Bloody hard trying to get a cat!

[maggiethecat]

First time trying to get a cat and don't know if its bcos of lockdown demand but cannot seem to get one. Have contacted a number of Gumtree sellers (within our price limit) but they don't respond either to availability enquiry or request for viewing information. Even if I respond to ad within hours of first posting. One person did get back to say she had had too many enquiries and that she would update me on availability but has not got back.
I will try a rescue centre although I do prefer a kitten rather than an adult cat which a rescue is likely to be.
How did you get your cat and was it quite a faff?

I knew nothing about cats when I got my first from cats protection. He got out the carrier, gazed around, went "this will do" and plonked himself on my chest and fell asleep
Me "you're not meant to do that! This leaflet says you might hide for a week! Can I move? Do I just stay here? Oh god"

My clueless colleague bought a kitten for £400 during lockdown.
It was unwell for 2 weeks then died.

I was quietly furious with colleague - the kitten looked very young and I assume had been sold too early - so that it's Mum could be put back to birthing more kittens as soon as possible.

Clueless colleague bought another kitten, she was upset for a lot shorter time that I was! (I respect animals and care about them).

@QueenPaws that is so adorable! And slightly akin to how I felt bringing my first baby home from the hospital!!

@sallyshirt oh my god. Really. That kind of thing makes my blood boil.

@sallyshirt god that’s awful. Is she a Kardashian wannabe?.

@stophuggingme so your friend that has Rex and Sphinx, what part of the UK does she live in...

See DH has promised me a Rex for years...

@Fluffycloudland77

She's actually a vegan Medical Dr - so highly educated and supposed ethical - which made it all the more astounding.

I think the problem is people in the UK feel entitled to a pet, and think that if you love it and give it cuddles that makes up for buying it from a puppy/kitten farm.
I've seen that view in here...people say they are 'rescuing' a cat/dog they buy off gumtree for £££ - bonkers!

[quote RandomMess]@stophuggingme so your friend that has Rex and Sphinx, what part of the UK does she live in...

See DH has promised me a Rex for years...[/quote]
She’s in the north west.
Not sure if she has a planned litter this year but I can ask her her plans.
She’s a fantastic kitten breeder and a lovely person

Please don’t buy off Gumtree or other online sites! We got a pair of kittens from a cat rescue place. It took a few weeks and registering with different ones before we were matched.

Please don’t use gumtree or pets4homes.

@stophuggingme eek that is where we live 👌 perhaps she needs some encouragement for another litter 😍

Can you tell her to order one with minimal moulting 🤣

@maggiethecat How did your visit go? Were you chosen by one of the cats?

Please don’t buy from Gumtree or any of those sites! You are perpetuating a problem and it’s only because of people like you that the demand exists. You are buying into a world of massive welfare issues and suffering.
It’s not hard to get a cat, there are lots of unwanted cats waiting for a lovely home. I wish people would be more open to adopting an adult cat in need of a home, there are so many of them, instead of focussing just on kittens.

I think the problem is people in the UK feel entitled to a pet, and think that if you love it and give it cuddles that makes up for buying it from a puppy/kitten farm

I've not bought through Gumtree/online but seeing some tiny guinea-pigs on Gumtree I did think (for a nanosecond ) O could buy them as tiny babies and get them off the treadmill of going to one home then another . OK some people keep them but there are many (usually young males) that are not got time or kids lost interest or we're getting a puppy so the rodents have to go ,
But I know giving them £x will just encourage the breeding . Easy money .
No matter how good the Rescues are the animals are basically 'holding' and 99% of the time will be stressed by their experiences .

When we were looking for our cats ( our M/F pair ) part of it was they wouldn't fit in a lot of homes .especially with younger DC. My DC are late teen/early 20s .
We didn't mind if they weren't cuddly .
We knew they were taking a chance on us as we were taking a chance on them.

They chose us by playing with a toy ( female did , male hid) . Accepted a treat by hand .
And decided that us and their new house and garden would do the job
She is jet black adult . He is jet black shy adult . Statistically low chance of rehoming .
DH wanted at least one black cat (we got Double Lucky )

reporting back! we all trotted to the rescue centre hopeful that a cat would like us but it didn't quite work out the way we expected. there weren't many there and most of them had some medical issue which as first time owners I didn't want to take on. there was one in particular that was diabetic and we were drawn to him and he kept looking intently at one of my girls but I was doubtful about giving him his shots twice daily. we'll keep looking - am sure we will be matched!

Reporting back again! We now have a lovely cat called Lola. Brought her home today from CPL and she has been wandering around the house and is quite chatty.
She's eating but still waiting for her to use her litter tray - poo watching could become quite a hobby
Thank you all who recommended a rescue cat

congratulations

She is very pretty.

Absolutely gorgeous. My fosters often use the litter tray for the first time overnight, so hopefully there was a present waiting for you this morning.

Hurrah for lovely Lola.

We rescued our lovely lad via the Ragdoll Cat Club. He has settled with us wonderfully.

Karma - yours is lovely and looks so relaxed!
Lola did a poo this morning - no mistaking! But I am a bit concerned as it has quite a bit of red in and not sure if it's blood. Just posted about this.