advice on rehoming cats

Hi there. Well done for considering taking on a pair of rescue cats. Before going to the rescue centre, I would consider what sort of cat would suit me and the family - do you have a secure garden, do you live near a main road, do you have a dog or young children?

Are you looking for kittens or older cats? If you are taking 2, you might find a pair that were previously homed together. My Dad took on such a pair and because they were used to each other, it made the whole settling in process a lot smoother.

I would also ask the shelter if they have any history on the cats. My Dad's cats were given up because (and I quote) the ex-owner's husband had become allergic to them. (I'd be finding a new husband before I gave up my cats...) I suspect this was a lie.

A neighbour tried to rehome a cat recently that had been kept shut in a room for 12 hours a day for 3 years. She tried so hard bless her, but it wasn't going to work, so the poor thing had to go back to the shelter.

It's worth asking the questions about history as well as what they know about health, neutering, innoculations etc. Possibly if they have been strays, you will never know.

I'm sure many of the lovely cat minded folk on here will have other ideas. Do let us know how you get on and of course, post pics of your new additions once you've found them.

Any good rescue, will have vaccinations and microchipping done before rehoming, and if old enough spayed and neutered too. Make sure you get this! Any good rescue will want to do a home check also, if they don't be wary!

If it is a pair you are looking for then you preferably want a pair that have come in together and are bonded. Ask as many questions as you possibly can. The chances are if the cat is a stray they won't know much, however the chances of a bonded pair both being strays is quite unlikely.

I have a couple of pairs in at the moment,
2, 6 month old kittens, they were either born outside or dumped at a very young age, they are very timid around humans they like to see you but don't like you to be near them! They are getting better though!
Then i have 2, 2year olds brother and sister which is their second time in rescue now however i have history on them from the age of 9 months old when they were first relinquished to the RSPCA!
I then have 2, 15 week old kittens i know a bit about their background but not a massive amount! They were being 'got rid off' because the owner couldnt afford to feed them and had been feeding them human food... im currently trying to teach them they are kittens and not humans....

If you want to PM me the area you are in i can point you in the direction of good rescues in your area, I work with rescues all over the country x

stingyscot wrote: »

I have had many cats over a lot of years and numbers of them have been 'rescue cats'. The biggest problem I have found comes from hand reared, orphaned kittens, because they aren't litter trained and that can continue to be a big problem. They will use a litter when it suits them, but will also poop anywhere around the house. They are often timid /nervous/antisocial, and can make disappointing household pets.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with this, three of ours are handrears and we've never experienced this. They're possibly the most affectionate, outgoing kits I've ever had and are incredibly entertaining.
We also foster and have had many orphaned kittens who we've litter trained ourselves.
Only one of our handrears was timid, until his two sisters were rehomed. When just him and his brother remained, he really came out of his shell.
I think it's more down to who handrears them, the whole point of handrearing is to be their 'mum', feed them and teach them what their mum would teach them in those important early weeks. We also handle and play with our handrears a lot to get them used to human contact, whether other handrearers from other rescues do this too I don't know, the ones I work with do though.

In response to your post Sarah, PrincessPlaty covers a lot of what should be taken care of with a rescue cat, neutering/vaccinations/microchippng, etc.
If possible, I would say try to get two cats which have been rescued together as LutonGirl pointed out, it'll be a lot easier for them to settle when they already know each other.
I've seen two separate cats be rehomed on several occasions, sometimes it goes without a hitch, but there will be the odd moggy who doesn't like his/her new partner!

Good for you for choosing resuce cats and good luck at the weekend