We are now in the peak months of kitten season - the period between spring and autumn - and have kittens available for adoption. Adopting a cat is a lifelong commitment: cats can live for 20+ years. Please read the following information carefully to ensure you understand our requirements for adopting a kitten. Don’t forget to also read our general adoption advice as well.

Our kittens are ready to move into their new homes between 9-12 weeks of age and are adopted in pairs, or as companions to existing cats. Kittens require huge amounts of stimulation, guidance and attention throughout the day, and cannot be left alone for long periods - companion cats provide them with a little extra company. It is much easier to have a pair of kittens as they will keep each other entertained and grow up much better socialised than a solo kitten would. Of course you’ll still need to devote plenty of time to continue their socialisation.

Kittens adopted from us will need to have access to a garden in a safe location, away from busy roads and via a cat flap into the back garden, once they are of age (no earlier than 6 months old) and of course neutered. Please note: we are not currently operating a waiting list to rehome kittens to indoor only homes. When available we will post profiles of suitable kittens who can be rehomed to an indoor home for their own safety for health reasons.

When adopting a young kitten from Catcuddles, you will sign a contract committing to neuter your kitten when he or she is four months of age, and we will follow up on this after adoption. This is so important because lack of neutering is the very reason that there are so many unwanted, homeless and neglected kittens in rescue centres in the first place, and so few homes for unwanted and abandoned older cats.

All kittens adopted from us have had at least their first vaccinations and are microchipped and health checked. Any kittens needing to complete their vaccination course will need to do so 3-4 weeks after adoption and the vaccine will need to be compatible with leucofeligen.

We are happy to home suitable kittens to homes with children provided the children have had some experience with animals and are kind and respectful towards them.

It is a lifetime requirement for kittens who will have eventually have access to the outside to always be provided with an appropriately sized litter tray inside for their urinary health.

Kittens and cats should always be kept inside from dusk to dawn for their own safety and to protect wildlife.

Healthcare

All cats and kittens are welcome to remain patients at The Catcuddles Cat Clinic in Palmers Green, London N13 and as well as complete their vaccinations with our Clinic, you can also choose to organise your neutering there, where you will receive a discount as an adopter. Local kitties may choose to remain registered at our first opinion vet clinic for routine consultations, annual health checks or for other assessment and procedures as required throughout their lives. The Clinic is open to all felines whether or not they were adopted from Catcuddles. 

Preparing for kittens

There will be kittens available in the coming months. It is far better to wait until you are going to be home for at least two months before going away for longer than a weekend, and that you have no forthcoming building works or other disruptions on the horizon.

You will need to have one room in your home you can dedicate to your kittens for their first week so they can get used to their new environment and establish a good routine before being introduced at their own pace to the rest of their home. The adoptions team can give further advice and feedback on a suitable space and how to ensure your home is kittenproof. For hygiene we would always recommend waterproof mattress protectors on all beds as a precautionary measure when slowly introducing kittens to your home.

When getting ready for kittens you will need to ensure windows are kept closed or securely open no more than 1-1.5 inches and that cleaning products, food, plants and flowers are always kept out of reach. Do you need to organise for any catproofing of your windows to prepare for warmer weather? Taking precautious is essential and will be covered with our adoptions team during the home visit. Any plants that are not cat safe should be removed, and even cat friendly plants should not be left for them to chew on (cat grass being the exception!) Unsure what is and isn’t safe? Visit ASPCA for advice.

Kittens are intrepid explorers and will climb into the smallest spaces and onto shelves. Keep surfaces free for them to explore, but also ensure you provide a suitable cat tower to give them a vantage point and somewhere safe to spend time on. If you need tips on kitten proofing why not read this advice?

Young kittens should not be restricted with their food but you should get them used to meal times. After neutering and by the time they are six months old and ready to have supervised visits outside you they need to be happy with meal times and not resorting to grazing. This helps in two ways: to ensure they do not gain excess weight and so they are incentivised to come home when hungry.

After adoption you’ll need to keep in regular contact during the first six months to provide us with updates and seek support if needed, and Catcuddles is always here beyond this period as needed.

If you do not yet have a catflap you’ll need to ensure this is installed within 4 weeks of adoption. We’d recommend a dual scan, microchip cat flap. This ensures only your cats can access your home but also enables you to shut the catflap to one cat when needed as well.

If you live on a busy road why not build a catio or buy one from a specialist company or ask a local carpenter to build you one?

Ensure no one in the home has allergies, if you have any doubts do research and speak to the Adoptions Team, do not hope that things will just turn out ok!

Shy Kittens

Often at Catcuddles we rescue stray kittens who were born outside, and as a result are very shy and unsure of people. They have had little to no experience with humans since birth and as a result, don't understand what our intentions are or whether we want to hurt them. After getting such kittens' healthy our volunteers get to work socialising them, teaching them that people mean no harm and just want to offer them fuss and treats! Nevertheless some may remain shy and really need a loving, forever home to teach them to trust over time, so that they can grow into affectionate, outgoing adult cats. Unlike kittens who have been around people since birth who are great with children, shy kittens usually need adult only homes or homes with older children only.

We love adopters willing to offer shy kittens such as these a chance, but of course have kittens of all temperaments available for adoption at this time of year. 

Older Kittens

Throughout the coming months we may have kittens who have joined us due to a change in circumstance. These kittens will already be neutered or neutered in our care. Whilst they may be a little older they’re just as cuddly and friendly as our youngsters so consider whether this may be something you’re open to considering.

Ready to enquire?

If you haven’t done so already read our tips regarding adoption here. When submitting an enquiry don’t forget to give us as much experience on your experience and the home you have to offer. Our priority is to match felines with homes that suit their needs, character and long term requirements so please be opened minded on the recommendations from our experienced adoptions team volunteers and please ensure you feel ready to adopt before submitting your enquiry out of consideration to our volunteers. We are unable to consider enquiries for a specific coat colour or fur length, this has no bearing on a kitten’s ability to settle into their forever home.