If you are thinking of getting a cat, there can be no better place to find one than from a Rescue Centre. Every Year Thousands of cats are abandoned by their owners, become lost, are given up or are just unwanted kittens. All of these unfortunate animals are then thankfully taken in by Rescue Centres and taken care of until a good home can be found for them.
Regardless of the type of cat, you might have your heart set on i.e. male, female, a specific breed, colour or age, there will always be a match looking for a home in one of the centres somewhere.
Choosing to re-home a cat from a rescue centre has many benefits over buying one from a pet store or advertisement:
All Cats are given a thorough health check before being offered for re-homing. So there will be no nasty surprises later on.
Most centres will vaccinate and neuter cats before you are allowed to take them home.
Cats are assessed to see what sort of home would suit them best, i.e. with children or other animals. Are they happy to be an indoor act or would they require access to a garden?
Rescue centres are able to provide useful advice regarding the care of the cat and will also provide helpful advice after you have adopted a cat.
By purchasing a cat from a rescue centre you are helping to provide funds for the care of other homeless pets.
Another major benefit of choosing a cat from a rescue centre is that you as a potential owner are also assessed. It is very important that you fully realise all that is required from you as an owner and that you are prepared for any financial outlay that may arise in the future. The last thing a lost or abandoned animal needs is to go through another upsetting experience of being rehomed to someone who later on neglects their needs and they have to be re-homed a second time. The benefits to you of being assessed is knowing that you are fully prepared for most eventualities and that you are paired with a cat that will fit in with your lifestyle. Some cats need a lot of attention whereas others are happier to be left alone for periods of time. If you are out to work most of the day the last thing you will want is a needy cat that suffers anxiety during the day and urinates everywhere due to stress. This is where https://petlifetoday.com/best-cbd-oil-for-cats/ can help you as a responsible owner of you are dealing with a cat that feels stressed all the time.
Although the process of being assessed may seem daunting it must be seen as a beneficiary to both you and your potential new pet and should be approached as a positive process. Some of the types of questions you may be asked are:
What sort of home you have?
Will the cat be left alone a lot of the time?
Are there children or other pets in the home?
What facilities will there be for your cat, i.e. a garden, it’s own room etc.
Are you aware of what regular medical treatment is required for your cat every year and how much it is likely to cost?
Have you owned cats before? This is to ascertain your general knowledge of looking after a cat.
All of these questions will help to match you with a cat that will suit your lifestyle and environment and also provide you with cat care advice if you have not owned a cat before.
When you are introduced to the cats available for re-homing you will be able to ask about the cat’s individual backgrounds and how it has become homeless. You may also be able to find out what is known of where the cats came from and their previous circumstances. Any underlining health problems or behavioural issues will also be discussed so that you are fully informed of which cats you may be interested in re-homing. It’s important that you do plenty of research before adopting a cat so that you are prepared for all eventualities. For example, are you currently wondering ‘why do cats eat their babies?’, if so, it’s worth doing some research. You’ll also need to learn about their diet and breeding habits too.
Many rescue centres will allow you to spend some time in the enclosure with your chosen cat before you make the final decision. Take your time and allow the cat to come to you. It will soon become apparent if you will be compatible or not. However if after all the assessments you find that after a while the cat is not happy with you or you are unable to take care of them anymore, a rescue centre will be happy to take the cat back without any recriminations. They would rather the cat be in a suitable home than abandoned or unhappy.