Where will cats go if I die

[Perimenoanti]

Okay I cry writing this. I'm not ill and not dying. For various reasons I ended up without any family and I'm putting affairs in place so I know what will happen should I die.

I have two indoor cats. I want to put something in place for them should I die. Is there a scheme or something or somewhere I could pay a fee and I know they can go to in case I die. I would want them to find a new home after that. I would hate them having to go to a rescue. I would want them to stay together too.

OP what you’re looking for is known as the “Pet guardian scheme”- most animal charities and rescues take part in the scene and can sort out guardianship of your pets should you pass- they also provide a wallet card so you have your pets’ information handy and someone knows to retrieve them.

MrCat came to us this way. For the first couple of weeks he stayed in his own home, with CPL volunteers visiting him regularly to feed, clean and generally check on him. When it was clear that his resident human would not be returning, the CPL took charge of him and moved him to a foster home. He stayed there for nearly 2 months until I adopted him. I wasn't able to meet him before adoption (during Covid) but the photos I was sent showed that he was totally at ease there, and utterly pampered.

My cats came from a local rescue where the cats are adopted from foster homes. I've left them a bequest in my will and they will foster and rehome any cats I have if I die or am incapacitated. My friend is also aware of this and if anything happens to me she will contact them in the first instance, as the executors are my niece and cousin and neither of them live locally. My friend also has keys to my house and would be able to look after the cats in an emergency until arrangements can be made for them to go to foster.

Coming back to this to say I was at the vet's this morning with the other cat.

They mentioned a lovely little tortoiseshell they're 'keeping' rather than handing her over to the rescue in exactly the sort of circumstances you're worried about, OP.

@NeverDropYourMooncup There is a cat living in my local Pets at Home/Vets4Pets. He wanders about the shop floor or takes a trip up to the vets. One time I caught him high on catnip in the cat toy aisle where he had managed to open a packet of catnip.