Simply choosing ‘any’ cat will not suffice. The responsibility of the lifetime care of any animal should be considered carefully and well thought out. It is not a right, but a privilege to have a pet in your home and on taking a pet home you undertake to provide all care to meet their welfare needs for the rest of their life, through the good and bad times for both you and them.

Cats can live well into their 20’s and any commitment you make to your new feline friend must be for life.

Not all cats are good with other cats, some detest dogs, some are very scared or had bad experiences with children.  For these reasons Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue perform detailed assessments of each and every cat that enters our care and we will advise you on the best matches for your family unit and circumstances.  Just because you like the appearance of a cat does not make it the right cat for your home.

A Financial Commitment

You should also fully research the financial aspects of feeding, insuring, regular flea and wormer treatments and providing the necessary veterinary care such as annual health checks and boosters, dental care or even special diets. If you cannot comfortably meet these basic costs yourself then perhaps you should not adopt at this time and wait until you can.

Charities such as the PDSA are not there to facilitate you getting a cat and that is not why people donate their hard earned money to these charities either. It is not your right to own a pet. The PDSA are there to help those existing pet owners cover temporary medical costs for their pets when the owners have fallen on hard times and are experiencing difficulties making ends meet.  It is not a system to be abused taking up vital donations simply because you believe you are entitled to have a pet.  If you can’t afford to pay for veterinary care for a pet you have chosen to have, then be sensible and practical and wait until such times as you are in the position to do so.

Also consider costs involved if you holiday every year. Would you put your cat in a cattery or get a pet sitter?

Finding the Right Cat

Would you be looking for an indoor cat or a cat with outdoors access?  If you live on a 3rd floor tenement flat then an indoor cat is going to be the sensible option.  Are you comfortable with that?

Are you happy to keep a litter box in your home? at all times?  One of the biggest reasons that people have problems with cats toileting in the house is because there is no indoor litter tray for them to use. You should always give cats the option.

Ultimately are you prepared to put the needs of your pet first regardless of costs or inconvenience? to provide a nutritious and appropriate diet? regular vet checks? allow them into your home at all times? keep them free of illness and disease? and ensure their happiness at all times?

All of these aspects should be considered before making the decision to adopt a cat.

If you feel you can offer a cat a loving home and meet all of their care needs then do contact us about adoption.  When adopting from Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue we will help to advise and identify possible matches and provide information and guidance on how to care for your new companion and urge you to contact us with any questions about adoption or care.

For full details of our adoption process and answers to the commonly asked questions please read through our Frequently Asked Questions page.