special events and reduced pricing events by visiting our Facebook page or website!
  • How does the Foster to Adopt (FTA) process work?
    • You can take home your new best friend the same day, but we won’t have you pay the adoption fee just yet! Instead, you’ll enter a two week trial period to make sure it’s the right fit/the new cat gets along with any existing pets. During the two weeks, you’re welcome to reach out via email to our vet with any health/behavior concerns. If for whatever reason you feel like it’s not working out, we will always take our cat back. If you decide to finalize the adoption, we’ll set up a surgery (spay/neuter) appointment, which includes vaccines, microchip and the surgery (all included in the adoption fee)! 
  • What if I take home a fully vetted (fixed, up to date on vaccines, tested for FIV/FeLV) cat?
    • If you take home a fully vetted cat, you’ll still go through the two week trial period with us to make sure it’s the right fit. After the trial period, you won’t need to bring the cat back to us, and will pay the adoption fee over the phone or in person. Medical records/information will be emailed within a few days after finalizing. 
  • Should I use CatNap for veterinary services during the trial period?
    • Yes, we provide all medical treatment until the adoption is finalized. After that, we recommend that you get your own full-service vet. 
  • Where can I find adoptable cats/kittens?
    • You can check out our PetFinder (for in house cats) or Facebook (for Saturday cats/featured cats)!
  • Do you recommend taking two cats or one?
    • If possible, we always recommend that you take home two cats/kittens (especially siblings)! Bonded pairs help each other through the transition of moving into a new house, which can be a stressful time. In addition, pairs can keep each other busy when you’re not home/busy, so there is less mischievous behavior! We firmly believe that two is better than one, both physically and mentally in the long run! 
  • What food is my cat/kitten on?
    • Our cats eat two different types of food; wet and dry. For dry food, we use Kitten IAMS (purple bag) or Adult IAMs (orange bag). If you decide to switch to a different food, make sure you do it slowly and mix the new food in with the old so you avoid an upset stomach. We always leave out a bowl of dry food and water 24/7, since cats are good at regulating their appetites. We feed our cats wet food once a day, but you’re welcome to do it once a day, twice a day or no wet food. Our cats will eat any brand/flavor of wet food (but we typically recommend that you avoid seafood flavors for kittens as it can upset their stomach)

Questions/Concerns? Email ca*******@ya***.com or Call Us at (708)-352-3914

Fostering FAQs

  • How is the foster process different from the adoption process? 

Fostering differs from the Foster to Adopt process in many ways. First of all, we typically recommend that you foster kittens/young cats who need socialization (to prepare for adoption). It is up to you how many kittens you can handle (even one makes a difference!), and we’ll work with you to find the perfect match. There is also no two-week trial period, so we ask you to prepare for a 1-3 month foster period.

  • How do I prepare my foster for adoptions?
    • Start off small with socializing and behavior. We want each and every kitten to seamlessly transition into their adoptive family’s home, so it’s important to give your new foster all the time they need to adjust to life in a home. Next, depending on your family, we recommend seeing how fosters do with other pets or kids in the household. Knowing that your foster does well with other pets/kids can make a huge difference in the amount of time they spend waiting for a forever home (considerably less).
  • How do I bring my foster in for adoptions?
    • We have fosters bring their kittens in on Saturdays for adoptions, which run from 11-3 pm. After your foster has adjusted to the home and no health issues are present, reach out to our vet’s email and inquire about bringing your foster in on Saturday. We only adopt out kittens that are 9 weeks or older, healthy and up to date on booster vaccines, so it’s important to ask before bringing your kitten in. 
    • You’ll drop off your foster kitten any time before 11am on Saturday and provide a name and phone number for our adoption counselors. It’s up to you what kind of enclosure you choose for your kittens, whether it be a carrier, pop up playpen or other safe space. If your kittens are adopted, great! You’re welcome to pick up your enclosure the same day or whenever’s convenient. If your kitten doesn’t find their forever home (and you haven’t arranged for them to stay), pickup will be between 2:45-3pm. 
  • What if my foster turns into a foster fail?
    • No worries! We understand that some kittens become part of your home, and are impossible to let go. In that case, you would follow our Foster to Adopt program, where you set up surgery with us and pay the adoption fee afterwards. 

Questions/Concerns? Email ca*******@ya***.com or Call Us at (708)-352-3914

Low-Cost Clinic/Intake FAQs

  • What services do you provide?
    • We offer low cost spay/neuter services as well as vaccine appointments and nail trims. 
  • How do I book a surgery appointment?
    • Give us a call during our open hours to inquire about booking. We usually open up appointments one month at a time after ensuring that we have space to vet our in-house cats. If we are fully booked for surgeries, please check our Rescue Resources tab!
  • What is the cost of your services?
    • $80 for spays (female), $70 for neuters (male)
    • $10 for booster vaccine (recommended annually), $10 for 1 year rabies, $20 for 3 year rabies
    • $10 for nail trims
    • We take cash, credit cards or debit cards
  • What other clinics can you recommend for spaying/neutering?
    • Low Cost: Hinsdale Humane Society, Spay Illinois
    • Not Low Cost: Countryside Vet Center, Elmhurst Animal Care Center
  • When do I bring my cat in for vaccines/nail trims?
    • You can bring them in anytime between 10-2pm at your convenience. Give us a call when you arrive, and we’ll bring you a Treatment Consent Form to fill out. 
  • Can I bring in my cat for an emergency medical issue?
    • As a low cost clinic, we only provide spay/neuter/vaccine appointments. We don’t have diagnostic equipment such as X-Rays, ultrasound, etc., so you would need to check out a full service vet/emergency vet
  • Can I walk in to surrender my cat to you whenever you’re open?
    • No, we always require you to call ahead for an intake appointment, so we can ensure that we have enough cages available. Please do not bring your can for intake without calling ahead and clearing it with staff. 
  • Will I have to fill out paperwork when I arrive to surrender my cat?
    • Yes, staff will have you fill out a quick Intake form with the pets name and your information/signature. We ask that you bring any/all cats in a carrier so we can evaluate/vaccinate if needed. 
  • What other resources can you offer for a cat/cats that I need to surrender?
    • Paws Chicago is an amazing resource that helps find homes for pets in the hopes of preventing euthanasia/overcrowded shelters. If you go on their website (pawschicago.org) and look under their resource tab, you’ll find a list of shelters near your location with a list of shelters near your location. The list shows if the shelters are kill/no-kill, so you can find the right place for your furry friend. 
  • Do you take in stray/feral cats?
    • Unfortunately, we do not accept stray/feral cats. We have teenage volunteers that clean cages and work with our cats, so we need to protect them as well as our staff/in-house cats. We typically refer people to Triple R, a stray/feral specific rescue group that may have resources/availability to help you out. You can reach them at (708)-738-1438

Questions/Concerns? Email ca*******@ya***.com or Call Us at (708)-352-3914

I’ve found a kitten outside in the Chicagoland area, what do I do?

There are two considerations when you find a very young kitten:

  • Is the kitten’s mother still around? DON’T KITTENAP THE KITTENS! Often “motherless” kittens actually have a mother nearby,,,they should not be removed. Monitor the area from a distance over several hours (at least through the following morning) to see if the mother returns. If the kittens seem dirty, with flat bellies, dehydrated, or have been crying for several hours, intervene sooner.
  • How old is the kitten? Kittens younger than 4 weeks need to be bottle fed kitten formula (do NOT feed them milk or water) and keep them warm. If you are sure the kitten doesn’t have a mother, contact an animal welfare organization to get them to safety. Time is of the essence because very young kittens need to be fed up to every 2 hours. If the kitten is older than 4 weeks, they require fewer interventions but should still be turned over to an animal rescue and welfare organization for care and adoption ASAP.

I’ve found an adult cat outside in the Chicagoland area, what do I do?

When you find a cat outside, before taking any steps you want to evaluate if the cat is a community cat, feral cat, or a stray from a home. And as always, do not approach an outside cat without taking proper precautions to protect from bites, scratches, or other injury to you or the cat.

  • If the cat is extremely fearful, hides, hisses, or is aggressive when you move into its space, the cat is likely unsocialized and TNR should be practiced to keep cat population under control and healthy. Unsocialized (sometimes known as “feral”) cats fear humans and can not be placed in human homes for adoption.  
  • If you is not aggressive when you are near it, the cat is likely a community cat and TNR should be practiced to keep the colony population healthy. Community cats have been exposed to humans but still might not be able to placed for adoption. Some animal rescues have barn or farm cat programs, which might also be an option for community cats.
  • If the cat is friendly, comes up to you and asks for pets, rubs up against you, walks with their tail in the air, or comes out when you feed them, the cat is likely a stray and has been socialized with people. Stray cats should be taken to a vet or animal control to be scanned for a microchip. If they aren’t chipped, they can be turned over to a rescue organization for adoption.