Where did you get your cats from?

[cloudjumper]

We are looking to get a new cat (or 2) - can I ask where you got yours from and how (un)complicated it was? I've started looking at a local shelter and RSPCA, what else is out there?
It's obviously all much less straightforward at the moment due to COVID, no visits to the shelters etc to meet potential matches, has anyone done this recently?

Local rescue which were fostered out to a private home

Cat 1 - cat protection league
Cat 2 - friends
Cat 3 - add on Facebook (we checked it out and did research, she was twenty pounds and worth every penny)

Local cat charity run by two old women. They are lovely. There a website listing all your local charities catchat or something like that.

I only have one at a time and the last 3 were RSPCA, Blue Cross and then RSPCA again. Our local RSPCA no longer takes surrendered pets, only inspector cases, and most have some sort of extra needs or are a bit challenging.

I 'adopted' my new girl just before the last lockdown, everything was done by email and phone, and I picked her up without having met her. I sent photos of my house and garden and they checked my location on Google earth in lieu of a home check. She's absolutely wonderful, was exactly as described and is settling incredibly well considering her background.

www.catchat.org/index.php

1. several have just walked in and stayed ( yes extensive enquired made first)
2. rescued from sinking and abandoned boats.
3. asked by acquaintances to rehome them.
4. ferals moved in and gave birth.

RSPCA but found previous cat through smaller rescue found on catchat, as above.

I contacted the RSPCA many years ago, and they wouldn't let me adopt because I was working fulltime. One of my cats came from a local lady who was rescuing strays on her own, but most of mine have been strays that I've taken in.

Here's my latest strayboy, who was probably a stray for 10 years or so.

1. Yorkshire Cat Rescue
2. Cats' Protection League

@Want2beme

I contacted the RSPCA many years ago, and they wouldn't let me adopt because I was working fulltime. One of my cats came from a local lady who was rescuing strays on her own, but most of mine have been strays that I've taken in.

Here's my latest strayboy, who was probably a stray for 10 years or so.

Love the way he’s got his own bed AND your sofa.....he’s adorable 😻

1 Local farm litter.
2 walked in and stayed
3 friends adopted a feral who had a litter
4 local charity on Facebook.

The last was recent and we paid £60 which included spaying costs once old enough.

Cat 1 - friend at work had adopted a stray that was pregnant and asked me to take a kitten as otherwise her husband would put them in the canal! Had him 18 years.

Cat 2 - tiny kitten appeared in my friend's street and hid under her car for 2 days until she could catch it. She couldn't trace the owner (suspects it was dumped) and offered to me. She's been queen of this castle for 8 years now!

Cats protection league. Very helpful and thorough. All jabs done, chipped etc. Great at preparing us for our cats (sibling kittens who we chose). Won’t let you adopt if too close to main road (or kittens with v young children).

Local cat grooming service - they often know of cats that need to be rehomed.

I’ve adopted a rescue kitten recently. Having exhausted all local rescues and unable to find any kittens I went to a rescue who bring them from Romania. ( apparently there’s a shortage locally due to lockdown ). The process was extremely smooth and she was delivered to our house in special pet transportation ( she’s fully immunised and chipped and obviously has a passport). She was 3 months old and gorgeous. She cost £220.

Ps I have an 8 year old child. They checked our house on google earth and won’t adopt if you are too close to a main road or railway line.

@SantasBritchesSpelleas

1. Yorkshire Cat Rescue

1. Cats' Protection League

Should have added, both very straightforward. The cats were in foster in both cases. We contacted the rescues via their websites and arranged to visit the cats at their homes, then arranged the adoption date during the visit. I think the fee was £80 in each case. They were adult cats so came spayed/neutered, flea-treated, wormed and vaccinated, which would have cost about the same if not more than the adoption fee if we'd arranged it ourselves. CPL also give (I think) a month's free insurance which gives you time to sort out your own, or you can continue the plan they set up.

1- local lost cat. Person who'd found him advertised him as a lost cat, looking for his owners After a few weeks of no response, he advertised him again as a lost car needing a new home. He was half British Blue, quite young and not castrated. The vet reckoned he'd been dumped by a breeder for not being full blooded Brit Blue (he had white markings).

2 - Blue Cross

3 - Friend's cat had kittens

4- Just moved in one day

5 - Owners split up, both moved into rented accommodation that didn't take pets.

1. Friend of a friend who needed to remove her.
2. Friend whose cat had kittens.
3. Cat one escaped and got upduffed.
4. As three.

We lost cat four to cancer last year and all are spayed now.
They are 10, 9 and 8, all girls and very much adored.

The first two when I was a child came from a small local cat rescue - my current two are a mother who was a pregnant stray at a farm I had contact with and one of her kittens.

1 friend of a family member who couldn't cope with her. She had 16 wonderful years with us.
2 Friend of DH who 'adopted/saved' a feral kitten but had to move away and couldn't keep him.
3+4 local cat charities.

St Francis Persian Rescue

I've always gotten pets from charity shelters, usually RSPCA, with the exception of a dog that someone was getting rid of on Facebook. I don't know what kind of life that dog had been living, but I do know it wasn't a good one.

First one, a friend of ours girlfriend had got a kitten for her son without asking her landlord and someone reported her to him and so she had to get rid of him, he was a little long legged ginger terror who happily yowls the night away but we always loved him and he's chilled out into a very bossy lapcat now. The second, someone who worked with OH had an unexpected litter and mentioned it at work and we thought we wanted a little black and white girl but when we went round we fell in love with a little fat, black, long haired boy that was happily tucking in to a tin of tuna, he's part Maine Coon we think and sort of chirps instead of miaows, shy of anyone else but likes being carried around like a baby.

Two of mine were farm kittens, and one was a private rehoming. They're now aged 5, 4 and 8 months and all very happy and healthy!