How to List a Persian Cat for Adoption in the United States

What adopter criteria should you set for a Persian?

A Persian's needs are specific, so your criteria should be too. Persian and Himalayan Cat Rescue in San Francisco, for example, asks adopters for a vet reference and two personal references, places cats in indoor homes only and rules out declawing and tendon surgery. Consider requiring:

• Someone at home who will comb the cat every day and wipe its eyes.
• Indoor living, with a cool room or air conditioning in summer; the UK vet charity PDSA says flat-faced cats are at much higher risk of heatstroke.
• A vet nearby and a budget for grooming, dental cleanings and eye care.
• No declawing; New York, Maryland and Massachusetts ban it except for medical reasons.
• No breeding, and spay or neuter by a set date if the cat is not altered yet.
• Older children rather than toddlers for a shy cat; PetMD notes Persians are often reserved with new people.

How do you prepare a Persian before listing it?

1. Groom it. Ask a groomer to remove mats or give a short clip; ThePricer puts a session at about $60 to $150 in 2026. Never cut mats with scissors.
2. Vet check. Eyes, teeth, breathing, skin, nails and weight. For an older cat, ask about kidney blood work; renal disease was the most common recorded cause of death in a UK study of 3,235 Persians.
3. Vaccines and tests. Bring vaccines up to date and consider an FeLV and FIV test.
4. Spay or neuter. The AVMA and AAFP endorse spaying or neutering cats by 5 months of age.
5. Microchip. Make sure it is registered to you so you can transfer it.
6. Records. Collect the vet history, any PKD DNA result and any CFA or TICA papers.

How much should a Persian adoption fee be?

A fee in the rescue range covers part of the vet work you paid for and puts off people looking for a cheap purebred to breed or resell. Charge less for a senior cat or one with known medical needs if that helps it find the right home, and say in the ad what the fee includes.

How do you write a Persian adoption listing?

• The cat's name, age, sex, color and whether it is spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.
• Grooming: how it accepts combing and bathing, and whether it was recently clipped.
• Health: tearing, breathing, dental history, any PKD or kidney results, and any ongoing medication.
• Personality with children, dogs, other cats and visitors.
• Your criteria, the fee and what it includes, and your general area.
• Clear photos of the face from the front and side and of the whole coat, plus a short video.

Keep your phone number out of the listing text and ask applicants to message you with answers to your questions. You can post a Persian adoption listing on PetzLover for free and look at how other Persians for adoption near you are presented.

How should you screen Persian adoption applicants?

1. Read each reply. Applicants who answer your questions in their own words are worth a call.
2. Hold a phone or video interview about their home, household, work hours, other pets and past cats.
3. Ask who will groom the cat and whether they have kept a longhaired or flat-faced cat before.
4. Call the vet reference and, if they rent, confirm that the landlord allows cats.
5. Visit the home or take a live video tour, and look for a cool room and safe windows.
6. Let the applicant meet the cat and try combing it while you watch.

Be wary of applicants who ask about papers or breeding first, will not meet, want the cat delivered or shipped, or offer to pay more than your fee. The FTC calls an overpayment with a request to send back the difference a fake check scam.

What should a Persian adoption contract include?

• Both parties' names, addresses and the date, and the cat's description and microchip number.
• The fee and what it covered.
• Known health issues, with vet records attached.
• Indoor living, regular grooming, eye care and vet visits.
• No declawing or tendon surgery, and no breeding.
• A return clause: the cat comes back to you, never to a shelter or a new owner, if the adopter cannot keep it.
• Microchip transfer on the day of adoption.

How do you follow up after a Persian adoption?

Agree on a check-in before the cat leaves: a message after a few days, photos after a week and an update after a month. Offer tips on combing and eye wiping, since a cat may resist combing from someone new at first. If the placement is not working, take the cat back rather than let it be passed on.

Adopters can read how to adopt a Persian cat. If you are the cat's owner rather than a foster, how to rehome your Persian responsibly covers disclosure in more depth, and giving away a Persian for free explains why a free listing needs extra caution.