Sign up  www.last-hope.org

Last Hope is a nonprofit no kill rescue run solely by volunteers.  We foster in our home until permanent homes are found.  We are funded totally by donations and adoption fees.  We appreciate your interest and support in becoming a great foster!

We receive some cat food by donation and can provide it to our fosters when available.  If you are fostering a thin, young, or lactating animal, we strongly encourage you to feed it kitten food.  If you have to buy kitten food, make arrangements with one of the coordinator to okay your purchase.  Then when you turn in your receipt, you will be reimbursed.  If it is overweight, try light food to help it lose weight.  When you come to the adoption days, you can find out more on how to get free bags of food and litter. 

How do you start?

First, the cat coordinator will call you with a possible foster.  Only the coordinator may accept animals into Last Hope.  We do take surrenders as well as strays but they must pay a surrender fee.  We do not take cats over 5 years of age, and a coordinator must OK anything over 2 years of age before it becomes a Last Hope cat.  We do not take those that are not using the box, biting or untamed unless it is a young kitten even if you are willing to foster it!  We will usually take cats with illnesses or injuries from being outside or abused, pregnant, or unwanted litters if we have room!  You must remember that we cannot save them all and by filling up foster homes with unadoptable cats, we are turning away very adoptable ones!  The coordinator will explain all she knows about the animal(s).  If you agree to foster the animal(s) you will pick it up at our Vet.  All cats are spayed or neutered if they are over 5 1/2  months of age and if your cat grows to be that age in your care, you must get it okayed in to our vet for the surgery.  The animal is vet checked, and given a feline leukemia test.  If the cat is positive, it doesn’t become a Last Hope cat.  Distemper series shot and worming medicine is given.  Medicine for ears, eyes etc will be provided if needed. Do not take an animal from anyone unless it has been vet checked.  At any time you suspect your foster cat is sick, contact the cat coordinator to okay him the vet.

You pick up the animal at our vet, ask for the health record.  This goes with the animal until it becomes adopted, when it should be turned over to the new owner.  On the health record will be the vet number that you will need when you place the animal.  Another important number is the Last Hope Internal ID number which will be assigned to the animal by calling (651) 451-7603. or e mail her at jsamaste@msn.com.  Tell her the color, sex, age, name, length of hair, fixed or not, etc.  She then will assign a Last Hope number.  If you move your animal to a different foster, please let her know.  At any time we have over 150 animals looking for homes and we need your help with this!  Turn in your white form and the money with the vet number and Last Hope number as soon as possible.  If you are unable to come to the next Adoption day, we expect you to mail it to Last Hope, P.O. Box 114, Farmington, MN  55024.

We recommend that you keep your new cat or kittens in one room with the litter pana nd food for a while until your own pets and the fosters adjust.  Kittens should be kept in the small room all the itme because they do bounce all over and can be hard to find if they are in a big world like your house. Also, they won’t be able to find the litter pan when they have to go! Foster cats must be kept indoors and must be transported in a kennel.  If you lose a cat, you will be required to pay for it!  If you need a cat carrier, and she will get one to you.  Use bleach and water between foster cats to clean the kennel.  When you quit fostering, the crate or carrier must be returned.

Adoption Days are Important!

We have adoption days every Saturday, and two on Sunday per month.  We would like you to attend as many as possible so that you can answer questions to the potential homes about the animals(s) you are fostering.  Please come on time and stay until the end.  Our best adoption times are from 10:45 to noon and then again from 1:30 – 3:15, however adoptions occur throughout the four hours.  If you are unable to attend, please let the cat coordinator know..  Bring the health records! Please write down some of its traits and personality (gets along with other cats, shy, etc.).  Make a nice small poster to hang from the adoption cage with the health records. 

Please do not bring any children under 16 to help at the Pet Adoption Day.  They are required to handle the cats or kittens (litter pans, food, set up kennels and explaining their personalities to potential owners, etc.).  Do not bring your own pets either.  We do not have the room!

Wear a Last Hope badge during the time you are at a Pet Adoption Day.  Otherwise, when you hold a foster cat, potential owners will pass you up thinking that cat is adopted!  If you forget your badge, use a paper one provided.  Also, at Adoption Days, you can pick up forms, flyers, and adoption day schedules and drop off money from adoptions you have made during the week.

The Adoption Process:

The animal shall not be given to anyone until the adoption fee and application is completed and received by you.  The adoption fee in non-refundable and must be CASH.   We do not take credit cards or offer payment plans.  Sales tax is included in the adoption fee that has been previously set. We do not allow trials.  Once the animal is in Last Hope, it is no longer legally the property of the previous owner.  If the previous owner wants their pet back, and we still think it is a good home, they must pay the adoption fee!  Also, if you as a foster fall in love with a cat, you must also pay the assigned adoption fee and complete the adoption form as soon as possible or you are expected to come to adoption days with the animal!

Adoptions can be refused if you feel it is not a good home or a good match.  We ask that any refusal be done tactfully. 

If you feel the cat has a behavioral problem contact Bev Orr  (651) 463-8747 or Charlie Fenick  (651) 453-9755 immediately.  They must evaluate any cat that you think is unadoptable.  They will tell you to drop it off at our vet or make other arrangements for that particular cat.

If you are going on vacation or want to take a break, you must give us some notice.  We are all volunteers and  cannot move animals in less than 3 days!  Don’t take new fosters if you know you are unable to care for a new cat or kitten.

Keep track of you volunteer miles and if you itemize your taxes, you can get .15 cents a mile.

PRICES

$125.00 for cats over 1 year (add $10.00 is declawed).

$140.00 for cats and kittens under 1 year.

$160-2005 for purebreds or purebred crosses such as Siamese, Himalayans, Russian Blue, White, Maine Coons, British Shorthairs and Persians.

$100.00 – $120.00 for cats over 5 years old if declawed.

These prices include the complete vet check including the feline leukemia test, the distemper series, worming, and any necessary medicines.  It will also include a spay or neuter if they are over 6-7 months of age.  (Kittens do not come with a free spay or neuter unless they are 5 ½ months or older and our adoption fee is higher!