When UF’s Cameron Moore got frustrated with the policies and performance of a local rescue group, she decided to found her own. After a few false starts, Moore hit on a formula for adopting out at-risk cats and kittens from rural shelters in Florida and South Georgia. It’s a “plug and play” model that simplifies the rescue process while maximizing the number of cats saved and adopted.
Lucky Cat Adoptions
Moore’s organization, Lucky Cat Adoptions, was founded nearly 20 years ago when she identified inefficiencies in a local nonprofit’s operations. Initially, her approach was traditional and stringent, mirroring many old-school adoption policies. However, Moore quickly realized that overly rigorous requirements were more of a hindrance than a help.
“I thought you had to have the four-page applications and the background checks and the references,” Moore said. “I really wanted to help find homes for cats in our shelters, but after a few years of bringing 25, 30 cats to adoption events and leaving with even more, I realized I wasn’t actually helping many cats.”
Evolving the Adoption Process
The turning point came when Moore embraced a more conversational and accessible approach. Partnering with Pet Supermarket, a smaller chain than PetSmart or Petco, Moore was able to place cages in 12 stores. This shift allowed Lucky Cat Adoptions to dramatically increase their adoption numbers.
“I went from doing 250 or 300 adoptions a year to up to 1200 adoptions a year. The partner at Pet Supermarket takes care of the cats and helps with adoptions, allowing us to really help shelters,” says Moore.
A critical component of Moore’s success is empowering store clerks to facilitate adoptions. Initially, clerks would call Moore to vet potential adopters. Over time, Moore trusted the clerks to make adoption decisions on their own, calling her only if they had concerns.
“They truly just treat adopters like customers. They’re open 12 hours a day, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and they don’t have the tunnel vision that shelter workers might,” Moore explains. “This way, adoptions are streamlined, and we avoid unnecessary delays.”
The success of Moore’s model is illustrated by her short length of stay in the adoption cages. The cats and kittens are usually adopted within 1-2 days.
Focus on Shelters
Where do the cats in Moore’s program come from? Shelters that are struggling at capacity with fewer options for good outcomes. “I focus on the shelters because that’s where the cats are at most risk,” said Moore. “Last year we pulled from 34 shelters, primarily around north Florida and South Georgia.”
Moore, who works for the UF Shelter Medicine Program and the Million Pet Challenge as part of a shelter evaluation team, often drives back from her consultation visits with a car full of cat carriers from the shelters she’s working in. “I drove back from South Carolina with 16 cats in the car,” she said. “We got them all their vet care and put them up for adoption. And these are terrific cats that just happened to be in a community that maybe didn’t have access to resources or didn’t have a robust adoption program.”
Supporting Adopters and Ensuring Health
Most of the cats coming into the Lucky Cat adoption program are coming from shelters where they’ve been spayed or neutered and received veterinary care, but not all. “Our approach depends on where the cats are coming from,” said Moore. “We work with a variety of shelters. Some of the cats we take in may already be adoption-ready because that shelter has veterinarians on staff.”
For other shelters, primarily those in more rural areas that have fewer resources, Lucky Cat provides veterinary care prior to placing the cats in the adoption cages. “We pick them and take them to our veterinarian,” said Moore. “They get spayed or neutered, tested, vaccinated, dewormed, and given flea prevention. Then they go to the store the day after surgery.”
Lucky Cat Adoptions also prioritizes supporting adopters post-adoption. Whether it’s providing medical care for newly adopted cats or offering guidance, Moore ensures that adopters feel supported.
“If I had to take the cat back, I’d provide care anyway. So why not support the adopter with their sick pet?” says Moore. “Most of our cats are healthy, but if issues arise, we handle them promptly and transparently.”
Key Elements of the Plug and Play Model
Moore believes that other organizations can adopt this model by focusing on accessibility, same-day adoptions, and trust. Here are the essential elements:
- Accessibility: Ensure that adoption centers are open during convenient hours. Many shelters still operate with limited hours, hindering potential adopters.
- Same-Day Adoptions: Trust that people are good and capable of providing loving homes. Simplifying the adoption process can lead to quicker adoptions and reduced shelter stays.
- Low Adoption Fees: Implementing low or waived adoption fees can attract more adopters. Moore cites a shelter where this approach led to significantly higher adoption rates.
- Empowering Partners: If partnering with offsite locations like pet stores, empower their staff to handle adoptions. This removes bottlenecks and expedites the process.
- Follow-Up Support: Offer continuous support to adopters to ensure the well-being of the adopted cats and maintain a positive relationship with adopters.
A Model for the Future
Today, Lucky Cat’s mission is clear: to find homes for shelter cats and kittens while helping animal shelters to avoid unnecessary euthanasia. Since its inception, Lucky Cat Adoptions has helped over 15,000 cats and kittens, relying solely on donations and fundraising efforts for veterinary care, food, litter, and other essential expenses.
Moore’s success with Lucky Cat Adoptions offers a compelling case for a streamlined, trust-based approach to animal rescue. By removing barriers, empowering partners, and maintaining a focus on accessibility and support, other organizations can replicate this model to save more cats and provide them with loving homes.
As Moore puts it, “We need to ease up and quit acting like adoption police. If we are truly here to find homes for homeless animals, whether they’re dogs or cats, we need to let go of our fears and trust that people are good.”
For more information about their work, visit Lucky Cat Adoptions.
- Download the Lucky Cat Adoptions adoption application form
- Download the Lucky Cat Adoptions adopter cover sheet
- Download the Lucky Cat Adoptions adopter info sheet: Bringing Your New Cat Home
- Download the Lucky Cat Adoptions adopter info sheet: Declawing
- Download the Lucky Cat Adoptions adopter info sheet: Introducing Your New Cat to Other Pets