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Original poster

Can I get a hand hold and some advice on rehoming?

50 replies

EvansAndThePrince · 24/04/2016 12:31

DH and I have two 2 year old indoor cats. We have a 1 year old DD and are now finding it harder to keep the cats happy. We have less time for them, and now due to unfortunate circumstances are less able financially to give them the things they need. Obviously they have food and litter, they aren't going without.
Last year the younger of the two had to stay at the vets to be treated for crystals in his urine and now the other cat is in the vet with the same issue. We think that stress from having a small person running around may be contributing to this issue as well as not being able to give them wet food daily. Obviously there is a hefty vet bill coming our way and the cat needs to have a prescription diet for a few months which is really stretching us financially and we feel that it may be time to think about what's best for them, which is possibly being rehomed with someone more able to give them the care they need and a less stressful life.
This is naturally breaking my heart but I can see that it would be better for them in the long run.
DH has never been a huge fan and they're definitely "my" cats, I feel totally wretched like I'm betraying them.
I'm not sure how to go about rehoming them either.
The older cat is still in the vet right now so obviously it's not something immediate but it's weighing on me.

OP posts:
OliviaStabler · 24/04/2016 12:35
Flowers

Have you a local Cats Protection you can contact and ask them to rehome?

LaurieFairyCake · 24/04/2016 12:37

Why can't you give wet food every day Confused

My cat had struvite crystals and we changed him to wet renal food (cheapest on Amazon at £38 a month) and he lived 3 more years before getting cancer.

I had to give him wet renal tuna which is much dearer than the chicken wet renal - so if yours will eat chicken then it will be cheaper

You definitely want to avoid the vet (and catheter) as much as possible as it costs so much

cozietoesie · 24/04/2016 12:56

Do you have any rescues nearby? Or any relatives/friends that might like to have them?

Original poster
EvansAndThePrince · 24/04/2016 14:04

Thanks for replying.
I've just contacted cats protection as per your suggestion Olivia, they will ring me back later.

Cozy I think friends or relatives would be our preferred option over all so we will put feelers out but I'd rather avoid a rescue centre where they might be living in cages. If it came to that we would rather keep them.

Laurie unfortunately our budget is already so tightly stretched and our income has just been cut massively so we need to reign it in rather than expand. Currently we are just buying dry food that's costing us £8 a month. We just can't afford wet food for them right now.

OP posts:
OliviaStabler · 24/04/2016 14:22

Wood Green animal shelter are also very good. I got my last two cats from there. They seem to have a quick turnover. The pens there are spacious and the staff are very caring.

Do you think your financial situation might change in the immediate future? You could ask family members to take them for a short while.

thecatneuterer · 24/04/2016 14:42

Well it's cheap dried food that is causing the crystals. It would be a lot cheaper to feed them cans than to pay that sort of vet bill. If you are going to keep them then you really need to economise somewhere else and stretch to the approximately 75p a day it would cost to feed them Butchers Classic tins (1.5 tins per day between the two of them.)

Original poster
EvansAndThePrince · 24/04/2016 14:58

I'm really not willing to put them into pens etc, even for a short while.

Our financial situation is for the foreseeable future unfortunately.

cat as I said I'm asking for advice on rehoming. We currently use gocat so it's not cheap rubbish, just not premium cat food. I also said that our budget is not able to stretch any further. Please understand that this is not what I want to do but I cannot give them the care they need and am trying to get the best for them.

OP posts:
OliviaStabler · 24/04/2016 15:09

Then for rehoming you need to ask friends and family for help. Ask them to put out feelers for a new home with reliable people.

Never rehome to someone you do not know well or who does not come with a solid recommendation from someone you know very well.

cozietoesie · 24/04/2016 15:11

Have a scout around friends and relatives first.

It would have to be a permanent thing, though, I reckon. (Unless you had a very indulgent relation who was prepared to foot bills even though it was temporary.)

You know that, though, I'd guess.

Original poster
EvansAndThePrince · 24/04/2016 15:12

I think in the area I live it's a house for the cats protection rather than a "centre" with pens. I will double heck when they call later though.
The cats are very different from each other so would possibly be as well rehomed separately but I'll think about that when the time comes.

OP posts:
Original poster
EvansAndThePrince · 24/04/2016 15:13

I do know cosie Sad

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TheGirlOnTheLanding · 24/04/2016 15:14

GoCat is apparently bad for causing crystals (so we were told when our cat had that problem.) Our vet at the time took the view that moving from dry to wet food would fix his issue (not expensive prescription wet food, just oh standard tins) and it did: he lived another ten years with no recurrence. It wasn't great for his teeth but that was a lot later in life! If you decide to keep them, I'd say that it's worth a go: you can buy wet food pouches very cheaply at Lidl and Aldi, and tins are even more economical. If not, and you feel you must rehome, I wouldn't worry about them being kept in cages forever: 2 is very young and I'm sure they wouldn't be in rescue for long. I would think it's more of an issue whether rescues have any space (we are coming into peak kitten season soon) and whether they'd need to be rehomed together.

TheGirlOnTheLanding · 24/04/2016 15:15

bog standard that should say.

thecatneuterer · 24/04/2016 15:22

I was commenting on your statement that you would rather keep them than put them in pens in a shelter. Gocat is cheap rubbish and it is directly linked to crystals. They would be better off in pens with food that won't cause them pain, suffering and possibly death (since they obviously have a predisposition to this problem). So I agree that you should rehome them.

If you really can't cut something else to find 75p per day to keep them healthy, then yes you should consider a shelter if all else fails. The problem is of course that shelters have very little space and adult cats are very difficult to rehome.

Where in the country are you? You can find the shelters in your area on www.catchat.org

Original poster
EvansAndThePrince · 24/04/2016 15:31

I didn't realise GoCat had form, I'll definitely find something else to give them in the mean time.
It's something we've considered for a while and we do feel that our toddler is stressing them out and they could be happier elsewhere so even if it takes time to find the right place I think ultimately they have to be rehomed.
Cat maybe I'm just being over sensitive about it but it really sounds like you're having a go at me for not being a good pet owner. I'm trying my best and have also already established that we are not giving them all they need, and can't, and I'm trying to now get them a better home. However a shelter is not better than here. I'd never purposefully hurt my animals, I am not a bad person.

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thecatneuterer · 24/04/2016 15:34

No I'm not having a go. I'm just trying to say I think, in the circumstances, they would be better off in a shelter if all else fails. But it's something you said you wouldn't consider.

And yes your toddler could well be adding to the problem.

Fluffycloudland77 · 24/04/2016 15:55

You could add water to dry food to make it mushy.

My cat has cheap aldi wet food plus cystease capsules but he can't have cereals so most dry food is out of bounds for him.

I think go cat has additives in it banned in America.

There's some good threads for moneysaving in the credit crunch section, you don't have to post, I suspect loads of people lurk, but we are really good at helping people.

Original poster
EvansAndThePrince · 24/04/2016 16:01

My DH wants rid of them tbh Sad I've been randomly bursting into tears all day and night because I'm so torn.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 24/04/2016 16:03

Would they be happier - the cats that is - in a good home elsewhere?

Original poster
EvansAndThePrince · 24/04/2016 16:10

I think big cat would. And wee cat is too hyper to be an only cat. I can't bear the thought of them not knowing why we've left them. We were supposed to be their forever home and they've done nothing wrong but we are just going to give them away 😢 I feel so guilty.

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bishboschone · 24/04/2016 16:13

Why can't you let them out? I'm afraid I don't really get indoor cats . If they went out they could surely have some away time from the child .

OliviaStabler · 24/04/2016 16:17

My DH wants rid of them tbh

Why? Did you not get them together?

cozietoesie · 24/04/2016 16:23

Life changes things often enough.

You haven't the need to feel guilty on this one, I think, OP. Just concentrate on getting them the best and most loving home you can. (Separately if necessary.) They'll likely adjust just fine.

Lunar1 · 24/04/2016 16:24

Are you too near to main roads to be able to let them out?

Original poster
EvansAndThePrince · 24/04/2016 16:24

DH doesn't want to let them out because he thinks the vet bills will be even worse. There are loads of toms in the neighbourhood and lots of fights. Big cat I don't think would go far but wee cat would get himself into bother and is a bit daft and would likely be hit by a car.
We did, he loves them to snuggle but they make him itch and they get under his feet and wind him up. It was always me that wanted cats and he begrudgingly agreed.

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