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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Would most rescue centres say no to us?

27 replies

Mckayz · 20/08/2013 16:07

We are considering getting a couple of kittens. I'd rather adopt from a rescue centre instead of from an ad in the paper etc.

We have 3 DC, 6, 4 and 14 months. My Mum has a cat and the older 2 are very gentle with her and the 14 month old doesn't pay her much attention really.

We have a busy main road out the front. A quiet little lane and lots of fields at the back. You can't get to the front of the house from the back without walking about 1/3 of a mile to a cut through. We'd never let the cat out of the front door.

I remember being a child and the RSPCA not letting us adopt kittens as we lived near a school so the road was busy at drop off/pick up times.

Are we likely to be turned down?

Thanks

OP posts:
itsnothingoriginal · 20/08/2013 16:15

We've just been through adoption process. They might suggest a house cat because of the road but if it's CP they come and do a risk assessment anyway. It might be the ages of your DC that presents more of an issue? We were on the cusp of being accepted with a 5yr old and an 8yr old.

Good luck - hope it works out for you Smile

cozietoesie · 20/08/2013 16:15

I think some might turn you down because of the main road and, particularly, the 14 month old - but you can only ask and see what they say. Be sure to be completely frank with them and remember that many will want to do a house visit.

Do you have many rescues in your area?

Original poster
Mckayz · 20/08/2013 16:18

I don't think we have many. There is a Cats Protection League place in York and then the RSPCA places.

There is a Blue Cross not too far away and I am always on their website falling in love with kittens. I sent them an email but they said the best thing to do is to ring the rescue centre. But the only number I can find is a generic national one.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 20/08/2013 16:21

Have a look on \link{http://www.catchat.org/\catchat}. They have a 'Find A Shelter link which should let you see the relevant rescues nearest to you.

Original poster
Mckayz · 20/08/2013 16:26

Thanks, I will have a look Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
Mckayz · 20/08/2013 16:36

Loads of the rescue places in the North Yorkshire section say on the website they won't rehome to families with children under 5 or if you are within 150m of a main road. Sad

Some beautiful kittens at the CPL in Teeside.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 20/08/2013 16:57

Do you definitely want kittens? There are quite a few oldies and semi-oldies needing homes around the country and some of those might either be known to be fine with younger kids or be happy being housecats.

Original poster
Mckayz · 20/08/2013 17:32

We'd be happy with semi-oldies I think.

OP posts:
Lonecatwithkitten · 20/08/2013 18:42

You can argue the main road I did and won. IME cats are less at risk on a really busy road as they just don't go near it. They are at much greater risk on a quiet road that occasionally a car comes down really fast.
All the RTA cats I see in the surgery come from quiet roads with the occasional fast car.
I argued this case with RSPCA pointing out I only let my cats out the back away from the road, the result, I am the tailless wonders forever home.

cozietoesie · 20/08/2013 18:45

My mother lived on a quiet country road with occasional local wide boys gunning down it late at night. She lost 5 or 6 young cats in quick succession to RTAs before she acquired Seniorboy - who became a housecat.

tobiasfunke · 20/08/2013 19:20

This is a major bugbear of mine - although some shelters are more sensible than others, usually the ones in rural areas.- The CPL wouldn't even consider us with a 3 year old and near a quiet 30mph road despite the fact we are surrounded by woods. We got 2 new cats from the farm up the road and they never go near the road - there is no need.
The only cat we have lost to a car was when we lived in a quiet cul de sac and the plumber reversed over him.

Original poster
Mckayz · 20/08/2013 20:56

My kitten was run over when I was young on a farm track. Not on the 'busy according to RSPCA' school run road. His brother had had tail run over by my mum and was hit by cars twice. He was 19 when he finally died.

OP posts:
ubik · 20/08/2013 21:21

We got a couple of rescue cats from the SPCA. We live in a flat very near a busy road. We have a quiet lane and gardens out the back. Cats will come and go out the back. SPCA didn't seem to have a problem with this.

timtam23 · 20/08/2013 21:54

Most of the RSPCA cat adverts around here say no children under 5, and even none under 8 for kittens (so we would instantly be ruled out as DS2 is only 3, but he is really good with our 2 oldies and completely ignores the brand new kitten although we've only had it 2 days - DS1 is 5 and is being very sensible with the kitten)
CPL - haven't needed to ask them anything for years and years but they were very very fussy about where they placed cats when I was looking 18 yrs ago

There's a small charity rescue I spoke to yesterday (about the kitten found under my car bonnet) & they said they are struggling to rehome their kittens because most of them are black and people don't want plain black kittens - I was really surprised by this but maybe if you offered to take the black cats/kittens it would be a point in your favour! However they would be worried about the busy road

Although like other posters I lived on a fairly busy road for a year with my oldest cat from when she was 4 months old and she never went near the road, she always hung around in the back garden

Original poster
Mckayz · 20/08/2013 22:07

I'd be very happy with a black cat. I think we'd be happy with any colour really. But DS2 wants a silver cat like my mums but I've never seen another quite like her.

OP posts:
issey6cats · 20/08/2013 22:19

hi been out tonight so not as fast at replyong as i normally am, i work at yorkshire cat rescue which is near kieghley (look for haworth cat on facebook or yorkshire cat rescue website)so not that far from york, and if you were prepared to come over our way, we wouldnt necessarily turn you down, especially as you want kittens we are drowning in them at the moment, with kittens you can easier bring them up to be indoor only cats but as you said getting to the front of your house isnt easy so the road shouldnt be a problem, the larger rescues have more rigid rules than the smaller independent ones

cozietoesie · 20/08/2013 22:22

There you go, Mckayz. That's not a done deal - but Haworth are a sensible lot and will actually listen to you and think about things.

Best of luck.

Original poster
Mckayz · 21/08/2013 05:39

Thanks Issey. I'll have a look. Smile

OP posts:
ExitPursuedByABear · 21/08/2013 05:46

Read that as you were drowning kittens!

When I got my two from a rescue years ago, no questions were asked.

I find Toms tend to wander further than she cats.

issey6cats · 21/08/2013 10:02

expursuedbyabear sorry meant to saythere are that many mommys and kittens at the moment that we have had to close our waiting list as the center is full to the brim with kits and moms of course we wouldnt drown a kitten, that will teach me to type after a long day at work lol

ubik · 21/08/2013 10:30

I didn't realise black cats were less desirable...both my rescue cats are jet black.

When we were looking for a couple of rescues I looked online at some of the shelters and wondered if they ever managed to rehome any cats at all, especially in my city where most people live in flats, many have young children, and many close to busy roads.

ExitPursuedByABear · 21/08/2013 10:48

Issey - not your fault - you did type drowning in - it was my tired eyes!

Original poster
Mckayz · 21/08/2013 12:02

The CPL in Teeside say we are too far away to do a home visit.

OP posts:
gobbin · 26/08/2013 10:40

The rescue place I got my cats from last year didn't do a home visit, neither did the RSPCA when we got our first cat in 1989. The CPL did for kitten Griffin 16 years ago and I felt miffed that we were being checked out by a CPL foster whose house (it transpired, when we went to pick him up) was a total pigsty (think coffee table with overflowing ashtrays, hairbrushes full of human hair, pin dishes full of bits bobs and hairy crap, books, cards, tv remotes, dust thick enough to make art out of...eeeewwww).

Our vet didn't recommend CPL in our area though the next one along he said was ok. The rescue we got our current bunch from clearly judge you based on what you say, what you know and a hunch that you're clealy capable. I liked that - I don't need to prove to anyone that my home is suitable for a cat, cats can live a good life pretty much anywhere.

My mum lives in a terraced house right on what used to be the main A6 and in 40 years of constant cat occupation has lost only one to the road (and he was a wicked tom who liked to go on the razzle in the days before we all got our cats neutered as a matter of course)

Selks · 26/08/2013 10:46

Heartily recommend anyone getting a cat or kitten from Yorkshire cat rescue - they are brilliant and have lots of lovely cats and kittens that need rehoming.