TJ
Kitty Cafe recommends the following:
Assess your lifestyle
Getting a new cat or kitten is a massive commitment, so make sure you have considered how a cat will fit into your family and you have the time and commitment necessary to care for the cat. Remember cats can live to 20 years and beyond.
If adopting a non Kitty Cafe kitten
Ensure the kitten is over 8 weeks old and fully weaned before they leave their mothers. This is vitally important for the wellbeing of the cat and if this is not the case inform Kitty Cafe immediately so action can be taken to protect these cats.
When adopting a non Kitty Cafe cat check the health of the cat.
Ask as many questions as possible about health, also ask where the cat has been taken to the vets and any records they have such as vaccination cards - even if they haven’t been kept up to date.
Vaccinations - best practise
Cats should receive 2 starter vaccinations, this should be followed by a yearly vaccination booster. All this information should be kept on the vaccination record and retained. If this is lost then the information should be held by the vet’s who completed the vaccination. Injection costs range from £30 - £50
Worms and fleas
Cats should be kept up to date with flea and worm treatment, especially if they are outside cats. A lot of ‘off the shelf’ brands have become less effective in recent years - Kitty Cafe recommends Advocate (fleas), Stronghold (fleas), Panacur (worms) and Profender (worms). These can be purchased from your local vets. Please note all Kitty Cafe cats are treated with these brands and kept up to date - if adopting a Kitty Cafe cat you will be informed of their last treatment date.
Neuted / Spayed
All cats that leave the Kitty Cafe will be neutered/spayed. If you adopt from a rescue or in the community and it has not been done then it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you spay/neuter your new cat as soon as possible. Costs range from £30 - £70. Not only do un-neutered animals contribute to the current crisis of cats in rescues, kittens being put down unnecessarily and cats finding themselves abandoned, it also reduces the risk of your cat having behavioural issues such as fighting or spraying and getting sexually transmitted infections and diseases that could ultimately kill you cat. Female cats DO NOT miss out by not being allowed to have a litter of kittens. Ideally your cat should be neutered/spayed by 6months and/or as soon as they reach 2kg. This is the optimum weight for the cat to undergo the procedure.
Microchipping
It is not a legal requirement to microchip a cat, however it is highly recommended that you do so especially if your cat goes outside. All Kitty Cafe cats are chipped before they leave. Should your cat go missing mircochipping increases your chances of the cat being returned to you safely Costs approx £10-20
** PLEASE NOTE **
This is a free re-homing service provided by the Kitty Cafe to help rescues find their cats a home. If the cat comes from the Kitty Cafe directly this will be indicated in the listing and will be neutered/spayed, microchipped and up to date with injections GUARANTEED. Kitty Cafe also does not charge a fee for re-homing our cats, however there will be rigorous home checks before an adoption is agreed. Donations are gratefully received to allow us to continue this good work.
Majority of the cats in these listings are for re-homing directly from rescues who have their own rehoming policies, however some are in the community and so may be living in a family home. For cats in a private home Kitty Cafe offers advice and support to ensure the kitty goes to a safe and loving home. This is a private arrangement between yourself and the current carer so Kitty Cafe cannot guarantee the health status of any cat outside of the Kitty Cafe, whether the cat has been neutered/spayed, microchipped or injected (however we ask that this information is provided). Most rescues charge or ask for a donation - this is their policy and not influenced by the Kitty Cafe and it is at their discretion.