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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

Where is the best place to get a young cat/ kitten?

29 replies

SunsetDream · 30/12/2015 20:53

The cat's protection place is closed near me. I'm happy to buy from a breeder, but not from someone whose cat has had kittens and they are just selling them (I think there should be a license to breed to avoid unwanted kittens).

Also if you 'adopt' from the rspca/ cat's protection, they are 'yours' aren't they? They don't retain the ownership in some way (there is a chance we'll emigrate at some point and dont want this to get in the way - the cat would go with us).

Thanks

OP posts:

CMOTDibbler · 30/12/2015 20:57

Come spring, the CPL and other rescues will have lots of kittens - cats are seasonal breeders so very few kittens around atm.
Yes, they do belong to you when you rehome.

Sparklingbrook · 30/12/2015 20:57

Is the next nearest CP a really long way away? There's also the Blue Cross. Or is there an independent rescue around?

If you adopt from CP/RSPCA they are yours yes. You pay the adoption fee and take on full responsibility for the wellbeing of the cat.

thecatneuterer · 30/12/2015 20:59

Yes if you adopt they do become yours. There is normally a clause in the adoption contract that if for any reason you can't keep them they should be returned to the charity, rather than say offered on Gumtree, but that's the only stipulation.

IMO all breeding is wrong. There are just too many cats for the number of homes. If you pay a breeder you are making this situation worse. If you rescue you are making it better.

You can find all the rescues near you, together with details of some of their cats, on this site: www.catchat.org

If you want a kitten bear in mind that we are not in kitten season. Cats have two litters a year, one in early Spring and one in Summer (although there are always a few born out of season). So the Summer ones will now be quite large and the Spring ones haven't yet been born. All rescues will have a number of young cats though, or you could wait until late Spring if you really want a kitten.

Sparklingbrook · 30/12/2015 21:01

If you can find a rescue you could tell them what you are after, get your Home Visit done and when a cat/kitten comes up they can contact you and you're ready to go.

Vinorosso74 · 30/12/2015 21:15

I would definitely go for a reputable rescue. I like to have a nose on our local CP site and noticed they have some 4 month old kittens but they've been shut over Christmas.
Sometimes with kittens rescues like to home in pairs (not always). There's often plenty of young adults looking for homes.

Sparklingbrook · 30/12/2015 21:19

The CP adoption fee here is £55 and for that you get vaccinations, neutering, flead and wormed and a vet check, plus the microchip transfer and a month of Petplan insurance. It's not a bad deal money wise, plus you have back up should things not work out or you need advice.

Original poster

SunsetDream · 30/12/2015 22:59

Thank you for your help.

I was hoping for something younger in the hope it will fit in with the family more easily. With an older young cat, then we could judge it's temperament more (especially if the background is unknown) and might already be housetrained, with a younger kitten we know we will have to put in a lot of work in the first months, but it might be less ,ikely to have had bad experiences in its early life.

I've a lot of experience with other animals, but this would be our first cat.

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 30/12/2015 23:02

You'd really be better off then with a youngish cat but not a kitten. The rescue will know the temperaments of all the cats in their care so will be able to suggest the one that would fit your family best. Really it doesn't make a difference what their past experiences have been, the cat's personality (which may of course have been shaped by experiences) will be obvious and that is what will matter.

As you say, with young kittens it's pot luck.

SuburbanRhonda · 30/12/2015 23:07

Not all older cats / kittens have been mistreated. Many are handed over when a new baby arrives on the scene

Wolfiefan · 30/12/2015 23:07

Cat neuterer really knows her stuff OP. If you don't yearn for a pedigree then rescue is the way to go. Whereabouts vaguely are you?

Original poster

SunsetDream · 30/12/2015 23:09

Yes, that was my first thought. I'm not worried about the work involved in the early months, but want to be sure the cat is right for us (and us for the cat!). Are there any good websites to peruse? I'm trying to do my research! I know more about dogs than cats.

OP posts:

Sparklingbrook · 30/12/2015 23:09

Yes, that's how Sparklingcat came to be ours Rhonda.

Original poster

SunsetDream · 30/12/2015 23:10

North Yorkshire, but the wrong side for Harrogate and Northallerton, so was going to go to York, but it's shut.

Have no plans for any babies!

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 30/12/2015 23:12

Can't help there. Our first two came from Surrey. We currently have these two delinquents!

Where is the best place to get a young cat/ kitten?

Original poster

SunsetDream · 30/12/2015 23:12

Would have slightly preferred a cat with fluffier hair, but not worried about breed.

Like I say, we have lots of experience of animal ownership, but not cat ownership.

OP posts:

Original poster

SunsetDream · 30/12/2015 23:13

They are lovely!

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 30/12/2015 23:16

Have you looked on catchat?

thecatneuterer · 30/12/2015 23:17

Our regular poster here Isseywithcats is from Yorkshire Cat Rescue in Leeds. Is that near you?

Wolfiefan · 30/12/2015 23:18

They are sunset. Gorgeous. BUT they do climb the curtains, Christmas tree and even us. (We are working on that!) They get on the work surfaces. Both kids have been clawed.
They are kittens. We expected pretty much all of the above!
Our first two were 18 months and 2 years old when we got them. No clawing. No climbing. No getting on the work surfaces. Much easier.
Depending on the age of your kids I would recommend an older cat.
Oh and one of our old cats was "fluffy". Diarrhoea in a fluffy cat? And when they are old and cant groom and you need to do it at least twice daily!

Original poster

SunsetDream · 30/12/2015 23:18

Yes am working my way through the rescues. Keep being distracted by being taken to other websites!

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 30/12/2015 23:24

Perhaps arrange to visit a rescue centre? I have never chosen a cat. They choose you!
You really can't tell by looking at pictures if a cat will suit your family.

Original poster

SunsetDream · 30/12/2015 23:40

Yes, I don't plan to choose without visiting (and the children need to visit as well). But they are miles apart and it doesn't seem much point turning up if they only have a couple of cats. It's also difficult to choose which one to go to anyway.

OP posts:

SevenOfNineTrue · 31/12/2015 10:22

I'd Google rescue centres near you as there are many ones such as the RSPCA, Blue Cross and Cats Protection but also lots of other smaller concerns.

Most of these places keep the cats they have updated on the website with good descriptions so you know if they are OK with kids, need a quiet home etc. I simply kept and eye on the sites and then went to see a kitten that looked right for me and she was. It is true, you know when it is the cat / kitten for you and they choose you.

There are lots of young black cats around as apparently they do not show up as well on photos so people can't post lots of photos of them on Instagram and Facebook etc so they do not want them.

wufti · 01/01/2016 08:23

we got two kittens from the rspca in Harrogate in November. Kittens are 'home fostered' and our two are certainly well socialised and friendly and the kids love them. We talked to their contact as you can't go over and see kittens as such, and when we had discussed age/sex/colour, she brought two kittens over, for us to see them and vice versa.

they are great, though they are curtain climbers, something we never had a problem with our previous mogs!

the adoption fee includes all innoculations, neutering and microchipping - but as they were too young for neutering, we were given vouchers for vets4pets

WhoKn0wsWhereTheMistletoes · 01/01/2016 08:50

We adopted two one year olds from Cat Protection a couple of years ago, they had been given up when their owner's relationship broke down, it has worked out really well, we bypassed all the hard work kitten stage which was a great relief (a friend adopted two kittens the same year so we compared notes).

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