N00b - shelter home visits - what to expect?

[MrsHathaway]

We're planning to give a pair of b&w shorthaired kittens a forever home from late August/early September. A nearby shelter currently has two sibling groups and surprise surprise the b&w babies are the ones left over.

They insist on waiting until they are old enough to have had their jabs and to be neutered (quite right too) and also say they carry out home visits before any homing.

Could anyone with experience of this tell me a little more? I have anxieties around people visiting and judging my home so I'd like to be prepared. I can't see that it would be problematic as the previous owners had cats, and we are on a quiet cul de sac at the edge of a fairly rural village and have a fully enclosed garden.

Thanks. I am so excited I might wee.

[cozietoesie]

Lots of posters here with experience from both sides so keep an eye on the thread for when they arrive after supper.

[MrsHathaway]

Thanks.

Lady has rung back. She can't rehome kittens with us because our youngest child is too young but they want to assess us and keep us on file for when inevitably one or more b&ws comes in over twelve months old and more able to run away from fearless, grabby toddler.

[MrsHathaway]

She rang back! She did her sums and realised that by the time we're able to take them, one litter of kittens will be considered adult so the age of our children doesn't matter.

Two little b&w boys reserved for us. Home visit next week. I gathered from what she said that she mainly wants to check that the DC aren't hoodlums.

[Wolfiefan]

Haha your kids may not be hoodlums but I bet the kittens will!
They may ask about where litter tray etc would go.
How will you shut them in/confine them?
How long will they be left?
Vets?
Do you know about vaccinations?
Is garden secure?
Will you have a cat flap?

Jealous! We lost our old girl yesterday and the house seems empty. B&W kitties are the best!!

[MrsHathaway]

Sorry to hear about your poor old lady.

There is a choice of two easy vets here and she's very pleased with the one we chose the other is my friend's XH so no chance. They will have had all their jabs and the snip by the time we get them.

What does secure garden mean? Access is through the house or garage only (ie it completely secures the DC) but cats can climb in and out. We get the odd rabbit or hedgehog too .

As for shutting them in, slightly complicated. Previous owners' cats were outdoor cats but they had a big gap under the back garage door (to the garden) and the cats sheltered in the garage as necessary. There is an outdoor lean-to and then a big sort of shelf where they had a day bed iyswim. There aren't cat flaps so once they're in they're in.

Indoors is open plan kitchen/dining room/playroom then shuttable doors to the front room (and front door) and the inner hall which leads to office and futility. Those doors are all meant to be kept firmly shut for toddler reasons.

Litter tray and food bowls, location thereof, would need a little thought. There is a space that currently collects stuff which when sorted would be ideal for one and a space near the door for the other.

I do part of the week SAHM and part working from home so most days they'd be alone for an hour or less at a time for school run, with the odd longer spell for eg football training or toddler group. No full days and no planned overnights for a good while yet .

Thanks for the pointers.

[BagelwithButter]

Good luck with your kittens. Posting pictures is a must as soon as you get them

Btw, I love the idea of a "futility" room! Every home should have one

[cozietoesie]

I can't speak for the checkers or checkees on the board but for me, the fact that you're actually thinking about these matters would matter a great deal to me. You sound very responsible.

I would 'guess' that they're checking just to see that you're not really living next to a motorway and that you haven't actually got 19 people and 22 big dogs all living together in complete chaos. In other words, does what you said to them originally pan out in real life?

I really wouldn't worry about someone coming in and 'judging' your home - it's not a style competition. Frankly, if I went into someone's house and everything was immaculately white and completely pristine with assorted antique knick knacks, I would start to wonder what the prospective owner's reaction might be to a vomit placed precisely on the centre of the best carpet or on a beautiful white sofa?

Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be fine.

[chockbic]

They won't be expecting you to have a show home. It's better that your house looks lived in. As long as you can find the cat, under the clutter

[DulcetMoans]

They aren't judging your cleanliness or anything like that, is about the safe environment for the cats and talking through what needs to be done. Our home visit was from cat protection league so there were specific questions. I can't remember everything but they will probably discuss:

*Current and previous pet ownership
*Who lives in the house
*Where the kittens will be until they can go out - a wider conversation about that transition period
*Cat flaps or shelter when they are out
*Then a bit about your house location - garden access, main roads, surrounding area

You don't have to have all the answers, just be willing to think about it and make provision for them.

[Wolfiefan]

I was really worried about our home check we had for our old guys. I was convinced they would say no because we lived close to a railway line.
Obviously if you had a pet anaconda that had free roaming rights over the house. Now that would be a problem!!!!

[PerditaMcLeod]

Good luck with your kittens!

The home visits we have had were mainly interested in checking they had access to outside and that we were aware of the responsibilities of cat servitude!

I love b&w kitties :-) Be warned though, little baby b&w boys can turn into this....

[Sparklingbrook]

YY it's just an opportunity for them to ask you a few questions and you to ask them anything you want.

They might ask if you have plans in place for when you go on holiday too and a vets lined up.

Don't worry about a bit of untidiness as cozie says that's better than cream everything and priceless heirloom ming vases.

One other thing to consider is making sure they don't escape , and the children don't accidentally open the doors/windows etc. I put post it's on all external doors with a picture of a cat on to remind them.

Look forward to the pics!

[MrsHathaway]

She's coming tomorrow ... wish us luck!

[Fluffycloudland77]

Good luck!.

[cozietoesie]

Good luck - and let us know how it goes?

[ShipwreckedAndComatose]

Ooh, good luck! this is us in a few weeks, I think.

[DidoTheDodo]

Our home visit lady talked about casts non stop! Looked at the garden, checked we weren't too near a road, ascertained we'd had cats before and told us about two black/ b&w siblings of 9 months old that nobody wanted because of their colour.
They've been here almost 5 months now and are utterly wonderful.
Good luck...they just want to know you're cat aware.

[MrsHathaway]

She came.

We meet them on Wednesday. They'll join us w/c 24/8 once they've had their snip (vet hasn't set the appointment).

Watch this space for photos!

She recommends a box and blanket for bed and not bothering with a posh cat bed. Thoughts? Size of box? We get Aldi nappies in boxes of 72 which is about the size of two six-bottle wine carriers. That size or bigger? Or just buy a bed?

[cozietoesie]

Sounds fine - maybe with the tops torn off and a side cut down a bit for the longer term. (But a box with a blanket or fleece inside should be fine as is.)

I take it the visit went OK?

[MrsHathaway]

Yes, thanks.

Although there was a moment when DC3 woke up so I went to get him, and the lady asked DC2 what his baby was like.

Unfortunately all DC2 could think of was the fact that DC3 likes to pull his hair and bash him which is obviously exactly what she wanted to hear... Fortunately DC3 sat sleepily on my lap for the remaining ten minutes as though butter wouldn't melt.

She mainly spoke to the DC about why they wanted cats and how to look after them. Then she talked logistics to me.

[cozietoesie]

Officially not 'hoodlums' then.

[DidoTheDodo]

Hurrah! Good news. You do know, don't you, that the kitties will not sleep in any box or bed you give them? They'll choose their own favourite spots. In other words, spend nothing!

[PeanutButterOnly]

For bed mine prefers the mid-sleeper and Ikea blanket bought for dc3. So yes buy no cat bed, save it for replacing the dcs stuff

[MrsHathaway]

No chance they'll choose our bed as it's usually full of human intruders

Nineteen hours and counting!

[PeanutButterOnly]

That'll be perfect if you and dcs all sleep in the one bed leaving cats choice of all the rest haha