Three Things to Know
Limited research exists on the outcomes of pets placed on relinquishment waitlists under a managed intake system. This study investigates the fates of cats whose owners contacted a shelter practicing Capacity for Care (C4C) but were placed on a waitlist.
Researchers found that 31% of cats were eventually relinquished, 15% were rehomed by their owners, and 10% were retained. Worryingly, 43% had unknown outcomes. This data suggests that approximately 7 out of 10 cats were diverted from the shelter, though the fate of over 4 out of 10 remained unconfirmed.
The study also revealed interesting correlations between wait times and outcomes: cats with shorter wait times were more likely to be relinquished, while those with the longest wait times were more likely to have an unknown outcome. Furthermore, cats with medical issues were more likely to be retained by their owners, whereas owners facing medical issues were more likely to relinquish their cats.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners
This study highlights that longer wait times often prompt owners to find alternative solutions, which could include self-rehoming or, unfortunately, abandonment — a significant criticism of managed intake systems.
To address this, shelters should ensure frontline staff clearly understand emergency admission criteria and are encouraged to empathetically explore each owner’s specific situation. Staff should proactively offer alternatives to relinquishment, maintain consistent contact with owners during the waiting period, and actively discourage abandonment by reinforcing the shelter’s role as a crucial fallback option.
The Full Picture
The Capacity for Care (C4C) model offers a holistic approach to improve animal welfare by managing population levels through strategies such as improved housing (e.g., portalized kennels), reducing length of stay, and implementing managed intake. Although C4C has been associated with lower intake and better outcomes within shelters, as well as more manageable workload for staff, its impact on people and cats beyond the shelter, especially those affected by intake waitlists, remains unclear.
This study, titled “The impact of managed intake as part of Capacity for Care (C4C) on cat outcomes”, aims to explore the outcomes of cats whose owners contacted a shelter practicing C4C but were placed on a waitlist, and to investigate how factors like rehoming plans, the cat’s origin, and reasons for relinquishment influence those outcomes.
Study Methods
This study used retrospective data from the Guelph Humane Society (GHS), which implemented the Capacity for Care (C4C) model in 2014. Data were collected from July 2017 to June 2018 and included records of owned cats whose guardians contacted the shelter about relinquishment and were placed on a waitlist due to limited intake capacity. Emergency cases, stray or feral cats, and records without a clear owner were excluded.
Data captured cat demographics (age, sex, neuter status, breed, source, etc.), ownership history, reasons for relinquishment, rehoming options considered, number of contacts with the shelter, and final outcomes (retained, rehomed, relinquished, or unknown).
Study Results
The study analyzed data for 298 owned cats placed on an intake waitlist at the Guelph Humane Society. The most common reasons for potential relinquishment were owner health, cat medical issues, and personal life changes, with many cases involving overlapping factors. Of these, 31% were eventually relinquished, 15% were rehomed by their owners, 10% were retained, and 43% had unknown outcomes. Most cats were spayed/neutered, and no significant links were found between a cat’s source or ownership length and their outcome.
The median wait time before relinquishment was 20.1 days. Cats who were relinquished had the shortest wait time (mean 15 days), while cats with unknown outcomes had significantly longer waits (mean 26 days). Of the unknown group, 48 cats had scheduled appointments but were never brought in, and follow-up was unsuccessful. These findings suggest that shorter wait times may increase follow-through on relinquishment and that certain reasons for giving up a cat may predict whether the cat will ultimately stay, be rehomed, or be surrendered.
Medical concerns were the top reason cited by owners who ended up keeping their cats, suggesting that veterinary support or guidance from shelter staff may have influenced these outcomes, successfully keeping people and pets together. On the other hand, human health-related reasons (e.g., allergies) were significantly associated with actual relinquishment.
Conclusion
This study is among the first to examine what happens to owned cats placed on an intake waitlist. Findings suggest many owners are resourceful — some rehomed their cats independently or decided to keep them — but 43% of cats had unknown outcomes, limiting firm conclusions. Further research is needed to understand how waitlists, owner education, and staff experiences influence relinquishment decisions and outcomes for cats and their guardians.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
Shelter Dogs > Optimizing Shelter Operations > Refining Shelter Practices
Year of Publication:
2023
External Link:
Hobson SJ, Bateman S, Coe JB, Oblak M, Veit L. The impact of deferred intake as part of Capacity for Care (C4C) on shelter cat outcomes. J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2023;26(1):68-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2021.1894148