Finding it difficult to get a cat from a rescue centre, should we buy instead?

[Snozzlemaid]

I've been looking to adopt a cat from a rescue for a while now but not having any luck.
Our closest rescue won't even entertain the idea as we don't have a cat flap. There are a couple of others around but any they advertise are reserved almost immediately.
I've registered with one and they keep our details for a while to see if we match with any they get in. But not heard anything yet.
I never thought it would be this difficult. We're an all adult household with no other pets.
So I'm considering buying a kitten instead but I'm very wary of encouraging breeding.
Is there anything in particular we should look out for? I don't think we'd be able to visit the home now with COVID so it may be hard to know the set up.

child under 5 (an issue for local rescue).
Why? . I wonder why so many obstacles are put in people's way, it's not like there aren't huge amounts of stray cats waiting for homes.
Demanding cat flaps and child free homes is a little

since the new Labrador got stuck in it and pulled it off the door!)
😂😂🤮
I'd have paid to see that.

We should have taken photos!

Sorry, I don't know where the 🤮 came from

When we filled in the forms for our rescue cat there was a question "do you have a cat flap? If not how will your cat get in and out?"
I just answered : No, we will open the door for her/him.
It wasn't a problem.
Although we have since installed one and it's so much easier.

We struggled with stupid demands when getting our cat a few years ago. Children too small, that sort of thing. One person I spoke to made out like I had no idea what I was doing.

The shelter we got him from was the other end of the spectrum, no home check, hardly any questions and we drove away with the cat the same day. I don't think that's quite the right approach either!

Anyway, we had no cat flap and they never asked. Cat didn't care, usually let himself in and out of the window or yowled at the door. He'd sit on the wall in the yard and stare at you through the kitchen window and yowl until you let him in of the window was closed. Eventually got a flap when we moved house and got a new door.

Have remembered that if we didn't spot him at the kitchen window he would climb onto the roof and sit outside the dc's bedroom window and yowl at them instead to be let in.

My cat is 11 years old and has survived without a cat flap, he stays in at night (in winter or when it’s raining), he shouts when he wants to go out or come in.

We got ours as a kitten, rescue wouldn’t let us have a cat due to being close to a road.

I had a similar issue earlier in the year with rescues and refused to pay 300 for a kitten. In the end a friend of a friend had kittens , their cat got caught because their vets refused to do neutering during lockdown and all we paid was the price of their vet check. Similar story for our first cat their cat got caught and they were only asking for a nominal fee. We have no cat flap either but our two boys dont want to go out much anyway

We've always had a cat flap, but our last cat would often insist on coming in the front door and once persuaded a drunken student to ring on our doorbell at 11:00 PM to let him in!

We have a cat flap in our kitchen window above the sink. Cost very little to have the double glazed unit replaced, £50 or so. One cat jumps up on the ledge and then slides through, the other one launches himself straight in through the flap from ground level like a canon. Scares the shit out of me every time!

GreyhoundG1rl

child under 5 (an issue for local rescue).
Why? confused. I wonder why so many obstacles are put in people's way, it's not like there aren't huge amounts of stray cats waiting for homes.
Demanding cat flaps and child free homes is a little confused“

Because lots of under 5s are very grabby and noisy, not ideal for a cat that’s had a difficult start in life. Their principle concern is the welfare of the cat, as it should be. They’re sentient beings and their welfare is important.
Our small children were, we thought, delights traumatised cats wouldn’t necessarily have seen it the same way. Thankfully, charities said no until they were older and calmer

I'd always imagined rescue centres were desperate for families to adopt cats and that there'd be plenty of options. But it's obviously not that easy.
I am keeping an eye on other rescue centres, such as RSPCA and cats protection who don't insist on a cat flap.
I think I'll keep looking for a while longer before succumbing to buying from Gumtree.

Ah, ok.

I adopted two cats from Greece for my cousin. It is a pricey option but everyone I know with a Greek rescue says they're the most grateful, friendly, lovely cats. There's loads of pages on Facebook, some lovely crazy cat ladies doing great work they run TNR alongside so the money you pay goes towards breaking the cycle

Lots of people manage without cat flaps.
In my current house i do not have one and do not want one. When I am out of the house I want my cat's inside so I know where they are. The same goes for nightime.

I second LittleCatDog’s suggestion - there is even a thread in here about adopting a cat from the UAE. Ra-na is another adoption charity focussing on North Africa although I have also seen cats from Cyprus on their website.

Ours came from a shelter. We paid about £2k in the end to have a back door replaced so that we could have a flap put in. But he's 100% worth it! Currently headbutting my hand and dribbling all over the bed.

Shelters are fussy now op. Just do whatever they say. It's good training for when you get the cat

Just buy a kitten or 2. I wasted 2 years trying to give a home to a rescue dog. Gave up, bought a puppy. Wish I'd just done that in the first place tbh.

@bobblyboob

Ours came from a shelter. We paid about £2k in the end to have a back door replaced so that we could have a flap put in. But he's 100% worth it! Currently headbutting my hand and dribbling all over the bed.

Shelters are fussy now op. Just do whatever they say. It's good training for when you get the cat

But nobody should have to spend 2 grand to adopt a rescue. They shouldn't be putting would be adopters in the position that it's cheaper to buy a kitten.

I think your decision to look at other rescue centres and wait is the correct one.

It was mentioned to me about a cat flap. I said I could get one but he wouldn't be going out at night and he could have access to the greenhouse for shelter. Do you have a shed or such like for a Cat flap? He's nearly 2 and I still don't have a cat flap.

I’ve rarely had to speak to anyone as rude and unhelpful as a woman from Cats Protection seventeen years ago when I enquired about taking on a couple (preferably) of elderly cats, perhaps ones they might find difficult to home otherwise. You’d have thought I had some criminal intent in mind. Eventually I accidentally found an independent animal refuge and took on two lovely kittens. Sadly one of my beloved cats died two years ago but her sister is still around, my cherished companion and very happy.
Look around, you might be lucky like me, or buy.

My cat is eleven and we don't have a cat flap, I don't like the idea of him being out when we were as we wouldn't know how long he'd been gone for if he went missing, he goes out early morning when we get up before work 6-9ish then comes in for breakfast and goes back out when we get home from work. Although with more homeworking and some days DS being looked after by DM at our home he has more flexibility. We ended up buying our cat because cat rescues wouldn't let us adopt as we both worked full time!

I would wait OP, once things are more normal the rescue centres will be inundated with cats and they will have to be less exacting if they are to home them all.