During the lockdown we have been unable to offer our usual adoption process at the Shelter due to the high risk this would pose to both staff and visitors. However, we have also received literally hundreds of applications from people looking to adopt, and so we have come up with a solution that will allow us to give the cats in our care a home. This process takes a little longer, but keeps the staff and adopters as safe as we can, and minimises stress to the cats.
Please note, cats are a 15-20 year commitment. Do not apply if you have not fully considered what it entails to be a responsible cat owner. We are here to give any advice needed, please just get in touch and we will be happy to answer your queries.
How it Works
Our cat team will look through the applications we have received and try to match our cats with families. When we think we’ve found a match we’ll get in touch with you to chat about the cat, and for the cats that are currently on short term foster we will put fosterers in touch with you as well.
This will help you get a clear picture of the cat, what their temperament or quirks are, and if you think your home would be suitable.
If all goes well and everyone is satisfied, we can arrange either for you to collect kitty from the fosterer or collect kitty from the shelter, contact free. We will give you a handover sheet and have a chat at a safe 2+ metre distance to make sure everything is clear and covered.
Where we can, we will invite you to meet the cat and spend some time with them. If you don’t feel it’s the right cat, we will keep your application on file for future reference. There is no pressure to adopt the first cat you see. We would rather it be the right cat that will have a forever home with you.
We can complete the adoption paperwork on the day, so please allow time for this (approximately 20-30 mins for the adoption completion).
We want to avoid cats being returned to us wherever possible to minimize the stress of moving around for the cats, so please do not apply or go through with adoption if you are a. Not ready, or b. have doubts about the cats’ suitability in your home. We would rather you be honest with us, meaning we can find just the right cat for you.
Some of our cats have not had their full course of vaccinations due to them being cancelled, or being part of a backlog of vet appointments while we’ve been in lockdown. These cats may still be adopted, so long as you can agree to take your new cat to Highfield Vets to complete their vaccinations at the appointment date and time set out by the shelter. The costs of this second vaccination will go to the Shelter itself, unless you wish to make a contribution to help cut our vet bill down a little!
Going forward
We hope that this has made everything clear, and that this will allow our cats to find their forever homes even in this time of crisis. Our goal, as ever, is to make sure that every cat that needs a home, finds the right home, and with this method we hope that we will be able to do this once again.
If you would like to fill in an adoption form you can do so at our adoptions page.
Due to the volume of application forms we have received we can’t guarantee a time at which we will get in touch with you. Please understand the difficulty of our situation and know that we will be in touch as soon as possible. Applications are coming through in their hundreds, and cats are being rehomed quickly, so please do be patient.
If you have any general queries, please direct them to info@thesheffieldcatshelter.org.uk, and if you have any questions about our adoption process or have already filled in a form and would like to express interest in a particular cat, then please contact us at adoptions@thesheffieldcatsshelter.org.uk.