Adopting animals??
Discussion
Has anyone had any experience of adopting animals from the RSPCA and what their procedures are?
I move in to my new house next week and me and my girlfriend want two kittens.
Ive grown up with a cat that we just had put down on monday as some of you may know having contributing to my "feeling sad" thread.
Apparently they do a house check, does anyone know what their criteria is??
I move in to my new house next week and me and my girlfriend want two kittens.
Ive grown up with a cat that we just had put down on monday as some of you may know having contributing to my "feeling sad" thread.
Apparently they do a house check, does anyone know what their criteria is??
www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/Rehoming/Rehoming
Should be all the information you need.
Should be all the information you need.
I got a cat a few years ago and although they did mention a house check they never actually came around to look.
They are more concerned about you and your attitude towards animals. They will take into account your address, so I suspect the middle of a low level council estate may bring a home check, and middle class suburbia won't!
They are more concerned about you and your attitude towards animals. They will take into account your address, so I suspect the middle of a low level council estate may bring a home check, and middle class suburbia won't!
I've got adopted cats, the home visits are usually to cover the following points:
* You're not some bag lady/tramp who wants to add another cat to the 50 they have already.
* You don't live directly onto a main road.
* That you have made sure the house is safe for a kitten, no live wires trailing across the floor, rat poison safely stored out of harms way etc.
* To check that you understand a kitten will need feeding every four hours for the first few weeks.
* You can set aside one room for when the kitten first arrives. It will the sh!t scared, the worst thing you could do it is take it from a pen that is 4ft square, then let it run around your whole house.
* It will need to be 'done'
at around 6 months old, you will have to sign an undertaking to say that you will get the operation done and keep up to date with vacinations.
* Finally, this is a ~15 year commitment, they will check that you understand what you're getting into.
BTW, If you register with Whiskas online, they will send you a kitten care booklet and some free food.
* You're not some bag lady/tramp who wants to add another cat to the 50 they have already.
* You don't live directly onto a main road.
* That you have made sure the house is safe for a kitten, no live wires trailing across the floor, rat poison safely stored out of harms way etc.
* To check that you understand a kitten will need feeding every four hours for the first few weeks.
* You can set aside one room for when the kitten first arrives. It will the sh!t scared, the worst thing you could do it is take it from a pen that is 4ft square, then let it run around your whole house.
* It will need to be 'done'
at around 6 months old, you will have to sign an undertaking to say that you will get the operation done and keep up to date with vacinations. * Finally, this is a ~15 year commitment, they will check that you understand what you're getting into.
BTW, If you register with Whiskas online, they will send you a kitten care booklet and some free food.
richie_few said:
we dont have a spare room as such we could block it the kitchen.
It will be fine, so long as the you can safely keep it in there for the first one to two weeks. Remember this means you can't open windows and you'd need to be careful about not letting it out of any external doors. An escaped kitten wouldn't last long outside - sad but true.
Chim_Girl said:
we dont have a spare room as such we could block it the kitchen.
It will be fine, so long as the you can safely keep it in there for the first one to two weeks. Remember this means you can't open windows and you'd need to be careful about not letting it out of any external doors. An escaped kitten wouldn't last long outside - sad but true.
From the kitchen they would have to get past two other doors.
In all fairness the house is fairly small so even if we just prevented them from going upstairs they wouldnt have a huge area to explore.
We got our first rabbit, Slipper, from the RSPCA. Or should I say he got us to take him FROM the RSPCA!
We filled out the form (with "Cat" crossed out and "Rabbit" written in), and they did a home visit about 8 months later. The lady that did the visit filled out a tick box questionaire, one of which was "is there sufficient room for exercise?" At which point he ran past her, from the lounge, through the dining room into the kitchen. Got a big tick against that box!
We filled out the form (with "Cat" crossed out and "Rabbit" written in), and they did a home visit about 8 months later. The lady that did the visit filled out a tick box questionaire, one of which was "is there sufficient room for exercise?" At which point he ran past her, from the lounge, through the dining room into the kitchen. Got a big tick against that box!
The issue of having a space dedicated for them is not just making sure they've got the room to explore but that it gives them and area that they get to know as theirs and it's a place they feel comfortable in.
if you're going to put them in a small part of another larger room, you might want to consider a small blanket or cat acrrier with the top off. This will give them somewhere they can immediately define as theirs and a place that they will go back to to feel safe if otherwise threatened.
We tried this with ours but he decided on the first night we had him that the back bedroom was not right and if our bed was good enough for us it was good enough for him too and it's his space when he wants to be alone.
HTH
Chris
Chris
if you're going to put them in a small part of another larger room, you might want to consider a small blanket or cat acrrier with the top off. This will give them somewhere they can immediately define as theirs and a place that they will go back to to feel safe if otherwise threatened.
We tried this with ours but he decided on the first night we had him that the back bedroom was not right and if our bed was good enough for us it was good enough for him too and it's his space when he wants to be alone.
HTH
Chris
Chris
I got two cats from the RSPCA a couple of weeks ago.
Had a home check before x-mas. Bloke came round, had a chat, quick poke around and went. No problem at all. As for the space, they have taken a liking to my bed and hiding under the dinning room table.
Apaprntly they will do another home check a few weeks after you get them.
Cheers
Andrew
Had a home check before x-mas. Bloke came round, had a chat, quick poke around and went. No problem at all. As for the space, they have taken a liking to my bed and hiding under the dinning room table.
Apaprntly they will do another home check a few weeks after you get them.
Cheers
Andrew
I havn't read the whole thread, so I appologise if this has allready been said. The Cats Protection Leigue is amuch better place than the RSPCA to obtain cats from. There will be a local coordinator in your area who will know about cats needing new homes as well as litters of kittens.
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