SCRATCH, Inc.

Our Adoptable Pet List

Click here to see our Happy Tails!

Thank you for visiting our website. We appreciate you taking the time to read about our mission and goals and checking out our adoptable cats.

Our Featured Pet...

Missy was a pregnant stray kitty who took up residence in the bushes at the house of a very nice lady who called rescue to come get her. She is a totally awesome, adorable approx 2 year old, quite petite, young lady. She is super sweet and loves to hang in your lap. Missy is special needs because she is positive for FIV. She is not sick and not on any medication. If you do your homework you will find that FIV is not as terrible as the stigma about it suggests. Cats with FIV can live very long, relatively normal lives. FIV is transmitted through a deep bite wound, usually from fighting unaltered males or during mating, just another reason to spay and neuter your pets. If they are not aggressive, they can live with other cats but it might be better to have her as an only cat or with another FIV cat. It is not transmissible to other animals or people. Missy is a super wonderful little girl and she will be a wonderful companion. You are really missing out on a fabulous kitty if you overlook Missy.

Mission Statement

Saving Homeless Cats by Reducing Numbers via Alteration, Adoption and TNR, Connecting with Cat Advocates and Helping Cat Caretakers.

S -Saving homeless
C -Cats by
R -Reducing numbers via
A -Alteration, adoption and
T -TNR
C -Connecting with cat advocates and
H -Helping cat caretakers

Who We Are

SCRATCH, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to reducing the homeless cat population using the TNR (trap-neuter-return) approach to free roaming cat colony management. With the help of many wonderful and dedicated volunteers, we target feral cat colonies that have dedicated caretakers and offer help in trapping, transporting and educating on colony management. These colonies of free roaming cats are now being dubbed in some areas as "community cats". This is appropriate since the homeless cat population didn't create itself and it will take community involvement to make a difference. If you feel that saving homeless cats by trapping, altering and returning them to the only home they have ever known is a more compassionate solution than the current method of "catch and kill", then please join us in our efforts to save homeless cats. Someday we hope to have a facility of our own, but until then, we will coordinate spaying and neutering with local veterinarians and low cost spay/neuter clinics. Click on the link below to learn more about how you can help cats in your community.

Watch this video to learn more about Trap-Neuter-Return

News

Did you know that feral cats are great mousers and make excellent barn cats? We try very hard to return cats to their original location and keep the colony together, but there are occasions when this is not possible due to the absence of a caretaker or dangers in the area. When a cat needs to be relocated, we look for barns or stables where they can have a safe area to live and also perform a very important service to the owners. If you know of a barn home that needs some kitties that are already altered and vaccinated, please let us know.

Homeless Cat Prevention

All homeless cats, stray or feral, came from an unaltered cat. That is just a simple fact. The solution, then, seems obvious. Spay or neuter your cats. So, you already spay and neuter your pets, but realize there is a bigger problem out there. How can you help? Start in your own community, neighborhood or even backyard. Chances are there are unaltered cats that have been dumped or just wandered in. Find out where they stay, who feeds them etc. and offer to help. Many people who feed stray cats do not want people to know for fear that they will be held responsible for the cats. Taking a nonjudgemental approach is best when trying to find the "caretaker". All you are trying to do is help and once they realize that they will be cooperative. (consult the Alley Cat Allies website on ways to approach neighbors). Enlist the help of other neighbors and using the TNR method process each cat that does not have an "owner". If you find unaltered cats that DO have an owner, just let them know what you are doing and offer suggestions on how they can get their cat altered. Before you know it, you will have taken care of your neighborhood and will be offering help to friends and coworkers to help the cats in their neighborhoods.

Events and Workshops

Adoption Events:

Scratch will have adoptable cats and kittens at the Hixson Petsmart every Saturday from 12-4. A free Petsmart coupon book and free bag of food with each adoption.

The Hixson Petsmart is located in the Target shopping center on Hwy 153.

TNR Workshops:

Adopting a friend

Many times during the trapping process we will come across a friendly cat that has found its way into a feral colony or a litter of kittens that can be easily tamed. These cats and kittens are put into foster homes where they will be cared for and socialized until they are ready to be adopted. Before adoption they will be combo tested, altered, dewormed, flea treated and vaccinated for FVRCP and rabies. The adoption fee is considered a donation and is put right back into the program so we can continue our very important mission. Please click on "Our Adoptable Pet List" to see what we currently have available for adoption. If you are interested in adopting one of our kitties, please email for an application or cut and paste the application below into an email. We must have a completed application before a meeting can be arranged.

We prefer our kitties to be indoor housepets, but there are occasions when we take in cats that can be adopted as indoor/outdoor pets, so please let us know what you are looking for. We try to make the best match for cat and adopter, but because of the circumstances in which we obtain our cats and kittens, we will always do what is in the best interest of the cat or kitten. We want to make sure that their last home is their best home.

SCRATCH Adoption Application

Please cut and paste into an email to: scratchcats@gmail.com

Thank you for choosing to adopt a rescue kitty. Our cats and kittens have often been rescued from desperate circumstances and may have had illnesses or injuries. If they are being offered for adoption, they have been given a clean bill of health from our vet, but often their personalities and behaviors are formed early on and can be affected by past treatment. By adopting a rescue kitty, you are giving them the one thing they have never had, a safe and loving home. Please answer all questions as completely as possible.

Date
Name
Street
City
State
Zip
Home Phone
Cell phone
Place of your employment (or spouse if you do not work)
Work phone
Email Address
Name(s) of Cat(s) Applying for:
Do you live in a: House, Condominium, Apartment, Mobile Home
Do you: Own or Rent
Landlord Name and Phone:
Are you planning on relocating?
Would you ever move to a location that would not allow you to take your cat?
Do you live with: Parents, Spouse, Children, Roommate, Alone.
What are the ages of ALL the members of your household:
Do any children (not listed above) visit frequently?
Name, Address, and Phone number of current Veterinarian:
Name that Vet records are listed under:
Name and Phone number of Personal reference:
Are you willing to allow a home visit prior to adoption?
Have you ever adopted a rescue cat before?
If yes, list the name of the organization and the contact person.
Reason for wanting a cat: House pet/Companion, Gift, For Children, Barn Cat/Mouser
Where will this cat live? Indoor Only, Outdoor Only, Indoor/Outdoor
How much time each day will the cat be:
Indoors?
Outdoors?
Alone?
How long do you expect it to take for your new cat to adjust to it's new home?
Can you tell us about pets you own now and ones you've had in the past?: (Please include breed, how long you had them, where they are now, spayed/neutered, etc.)
If you listed that you own dogs, are they cat friendly?
If you listed that you own a cat: Are you willing to introduce them gradually?
How long are you willing to give the introduction process?
Who will have primary care of this cat?
What kind of cat food do you plan to feed your cat?
What would you do if your new cat is not using the litter pan?
Under what circumstances would you declaw?
Do any members of your household have known allergies to cats?
Are you prepared to dedicate up to 20 years or more to care for your new cat/kitten?
Are you aware that the yearly cost of owning a cat is around $500?
If you acquire another pet in the future, and it does not get along with your cat, how will you handle the situation?
Under what circumstances would you no longer be able to keep your cat?
What provisions will you make in the event that you can no longer keep or care for your cat?

Many factors go into determining which applicant will be matched with a particular cat. If you are not chosen for this cat, it does not mean that you are not considered a good pet owner or that your home is not acceptable. Our goal is to place this cat in the home that will best suit its needs. Thank you for your willingness to give a rescue cat a second chance.
I have completed this application truthfully and I understand the application process.

Signature
Date
Come Visit Us!
We do not yet have a facility for you to visit, but we will be participating in adoption events on occasion. Please consult the event calendar for dates, times and locations.

Wish List

Cat food of all kinds to help colony caretakers feed the kitties. You may drop off any cat food donations at the Cat Clinic on Cherokee Blvd. Just let them know it is for the SCRATCH Cat Food Closet.

Sardines and tuna to bait traps.

Tru-catch humane animal traps: 30LTD (click on the "Heart of the Earth" link to order)Heart of the Earth Humane Animal Traps

Donations to the Chattanooga Veterinary Clinic for the SCRATCH account. The money will be used specifically for spay/neuter and medical care.
Chattanooga Veterinary Center
6146 Lee Hwy
Chattanooga, TN 37421
423-648-9000

Cat shelters (click on the "Alley Cat Allies" link for instructions)
What SCRATCH can do for you
SCRATCH can help you coordinate the trap-neuter-return of your feral cat colony. In most cases we can help with trapping and transporting and if funds are available we can help pay for vetting. A commitment from the caretaker of the colony is required for SCRATCH to be able to help. In the case of a colony that does not have an obvious caretaker, a little investigative work may be required on the part of the concerned citizen. A colony must have a dedicated caretaker in order for SCRATCH to coordinate a TNR.

What SCRATCH canNOT do for you
SCRATCH cannot take in, or take away, cats that are on your property or that you have found. If you are not interested in caring for the cats that are on your property until they live out their lives then, unfortunately, calling animal control may be the most humane option. Free roaming cats with no caretaker are at risk for starvation, disease, injury and death. Sometimes a cat finds you and decides your home is a safe place. Please consider having these cats altered or you may find yourself with a litter of kittens. You can always decide later how to rehome the cat, but alter first!

Donate
Donations in any amount are greatly appreciated. SCRATCH makes every penny go as far as possible by accepting the generosity of local veterinarians in the area who are sympathetic to the plight of the homeless cats. Every donation we receive goes toward the TNR and welfare of homeless cats. Every time a healthy, free roaming cat is trapped, neutered and returned to its colony, it keeps one more cat and its offspring from entering a shelter to be euthanized. Thank you for helping the helpless.

Drs. Foster and Smith: Dog Supplies - Cat Supplies - Pet Blog

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SCRATCH, Inc.

Hixson, TN 37343
Email: scratchcats@gmail.com
Click here for a list of pets at this shelter

Our cats love to sleep on Kuranda cat beds, but we don't have enough for everyone. If you would like to donate a bed at a special wholesale price for a another cat to sleep in comfort, please donate a Kuranda cat bed.

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