Cat Blog 9

Homing a kitten or a cat

Homing a kitten or a cat is of course a serious responsibility. If you’re feeling anxious about finding the right home, that’s to be expected because you care! There are a number of ways you could go about it.

You could contact your local humane society. You would need to do this a few weeks before the kitten(s) are old enough, as you may need to place them on a waiting list. If you would like to home the kitten(s) or cat yourself, you post ads with clear pics on the animal welfare pages. You would also need to screen prospective owners yourself. This can be quite nerve-wracking, as you know that the little creature’s future will depend largely on your decisions.

You could ask interested parties the following sorts of questions:

• How many animals do you have? (If they have too many, they may be ‘collectors’ or ‘hoarders’.)
• Do you have any dangerous dogs? (Be especially wary of German Shepherds, who have been known to be cat killers, and dogs like staffies, who may be too boisterous.)
• How old is your youngest child? (Children younger than two may harm a kitten without meaning to, and it is almost impossible to supervise kids 24/7. Also beware of people who want to adopt a kitten ‘for my little girl/boy’. The child may lose interest after a few days, and if the parents were not interested to begin with, the kitten may become a neglected cat.)

Images: RearFront

You could also ask questions about where the kitten or cat will be sleeping and what food the prospective owner will give him or her. And simply chat to the person to get a ‘feel’ for the kind of person you’re speaking to.

If possible, have the kitten or cat adopted through an ‘adoption package’, which most rescue organisations can arrange. Then you will be able to rest assured that the new owner will take the kitten or cat for its important shots, deworming and a microchip. It’s also vital that the new owner should have the kitten or young cat sterilised at the correct age.

It’s very important not to allow new owners to collect the kitten or cat from you. Rather deliver them to their new home yourself. That way you’ll be able to check whether everything is above board. You’ll also be able to help settle the cat or kitten in safely. Ensure for example that a kitten cannot get out of the house or flat for the first few months, and an adult cat for the first month. See Cat Blog 5a and 5 b (beginning at https://iamcat.blog/introducing-a-new-kitten-or-cat-to-my-existing-pets-part-1/) on how to introduce a new kitten or cat to a home. If possible, have the new owner read it too!

Cat quote of the week

When the cat you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.

Anonymous

Cat fact of the week

The oldest cat in the world was 38 years and 3 days old!

Cat Story 14: Stevie’s Cat Haven

Stevie’s Cat Haven 

If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to visit John Bonnard’s wonderful sanctuary Stevie’s Cat Haven near Pretoria, you’ll understand why I describe it as heaven on earth for cats. And I don’t use those words to describe many places. Visit John’s Facebook page to view a photo trip around the sanctuary at https://www.facebook.com/john.bonnard.

John began the haven 8 years ago, when he took in a number of cats from another sanctuary that lacked suitable housing for the cats.

And that was the beginning.

Today the haven comprises 2 large enclosures – one for adoptable tame cats and one for non-adoptable community (‘feral’) cats.

John usually leads visitors to the enclosure for community cats to begin with. And one’s first sensation is that of delight, as all the semi-tame cats and even some of the ‘wild’ cats come rushing to the entrance to greet you. No doubt they believe that dinner time has come early!

Next you become aware of space, and of trees (with cats on the higher branches), and of numerous cosy kennels, Wendy houses and other shelters. The grass is kept long in some areas to afford the cats additional hiding and snoozing spots.

The visitor’s general feeling is one of upliftment, as all the cats seem healthy, happy and calm – except for a few warning hisses at pushy fellow residents.

After spending some time taking it all in, the guest is invited to the tame enclosure.

Here new delights await the cat lover. A number of cats clamour for attention, tails very straight up in the air. As we settle down, several cats jump onto the table, and a few press up against us, purring loudly in anticipation of our stroking.

Again it becomes evident that these cats have everything a healthy, happy cat could possibly want. After much caressing, ear fondling and jaw tickling, we come to the end of the visit. And we take our leave with joyful hearts.

Some of the cats in the ‘tame’ enclosure

Of course there are difficulties here too. Some cats arrived with FeLV and have to be kept separate from the healthy cats and given special care, which is costly.

Caring for the healthy ones also doesn’t come cheap, especially since John uses the best possible food. And he’s been funding it almost entirely from his own pocket. We learn that only a few of the people who have brought cats to the haven, have continued to contribute towards their upkeep. The result is that John has been shouldering a heavy load almost completely by himself.

We would like to change that. If anyone reading this has ever taken cats to Stevie’s, won’t you consider now beginning to contribute? It’s never too late!

Or if you haven’t taken cats there but the haven’s story has touched your heart, perhaps you would consider contributing R50 or R100 or R500 monthly?

Any contributions can be paid into the NCat account (we’re a registered NPO) using the reference ‘Stevie’s’. We’ll may sure they reach John asap!

And if you live in Gauteng or visit the area, won’t you add Stevie’s Cat Haven to your itinerary?  You’ll be glad you did! You can contact John directly via his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/john.bonnard.