Ridiculous rules for adopting rescue cats.

[Catlovverr]

Last year we adopted 2 gorgeous boys from Celia Hammond. Having had cats all our lives and being devastated after having to put our old girl to sleep, we soon started to look into adopting new rescues. What we hadn’t prepared for, was how difficult it would be.
We have had rescues all our lives, who have all lived to a grand old age with all the veterinary care needed. We live in a large 3 storey house with a massive garden full of trees on a quiet road. Our garden is backing onto other large gardens also full of trees. Cats paradise we thought.
But oh no, leaving aside the RSPCA who didn’t even respond to our request, we were rejected by Battersea for not having a cat flap despite cats having free access out of a window with safe passage into our garden. We had 30 years of cats using that passage behind us. Window is always left open during the day and closed only at night when we keep them in. The second reason for rejection from Battersea was that we didn’t let our cats outside when we go on holiday. We leave them in the house with family or neighbours popping in twice a day. Reason for that is I want to make sure they are around for their food and are seen by the cat sitters so I know they are ok. Battersea said my cats would be stressed not being let out then despite being in their own home which is large enough for them to not feel confined. Not sure what response people who use catteries would get….
Battersea was also worried that there was one day a week we were both working so no one at home. One of us always wfh rest of week.
The most bonkers rejection was from a smallish rescue. They rejected us because we didn’t have locks on all windows so they worried cats would fall out. This is despite me reassuring them we never left the windows facing the road open for that exact reason.
In hindsight I know I could just lie, I wasn’t prepared for having to lie I guess.
I also understand people have to be properly vetted and that people who run rescues see a lot of neglect and abuse so obviously cautious.

We had a really good experience with Celia Hammond. They sent someone around for a house checks who approved us more or less on the spot. Have donated to them monthly ever since.

Had to write this down having just walked past a poster advertising for a Battersea about how much they care. All I can think of is their ridiculous vetting which most likely leaves a lot of animals caged with them much longer than need be.

It seems a shame to have one cat miss out on a loving home

Some of these stories are wild! I used a local rescue which has now closed as the coordinator retired. We had to fill out a fairly extensive form that asked about things like access to outside space, cat flaps etc. There was no home visit - they checked our address on Google maps to make sure there were no major roads nearby.

But we always leave a window open. I would never leave my cats outside unable to get in. If we did, there is shelter to the side of the house where we could have put a blanket, but I treat my cats like I treat my babies so would not do that

I am experienced cat owner who had previously had rescue cats though.

If people were out at work all day our rescue centre would advise adopting two kittens so they could keep each other company. We didn't think it was fair to leave a 10 week old kitten alone all day. Alternatively the person could adopt a single older cat.

If someone was home during the day, adopting a single kitten was fine.

There's always plenty of older kittens/young adult cats available at rescues though - my first 2 were 2yo when they came home, and the latest was about 3. I would always prefer a young adult cat over a kitten, as you have a much better idea of their personality that way.

Absolute madness. We had this when we lived in London so in the end we just asked my mum who lives in the country to look in the local paper for a litter born in a local farm and picked up when ready. The whole point of cats is that they are pretty self- sufficient.

@clopertyclop but my boy cat loves climbing up the chimney! He's also not stupid, he doesn't do it when we have little a fire.

In 50+ years of life with cats I've never needed a cat flap either.

My dsis used to work for a cat charity and has had about 10 differents cats in the past. She tried to adopt an indoors one last year (happy to take FIv et as she's an experienced cat owner) and it was refused because the cat "might get out" and she was near a railway line.

The cat would have had to leave the flat, walk along a corridor. Press the lift button, get to the ground floor. Get through 2 external doors and then walk down a long side pathway and use Bolt cutters to get through the mesh fencing onto the railway verges and down to the railway.
But yeah. Clearly a risk they couldnt take.

I don't know Byron might have a go at that 🤣

London cat shelters are hideously overfull.

Battersea now have a waiting list like Eton. You have to apply months or years in advance to send a cat.

No rubbish about emergencies or death of owner accepted.

You can see why reading this thread.

Mayhew are bloody brilliant - if you’re in their area. Kind, sensible and they love cats.

I had similar with rspca. I got my first cat from them and it was when you could go in and have a look and he just melted my heart. He was actually tricking me into thinking he was really friendly by rubbing on the glass at me. He was a liar haha anyway we lost him when he was nearly 20 and we wanted another.
rspca was no longer a walk in place. Fine, I emailed and asked if I could make an appointment and come and see the cats. They said no I had to look on the website and apply for one. I explained I wanted to come and see if any called out to me in person. Was told no. So that was that. Went to an independent charity place who let us come down and we fell In love with a 12yr old Tom cat who we eventually took home.

We were rejected on the basis of our postcode. Main road but fenced back garden. Got two kittens instead from someone we knew whose cat had had a litter.

One died last year at the age of 17, the other still alive. But yeah the traffic.

We adopted from the Cotswolds cats and dogs home, I wrote a very honest application we spoke on the phone did a home check and brought her home a little while later. They couldn’t have been nicer if I were to adopt again I’d go back to them.

Our rescue doesnt rehome if you live in a one bedroom flat!

I can't understand this recent thing about you having to apply for a cat on line & not even meet them. When DSis went to get her current 2, there was a pair who seemed on paper to be absolutely perfect for her but when she got there the cats took one look & rejected her out of hand. However she came home with 2 other girls who she hadn't even seen on the web site (not all their cats are on line) who decided she would be a good enough slave for them.

At least if you adopt a child you do get to meet them first - some rescues these days seem to make it harder to adopt a cat than a child, and then it's sight unseen!

God my last cat was a flea bitten stray who wandered in my patio doors and just made himself at home. I sorted the fleas, wormed him and got him to the vet - no chip - vet said he was @ 10 years old. He has a lovely retirement with us and died last year at 19. If a rescue had him my flat would have been unsuitable as a shared garden, near a main road and out of home working owners, along with an 8 year old child. Oh and no cat flap. The cat was a spoiled ginger bugger who had the best life. I want another cat but not sure I can be bothered to jump through the hoops for that....and I am old so another point against me....

Not a cat but my ds when he got a dog

He spent months looking for a rescue dog and finally found one online

Applied online and was told to 'pop down and meet him'

So he jumped on a train,got to the address,knocked on the door,told them his name and they slung the dog at him with one hand and the other hand was held out for the £180 fee

They snarled the dogs name at him and shut the door

No home checks,no background checks,no meet and greet/make sure your a match,no asking which vet the dog would be with-not even a lead (he had to use his belt to walk the dog to the nearest pet shop to buy a lead,bowl,poo bags and bowls)

I googled the charity (which i cannot remember the name of for the life of me) and they had a list of what they wanted to know about you before you could adopt one of their dogs but in rl it just didn't happen,they didn't care as long as you had the money

As it is,man and dog are living their best lives together (with the addition of a wife and dd) but he could have been anyone and it could have gone badly wrong

I'm half convinced it was some sort of puppy farm but the dog was well looked after (as in well fed/wormed/de-fleaed etc and seemed happy enough)

It was just very odd,you'd have thought they'd ask a few questions at the very least-they did ask his name and that was about it

I know a couple (well,I know her) who jumped through loads of hoops and rules to get a dog and promptly didn't feed it for 4 weeks (it's been in the news)

They've just been prosecuted for animal cruelty (£504 fine and a ban of owning animals for ten years)

These arseholes are partly why some animal charities don't want to let their animals go and I'm convinced some are just animal hoarders under the presence of being a charity

I gave up on rescues years ago when they wouldn’t let me adopt as I had young children (who had always been brought up to love and respect pets)
For a few years we’re lucky enough to find cats through friends, family and local contacts
Since Covid finding a cat seems to have got harder and have bought the last 3 incumbents - most recent arrival seems happy enough ❤️

When i was looking, two years ago, i figured that I would most likely be rejected by most charities absolutely we gad a nine mont old Border Terrier puppy and an older Border. This was despite living rurally. I was very fortunate that I came across a local farmer who had found a pair of tiny kittens with no sign of mum. There were starving and terrified and promptly came home with me. As the expected, the puppy went bat shit for about 24 hours, but we had much more work to do to get them to trust us. All worked out well in the end and the are happy, healthy, chipped, neutered and spayed and harmony reigns 99.9 % of the time with the cats coming out on top obviously.

It's normal to only home small kittens in pairs as they become very distressed when separated from mother and siblings. So, if you want one cat, adopt a young single cat - there are plenty of those. It doesn't have to be a kitten.

@thecatneuterer PMed you. Gxxxx

British rescues have become internationally infamous, especially for their insistence on outside access. It's absurd.

I was turned down by Battersea. This despite my previous cats having come from there and living to be 14 and 17. The only reason they gave me was ‘we haven’t got a cat that meets your requirements at the moment.’ I said ‘you’re telling me that none of the 40 cats you have out there would be suitable?’

I suspect the real reason was I had a holiday booked but it was four months away and i had a friend who would feed the cat daily.

Their ‘door staff!’ Love it!