Are all cats/kittens always on shelter websites?

[ifonly4]

I lost the last of my two oldies in May. My DH would like two kittens and the plan is to wait until we've had a couple of breaks in August and some building works have been completed.

In anticipation I've been keeping a regular eye on local animal charities and shelter websites, but they don't have that many kittens. Is this usually, or do they have a lot that never get on the websites?

All of them seem to say to apply on a form if you're interested in any, so I'm aware they could have a number of applicants for kittens and worried we won't get any.

Erm...have you seen the kitten rescue thread below? Plenty of kittens, within a certain radius, so depends where you live

They probably always have kittens but want to give the adult cats first dibs on being adopted. Two year olds are awesome cats as they’ve gone through kitten hood but are still young and playful.

Yes, I have seen the thread but as there having been any advertised on our local websites and they seem to say look online, apply using online form to express interest, I wasn't sure what's normal.

I still miss my two oldies, but it isn't home without a cat or two. I'd love to rehome a a cat, but DH wants kittens.

Our kittens don’t always get on the web. We have a fairly steady stream of kittens at the moment. I would apply now making it clear that you need to wait until you are ready. A mum coming in pregnant now will mean kittens available in 10 weeks. We let people reserve ahead. If you’re near London, the Catneuterer has a huge number of kittens needing homes. She has a thread on here.

Are you within the catchment area?

You could contact the rescues and ask if they have two kittens come in you'd like to take them

Our local shelter is currently advertising lots of kittens on their Facebook page, they’re not listed individually on the website though. Maybe because they don’t stick around long enough!

When we went to get our rescue she was one of the youngest there at just turned 2yrs.. agree with PP she’s still super playful but not as needy as a little one!

meant to type haven't instead of having!

mimibunz, yes, I'd go for two year olds but DH really seems to want kittens (perhaps I should remind him our old boy pulled down the curtains and rail many times when he was little and it drove DH mad!)

We don't usually put individual kittens on the website at the charity where I volunteer because it tends to generate the wrong kind of interest ("we live in a studio flat on the 15th floor, we'd love to adopt that little grey one, can we collect her today!!!")...

So we tend to just have a generic note about kittens and what kind of homes we are looking for, and will match people with the next available kittens. We don't much like people who are very specific for no good reason (like wanting a long haired tabby female kitten only, if we have 5 perfectly wonderful black & white kittens ready to adopt!).

The CP adoption centre I volunteer at don't have all the ready to home cats and kittens on the website. This is often because there aren't enough hours in the day for the staff to get everything updated.
I think it varies a lot between rescues as to what they do. Is always worth a phone call. Please don't be disheartened if nobody answers straight away-it's busy!

Thanks for your replies everyone. I'll phone ahead, I guess you don't get anything if you don't ask. Our only stipulation for kittens is that they have to have access to the outdoors. We both want cats are ours to have the freedom of going out, we still have a cat flap from before and when moving a quiet area was one of the requirements for our previous cats.