Adopting a cat - CPL concern...

Milford_Cubicle

I decided a few days ago I'd like to adopt another cat to give my 7 month old some company. We do have 6 month old black lab, but she gets a bit excitable at times and I have to seperate them quite a lot. Plus, I thought another cat and they can gang up on the dog :rotfl:

Anyway, I rang around today and nowhere seemed to have any young cats. I decided not to get a kitten because a tiny little bundle would probably end up squished by the Lab, so I was looking for one between 6 months and a year, to give it and my cat a fighting chance of actually getting on with each other!

I spoke to the CPL who said they had a black and white boy in, around 9 months old. He was being neutered today, but I was told I could go and see him this evening. A lovely boy, so friendly and good natured. We were asked if we wanted to take him....there and then?!
No home check, nothing. I was quite taken aback by that, especially as he'd only been neutered today as well!

I took him...he's now downstairs in my pup's old cage sharing a room with my resident cat to allow them to get to know each other with bars between for protection :rotfl:

Anyway, I was quite concerned that I literally had him thrust upon me, has anyone else experienced this? The other local rescue I got my other kitty from did a home check and asked me loads of questions. The CPL lady just wanted to know how old our current cat is and then I filled the forms in.
I was of the mindset that if they're literally giving cats to anyone, then I'd rather it be me than someone who might not look after him quite as well...

Has anyone else experienced this? At the moment there's apparently a long waiting list to rehome kittens so I can't imagine they were desperate to get rid, just seemed somewhat irresponsible?

I suppose I'll sneak a picture in, although I imagine this thread'll get locked if I do :rolleyes:

foreign_correspondent

ooh I dunno much about cats and rehoming, it is good practice to home check etc, but they do mainly run on volunteers, so I guess they can only do as much as they can...

Put yourself in the place of the rescue ... if you cannot get enough home checkers, and you have cats stuck in rescue spaces that would be doing better in a home, so the rescue is full, and as a result you are turning needy animals away because you have no space... what would you do?


ETA - he looks lovely btw, much like our old cat Charlie. Don't worry about him being recently neutered, he will probably recover better in a nice warm home than he would in a cattery.

MrsFraggle

Aww he's lovely. I'd love another cat too, my cat also came from CPL (after a home visit etc) but she's a typical uptight Tortie and would freak at another cat!

Does seem odd with no home check but I guess they knew you already had a cat and presumably had been vetted before, did you get your first cat from CPL? You may have been 'on record' already perhaps?

Milford_Cubicle

No, our other cat came from a different rescue. I suppose there is a chance she called the other rescue and asked them about me but she didn't mention that.

I imagine they probably are pressed for volunteers, just that I've never taken a rescue without being carefully vetted first!

foreign_correspondent

I expect pressed for volunteers and overflowing with unwanted cats!

If anyone fancies volunteering to become a home checker rescuehelpersunite it the place to go! Its an online forum and very good - no commitment, just offer to do bits and pieces that come up in your area as and when you can!

UKTigerlily

Milford_Cubicle wrote: »

I decided a few days ago I'd like to adopt another cat to give my 7 month old some company. We do have 6 month old black lab, but she gets a bit excitable at times and I have to seperate them quite a lot. Plus, I thought another cat and they can gang up on the dog :rotfl:

Anyway, I rang around today and nowhere seemed to have any young cats. I decided not to get a kitten because a tiny little bundle would probably end up squished by the Lab, so I was looking for one between 6 months and a year, to give it and my cat a fighting chance of actually getting on with each other!

I spoke to the CPL who said they had a black and white boy in, around 9 months old. He was being neutered today, but I was told I could go and see him this evening. A lovely boy, so friendly and good natured. We were asked if we wanted to take him....there and then?!
No home check, nothing. I was quite taken aback by that, especially as he'd only been neutered today as well!

I took him...he's now downstairs in my pup's old cage sharing a room with my resident cat to allow them to get to know each other with bars between for protection :rotfl:

Anyway, I was quite concerned that I literally had him thrust upon me, has anyone else experienced this? The other local rescue I got my other kitty from did a home check and asked me loads of questions. The CPL lady just wanted to know how old our current cat is and then I filled the forms in.
I was of the mindset that if they're literally giving cats to anyone, then I'd rather it be me than someone who might not look after him quite as well...

Has anyone else experienced this? At the moment there's apparently a long waiting list to rehome kittens so I can't imagine they were desperate to get rid, just seemed somewhat irresponsible?

I suppose I'll sneak a picture in, although I imagine this thread'll get locked if I do :rolleyes:

Awww he's lovely, what's his name? I didn't have a Home Check for my Dog but I think they'd asked all they could & I had asked alot so maybe sometimes they go on instinct idk As FC says, he'll probably recover better from neutering if he's in a nice, warm home! I'm suprised they said to take him there & then though, with my Dog you have to visit twice before it's reserved for you, I guess to make sure you're not doing it on impulse? Either way he's gorgeous, congratulations x

RacyRed

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I expect pressed for volunteers and overflowing with unwanted cats!

If anyone fancies volunteering to become a home checker rescuehelpersunite it the place to go! Its an online forum and very good - no commitment, just offer to do bits and pieces that come up in your area as and when you can!

Oh dear That is a great web site, I might even forgive you for putting that link up one of these days FC

I do cat rescue volunteer work and the number of cats being given up for rehoming just now is astronomical in our area.

Milford-Cubicle, as you had already been cleared for a home check by another charity in the area, already have a happy cat and dog and were adopting after careful thought about the impact of a new addition on your existing pet family, you obviously have the "right stuff".

If resources are stretched then instinct takes over. The very fact that you are concerned because you were not home checked this time suggests that your local CPL knew a good bet when they saw one :T

If the boy was fairly new to the rescue centre he will be much better off going home with you to recover from neutering, it's probably less stressful than adapting to life in a cage.

That's a really handsome fellow you have there. Has he decided on his name yet?

MaximumImpact

I had a really bad experience with CPL. I called them a few years ago to enquire near to my house. His sister was distressed and pining and the vet had given me their number advising that they would be best placed to help.

I spoke to a very rude woman at my local CPL and when I explained my predicament, she said, and I'll never forget this...'We would never rehome a cat to someone like you, it's irresponsible to have a cat near a road. Why would we give a cat or kitten to someone who has had one killed on a road so that it could happen again' I was very upset and put the phone down feeling like a piece of s**t and that I was a cruel owner. The road is about a quarter of a mile from my home and I live rurally.

I eventually found a local farmer who had some kittens and he happily gave me a little kitten who I still have 6 years later. He was astounded at the CPLs attitude.

To this day I have never recommended them to anyone and never would.

feelinggood_2

I was a bit suprised when I adopted my Rabbit. I turned up to have a look at a few, and ask some questions about whether I was suitable. The website said they'd need to do a home check, but away I came with a rabbit! She even gave me a weeks worth of food and hay for him. Luckily I had an old cage that would do for a few days till we got him his nice big one. They did ask for a photo of him when he was settled in, but other than that, no real check at all!

Oldernotwiser

MaximumImpact wrote: »

I had a really bad experience with CPL. I called them a few years ago to enquire near to my house. His sister was distressed and pining and the vet had given me their number advising that they would be best placed to help.

I spoke to a very rude woman at my local CPL and when I explained my predicament, she said, and I'll never forget this...'We would never rehome a cat to someone like you, it's irresponsible to have a cat near a road. Why would we give a cat or kitten to someone who has had one killed on a road so that it could happen again' I was very upset and put the phone down feeling like a piece of s**t and that I was a cruel owner. The road is about a quarter of a mile from my home and I live rurally.

I eventually found a local farmer who had some kittens and he happily gave me a little kitten who I still have 6 years later. He was astounded at the CPLs attitude.

To this day I have never recommended them to anyone and never would.

A friend of mine, a retired social worker, was a home checker for the CPL. She had to give it up because she found that they were so fussy about who they'd accept; she said it was almost as rigorous as adoption! Unfortunately this attitude only leads to more unwanted kittens being born.

RacyRed

MaximumImpact wrote: »

I had a really bad experience with CPL. I called them a few years ago to enquire near to my house. His sister was distressed and pining and the vet had given me their number advising that they would be best placed to help.

I spoke to a very rude woman at my local CPL and when I explained my predicament, she said, and I'll never forget this...'We would never rehome a cat to someone like you, it's irresponsible to have a cat near a road. Why would we give a cat or kitten to someone who has had one killed on a road so that it could happen again' I was very upset and put the phone down feeling like a piece of s**t and that I was a cruel owner. The road is about a quarter of a mile from my home and I live rurally.

I eventually found a local farmer who had some kittens and he happily gave me a little kitten who I still have 6 years later. He was astounded at the CPLs attitude.

To this day I have never recommended them to anyone and never would.

I'm speechless!

Irresponsible to have a cat near a road? Oh hang on, I know of a tiny place in the far north of Scotland that isn't connected to the road system yet, there are about 5 houses there, would they pass the CPL exacting standards? Ah no... No vet :rolleyes: .

Poor you MaximumImpact, I'd have felt like s**t too, anyone would.

You reminded me of an event years ago when I lived in a council block. There was a large, well shrubbed communal garden and some derelict sheds and things behind the building where a very small colony of cats lived, just 5 or 6 at most.

I won't call them feral as they were in and out of some of the ground floor flats all the time, they were friendly and cared for, de-flead (as far as possible) wormed regularly and taken to the vets when needed. They were mostly neutered with just one or two un-neutered cats kept to keep the line going - they were brilliant ratters and were highly valued by the community they lived in for this. They could all have gotten themselves adopted if they chose, but appeared to be happy living as they were. Boxes and blankets were always available for beds for them in the out-houses.

I ssuppose what I'm saying is that these were cats "owned" by a community but not by any one individual. We all lived like this for years, with the majority of people living in the flats giving a few pounds when needed to help care for the cats and providing top-up food when the rat population was low.

Enter the CPL, unannounced, late at night, armed with cages. They swooped in and all the cats were taken. Two of the wilder toms (who had already been neutered) were returned, we were told that the rest of the "feral" cats could be socialised and would be re-homed and that it was actually none of our business. Us plebs on a council estate obviously had no idea about cat care or community spirit. :mad:

Within a couple of years the 2 toms had wandered off and the rats had taken over. For years the residents talked about the much missed cats. Great move CPL.