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The litter tray

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

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Original poster

How to get kittens

17 replies

Stopshrieking · 31/01/2015 10:39

Hello - we are looking for 2 kittens and wondered what they best way is to get them. Other than ads in windows. We specifically want kittens and are aiming for sometime around May as we will home during summer to train them. Thank you

OP posts:

LaLa5 · 31/01/2015 11:22

Please please rescue, so many unwanted litters in rescue centres desperate for a loving home. Try your local cats protection or RSPCA

30062015 · 31/01/2015 11:58

Thanks Lala but we would prefer a kitten that hasn't been named yet- pet rescue / RSPCA seem to have older cats -

twinkcat · 31/01/2015 15:37

I have often seen kittens in the rescue centres in my area. You could register with a few of the rescue charities while you are looking for a kitten and you never know, you might end up deciding to re home some rescue kittens.

shaska · 31/01/2015 15:39

Hasn't been named yet? Don't worry about that, they have no idea what their names are - both of mine got name changes after the rescue. Because some joker had named the madcat 'precious'.

Rescues will have hundreds and hundreds of kittens - and actually I think a lot of them may not even have names, if that really bothers you. I expect at a certain point during kitten season the process of naming might go out the window a bit...

shaska · 31/01/2015 15:39

Oh also - don't just go by the websites. Often they don't even list kittens as they come and go so quickly.

girliefriend · 31/01/2015 15:44

Cats protection league or other animal shelters would be the recommended route. However both of my cats came via friends of friends whose cat had had a litter. My boy cat was free to a good home and my girl kitten was £10, I don't agree with people not neutering their pets though so in theory responsible owners wouldn't let that happen!!

Girl kitten living situation was less than ideal so I class her as a rescue kitten anyway!!

Fluffycloudland77 · 31/01/2015 17:47

I was going to say they don't list kittens because they go quickly.

My cat is on his third name! He adapted quickly.

isseywithcats · 31/01/2015 17:52

at this time of year there wont be many kittens as its quiet month but by may all the rescues will be up to their necks in kittens again,

register your interest now with all the local to you rescues, and getting closer to the time you want a pair of kittens keep in touch on a weekly basis with them

also look on their facebook pages as a lot of the foster parents and rescues themselves put pictures up of kittens and cats available,

expect a donation for each kitten of between 40 and £80 depending on how much the rescue does for the kitten, at Yorkshire cat rescue where i foster for (kittens) their adoption donation is £80 per kitten as they are deflead, wormed, neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped, sounds a lot for donation but that lot at the vets would cost around £150

LaLa5 · 31/01/2015 17:53

They don't generally name the kittens - plus you can rename them if they are little. Trust me, I work for a rescue charity. Contact them and see if they've got kittens coming up for rehoming.

isseywithcats · 31/01/2015 17:54

oh and dont worry about names foster parents like to have names to call them when they are in foster as caling across the room 851/2015 does not sound quite as good as calling say edgar or charlie you can easily change their name

ghostyslovesheep · 31/01/2015 18:09

we got ours from the vets - they where brought in after being found abandoned with their mum in a car park

Vet nurse looked after them and I had asked the vet to keep a look out for me - they are ace !

I couldn't go to rescue places because they wouldnt let us have kittens due to me working (2.5 days a week!) although we have previous adopted older cats

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 31/01/2015 18:29

Please rehome! There are so many cats and kittens needing a home and of course you can change the names. My Mum recently rehomed a 7 year olf cat from Battersea and we renamed him - the rehomer said that many people do as it's a fresh start for the cat and the new slave owner.

TywysogesGymraeg · 31/01/2015 19:50

It's not true that rescue centres have loads of kittens. We've been trying to find kittens for months - none of the centres round here have had any.

LaLa5 · 31/01/2015 20:16

ty it's not kitten season just now, which might be why you've found it hard. As issey said the centres get crammed with them from May - ours have had a few litters in over Christmas, but there will be many more in the coming months. If you get your name down then the centres will let you know - or follow the pages on Facebook.

Generally they don't advertise as they don't need to, but we've got a few litters just now that have one or two left and they are usually on the facebook pages of each centre.

LaLa5 · 31/01/2015 20:24

I've just looked online and both the charities I mentioned currently have kittens for rehoming. Obviously it depends which area you're in as to whether any of them are close by, but there are local rescues too. My two boys came from a local rescue and are amazing.

Badgerlady · 04/02/2015 14:30

I think the rescues are more likely to have kittens in the early autumn and spring which fits with when you would want them.

We got our kittens from Celia Hammond Rescue (they're London based - not sure where you are). Our two were part of a litter of eight. When we got them (Nov) there were at least two other litters of kittens in the rescue. I think their mother's were found dumped shortly after giving birth . They were looked after in the rescue for a week or so before going to a foster home.

We saw them when they were six weeks and brought ours home at eight weeks. The rescue had named them (each litter had a 'theme': our kittens came from the 'royal names' litter and we renamed them to no ill effect).

I can't praise Celia Hammond enough and, if you are in London, would suggest giving them at call.

tabulahrasa · 04/02/2015 14:34

When kitten season hits rescues have loads of kittens, they tend not to put them on websites as people want kittens and they save website space for those that are less likely to be rehomed.

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