Kittens - where to find them?!

[Cato9lives]

Looking for tips on the best place to look for kittens for sale or adoption.
We’re looking for a shot haired male moggie - nothing fancy! I’ve looked on my local charities websites but they’re quite sparse on male kittens for some reason.
FYI we’re in the East Midlands.

Thanks in advance for any helpful info or suggestions 😺

There is a kitten season mostly this was taken from a cat charity online.

Although kittens can be born at any time of year, the majority will arrive between March and September in the UK. This is why we call this kitten season.
Cats are more likely to breed during these months. The hormonal changes required for an unneutered female cat to start her reproductive cycle are dependent on daylight. This period is known as ‘coming into heat’.
When the days start to get longer, her hormones will change and stimulate the ovary to produce an egg.

Please always go to a cat rescue charity for your kitten , as they become overwhelmed with them during, " the season "

Local rescues are best rather than the bigger organisations like RSPCA and Cats Protection. They tend to have animals fostered in peoples homes so it's easier to see how well they interact with children, other pets etc. And they don't tend to have the 10 page questionnaire to see if you're 'suitable' 🙄 If you're on facebook try looking up some local rescues or local groups for a recommendation. (I'm also East Midlands, Derby/Burton way and all our cats have been from smaller rescues)

Yes I would say you are a little early in the year for kittens as yet.

No one will like me saying this but a lot of charities are too fussy about who they will allow to adopt. So if this ends up being your problem, I found lots of moggy kittens (later in the year) on Pets 4 homes.

I have bought a cat myself via Pets4Homes but there are a LOT casual cat breeders / unscrupulous pet owners on there who aren't neutering their pets, letting them get pregnant then profiting from selling the kittens.

If you really want kittens OP it's worth considering a pair. Lots of rescues will only rehome kittens as pairs.

But I always encourage people to think about getting an adult cat. Not only do they tend to be more overlooked, but you can find a cat whose personality suits your household. Also easier to get a single cat - rescues will know which cats are happy to be solo and which want other feline company.

I've known various people get kittens who when they reach adulthood aren't the cat they really wanted (e.g. not very tolerant with children, too aloof or too needy). People often comment on how chilled out and friendly our cats are - yes, because we picked adult cats who were chilled and friendly because we knew they'd fit in well in our household.

Local cat rescues are your best bet, if you’re willing to travel we found Fylde coast cat’s brilliant!

I agree with Santa upthread. I wanted a kitten 2 years ago. Contacted the local cat sanctuary and they never even acknowledged my application. I got one off Gumtree in the end and he is adorable. I also got a pair of kittens from a friend of a friend back in 2018. I did once get a cat from a cat rescue place - she was young but not a kitten. If you really want a kitten I'd look at Gumtree/Facebook. I was never going to buy one from a breeder as I just wanted a moggy - I specifically wanted a tabby boy so just replied to ads selling the same.

FB isn’t supposed to allow selling of animals and Gumtree isn’t the place to go.
Wait for kitten season when rescues will be inundated. (Although our local rescue has a litter now.)

It is a little early for rescue kittens, although there are usually a few around all year.

Ring round or call in at all your local vets. They sometimes have kittens advertised on their reception notice boards or know of some. You can ask to leave your name and number if none are available at the moment.

Kittens usually do better if they are homed in pairs, unless there is already an other-cats-friendly cat in the house or someone is at home for the vast majority of the time. Otherwise a kitten can be very lonely and really struggle to get over missing their mother and littermates.

A young adult or older cat or a bonded pair is usually a great option instead of kittens.

Small cat sanctuaries are usually the best bet. If you feel able to say roughly where in the East Midlands you are, someone should be able to direct you.

Avoid buying online.

Why a boy?

Now isn’t the best time. Kitten season starts in March so you’re probably looking at May-June for rehoming. We got our eldest cat as an older kitten pair (approx 9 months) from Battersea, since they’re our local charity and well known it seemed the obvious choice. When one died the remaining cat seemed in need of company but sadly Battersea wouldn’t consider us for rehoming again because of the existing cat and because we have a preschooler. So we bought a kitten from a neighbour whose girl had escaped the week she was due to get spayed and he’s fitted in perfectly. You could also try the vets- last time I was in there the receptionist was buttering me up to rehome one they had in, apparently her boyfriend was threatening to leave if she bought home any more as 3 kids and 4 cats was the poor bloke’s limit 🤣

Farms often have kittens (as even when you catch and neuter you never get every one) usually by word of mouth.

Give it a few months. All our kittens have come to us between April and July - all farm moggies.

There's breeders and there's the "they deserve to have at least one litter" crowd, the ones happy to profit from selling litter after litter of kittens and the ones who simply don't care enough to get their cats neutered.

Honestly buying kittens of these people is just sustaining a market for it while rescues are overwhelmed. I know it can be frustrating jumping through hoops with rescues sometimes (they can make it unnecessarily difficult, I know, I've been there!) but it's worth persevering rather than shopping.

If you must buy a kitten, try to avoid the unscrupulous casual 'breeders' - as I say I bought an (adult) cat on Pets4Homes but I made a lot of enquiries to find someone with a genuine reason for selling their cat and who wasn't simply out to profit.

Hi
having just lost the second of our beautiful short haired British white and Turkish angora mix we would love two more kittens of the same breed as they were so gorgeous. Is anyone out there breeding these? We had our second one for nearly 19 years her brother passed 6 years ago. Thank you

Hi
having just lost the second of our beautiful short haired British white and Turkish angora mix we would love two more kittens of the same breed as they were so gorgeous. Is anyone out there breeding these? We had our second one for nearly 19 years her brother passed 6 years ago. Thank you

The best place would be a local charity. That’s where I got my two from this year. They do a lot of good work. I’d suggest you ask on your local Facebook page for recommendations. The place we got ours from was on the recommendation of a friend, and then I just kept looking on their website until I saw a kitten that I liked. You can also just give them a ring and say you’re wanting a short-hairs male kitten and they will let you know when they have any. You can even tell them if there’s a particular colour you want.

We paid a donation for each kitten and there is a suggested minimum for kittens and a slightly lower one for cats. This goes towards the costs of running the rescue including vet bills, food etc. We adopted kittens so we’re given a voucher that covered the costs of their neutering and spaying. They gave us all the advice we needed to care for the kittens and what we would need to buy for them and they did an inspection of our home to make sure it was suitable.

We adopted the first one in May, and the second one a few months later. We only needed to do the home inspection when we got the first kitten. It’s been a very big change to our lifestyle - more than I could ever have imagined. I think things will get easier as they get more used to each other and when we start letting them outside. I don’t have any regrets though. They’re lovely 😻

Oops - having just spent ages writing a reply I see OP posted this in February - so I’m assuming she’s got her kitten by now!

As most of the animals in RSPCA care are a result of cruelty or neglect the questionnaire is essential to ensure the animal is the best match for the adopter and vice versa.