Adopt a cat

Before You Adopt

Before starting the process of adopting one of our cats, please take a few minutes to consider the following:

  • You could be committing to your new cat for up to 20 years. Can you offer continued stability?
  • Veterinary fees can be expensive. You should expect to visit the vets at least once a year for a health check and vaccination. Other preventative health care measures include de-fleaing (usually a monthly treatment) and de-worming (typically a three-monthly treatment); seek advice from your vet on frequency. Pet insurance will help with the cost of major illness and emergency treatment.
  • You will need to make arrangements for your cat when you go on holiday, this may involve boarding cattery fees.
  • Feeding a cat will cost you a minimum of £10 per week, plus the additional expense of other items such as a litter tray and litter, toys, bowls, bedding, and so on.
  • If you get a long-haired cat, you will need to set time aside for grooming.

Read some great reasons to adopt an older cat.

Homing

A guide to our homing process

Here is our guide to adopting a cat using hands-free homing

  • Check you are within a reasonable distance of your chosen branch. You can find your nearest branch by typing in your postcode at www.cats.org.uk/find-us
  • Enquire. If you've found a cat on our website that you're interested in homing, send an enquiry through the contact us page.
  • Reserve your cat. If you're found to be a match for your chosen cat, you'll be contacted via phone or email. You may be asked for proof of your address and the consent of your landlord (if you live in a rented property)
  • Adopt. Once you have reserved your cat, you'll be sent paperwork to sign and you'll make a further telephone appointment with our team. In this call, you'll have a chance to discuss everything you need to know about your cat. You'll then pay an adoption fee, usually by bank transfer. Our adoption fee is £75 for cats (over 6 months of age) and £95 for kittens (under 6 months of age).
  • Bringing your cat home. Once this is finalised, we'll arrange for you to collect your new furry family member.
  • Be supported. You'll receive a follow-up call or email after the adoption to check that your new arrival is settled in. You can also find help and advice on the Cats Protection website at www.cats.org.uk/advice

All cats are microchipped, fully vaccinated, wormed and up to date with flea treatment.

If you are contacting us to ask us to take a cat in, please be aware that there is a waiting list as we have a limited amount of foster space. If we have not been able to take the cat within two months, please ring us to confirm you still need the place; otherwise, the cat will be removed from the waiting list.