Why do you want to adopt a cat?

In general, people come to the Refuge to adopt a cat because they live alone and want a companion, or they already have a pet that is lonely, or they have had a cat before and want another one, or their children have been asking for a pet…

Whatever your reason for adopting form the Refuge, you should consider the following points:

• Cats, like people, can get bored by themselves. If you live alone, you should be at home regularly. If you are go away often or for periods of several days, it might be best to adopt two cats who can keep each other company-rather than not adopt at all. If you want to adopt a cat as a company for another animal you already have, make sure that it will accept the presence of a new cat. It often happens that older cats that have always lived alone, or very territorial cats, have difficulty accepting a new arrival-perhaps never accepting it.

• Sometimes, when people want to adopt following the loss of death of a beloved pet, they make the mistake of wanting a cat exactly like the one they have lost. This is almost impossible as each cat is different and people are often disappointed because the new cat doesn’t behave the same way as their former cat. Usually, it is better to adopt a cat that is completely different and love it for who it is. You may discover in your new cats many different things just as wonderful as those of the former cat that you loved so much.

• Finally, cats are not playthings for children. We don’t recommending adopting a cat for your children if you are not ready to take care of them yourself. Cats need to be fed and their litter cleaned regularly. If they get sick, the often need special care. Kids can promise to take care of them but may not do so and sometimes it will be you, the parents, who get to do all the work. Are you ready to do so? Also, we don’t recommend adopting a small kitten for young children. Kittens are very fragile and can easily be hurt by children who are now aware of their strength.

Preparing the house

Before bringing a cat home, you need to be prepared:

• You will need a litter box. It’s not necessary to buy a covered one, but they are more practical as they keep the litter inside the box rather than on the floor around it. You can choose from several kinds of litter. Clumping litter is the most popular.

• You will also need food, of which there is a huge variety on the market. Choose medium or high quality food available at specialized pet supply stores or from your veterinarian. This may cost more, but your cat will stay healthier longer. Most cats prefer canned food, but dried food (dry cat food) is less expensive. People often decide to feed their cats dried food mainly, but give a bit of canned food as a treat from time to time. Whatever you decide, it is important to not over-feed your cat as it can quickly become obese which causes serious health problems. Always make sure your cat has access to a bowl of fresh water at all times. This is especially important if you feed your cat with dry cat food as they have a greater need for water.

• Everyone knows that cats need to sharpen their claws on something. And it is better that this be done on something made especially for scratching rather than your favourite armchair. There are a variety of scratching posts on the market and you simply have to figure out which one your cat will like best. Cardboard scratching posts are very practical and popular with most cats. Add a little catnip and your cat won’t be able to resist. There are also posts and cat trees covered with carpet. While they are more expensive, they can be a good buy as cats adore climbing them.

• When you bring your new cat home, it may be necessary to isolate it in a closed room for a few hours or even days, giving it time to become calm and used to its new environment. Put food, water and litter in this room for the time being.