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?

Daphne-teacher at my friends school cat had kittens
Dolly-Cat Protection North London

Ginger- stays three nights a week
Robin-stays next door two nights we dont know where they go yhe other times but they are definitely strays.

The first was via the Cats Protection and the next two were ones we adopted from Pets4Homes (which I know isn't always a popular thing to mention.......) from someone who couldn't look after them.

Stolen from my mums shitty neighbour

Rolls up sleeves. Right.

1&2 half siblings from breeder.
3 sibling 2 mother. It was not a cilla black type reunion either.
4 Neighbours cat had kittens, this one was rehomed but they abused her and we found her living in our coal shed so we kept her.
5 Neighbours had been banned by rspca from keeping animals and had cats and dogs again and the cat wasn’t cared for so my mum pinched it one night and refused to give it back.

6 pfb. Precious First Bengal from a breeder.

Cat 1 - stray, decided to move in with me. (Best cat I ever had!)
Cats 2 & 3 - neighbours' cat had kittens so we took two.
Cats 4,5 & 6 - work colleague's mum's farm cat had kittens - we couldn't decide which two to have - so took three .
Cats 7 & 8 Battersea Old Windsor
Cats 9 & 10 Battersea Old Windsor.

We tend to 'top up' when we get down to two cats.
Currently living with cats 7-10.

Cats 1 and 2 - bought from an ad when I moved into my first house
Cat 3, moved in as a stray and never left. Did 3 house moves with me and eventually died aged around 17 ish. Best cat ever ❤️
Cat 4 from cats protection
Cat 5 (current cat) an overlooked 13 year old in a local rescue. Totally chilled,lovely cat

Ours came from Cats Protection as did our previous cat. One before I acquired from a house share and think he was also a CP kitty. As a child we got a kitten from a pet shop, she cost £2 and was the last one (that was 1981).
Rehoming is very different at the moment. I volunteer for CP and my adoption centre is closed for rehoming (cats are admitted though then transferred to be homed). CP, like lots of other charities are doing everything online, via phone etc but not all centres can do this. I think there is more follow up support han in pre Covid times.

Cat 1 was dumped with her brother on a vet's doorstep in a box at approximately 24 hours old. Cat 2 was the brother but sadly he was very poorly and was put to sleep at 5 months old. Cat 3 came from someone who had an accidental litter and who couldn't cope with keeping her.

We got our beautiful cat as a home to home adoption via Cats Protection this summer. He'd been abandoned after escaping from a holiday caravan (!) and rescued by a veterinary nurse, whose existing cats he didn't get on with. He's the best boy in the world 😻

Thanks for all the stories, love reading these (eso the ones where folks have stolen their neighbours' cats ). I'll start looking at the sites mentioned here - it's all new to me, I had my previous 2 for ages (19 years!), got them through Loot in London back then.

Cats protection
Do not recommend, was not advertised as weirdo vampire clingy cat and refused to refund
He was the first one I looked at, never had a cat before. Took him home and he was "right, this will do" and climbed on my lap
Me (reading the handbook) "you're meant to hide! For days!"

Two from CPL (brothers dumped in a bin bag) and 1 that just moved in.

The stairwell of a block of flats.

Cat 1:facebook 6 years ago
Cat 2: pets4homes 3 years ago

Local rescue and rspca didn't like us because we worked and had a young child at the time

Advert on Facebook for the first two and rescued one via Facebook too it was a genuine unwanted pregnancy and she had the cat done ASAP

We adopted from Battersea. They were really good.

Facebook..

She was even delivered to us, though looking back, I don’t agree with that especially as I think she was younger than I was told.

She’s 4 now and healthy as a horse. She cost me £40 which is the most I’ve ever spent on a cat

Up until last year it was cats protection league or informal rescues (DW was a police officer so a couple acquired that way.

Then I fell in love with a friends rag doll and and subsequently purchased two kittens from a registered breeder. I absolutely adore them, and they are amazing family pets but I do feel guilty that they are not rescues.

One cat was from a friend whose cat had kittens. The other cat was a kitten from a friend of my mum's

Four Paws Cat Rescue. So easy and they delivered her to us during the first lockdown. I absolutely adore her. Five year old black female.

@QueenPawPaws

Cats protection Do not recommend, was not advertised as weirdo vampire clingy cat and refused to refund He was the first one I looked at, never had a cat before. Took him home and he was "right, this will do" and climbed on my lap Me (reading the handbook) "you're meant to hide! For days!"

Awwww he’s adorable 🥰

Cat 1: Tiny little B&W lady came with boyfriend and stayed when he became DH. Ruled the roost and lived to a ripe old age.

Cats 2&3: Cats Protection. Tortie mumcat and the runt of her 6-kitten litter. He's now a 5kg+ ratcatching hulk who still hasn't grown into his legs at 7yo. She's the loudest cat in history and gets called Foghorn.

Cat 4 wishlist: DS wants a ginger kitten. 2020 did for that... ah well, next summer. I suspect there will be a lot of lockdown cats needing homes.

VicMackey would you believe he's actually lying on his bed outside on the freezing cold verandah. He's got beds all over the house, but loves being outside😹

Has anyone mentioned The Blue Cross?
www.bluecross.org.uk/rehome/cat

@Want2beme.

He does have a very opulent furry onesie on though 😻

Celia Hammond trust