Meet Your Match Feline-ality

September 19, 2012 by

Adoption Program Helps Orphaned Cats Find Homes

Pilot program has seen results of up to 40 percent increase in adoptions; up to 46 percent decrease in euthanasia of adult cats at beta-test facilities  

Imagine the heart-warming sight of an adult agency cat going home with a family that perfectly matches his adventurous personality … a confident, loving tabby cat being hand-picked by a retired couple looking for companionship … or an energetic tuxedo cat going home with the newlywed couple who will provide a lifelong home.Increasing the likelihood that adopted agency cats will be a good match with their new families is the underlying goal of the Meet Your Match Feline-ality Adoption Program, a program of the ASPCA®.Agency announced today it is implementing the Feline-ality program, further increasing the potential for successful, permanent placements for the agency’s adopted cats. The program — which includes a Feline-ality behavior assessment of each cat and a brief survey of each adopter — results in a color-coded matchmaking system that brings compatible companions together. The result is a reduction in the number of adopted cats returned to agency because they aren’t a good fit.
“The goal for every adoption is to find a loving home for our cats,” says Vicki Rowland, Director of Marketing & Programs. “The Feline-ality program helps us do that. It helps our counselors match the expectations and lifestyles of the adopters with the behaviors and feline-alities of the cats.”
Just like Canine-ality™ and Puppy-ality™ do for dogs and puppies, Feline-ality identifies distinct “feline-alities” for cats, and matches them with potential adopters whose personality and lifestyle fit them best. “The key to developing successful adoptions lies in making good matches between adopters and pets, thus creating lasting bonds,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, the ASPCA’s senior director of agency behavior programs, and developer of the Meet Your Match programs. “Feline-ality is a tool that does precisely this; and everyone—adopters, agency staff, and most of all, the cats—benefits from the program.”

Feline-ality uses detailed research-based surveys and behavior assessments, both for cats and potential adopters, to make the best matches possible between the two. The cat assessment reliably predicts, based on its Feline-ality, how an individual cat is likely to behave in its new home. An adopter’s survey identifies the characteristics of the adopter’s preferences and lifestyle that correlate with specific feline-alities. Adopters can then look for the cats with the specific feline-alities they feel would be a good fit for their household and identify them by colors and sub-categories.

For example, a cat with a green color-coded description would be a “Party Animal”, “MVP” or “Leader of the Band.” Green cats are savvy, unflappable and adventurous. A cat with an orange classification makes a great companion kitty, and would be called a “Sidekick,” “Executive” or “Personal Assistant.” A cat with a purple classification is one that seeks affection, is quiet and stays out of trouble. It could be called a “Secret Admirer,” “Love Bug” or “Private Investigator.”

Take your Feline-ality™ survey online! 

Filed Under: Adoptable Pets, Programs Tagged With: , ,