No rescue kitten for a home with toddler?

[paddypoopants]

I am looking for a kitten at the moment. We have one 15 year old Tom left ( out of a family of three) and his last companion bit the dust 3 months ago. I got the name of the local cat rescue people from the vet as they apparently have kittens at the minute. So I phoned the woman who told me (at length) she wouldn't let me have any as I had a toddler and it would be "too much for me" to make sure my ds didn't injure the kitten.

I was a little taken aback as we have a good home for a cat, I'm an experienced cat owner, have a large garden and am at home all day. But fair enough her cats and all that if she can afford to be choosy over new homes then that's her business. But then she told me there were loads of kittens about if I wanted to get one ie go and buy one. She told me to come back in 2 or 3 years and then I could have one.

I was really shocked - I'm not good enough to have a rescue kitten but I can add to the problem of people breeding their cats to sell kittens by buying one. WTF?

Is this right will cat rescue people not give you a kitten if you have a toddler?

No idea about official cat rescues. My latest was a feral farm kitten, advertised "free to good home" in the vet's office. Try that?

Alternatively, my neighbour's ex-feral cat has three kittens, ready to go in a couple of weeks, if you're anywhere near Glasgow?

The RSPCA were quite happy to let me have a resuce cat and a toddler as long as I brought the toddler in to meet the cat prior to taking it home.

I'm trying not to get myself started on this because it is something that really winds me up.

If I were you I would try a mainstream rescue facility such as the RSPCA

We got two kittens from a local cat rescue organisation a couple of years ago when our youngest DC was just 10 months.

I explained we had a just mobile baby, a house with lots of nooks and crannies for the cats to get some peace away from the said baby, and an enclosed garden.

And I expect from the conversation they realised I was used to cats and had no daft idea about getting kittens to amuse the baby.

They said they would look out a bombproof pair for us but otherwise they were fine about it, and they're always pleased when the pair of them go back to board in the cattery section while we're on holiday.

I really can't see the organisation I dealt with recommending a pet shop. They thought our two had been bred to sell to a pet shop and then dumped when there were no takers.

Thanks everyone - I will try some other rescue centres. At least if they turn me down I won't be too shocked. I think I was mostly annoyed by the woman's tone and the fact she kept repeating I wouldn't be able to cope like I was some sort of halfwit. Of course she maybe right.

My neighbour (with the three young kittens) also has a toddler. She herself has mobility issues. Neither the kittens nor the toddler have come to any harm so far. :)

I give up now. I contacted the local cpl for a kitten or a cat up to the age of 1 and they were fine with the toddler but they google earthed my house and said we were too near a busy road.
Now we are set back from a 30 mph road which is really quiet. I counted 4 cars have gone past in 10 minutes - at 5pm. I said to the lady it was quiet and she said 'some cars go tanking along that road'. We have just moved from a suburban road which was far far busier. We have 2 acres of land and woods behind and beside us. What the hell do these people want?

She said it was policy - which is fine, but I would question what their idea of busy is. So I give up as I'm obviously just out to kill all their cats.

I feel really sad and disappointed that I'm not able to get a rescue cat:(

Don't give in, try somewhere else tomorrow Must be very disheartening when you just want to give a cat a good and loving home.

Thanks - I might try again at the weekend. I'm beginning to see why they have so many cats on their website.

We had to pretend that someone was at home the whole time when we got ours 10 years ago (we both worked full time). I get that with a dog, but a cat???

Anyway, have you tried looking on gumtree? They sometimes have adverts for people looking for homes for cats.

I got all our cats from Celia Hammond Animal Trust in Canning Town. On meeting DS ("boisterous" 4 year old at the time) she refused point blank to let us have kittens and gave us two lovely adolescent cats instead. I didn't mind though, because she had a point about DS, and the slightly older cats she gave us were just right in personality for our noisy household.

Great name Dilys- if we do get a cat it will be Dilys if its a girl or Norman if it's a boy.

Gave up in the end and looked on gumtree. Today we went to pick up 2 little black kittens from a farm in the middle of nowhere. They are fab!!! They seem totally unfazed by the noise my ds makes. Ancient cat is not overly impressed.