Some applicants complain that the application process is too burdensome or that the rescue never got back to them. But did those applicants think that maybe they are making it more difficult?
Here's suggestions on how to speed up the process:
Please print on your application. Cursive writing, especially with email addresses, is very difficult to decipher and, unfortunately, with the numerous variations in email addresses, a rescue can only spend so much time to decode it. The same goes for numbers. It is great to have stylish numbering except on an application.
Use dark pen. Red or green ink does not show up very well if you are emailing or scanning an application.
Make sure the scan or picture of your application is legible. If you are sending your application by email by taking a picture of it, please check that the picture is clear before you send it. We can't do anything with an application that we can't read. Enlarging jpgs is not always effective.
Answer ALL the questions on the application. If you choose to skip questions, it is telling sign that you may have something to hide or that you aren't really that committed.
Include references if asked. Probably 25% of the applications that we receive have the reference section blank even though it is clearly requested. Rescues do not share this information or use it for marketing or any other non-application purpose. Leaving it off will delay your application and possibly lose out on a cat if other completed applications are received. When we start an application, we want to process it asap. Waiting a couple of days for references to come in will push other applications ahead of yours. Also make sure your references know that we will be calling so that they can return our calls asap.
Please read the cat's profile before submitting an application. Easily, a substantial percentage of applications that come in show that people have not read the information on the cat. Rescues will always put the best interest of the cat first so if a profile says "another young cat needs to be in the home" or "no dogs" or "the cat is timid", please respect that. If your situation doesn't match the profile requirements, please do not apply or don't ask us to change the requirements. It wastes your time as well as ours.
Please don't put in an application if you have no intention of returning our calls/emails. 30% of the applications we received do not respond to our calls or emails. Remember all our volunteers are just that - volunteers. They are putting their own time aside to process applications and it is very frustrating when applicants don't have the courtesy to tell us they are no longer interested or adopted elsewhere.
Communication is a 2-way street. If you have put in an application and you don't hear back, please feel free to contact us and politely ask for the status. Many times an application gets lost in spam or the store forgets to send it to us. We respond to EVERY application we get unless we can't read the email or phone number.
Be honest. If you had to euthanize a pet or you declawed your cat in the past, don't try to hide that. Not every past situation is a dealbreaker but lying is.
Be considerate. Many times we receive more than one application for a cat and we have to make the best choice for that cat. It does not mean that you are judged as a poor pet parent. It means that another application may be a better fit for that cat's needs and personality. It is not personal.Application review is a very challenging and time intensive process. We are doing our best to ensure that the cat you adopt is one that will be a great fit so that you and the cat will have minimal stress post adoption. It is not a perfect process but a necessary one.
