Where do I get a cat from?

[BikeRunSki]

Our family cat died in the summer. He was very old and wobbly. We feel that we are ready for another one. The DC (then 6 and 3, but have both had birthdays since) are asking more and more often. As from the end of this week, we'll have no plans for going away for the first time in ages.

So where do we get a cat? Until our last cat died, I'd had a cat all my life, but they've all been kittens from friends, inherited with the house, local lost cat looking for a home..., we've never had to go looking for a cat IYSWIM.

Thing is, the CPL have turned us down in the past because they say we live too close to a main road. We don't really, we live 50m off a main road, down a very quiet unmade road. There's a river and woodland at the end of the street. Over the years many of our neighbours have had many cats and none has ever even ventured onto the main road, let alone got run over.

Are pet shops OK?
Would another rescue centre scrutinise us so much?
Is it possible that our vet would know of a cat/kitten looking for a home?
Obviously I am not going to respond to any FB / local paper small ads.

We're don't want anything special, just a domestic shorthair moggy.

I've certainly heard that CPL are stricter than other rescues but don't know how true that is. We got our cat from an RSPCA place and they are absolutely overrun with cats almost permanently. Even though we were on a pretty busy road they let us have her because, to put it bluntly, it's better a cat gets a short happy time with a family than stay in a rescue for months on end. So definitely try other rescues

That's good to know. Our main road is a 30 mph rural road. Our section is village centre, approaching a set of traffic lights, so vehicles as fast as 30 mph is unusual.

Whereabouts are you? Our old cats came from a rescue in Surrey. We are now in the SW.
I wouldn't go to a pet shop as that is someone breeding moggies for profit. There are so many gorgeous cats in rescue.

I think it depends who comes round from CPL- we lived on a main road and got the thumbs up- she said if they rejected everyone who lived on a road they'd never place any cats- perhaps try again?

CPL turned us down as well on the grounds that we didn't have a cat flap and that we only wanted one cat, not two (they had a lot of kittens and were rehoming in pairs). Not sure which was the bigger problem for them.

A small local rescue was quite happy to let us have one but wanted to interview the whole family. Luckily they didn't interview the resident cat, who is alone in thinking the new kitten a Very Bad Thing.

Also what about an indoor cat? No expert but I think FIV or deaf cats would need to be indoor cats.
Kitties. We now have two kittens. Had two cats before them. Never had a cat flap!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/2494777-Imminent-kittens-from-upduffed-stray-Help There you go!

We're in Yorkshire Wolfie.
I hadn't really thought about an indoor cat. I suppose we could have one, have always had outdoor scruff bags before.

Thank you Hirples. I'll await her pleas for kitten homes.

We would almost certainly home to you so I wouldn't rule out rescues. We're nowhere near you though. Look on www.catchat.org for rescues in your area.

This is a good starting point for finding the rescue centres round you.

We found our lovely at a small local independent rescue centre. He's been fab.

Good luck and do post a pic when you have found her/him

Ahh! Xpost TCN!

Also, it's worth asking at your local vets too.

I would join the local Facebook cats/ cats found and missing groups and find out about your local rescue centres. Through mine I have lent a trap to trap and neuter a local stray Tom, have fostered two cats for them and generally found out about all the local work they do.

I got my cat from the Leeds RSPCA, at the time, I lived on a street that was off a busy road, about a 5 minute walk from it and they were ok with that.
The only thing they absolutely insisted on was I had to provide an outdoor shelter, in case he got scared and needed a bolthole. I got one of those kennel things from Ebay, though he never used it.
They were over run with cats, the hardest part was picking one.

Our local vets are always homing/helping home kittens, so maybe ask your vet?

Sorry, been out.
Great news about Leeds RSPCA, maybe a city car would like a change of scene and come to the countryside.
I'm currently away from home for work, but will pop into the cer's next week and look for rescue centres locally.

hi please look at Yorkshire cat rescue they are based near kieghley and certainly wouldnt turn you down for living near a road or having children they are a brilliant rescue biased as i work for them but seriously they are good and very approachable

Thank you issey. Will do.

We recently got a cat with kitten from rspca. We don't live on a main road, but have a toddler.

We got ours from Cats protection. They certainly didn't seem to be as picky as they used to be. I think that they have so many cats, that they can't afford to be too picky. They didn't even do a home check. We just filled in a form, paid, and picked up the cat the next day. :) I was very happy with Cats protection.

Yes, try other rescues if the others have turned you down. Mine was from a local pet charity, and I also recommended them to a neighbour who had been turned down by the CPL for living too near a main road. The local charity insisted we had females as they felt they'd be less likely to roam close to the road than a male, but they were otherwise perfectly happy to give us one of their cats.