What to do if you find a stray or you are no longer able to care for your cat!
Please read the following carefully as it will help you understand what will happen to your cat whilst with us and how to make their stay with us easier.
Once you have telephoned us about wanting us to take in your cat or stray we will send you confirmation in writing. We do ask that as our waiting list is quite extensive that if you have not heard from us within 8 weeks from going onto our list please telephone us back just to confirm you still require our help, we ask this as many people re-home their cats and do not let us know, it helps us keep track on how large our list is and how long the wait could be.
On average each cat that comes into our care will cost this Adoption Centre at least £150. This is not including food, heating, litter etc.
We do not charge a fee for you to bring your cat/s to us but, we do ask you to make a donation as it would be greatly appreciated and will help us to pay towards some of the costs we will incur by helping you and your cat.
We rely entirely on public support and do not receive any financial aid from external agencies.
If the cat is a stray, what should you do?
Given the nature of strays, we would advise that you ask your neighbours whether there is a cat missing; often cats believed to be strays do, in fact, belong to someone local, in our confirmation letter we will also include a paper collar for you to put on the stray with details of who to contact if it does have an owner.
I can no longer care for my cat, what should I do?
There are many reasons why a cat is signed over to our care, from relationship break ups to elderly people having to go into a care home. It can be a heartbreaking time and we will do all that we can, but you will need to be patient.
If you choose to put your cat into Cats Protection's care, you will be asked to sign and confirm the decision. This really is your last opportunity to reconsider your decision, as details of the cat's new owners will not, in any circumstances, be released later down the line.
We also ask for you to write down as much information about your cat/s (i.e. likes & dislikes, last worm/flea treatment, vaccination history) and also to bring an item of your cats bedding or a favourite toy and an item that has their smell on it, it will help them settle into their new accommodation and make the transition easier for them with having a familiar smell or item.
What happens to your cat or stray once it is in our care
On arrival they will be taken to our veterinary treatment room and will have an initial health check by our Cat Care Assistants, and then they will be transferred into one of our incoming pens.
When a cat arrives into our care they will undergo the following procedures.
Have a thorough veterinary examination by our vets.
We will blood test them for FIV or FELV if we feel they could be at risk. If they are a stray we will hold onto them for 2 weeks and advertise them to try and find the owner.
We will vaccinate (if not fully vaccinated) against Flu, Enteritis, Leukaemia and Chlamydia.
They will be microchipped. A microchip is the size of a grain of rice and is injected under the skin that carries a unique number. New cats admitted into Cats Protection are automatically scanned for this and if a microchip is found it will be matched to the address on the national database.
They will be treated for worms The most common intestinal worms that cats get are called roundworms and tapeworms. Many infected cats do not show signs of having worms; however, heavy burdens of worms can cause weight loss, vomiting and diarrhoea.
They will also be treated for fleas. Adult fleas feed on cat blood; in young kittens this can cause weakness, anaemia and death.
We will neuter if not neutered. Neutered cats will become less likely to fight, thus improving their chances of avoiding serious diseases, like Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) which are transmitted by cat bites and reproductive activity and will be less likely to mark their territory with urine (spraying). It also prevents cats we rehome from becoming responsible for even more unwanted kittens being born into an already burdened cat population.
And finally they will receive any treatment as deemed necessary by the Veterinary Surgeon.
We do not put a healthy cat to sleep; they will stay with us until we find new homes.
The homing process
Once they have been cleared by our vet and after having been at the Adoption Centre for 7 days or 2 weeks if they are a stray, they will then be moved into one of our homing pens where they can then meet prospective new owners.
We offer advice and information on how best to settle the new cat into their home and advise on how the environment they are going to can be matched to the cats needs.
Unfortunately, some cats do get returned to us after being rehomed so the more information we receive from you, there is less chance of this happening. We want to make sure that everyone, puss included, is happy with the arrangements!