Thinking of adopting a cat or kitten?
Here you can find everything you need to know about adopting from us. Take a look at our easy to follow 3 step adoption procedure below. If you have any questions about adopting, we welcome you to get in touch!
Step 1: Home visit
The first step of our adoption procedure is an informal home visit. This helps us to get to know you and your home environment a little better. We are passionate about adopting the right cat to the right home. We assess and consider the individual needs of every cat in our care and look to find suitable homes to meet their needs. Some cats can be very shy and require a quiet, adult only environment whereas others are more confident and well suited to a family home.
If you live in rented accommodation we ask for written permission from your landlord or housing organisation to ensure a stable home.
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We will always work with you to ensure we are making the best match we can, for your family and the cat who is searching for their forever home. Sometimes it can take a little time for us to make that match, so we ask for your patience during this process. Finding the right home for our cats is very important to us to ensure they remain happy and content when they move on from our care. Finding the right match also limits the likelihood of health and behavioural problems down the line for you.
One of our dedicated volunteers will be in touch with you to arrange a mutually convenient time to conduct your visit. Please note you will not be told the outcome of your home visit by the volunteer who carries out your home visit. The information gathered will be passed onto the decision making team who will then be in touch with your outcome.
Step 2: Meet and greet
Once you have passed your home visit, congratulations! We can now make arrangements for you to visit any cats that are thought to be the most suitable match for you and your family.
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All our cats are cared for by our network of dedicated foster carers- this means our cats are cared for in volunteers homes rather than in a cattery or centre. Once we determine which cats are a match, we will put you in touch with the foster carer to arrange a convenient time to visit.
The meet and greet is an opportunity for you to spend some time with the cat or kitten, to find out more from their foster carer who knows them best and an opportunity for us to see how you interact with them too.
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If the visit goes well both for yourself and your new feline friend, we ask for a £20 non-refundable deposit.
This works as a holding fee so the cat or kitten will no longer be available for meet and greets and cannot be adopted by anyone else.
Step 3: Reserving and adoption
Once you have chosen your new furry friend we ask for a £20 non-refundable deposit to reserve them. This will be deducted from the total adoption fee and means that nobody else will be permitted to visit or rehome the cat/ kitten. The only circumstance in which the deposit will be refunded is if the adoption is cancelled by us for any reason. The remaining adoption fee must be paid in full before or on the date of adoption. We will not release any cats from our care until we have received payment.
On adoption day you will receive the following with your cat or kitten:
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Conditions of adoption form (Terms and conditions of adoption)
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Adoption pack (inc personalised diet and parasite treatment info)
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Vaccination card
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Microchip details
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Any relevant medical information
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Kittens will receive a kitten care booklet and a voucher to take to our vets for neutering/ vaccinations where appropriate.
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5 week FREE insurance cover if you choose to take this out.
On adoption day you must bring with you a secure carrier to safely transport your cat to their new home. We suggest you have a dedicated safe, secure room set up for the cat. They will feel much more relaxed if given a space of their own to settle and decompress, before accessing the wider home gradually and in their own time.
During the initial settling in period it is vital that the cat is kept securely indoors at all times with no way of escape to prevent them from getting lost and going missing. For newly adopted cats who will eventually be going outdoors, they should be kept indoors for at least 3 weeks. This period should be extended for cats who are timid, you want them to have fully gained your trust and recognise their new house as their home before being allowed to venture outdoors. Young cats adopted before they are old enough to be spayed, must not be let outside until they are neutered and fully recovered from their surgery.
Introducing new cats to existing pets in the home or children should be done very gradually and under direct supervision. Taking care to ensure interactions are on the cats terms and not allowing their boundaries to be crossed.
Adoption donation and what's included:
We ask for a minimum of £100 for adult cats (12 months+) and £110 for kittens which includes the following:
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Spay/neuter
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Microchip
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Full first vaccination course
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Flea/worm/mite parasite cover
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Full health check
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5 weeks free insurance cover
Our minimum adoption fee is significantly less than you would pay at your local vets for microchipping, neutering and vaccinations alone.
If kittens go to new homes prior to being old enough for neutering, arrangements will be made with you to return your kitten to our vets for the procedure, once old enough.
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Microchipping:
Once the adoption is complete, it is the responsibility of the adopter to register their personal details with the microchip company. This can be done online or by post, using the details we give you on adoption. If the cat is already microchipped before coming to us, we will arrange for the details to be changed into your name.
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Vaccinations:
Older cats or kittens have usually completed their full vaccination course prior to adoption. In some cases cats will be rehomed prior to having their second vaccination and it is the responsibility of the adopter to return the cat to our vets, when due, for the vaccination course to be completed. This is included in the adoption fee. As the adopter you will then be responsible for the annual vaccinations thereafter.
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The adoption fee must be paid in full before or on the day of adoption.
Adopting young kittens
Young kittens do best when they have feline companionship. Having a sibling for company or an order role model helps with their learning, development enrichment and offers them company and comfort for when you have to leave them for short periods. For this reason we generally only adopt young kittens in pairs or to homes with existing cats. Before considering adopting kittens, it is important to consider the extra support and supervision they require. If you adopt a kitten or kittens from us prior to them being old enough to be neutered, microchipped or have their second vaccination booster, the cost of this is included within the adoption fee paid. In this circumstance we ask adopters to arrange an appointment with our vets as soon as the kitten reaches 4 months old or reaches the required weight. Adopters must inform us when this appointment has been booked and we will confirm with our vets that the procedure went ahead to ensure all our adopted kittens are neutered, vaccinated and microchipped in line with our adoption policy.
To start the adoption process, get in touch!
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Please provide us with your name, full address, phone number and an idea of your availability and we will be in touch as soon as possible to arrange a home visit.
Please email us at: bandofrescuersteam@gmail.com
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