Homing Policy

We have strict guidelines when homing cats and kittens. The home of each prospective new owner is visited by one of our volunteer home visitors. Our home visitors aren't coming to check for dust and tidiness!! Home visits are vital to assess what type of cat would settle best in a particular home. It is also an excellent opportunity for prospective owners to discuss any concerns they have about adopting a cat or kitten.

On adoption you will be given a Homing Pack which contains several useful Cats Protection leaflets on cat care and welfare.

Unless otherwise stated, all cats 6 months or older will be:

• Neutered/spayed
• Vaccinated against Cat Flu, Feline Enteritis, Feline Leukaemia and Chlamydia. This is a single vaccination and is administered in two courses, 3 weeks apart.
• Microchipped

Busy/Main Roads

It is the Branch Policy that we do not rehome cats on busy or main roads due to the high volume of traffic that use these roads and the dangers this poses to cats.

Indoor Cats

It is not our Branch policy to home any cats or kittens to a wholly confined environment unnecessarily. We believe that all our rescued animals should lead as normal and natural a life as possible.

The only occasion when we would consider homing a cat as an ‘indoor’ cat would be if there is some veterinary and/or security reasons for it to be confined for the rest of its life, ie blind, deaf or physically disabled in any way.

Rehoming Kittens

Families with young children

It is the Branch policy not to home very young kittens to families where there are children aged 5 or under. We feel that this is in the best interest of both the children and the kitten, as young kittens are extremely delicate and fragile and can easily be injured unintentionally. In addition, they are very playful and may scratch the child with it's sharp claws.

We strongly recommend that where there are children aged 5 or under within the family, that you home a cat aged 6 months or older.

Rehoming kittens in pairs if working full time

It is also the Branch policy to home kittens in pairs in the situation where new owners are out at work all day. It is most beneficial for the kittens, as they will have a playmate to help occupy their time and therefore they will be far less likely to destroy your best furniture due to boredom. In addition, they will have one another for company in what would otherwise be a very lonely environment for them to be in.

Neutering

In the event that you rehome a kitten/s, it will be your responsibility to have the kitten/s neutered at the appropriate time, usually at around 6 months old. However, it is recommended that you seek advice from your Vet. You will be provided with a Proof of Neutering form which the Vet needs to complete and sign once the kitten has been neutered/spayed. You will then need to return the Proof of Neutering form to us. We cross-check our records to ensure that all kittens that have been rehomed from the Branch have indeed been neutered/spayed. If you lose your Proof of Neutering form, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we can post another one out to you.

Vaccinations

The Branch finances the cost of vaccinations for kittens, often the first injection in this course of two has been given whilst in our care. We will inform new owners when the second course of vaccinations is due and we will organise with the new owner to authorise a vet to administer the second course of vaccinations.

Microchip

If you rehome a kitten, you will be supplied with a microchip, collar tag and related paperwork. The microchip is usually inserted either at the time of vaccinations or when the kitten is neutered/spayed. Please seek advice from your Vet on this matter. It is also very important to point out that you must complete and return the Microchip Registration form supplied with the microchip to ensure that your cats details are registered on the central database, thus ensuring that should your cat go missing, it can easily be traced back to you. If you do not return the registration form, then the microchip will be of little use as your details will not be associated with it.

Follow Up Visits

Once you have rehomed a cat/kitten, you will be contacted by one of our volunteer Follow Up Visitors to arrange a visit. This usually occurs at around 6-8 weeks after a cat/kitten has been rehomed. The purpose of a follow up visit is to ensure that your new cat/kitten has settled in OK and to answer any questions you may have and/or address any concerns.