Any advice on looking for kittens please?

[Ocho]

We'd like to get two kittens or very young cats.

I can see that the local cat rehoming charities don't have any but there's plenty on gumtree. What should I be looking for and wary of?

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

Please don't use Gumtree, you never know what you will get and you could be encouraging unscrupulous breeders! Can you wait until the rescues get kittens (which I'm sure will happen soon)?

[Fluffycloudland77]

The rescues often don't put kittens on the websites, they go quickly. They advertise the older cats instead because people don't want them.

They'll have kittens coming out of their ears I'll bet, they will be vaccinated and neutered too.

Don't use gumtree though, people let cats breed and sell the kittens. Easy money for them.

[Ocho]

Gumtree is a complete no no then?

We're not in a rush. I think I was just assuming that kittens are easier to rehome and so less likely to come through rescue charities.

[Ocho]

OK, I'll steer clear of gumtree and contact the charities to ask.

[Lancelottie]

I rang a rescue yesterday -- no kittens on the website, but three pairs ready to go this week.

They wouldn't rehome to us because we don't have a catflap (unexpected, but there you go), but it does show that kittens are around by now..

[OneDayWhenIGrowUp]

There will be tonnes of kittens coming through rescues- there's just no need to advertise them

[Ocho]

great thanks. I've left messages with the two local rescues, and we do have a cat flap!

[PeppermintCrayon]

We got our kitten through a charity. I'd ring any local ones, and yy to avoiding gumtree.

[thecatneuterer]

Yes - don't use Gumtree. It just encourages irresponsible people to not get their cat neutered. Kitten season is now well underway, with a lot of kittens being born to stray cats right now. The trickle of stray kittens old enough to rehome (10 weeks) will become a flood in around 4 to 5 weeks time.

We currently have around 20 or so mothers and small kittens being fostered. In a few weeks we will be able to start homing them. More are coming in all the time. At the height of kitten season we frequently see upwards of ten mothers, all with kittens, coming in to our centre every week. And we're not even a big charity.

[Ocho]

oh gosh, that's a lot thecatneuterer, I didn't realise it was a seasonal thing!

What part of the country are you?

[Lancelottie]

Catneuterer -- do you know if all charities insist on catflaps and on no collars? Years ago, when Mogs 1 and 2 were fit enough to catch birds/mice/bats/moles, we compromised on no night-time access to the garden, and Very Loud Bells on their collars to cut down the carnage. Yesterday's rescue were very against collars of any sort; I can see their point, but how do you give the birds a fair chance?

[thecatneuterer]

Lottie we advise against collars and would certainly insist on anything apart from the quick release type, but that would be as far as it goes for us.

And with a cat flap we only insist on them for very nervy, timid/semi-feral cats as that is the only way to get them to accept being anywhere near humans, at least for a while. With 'normal' cats then while a flap is certainly preferable we don't insist on it.

Why don't you want a flap?

[chemenger]

Hijacking a bit - catneuterer, what set up do you need to foster kittens? I've always fancied doing it. I have two cats now, but once nastycat goes (and it can't be much longer) there might be space.....

[thecatneuterer]

Ocho we're in London and Hastings //www.celiahammond.org

[thecatneuterer]

chemenger Ideally you need a spare room. The foster mum and kittens should really be confined to one room. However you can also use a kitten pen (which we provide) in a living room say - but you would need to be very careful about leaving windows and doors open.

We do a home check - but that's really just to discuss practicalities - and of course proximity to roads, access to outside isn't a factor. Then we just ask the fosterers to play and interact with the kittens as much as possible - it's a tough job ...:)

[Missmonkeypenny]

Where are you? We took in a pair of rescue cat siblings and were told the female had been spayed - I currently have 5 two week old kittens in my spare room who will need homes in a month and a bits time!

[thecatneuterer]

missmonkey that's terrible! How could a rescue get something as fundamental as that wrong?

[Missmonkeypenny]

It was a bit of a surprise to say the least. My bet is that they had too many cats to look after at the shelter and wanted to get rid ASAP..which is fine, but couple 2 cats + 5 kittens + 5 month old DD and it's a little much, or at least will be when they start playing hide and seek.

[thecatneuterer]

Ocho kitten season is twice a year - Spring and Late Summer. There are always some kittens born out of season, and these are the one that people who sell on Gumtree find they can sell and make money from. However the next time their cat has kittens they will be competing with all the other unwanted ones and they find they can't sell them - which is when they frequently get dumped in boxes on the road, in bins etc etc

[thecatneuterer]

missmonkey in that case they should have told you to get her spayed yourself. That really is an almighty cock up.

[Missmonkeypenny]

Exactly, given we have a family friend who is a vet, it really wouldn't have been any trouble at all. She's currently climbing the walls being kept inside but she's off to be spayed as soon as she's finished nursing them. She's quite a young cat, I think, they said they thought she was just shy of a year and a half when we got her. She's doing amazingly well though, and the kittens are all flourishing.

[Ocho]

Missmonkey we are Greater Manchester

[Lancelottie]

Thanks, TCN. No major reason against a flap except the cost of fitting them in glass-panelled doors, and I prefer to know that our existing cat is inside at night away from the local foxes.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Is it glass all the way down?.

[Lancelottie]

Yes.