There are lots of things to consider before you decide to adopt a cat. Please carefully read the following information before applying to adopt. If you have any questions or need any advice, please contact us.

Is a cat the right pet for your household?

Most cats are happiest in a quieter household without other pets, and where they are free to go outside when they want.

If you have a very busy or loud household many cats would struggle to cope, so you may need to wait for an especially confident young cat that could adapt to this environment.

If you have other cats you must consider whether it is the right thing for your current cat to introduce a new cat to the household. Please download our guide to Multi-cat homes to help you decide and prepare. You should be prepared for the introduction period to take a long time, and be willing to follow all the advise necessary to make sure the cats can live stress free lives together.

If you have dogs you must ensure they are cat friendly before introducing a cat to the house, dogs with a strong prey drive are not suitable, and young energetic dogs and puppies may be overwhelming for a cat to live with. We unfortunately see a lot of cats being rehomed because they are extremely stressed by living with a dog, and most of our adult cats would not be suitable for rehoming with a dog. We do adopt confident kittens into homes with cat friendly dogs.

If you have young kids then it may take us longer to find you a match, as many of our cats would not thrive in a home with young kids.

If you cannot, or do not want to let your new cat outside, then it may take us longer to find you a match, as we do not rehome cats that have had outdoor access before to a home where they will be indoor only, as this would result in a lot of frustration for the cat and likely result in behavioural issues. Indoor only cats need extra care to prevent them beoming bored and frustrated, please download out guide to caring for an indoor cat to help you decide if having an indoor only cat is right for you.

Is now the right time for you to adopt?

If you are moving house or going on holiday in the near future (ie. The next two months) it is advisable that you adopt after this time.

The same goes for if you are planning home renovations or decorating. Events like this can be very stressful for a cat who hasn’t had ample time to settle in, and it can be stressful for you too if you are trying to juggle a new cat with other events.
So we advise adopting once you are settled yourself

Cost

Consider whether you can afford:

Cat food – the cat will need a nutritionally complete diet, appropriate for its stage in life (ie. kitten, adult or senior food)

Cat litter – cats should always have a litter tray available in the house in case they do not wish to go outside, this helps prevent toiletting issues. Litter should be changed regularly, as cats won’t want to use a smelly tray.

Flea and worm treatment – these should always be purchased from your vet, as cheap ones available in pet stores are often ineffective, and a flea infestion of your home is not fun!

Insurance/vet bills: We strongly recommend keeping your cats insured to help pay for any illesses or injuries they may develop. Insurance will be a small monthly fee that prevents you having to suddenly find hundreds or thousands of pounds to get your cat the treatment they need. We regularly see owners having to give their pets up because they can’t afford the treatment their cats need, this sad event could have been prevented by keeping them insured.

Catteries/cat sitters – you may be able to ask a friend or neighbour to visit your house to care for the cat when you go away for work or holidays, however if this isn’t possible then you will need to budget for cats sitters or cattery fees.

Adopting while living in rented accomodation

All applicants will need to provide a statement from the landlord/housing authority confirming a cat/s is allowed allowed be kept at the property, we must recieve this before we can invite you to meet any of the cats.

Why? Around 40% of the cats in need of rehoming to our shelter are due to the owners of the cats not obtaining landlord permission to keep the cats there. We want to reduce the number of cats being rehomed for this reason and will therefore check this before any adoption process starts. We are also keen to offer additional advice to tenants and landlords about owning a cat in the rented home.

Allergies

If you aren’t sure whether you or any members of your household have allergies, get in touch with us before completing your application.

If you have any friends or family with cats, go spend some time with them and see if you have any reactions. Spend time with different cats, not just one, and you will get a better idea about whether their dander affects you in any way.

Settling in period

Cats need time to adjust to new places and people, please be prepared to give the cat several weeks to settle in. Cats will also need to be kept inside for a minimum of 4 weeks before they can be allowed access to the outdoors. Kittens will need to stay indoors until they are a minimum of 6 months old, and ideally until they are 8-9 months old.

You must be prepared to be careful to not accidentally let the cats out too early, or allow them to escape out of open windows.

Your current cats must be neutered and up to date with vaccines (vaccinated in the last 12 months)

Why? This is for the safety of your own cat and the new cat you will be adopting. Cats can be asymptomatic carriers of different disease and viruses, therefore vaccination ensures they have adequate protection against these.

When applying, be honest, be thorough, give us as much info as you can, it really helps.

Why? Optimal matchmaking, meaning we will match a cat based on the home and care you can provide, your previous experience with cats, and the temperament and personality of the individual cats we have at the shelter.

We do our best to ensure a good match so that we have minimal numbers of returned cats due to incompatibility. Moving is a very stressful event for any cat, whether they show it outwardly or not, so we want to make the transition as smooth as possible and, as far as we can, try to make sure that will be the cats last ever move. Hence the term “forever home”.

Please don’t be disheartened or disappointed if you aren’t chosen for a particular cat, there will most likely being an area of incompatibility, or it could be that someone was matched up before you.

They say that good things come to those who wait, so our message to you would be to apply, express your interest, and then be patient. The right moggy (or moggies!) will come along and we are ready to match you up when they do.