FAQs

About FHAR

Below are some frequently asked questions about Freedom Hearts. You can read more about our story here.

  • Yes, we have been a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit charity since 2018.

  • Yes, we are. We do it all for the kitties.

  • "Foster-based" rescue means that all of the cats in our rescue are kept in the homes of our approved fosters and not in a brick and mortar location or boarding/kennel facility.

  • We rely solely on community donations and fundraising efforts to support our mission.

  • We intake animals from the surrounding community as well as from owners who can no longer care for their animals. (of course all judgements aside)

  • No, unfortunately we only accept cats, we urge you to check out our resources tab for other local rescues that may be able to assist you with the animal(s) you are trying to surrender.

Adoption FAQs

We totally expect that you have a lot of questions as you prepare to add a new pet to your family! Maybe we can answer some below!

  • No, we are a cat only rescue.

  • No, we usually need a few business days to adequately process adoption applications. However, with an approved application, you can take home your kitty, or one you fall in love with; the same day as one of our adoption events.

  • At 10-weeks old our kittens are available for adoption. (unless their is a medical reason the kitten requires more time in our care)

  • We keep them in our families until they find a family of their own! They remain under care of FHAR until they are adopted out. (If the cat meets specific criteria; it will go into our organized store rotation schedule at PetSmart in Martinsburg, WV, for a change in scenery and to meet new potential families.)

  • Our adoption fee is $95.00 USD and we take a variety of payment methods.

  • Our adoption fee includes: FIV and FeLV testing, all required age-appropriate vaccines, full course deworming, preventative flea & tick treatments, and spay/neuter. We are able to microchip, upon request, at no additional fee.

  • FHAR kittens can be adopted starting at 10 weeks old; so if you're adopting a kitten chances are it is not going to be fixed prior to adoption. FHAR will make plans with the adopter when the cat is of age and has a scheduled appt slot - this can vary as spay & neuter appt slots are VERY LIMITED! (FHAR goes by the veterinarian guidelines for the age that is deemed appropriate/safe to spay/neuter, for females that age is between 5-6 months old; and for males around 4 months old. This is subject to change depending on the kitten itself and any medical co-morbidities it may have.)

  • Should you choose to not get your adopted cat spayed or neutered through our veterinarian, that is your choice, however, we FHAR would NOT cover the cost(s) associated with an outside spay/neuter appt. (We would need proof of the procedure as part of the FHAR adoption contract)

  • We know things happen, dynamics change, and sometimes environments just aren't what a cat may need to thrive. In these circumstances, even after effort to work with you to address whatever the issue(s) may be; we will ALWAYS take our cats back. It is stated in the adoption contract signed the day you take your kitty home.

    "ONCE A FHAR CAT ALWAYS A FHAR CAT."

Intake FAQs

Freedom Hearts is a foster-based rescue, which means our intakes are limited by space in our foster’s homes as well as funding.

  • We are limited by space and funding. When we are full, we have a waiting list pending, where we try to intake cats as quickly as we can.

  • We do accept owner surrenders. We have limited availability, due to restrictions on our space and funding.

  • Declawing is largely considered inhumane and has been shown to cause long-term physical issues for the animal in addition to behavioral issues.

  • It is very unsafe for cats who have never lived outdoors to reside there. In addition, there is a much higher chance of a cat contracting a communicable disease through contact with outdoors. We believe cats should be treated as the little princes and princesses that they are!

  • TNR is simply (Trap - neuter/spay- return/release) please refer to the graphic below. FHAR is not equipped to handle that specific cat population(feral colonies), there are other local rescues that specialize in TNR, and have the equipment, experience, funding and resources for the cats they are TNR'ing, where our focus at FHAR is on a different "realm" of the cat population(strays, unwanted, abandoned) and the needs are just as great.

Cat FAQs