Bob the Rescue Cat

A Message from Bob

My original website has moved to new webspace. By telling my story I hope I have increased the awareness for rescues, to help other cats in a similar situation to mine.

My life has settled down and I am happy, most of my problems have been overcome with a lot of love and patience from my adopted family. It could have been made easier for all of us, hence the reason for my original website.

I tell it as I see it, hopefully I have made a difference somewhere by telling my story - in fact, I hope some changes have already been made which is all I wanted really, so it was worth the trouble.

However .........

Before a cat is rehomed the following points should be noted:

Potential owners should be made aware that it can take many months for a new cat to settle in. If it is not house trained or is used to being outdoors, it will not suddenly become housetrained when introduced to a new home. A lot of patience and care is needed to adopt a cat.This should be explained.

A thorough check up at the vet should be undertaken so that any problems are found and treated. Vaccinations, worming, and flea treatments should be up to date, in the best interests of the cat.

The cat should be observed carefully during its stay at a rescue or rehoming centre so that any behavioural problems are noted and disclosed to potential new owners.

A home check should be carried out and not just a verbal check over the phone.

It should not be assumed that just because someone wants a cat, they will know how to look after him or her. Advice may be needed. Questions may need answering about the cat.

Information regarding previous history should be available and provided to potential adopters to avoid distress to the animal from being subjected to unnecessary medical procedures and injections.

The true age of the animal should be disclosed. If there are conflicting opinions then this should be noted and made clear.

Inexperienced rescues please learn from this, you need to be aware of the distress that can be caused for cats and their new owners. Being a cat lover and doing as much as possible to rehome cats is good, but it needs a responsible approach and a lot of care.

There are far too many unwanted and homeless cats in the UK and Ireland, and many rescue centres which are too full to take any more.

Some rescues have adopted a rule of only rehoming kittens in pairs for around £65 per kitten. This doubles the cost of the upkeep and medical treatment of the kittens and prevents many people adopting a kitten.

All content and photography contained within these pages are copyright and remain the property of the originators.

June 2005