Rehoming fees thoughts?

[Treywi]

I was curious what others thought was an appropriate re homing fee or adoption fee? If how much money you paid for or put into the animal was really important in determining that amount?

I frequent my local craigslist (don't ask me why, still haven't figured it out, lol) on a regular bases and it bothers me seeing ads stating they paid X amount and expect either same amount back or close to it. It happens to all types of animals. And it's not just people who paid thousands of dollars for their animal, though it seems at least on our local one they are the worst. But it's also people who adopted from the shelter paid $100 and now want to get rid of the animal so now want that money back or got animal free and yet now want money for vet bills.

So does how much you spend on an animal or how much you spend for upkeep determine how much you should ask?

I'll answer first with my opinion. I strongly believe if I ever had to re home one of my animals how much money I spent would not be a factor at all. I made a commitment when I brought that animal home. I knew or should have known what it would take to take care of this animal. So why would I put that onto the person I am asking to take over that commitment? I would try to the best of my ability to make sure the person taking my animal is the best home for it. So I wouldn't feel the need to be asking for a fee at all. Specially since the amount of money you pay for an animal is in no way a guarantee you will properly care for or even keep the animal forever. Now I understand there are legit reasons for re homing. But even those, you are asking someone else to take over the care of that animal. So again, no fee.

These are just my opinions and not trying to upset anyone. But something that has been bothering me lately so thought I would ask others their opinions as well. Thanks.

 

[Tort518]

When I recently rehomed a Maine Coon cat, not only did I not ask for money, I spent money on things to help the transition into the new home. I provided a bag of the food he was used to eating. Gave two nice ceramic bowls for food and water. Gave the cat carrier. Gave his favorite feather wand. I also offered to help with vet bills the first month. All because the purpose was to make the cat happy.

I am happy to report that his new caretaker/servant is pleased and tells me that Dickens is very happy being the only cat and getting all the attention.

Unless the new owner has asked to buy the cat from the current owner as the reason for the rehoming, then I personally see no reason a fee should be involved. The exception being getting a cat from a shelter where their costs deserve some compensation to allow them to continue to help cats.

 

[John Popp]

As a pet owner, the first thing on my mind would be finding the right home for my pet. As a salesman, I wouldn't leave money on the table. While those two things are certainly conflicted, it isn't even close and any money received is an absolutely secondary thought.

I'll also say that nothing is as cherished as those first few months with a new pet. It's where their personalities are defined, you form a bond with them and watch their fascination as they learn about new things in life. To me those first few months are always worth the price of admission and the rest of their lives are enchanting and a bonus.

 

[Lori Greer]

I do ask a fee for retired adults for a couple reasons. One is that offering a cat for free seems to bring out a lot of... well, let just call them less than ideal homes. By requesting a nominal adoption fee eliminates a bunch of would be inquiries that you would otherwise eliminate anyway. The second reason is that if a person can not afford a couple hundred dollars to cover vetting, etc. then how confident can I be that they will be able to handle an emergency down the road? Most of my retired cats are placed for 500.00 or less.

 

[John Popp]

Good point Lori! It could also be a good fit to require a donation be made to a local animal shelter, PAWS or Savannah Cat Rescue as it would go a long way for those organizations and by default handle a portion of the vetting process.

 

[Tort518]

Good point Lori. I did not count cats from a breeder in my opinion, retired or otherwise. And I like John's idea about donations to local shelters, SV rescue, or Paws for the cause.

 

[Trish Allearz]

For a breeder- those fees just roll back into the cattery. For an owner- I don't think there is anything wrong with asking an adoption FEE which would be negotiable to the right home.

 

[Patti]

I usually place my retired breeders for the price of altering plus transportation. That can be as much as $500 so still not cheap but affordable for some. And as Lori points out, if they can't afford a few hundred dollars for altering and transportation how in the world will they handle any potential emergency that comes up in the future?

 

[Treywi]

Thanks for the replies so far. It's good to hear others opinions and reasons why as some are things we may not think of ourselves.

I meant to add I wasn't considering reputable breeders and rescues/shelters as I myself find them in different category then your average animal owner. I wrote and rewrote that posting many times as it wasn't coming out right the first few times as I was freshly upset by some recent ads I'd seen about Bengals and Savannahs. We've seemed to have an influx of them lately on our local site. Followed up by an ad where a guy adopted a GSD from the shelter. A week later decided he couldn't keep it since it was too much for his kids. Paid $100 shelter fee and wanted that same amount back. Didn't want to return to shelter. Why? Because he knew he wouldn't get his money back.

And I do agree saying free to good home brings out not only the responsible people but also the not so responsible ones. Why I think a donation to a local rescue or shelter is a great idea, specially for an animal that say is fully vetted already. For those who are re homing an animal that still needs vet care via shots, spay/neuter, etc I prefer to the meet at the vets office and have the new owners pay the bill before receiving the animal option. It not only makes sure the animal is going to someone who can afford those things, but also makes sure the animal is healthy, and not going to reproduce later. Something I think is a win/win for both parties.

I say good job Tort518 on making sure while your situation wasn't ideal for your cat, you found a suitable one and also helped the transition!

At the age of 21 I sadly found myself having to re home a puppy I purchased. I was living with a guy and his two kids and decided to bring home a gorgeous Boxer puppy. I paid $550 for him. At the time I thought everything was great with my relationship. Boy was I wrong, I found out a few weeks later he was cheating on me and I soon found myself moving out very quickly. If I had more time to look I am sure I would have found a place to bring both the new puppy and my Miniature Pinscher. But with short notice all I could find were apartments that did not allow either puppies, large breeds, or more then one animal. So I started the search to find someone to give this wonderful Boxer pup a new home. Luckily I found a wonderful family and gave them the puppy. Even then I didn't feel right asking for the money I probably could have used for a down payment on the new apt. I can say that puppy enjoyed a wonderful long life with this family till recently as he passed away of old age.

Since posting this I have made a promise to myself to stop looking at craiglist pet section. Ultimately everyone is their own person and makes their own decisions and who am I to say they are entirely wrong. I do just hope the best for all the animals out there. Thanks for putting up with my questioning and bit of a rant. lol