Rehoming cat questions please!

[LazyDoll]

Hi,

To give a brief back story....

We currently have no pets bar tropical fish. My 3 children are animal crazy. I am looking for our first family pet although still have small wobbles as we have a busy life but my children would adore a cat and I think we would be a good fit for one.

A friends brother is looking to rehome his 3 year old British short hair cat. He is coming from a family much like ours with 3 children so is used to lots of fuss and cuddles but they have a new baby and he is away a lot so they are looking to rehome.

Questions - we don't have a cat flap. The cat is used to a cat flap presently but has also previously lived without one. We could put one in our front door (leads into drive/front flower bed/road) or would need to put 2 in the back (to back garden) due to the configuration of our house. Or go no cat flap and let in and out? Thoughts and advice on this please?

Pet insurance? Need it? How much approximately is it?

Food? Approximate costs a month?

Really appreciate any replies. Thank you 🙏🏼

If it’s a pedigree from a decent breeder surely the contract says they need to contact them rather than do a private rehome?

Sorry may have misled with my description of the cat. He's short haired (added incase relevant to anything!) but I don't know if he's a pedigree. Ignore the British bit 🤦🏽‍♀️

My concern with rehomes like this is that you have no idea if their reasons are the truth. This cat could be unclean in the house or have expensive health issues.

I'm with Wolfie on this one. Why would the fact they have a new baby be problematic, they already have 2 other kids so the baby shouldn't be a reason to rehome. Neither should him working away, cats are pretty self sufficient so one adult is more than capable of looking after 3 kids and a cat. I would assume there is another issue they have neglected to inform you about.

If you are looking for a pet cat then I would try contacting some rescue centres. Cost wise, it's hard to give a rough estimate as it would differ a great deal depending on food, litter, toys, vet costs, cat paraphernalia etc. I would always recommend insurance though.

I didn't want to write too lengthy a post but I'm totally happy with the reasons for rehome. I know the family and their circumstances but didn't want to detail them on here. It's the other queries I needed help with but maybe best to get Googling insurance details etc.

Definitely a cat flap if you can manage it although the cat will need to stay in for the first 4 weeks or so, I would be happier with a flap onto the back garden, much safer.
Regarding food, you would need to continue with whatever food the cat has been used to, to avoid stomach upsets, at least to begin with. Mine have a pouch of Felix in the morning (one pouch each) and same at tea time, then a few biscuits last thing at night. A lot of cat owners recommend grain free food, or raw feeding, but mine are thriving on good old Felix!
Most owners would say insure them, I am afraid we don't but luckily we have enough financial reserves to pay for treatment as and when it arises. It is a gamble though and if you're on a budget then shop around for a good deal.
Good luck, hope it works out for you, cats are great pets, independent and quirky, I love mine to bits!

Oh and definitely recommend a cat flap which recognises their microchip, to stop other cats coming in. And preferably a lockable one, it is advised to keep them in at night. You'll need a litter tray too, kept somewhere away from the food,

My insurance is £13 a month, my cat only eats crunchy and tender food which is more than say Aldi which could be cheaper and is £4 a month, we never had a cat flap and she just stands by a door if she wants out :)

We’ve never had cat flaps but they are handy. Mine she eats iams dry food and a massive bag (£20?) maybe lasts a month or so. However for a while she was self sufficient and lived off wildlife so that cut the cost down!

Never had insurance for any of our cats but seeing some stories on here I think I’d take out insurance on any future cats. We’ve been lucky though never to have to pay out more than £200 for any ailments and they were rare.

Fabulous thank you so much.
We had dogs when I was a child but no pets since so I'm a big clueless and I want to get my children fully involved with care too right from the start. Thanks also for the reassurance. I know a dog would be too much of a commitment for us so hoping a cat is the perfect pet

Fabulous thank you so much.
We had dogs when I was a child but no pets since so I'm a bit clueless and I want to get my children fully involved with care too right from the start. Thanks also for the reassurance. I know a dog would be too much of a commitment for us so hoping a cat is the perfect pet

Definitely insurance. From the minute you get him. And take him to the vet for a check up (some vets offer free check ups when you register the cat with them). We rehomed an older cat from a friend a while ago. He appeared healthy and the vet gave him a clean bill of health (though he was much older than we had been led to believe). Unfortunately he became really poorly after a couple of months and cost an absolute fortune in vets bills (unfortunately I hadn't insured him, though all my previous cats had been). Lesson learned there!

Also make sure his microchip is re-registered to you (assuming he has one).

Good luck. He sounds lovely x

Just remembered, our cats are on a monthly scheme with the vets which covers flea treatment, worming, all vaccinations and 10% off any other treatment, I think its £12 each a month. I would definitely get the cat treated for fleas (not frontline, it doesn't work any more) having lived through the horrors of a flea infestation I am religious about applying flea treatment now!

You don’t need a cat flap if you are there to open doors. Cats I’ve had have ignored the flap and wait by the door. You will become a cat slave.

If you know the family and the reasons for rehoming I would go for it. Ive never had insurance but vets bills get ££ very easily.

Cat food isn’t going to break the bank.

Post a photo of your cat on here. We love a cat pic.

Also would say cat flap to back garden would be best if possible - much safer. But would keep him inside for at least two weeks before you let him out for the first time.

I also did a thing at the vets where you paid so much a month which covered all their vaccinations and flea treatment for the year plus a discount from any treatment they need.

We don't have a cat flap, when we move we might get one, however there is usually someone around to let them in and out (work from home). They are creatures of habit so they fit in with our routine, although one only goes out between March and October! Likes a centrally heated room too much. We do have a litter tray always available for them. I would say to see how the cat is and how outdoorsy it is. One of ours would probably benefit from a flap - as he likes to stay out late. The other one is so daft (If the door is open she will sit waiting for a person to mime opening the door before she will go through it) that I don't think she would manage a cat flap! Definitely get one to the back not the front of the house though. You say you would need two - one option is to just have one on the outermost door ?porch so the cat can get in for shelter - with a little bed and some food but not on the inner door - that way you control when they go out but they can always get in. We don't let the cats out at night as more risk of car accidents, unpleasant people harming them and also they are more likely to catch birds at night when the birds are roosting.

We have insurance, haven't needed it much yet but nice to know it is there as vet bills can run into thousands and need to be paid at the time. We also have a plan with the vets which covers vaccination and flea/deworming treatment plus health check.

I don’t think anyone has mentioned the obvious here, but what about a litter tray? Does this cat prefer to use a tray or does it prefer to go outside? If he or she is a tray user, how do you feel about having one in the house? They can be messy and smelly and are high maintenance to keep them clean. Are you ok with all the cleaning and hoovering that goes with it? Do you have somewhere sensible to put it? I’d definitely get insurance - one that offers for life cover. Our cat is now 20, vet visits are fairly frequent and expensive but she is worth every penny.

Insurance is a must. My indoor cats have run up bills if £16,000

Daft question! Is the cat already insured? If it’s decent lifetime cover with a reputable provider (not Animal Friends!) can they transfer it to you? Don’t know if that’s possible.
If the cat is microchipped don’t forget to transfer that over too. And get vet details and vaccination history too. Find out what food and litter and flea and worm treatment they use and when due.

Thanks so much again.

I'm arranging to meet the cat (without my children) so will ask the present owners questions re medical history, food, outdoor preferences and litter tray.

I have 3 sons under 11 so am used to a fair bit of mess but am quite 'house proud' so the litter tray and hair is something I'm obviously weighing up from my own POV.

Eeek 20years and £16K is food for thought though 😱

Thanks Wolfiefan that's a good thought and more questions for me to add to my list!

Covered litter trays are good. I also empty mine totally and use boiling water and a touch of Milton to stop any nasty smells seeping into the plastic. A deep layer of good litter helps too.
Grooming should reduce fur. I use a zoom groom which mine love. Used to have to use a furminator on old girl who couldn’t groom herself.

£16,000 is what the insurance paid I think —I hope—

@EachandEveryone yes it was what they've paid out. I currently pay £52 a month to cover them both. £42 of that is for Snorg. Cheddar is cheaper to run!

Top entry litter trays are great as well.