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Need to Rehome Your Cat?
There are numerous reasons why people consider rehoming their cat. Some situations are sadly unavoidable, but in many cases rehoming can be avoided with a little help and information.
On this page we aim to give advice for both situations:
Part 1: AVOIDING the Need to Rehome Your Cat - suggestions »
Part 2: REHOMING Your Cat Successfully - advice » |
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Part 1 - Avoiding the Need to Rehome Your Cat
Solutions to some of the common reasons for rehoming a cat... |
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| Allergies: If a member of the household becomes allergic to
cats, or if a new partner is allergic, many people assume the
only solution is to rehome the cat. This is not necessarily so.
Some people may develop allergic symptoms when living with a
cat for the first time, but find that after a few weeks their
symptoms subside, and often disappear altogether once their system
is used to being in contact with the particles of allergen. Reduce
risk of reaction by making sure the cat is regularly de-flea'd,
don't groom puss inside the house, and it can even help if you
wipe a damp cloth over the carpet after vacuuming, and even over
the cat! There is also a pet cleanser on the market, called 'PetalCleanse',
which neutralises the allergen. This product is approved by the
British Allergy Foundation and is available in independent chemists
and pet shops, Boots and larger Tesco stores, or for more information,
call the Pet Allergy Helpline:
01608
686626 or visit: www.biolife-international.co.uk |
 Moving to "No Pets" Accommodation: One of the main reasons we hear of for people giving up their pets, is due to many landlord's 'no pets' rule in rented accommodation. However, in many cases this rule is put in place based on a 'worst case scenario' where a landlord is worried about pets who might leave mess everywhere and damage their carpets or furnishings. So if you are prepared to make certain guarantees in this regard, that rule can often be changed, at least for the duration of your tenancy. Some things that can help to pursuade a landlord to relax the 'no pets' rule, could include: Providing a reference for your pet from a previous landlord (Were they well behaved? Did they cause any mess? etc.), offering to pay a higher deposit or offering to pay for the property to be professionally cleaned when you move out. If you are a pet owner faced with finding rented accommodation that will accept your pet(s), or if you are a landlord or letting agent, there is a wealth of sensible advice and suggestions here:
The
Dog's Trust "Lets With Pets" site has excellent advice and information for Pet Owners, Landlords and Letting Agents: www.letswithpets.org.uk
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Emigration: If you are emigrating abroad, you may still be
able to take your cat with you. If the cat is elderly or ill
in any way, you may consider the journey might be too much for
them, and decide rehoming would be the best option (in which case, see the 'Rehoming your Cat' section further down this page). But, if they
are in good health and you would like to take them with you,
you can get advice and information from DEFRA by Email: pets.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Or, on their website: ww2.defra.gov.uk For transporting cats by air: Animal Airways: www.animalairways.com or Jet Set Pets: www.jetsetpets.co.uk or PetAir UK: www.petairuk.com or AirPets: www.airpets.com Further useful information about pets and travel here: www.petsandtravel.co.uk
There is also a Pets Travel Scheme Helpline: 0870 241 1710 |
| Pregnancy: The risk of toxoplasmosis contracted from animal
faeces during pregnancy is still a major reason why many cats
are put up for rehoming. However, the British Medical Journal has largely
disputed this as an old wives tale, when a study proved that
inadequately cooked or cured meat is the main risk factor for
infection with toxoplasmosis. Contact with cats' faeces
was found to be a very low risk factor. The basic rules of hygiene
should therefore be observed, and to be absolutely safe, rubber
gloves should be worn when cleaning litter trays, or get a non-pregnant
member of the household to do the litter duty! This simple step, plus keeping the cat's
vaccinations up to date, and ensure they are regularly de-wormed
and de-flea'd will mean there is no need to rehome your cat. It's also worth noting the benefits to baby of having a pet in the home during it's early years (see New Baby in the Home below). Or, for further advice, call the CP helpline:
08702 099 099 |
| New Baby in the Home: If simple sensible precautions are taken,
there is no need to consider rehoming purely due to the
arrival of a baby. And indeed, having a cat (or dog) in the family can
be of immense benefit to the child's development, allowing them
to form an early bond with an animal, learning to respect and
care for them, and quite possibly laying the foundations of a
lifelong love for animals. Also, clinical studies have shown
that living with pets during the first year of life can build
up a child's antibodies leading to a reduced risk of asthma
and allergies. Take precautions such as: closing the nursery
door when baby is on her own, keep litter trays out of reach
of babies at the crawling and toddling stage, keep baby food
and pet food separate, clean litter trays regularly and always
wash your hands, ensure puss's vaccinations are current and that
they are regularly de-wormed and de-flea'd. For further
advice, call the CP helpline: 08702 099 099
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Behavioural Problems: Many common behavioural problems can
be exasperating if the cause is not apparent. Sometimes this
can lead to people feeling that the problem is insurmountable
and that rehoming is the only solution. These pages may help:
Cat Chat information page » Inappropriate Toileting / Spraying
The Feline Advisory Bureau advice pages:
Spraying/Soiling
indoors | Scratching/
clawing indoors | Aggressive/Nervous
cats
If you have a query about a behavioural issue not covered by the above, Cat Chat's qualified behavioural adviser may be able
to offer advice - Email:  (please give as much relevant information
as possible) |
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Part 2 - Successfully Rehoming Your Cat, if that is the only solution
The 'Do's and Don't's of Rehoming Your Cat |
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Rescue Centres & Rehoming Organisations: Our preferred option when needing to rehome your cat, is to go through a rescue centre or rehoming group. There are around 1,600 shelters, cat rescue centres, rehoming organisations & branches, and independent rescue
groups all over the UK, so there will be more than one which covers your area.
Find the Rescue and Rehoming Organisations
near you on our UK Cat Rescue database here (or click the map below).
 Why go to a Rescue Centre? For Three very important reasons:
- Rescue centres help cats
because they love them and have their best interests at heart.
- They will do their best to ensure each cat goes somewhere suited to their individual needs and personality, either by carrying out a home-visit or by a thorough ‘interview and matching’ process - some rescues do both. This ensures they have the best chance of finding a loving home, chosen to match their needs.
- Rescue centres will be able to offer advice to the new owners, if there are any 'settling in' issues, and will usually take the cat back into their care if the home doesn't work out.
Important Note: Before signing your cat over to a rescue, do first check that they have
a 'non destruction
policy', which means that they will never put a healthy animal to sleep, regardless of age, temperament etc. |
| Direct Rehoming (with the help of a rescue): If you are able to keep your cat until a home is found, you could ask a rescue if they will help you with a 'Direct Rehoming', which is where the rescue will source the home for you, without needing to take the cat into their care. Many rescue centres have a waiting list of cats needing to come in, so they may not have a space to accommodate your
cat straight away, so Direct Rehoming can often be a preferable route for the rescue too. This can also mean less stress for the cat, as he will only have to 'move house' once. Find out about Direct Rehoming here » Direct Homing Information
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| Rehoming Pedigree Cats: Regular rescues do take in pedigrees for rehoming, but there are also specialist rehoming organisations for
pedigree cats, most specialising in particular breeds. Pedigree rescues are listed on our shelter listings (shown alphabetically
by breed), here » Pedigree Rescues. Or, the Governing Council of Cat Fancy lists regional welfare officers for rehoming pedigrees on their web page as
follows: GCCF
Welfare. Most pedigree rescues, will assist with a 'Direct Rehoming', which is where the rescue will source the home for you, but you keep the cat until the home is found, rather than being taken into rescue. More about Direct Rehoming here » Direct Homing Information |
Rehoming Privately to Friends, Family or Colleagues: Organising the rehoming of your cat yourself can be fraught with problems, both during and after the rehoming. This is why we don't feature 'private rehomings' on Cat Chat. Our preferred option is always to go through
a rescue centre or rehoming group as detailed above. However if
you decide to try to rehome your cat privately, these suggestions may help:
Try asking around
people you know and trust, such as friends, relatives, or
close work colleagues. You may find that even if
they cannot take the cat themselves, they may start thinking
of people they know and trust who might consider adopting
a new cat. Speak to any prospective new
owners first to find out if they are serious, that they are prepared for costs such as vet bills, and that they realise
it's a long term commitment, and aren't just adopting 'on a whim'.
Some points to consider:
- A good
idea is to ask your local Cats Protection or RSPCA branch to
do a
'home-visit' to assess the suitability of the prospective
new owners and their home.
- If you decide to do the home visit yourself,
never go alone, and take a check-list of questions to ask the prospective new owners. Don't take the cat with you on the first visit - you should be satisfied first that it is the right home, before returning to hand the cat over.
- NEVER rehome your cat privately without having thoroughly checked the home. It is sadly not uncommon for cats or kittens to be obtained by deception, for use in illegal dog-baiting.
- Ask if the new owners will agree to give you updates / photos of your cat during the first year after rehoming. If they won't, that could be cause for concern.
- The new home should not be too close to their old home. Cats
have been known to travel great distances to get back to their
old home, risking getting lost or killed on the road. If the new home is quite close, the cat should be kept indoors
for 4 weeks, to reinforce it as being 'home' and prevent
it from straying back to the old house.
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"FREE to a GOOD HOME" Adverts - PLEASE DON'T do this!
Please don't be tempted to advertise your pet as being 'free to a good home'. Firstly, and most worryingly, because cats or kittens are sometimes obtained by deception, through this type of advert, for use in illegal dog-baiting. Secondly, you have no guarantee of where they will end up, whether they will be cared for long term, or if they will end up being dumped. Apart from the high risk factor, some people who are simply after a free cat, may not have considered any other expenses such as veterinary bills and cattery fees, and might not be in a position to cover them. It is much safer to go through a Rescue and Rehoming centre, as detailed above. |
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