Responsible Rehoming

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Looking for some advice from you all if possible.

We have two 6yo cats, that were res used as kittens and have always been very nervous/shy. They are very friendly and love to sit on laps, they don't bite or scratch.

However, they are becoming increasingly miserable with our lifestyle, they hate moving which we have to do frequently, they are scared of our dog, despite our best efforts to socialise them properly. This was not previously a problem as they cats lived upstairs, and the dog downstairs - the cats would come down when the dog was out.

However, we now have a new baby, and the cats are also terrified of her. They won't come anywhere near her, and are very weary of any of her things. As a result they are be owing even more timid, and are showing more signs of distress (over grooming, peeing where they shouldn't etc) We have tried feliway spray and diffusers, and tablets to try and relax them but nothing seems to help. Given that they have never become comforts let with the dog (who we've had for 4 years) I am doubtful they will become happy with the baby.
We have pretty much decided that the kids destination thing for them would be to rehome them to an environment that was less stressful for them. They are gorgeous cats that would be ideal company in a quiet household, which unfortunately ours is not anymore. However, we love them very dearly, and it has been extremely difficult to accept that this would be on their best interests. I will not be letting them go unless I am confident that they will be well loved and looked after. How can I best ensure this? I don't want them to have to go into any kind of centre/cattery arrangement as they would hate it, so not sure if any charities would be able to help? Do any of them rehome whole the cats stay with us? I don't want to cause them any more distress than absolutely necessary, but the current situation is not fair on them :( any advice would be gratefully received...

Do you not have any relatives or friends who could rehome them? If not, contact a reputable rehoming centre and discuss your situation. They will advertise the cats on their website (cats stay with you until they find a suitable home). Insist they do a homecheck with any potential owners.

We made a similar decision when we moved house 14 years ago. Our two cats stayed with out old neighbour (by mutual agreement!). They were rescue cats, jumpy like yours, and didn't like it when we had our children. By the time we moved, they were spending more and more time with the neighbour anyway. It was a tough decision but the right one.

Unfortunately not patience all our neighbours and social circle move as much as we do and whilst there are a couple of family members who would have them they have dogs and so would not be suitable.

I will make some phonecalls today, I am encouraged that they wouldn't necessarily have to go to a centre, which had been putting me off somewhat.

Thank you for sharing soupdragon - that sounds like an ideal situation for all involved. Hopefully we can find something that works for ours too.

I think you are making the kindest decision by the sound of it. I think some smaller charities don't even have rescue centres - our cat was fostered before we adopt him by an old lady who had a few rescue cats and kittens at a time.

I would ask about their rehoming process to check you are happy with it. And maybe offer to make a donation, if you can.

FWIW I used to volunteer at a rescue centre and we had utter, utter respect for the few people who said: I can't keep my pet, I'm gutted but it's the best thing, please help me rehome them. Because most of the time you are dealing with people who don't care, and animals who haven't been looked after.

Thankyou peppermint - I do feel awful that his had come to this but I think it is best for them. We can definitely ensure we make a donation, that's a great idea. Very happy to ensure any costs incurred are covered and a bit more, I just really want them to be somewhere that will love them and they will be happy.