Advice

Adopting a pet is one of the most rewarding decisions you can make, but it’s also one that requires careful thought and commitment. At rescues, we pour our hearts into finding forever homes for animals who deserve love, stability, and care.

If you’re considering adopting, here are a few things to keep in mind:

🐾 Be Sure You’re Ready Before Reaching Out: Please take the time to evaluate your lifestyle, resources, and long-term plans before contacting a rescue. Every inquiry raises hopes for the foster families and pets who are patiently waiting for their happily-ever-after.

🐾 Know Exactly What You’re Looking For: Be certain about the number and type of pets you’re ready to adopt before visiting. For example, if you’re interested in adopting two kittens, a mum and baby, or a single pet, make sure your decision aligns with what you’re ready to commit to. This clarity avoids disappointment and confusion for everyone involved—especially the animals.

🐾 Respect the Foster Families: Visiting a foster home is a privilege, not just a casual stop. These families dedicate time, energy, and love to care for these animals. If you’re uncertain or just “browsing,” it’s better to continue your research before setting up a visit.

🐾 A Pet Is a Lifelong Commitment: Make sure everyone in your household is on board with the decision to adopt. Discuss responsibilities, budget for care, and consider how a pet fits into your daily life before taking the next step.

While it’s okay to decide adoption isn’t right for you at this time, it’s vital to approach the process with care and certainty. The animals in rescues have already been through enough uncertainty—they need adopters who are fully committed to offering them the forever home they deserve.

Thank you for your understanding, compassion, and responsibility in this important decision. Together, we can ensure every pet finds the loving home they need!

❤️ If you’re ready to adopt or have questions, feel free to reach out—we’re here to help you find your perfect furry match!

When you adopt a kitten from a rescue, you might notice they often recommend adopting in pairs or placing the kitten with a resident cat. This isn’t just a quirky preference—it’s a decision rooted in love, compassion, and the best interests of the kittens. Here’s why:

Kittens Need Socialisation

Kittens are highly social creatures. Growing up with another cat provides critical socialisation during their most formative months. Through play, grooming, and snuggling, kittens learn vital skills like bite inhibition, boundaries, and communication.

A single kitten, on the other hand, may struggle with these lessons, which can lead to behavioral challenges down the road.

Companionship Prevents Loneliness:

Imagine being a tiny, energetic kitten left alone for hours in a big, quiet house. It’s lonely and even scary. Having a feline companion provides constant comfort and companionship. They become each other’s playmate, nap buddy, and emotional support, reducing stress and fostering a sense of safety.

Endless Energy Needs an Outlet:

Kittens have boundless energy—and they need a way to burn it off! When paired with a sibling or similarly active cat, they can chase, wrestle, and pounce to their heart’s content. Without a buddy, that energy often gets directed toward furniture, curtains, or your toes at 3 a.m.

Better Adjustment to Their New Home:

Moving to a new home is a big, intimidating change for a kitten. Having a familiar friend (or meeting a welcoming resident cat) makes the transition easier. Together, they explore, adapt, and settle into their new environment with confidence.

Healthier Development:

Physical play with another kitten isn’t just fun—it’s essential for healthy growth. Wrestling and chasing strengthen their muscles, improve coordination, and encourage healthy exercise habits that last a lifetime.

Lifelong Friendship:

Watching two kittens grow up together or seeing a young kitten bond with a resident cat is pure magic. Their connection is heartwarming, their antics are endlessly entertaining, and their companionship brings immeasurable joy to your home.

Rescues recommend this approach because they want what’s best for the kittens and for you. A happy, well-socialised kitten leads to a happy, well-adjusted adult cat—and a harmonious home.

If you’re considering adopting, give a second kitten or your resident cat a chance to be their new best friend. You’ll not only be enriching their life but yours as well, with double the love, double the joy, and double the purrs.

🐾 Adopt Love, Multiply Joy 🐾

A cat NEW TO AN AREA through moving house or being re-homed will also find being outside frightening and will hide away quickly and nearby.

MISSING CAT STUDY from Missing Animal Response Network –

A study of 1200 missing cats that were lost and then found.

• The majority of cats 75% were found within 500 metres (1/3 of a mile) of their home (or escape point). Indoor only cats were closest to home often up to 10 houses distance.

• The majority (83%) were found outside in a GARDEN near to home (or to their escape point) under shrubs or decking.

• The majority of cats that were found, were found within 8 weeks. Half of those found was within 7 days.

• Some bolder cats work their way home when their adrenaline has subsided (sometimes after a few days). Many cats will stay in hiding for very many days – often 10-12 days. They need our help to be reunited especially if they have bolted beyond their personal territory; they will be disorientated and unable to find their way back.

THINGS YOU SHOULD DO:

FIRST: SEARCH STRAIGHT AWAY and REGULARLY: Immediately search the local area. Call from your garden day and night. Walk the length of your road STOPPING and WAITING. Frightened cats take a while to respond. Start at the end of your road and WALK TOWARDS your house as you call so you don’t tempt your cat to travel further away from its home. Do the same on parallel roads as many times as possible every day. Don’t give up as the majority of found cats are found within 2 months with 50% in the first 7 days.

Call in your normal voice so your cat is reassured that it is safe. They will pick up on the slightest anxiety as cats are hugely sensitive. Unless your cat is very bold, he/she will not rush straight out of hiding on hearing you; many stay in hiding for up to 12 days. Stand still and call. Build your cat’s confidence by hearing your voice sounding relaxed, talking to switched off mobile as you walk towards home.

NIGHT-TIME/EARLY HOURS when the WORLD IS ASLEEP, when it is QUIET is a very good time to call and search. SOUND TRAVELS MUCH LONGER DISTANCES at night and your cat is much more likely to hear you calling it. CATS FEEL SAFER IN THE DARK from predators and are more likely to leave their hiding place on being called. Call in your garden frequently overnight. If walking on the street near your home to call through to reach neighbour’s gardens; take someone with you to stay safe. Shaking a treat bag GENTLY is a signal to cats (if it’s something they have heard at home) and the sound will travel much further late at night.

If preferred take strongly scented fish or chicken with you.

Search at dusk and dawn

BE PATIENT; WAIT; REPEAT: Hiding away and not responding has nothing to do with whether your cat loves you, whether it recognises your voice – it has everything to do with the fact that a frightened cat will hide in silence! It is following its instinct and is in survival mode. Even if you are nearby the cat won’t just come out. Search hiding places.

SECOND: PUBLICISE:

LEAFLET EVERY HOUSE. LEAFLETS are very successful and have resulted in reuniting quite a few cats. Leaflet both sides of your road and parallel streets. Include a clear full photograph of your cat and your mobile number. Ask them to search in their gardens, sheds and under decking.

Leaflets through doors really RAISES THE PROFILE of your lost cat in a large number of people’s minds. It reaches so many people – literally many hundreds.

Make use of all social media. Post on Neighbourhood Watch, Next Door and local online Community Noticeboard. Give a poster to your postman, milkman and refuse collectors. Let your vet know he is missing and contact your chip company and make sure his details are up to date.

Do you think a cat is a stray or do have a cat visiting you? (This advice is for healthy looking adult cats in a safe area)

We are in a cat crisis. There are lots of stray, abandoned and missing cats who need help. However there are also lots of cats who have good homes but are cheeky, greedy and inquisitive so may seem homeless or lost. Therefore if you come across a healthy adult cat in a safe area it’s important not remove them but instead check if the cat is owned before you help them. (Just to note lots of healthy looking cats can be missing or strays) One of our cats was missing 8 months and was found overweight looking very healthy so there is no harm in following the advice below to double check if a cat has a home or needs help .

To see if a cat is owned you can :

🐾 Knock on doors, speak to people in the local area see if they have information on the cat.

🐾Collar the cat – You can buy a fast release collar and write your number on it to check if the cat goes home. Alternatively you can make a collar out of paper, write your phone number on it then attach it to the cat with a little bit of cellotape. Don’t cellotape fully as it needs to be able to rip off if the cat gets caught. – for this be sure not to use a buckle or elastic or flea collar as they are dangerous.

🐾 Put a poster up in the local area with a description or picture of the cat asking if they have a home or if anyone knows any info about the cat.

🐾 Post the cat as found on Facebook. Also share them on your profile and local pet groups.

🐾 You can post the cat in your local area on the Nextdoor app.

🐾You can also post them on websites suchs as animal search UK, pets reunited, dogs lost etc.

🐾 Get the cat scanned for a chip. You can do this via a mobile scanner who will come to you or by taking the cat yourself to your local vets .

To get a mobile scanner to you contact your local rescue or create a post in these Facebook groups asking for a microchip scanner in your area.

Harvey’s army North https://www.facebook.com/groups/HarveysArmyNorth/?ref=share

It’s All About The Animals

Scan Angels

✨It’s free to take a cat to be scanned at the vets but we would only advise this if you had a secure carrier and can’t get a mobile scanner. (We dont advise you to leave healthy cats at the vets only to get them scanned then return them to area found) Many vets have to put stray cats to sleep if they can’t find a rescue or owner and having no chip doesn’t mean a cat isnt owned.

🐾 You can call your local vets and rescue to ask if they know any similar missing cats and maybe send them a photo to check.

🐾 Whilst looking for owners if you think the cat has no shelter you can buy them a cat shelter. (We like the mr snugs cat shelters) or even make them one. A hole cut in plastic storage tub or ploysterene box filled with straw make good shelters.

Please ensure you do all of these steps to find a cat’s owners. Not everyone is on Facebook and not every cat is chipped. (as much as we wish they were)

💥If the cat is sick , injured , pregnant, had kittens or is in a dangerous place then you will need to take a different course of action – contact your local vets or the Rspca

We always carry out home checks at Glossop Cat Rescue. A lot of people ask us what this involves and why we do them?

The very first and most important reason for a home check is to ensure that you are who you say you are and you live where you say you live. Sadly, you can’t be too careful these days.

We pride ourselves at GCR on matching the right cat to the right home. Visiting your home is another way we can ensure this. If you have a busy, active household, a more confident cat would be suitable. Likewise a calm, lap cat may be more preferable to an older or quieter household. These things can be discussed at a home check.

We like to discuss and make sure potential owners are aware of the commitments of taking on an animal that can potentially live for 20 plus years. The costs involved in caring for an animal for its lifetime. We discuss the equipment you will need. Trays, beds, the benefits of a great scratching post for saving your furniture. We want to know that you’re the kind of person that can expect the sound of a fur all being thrown up by a cat at 4.30am and won’t freak out (too much!) We want you to know all the ups and the downs of cat companions., especially if it’s your first venture into becoming a cat owner. We put a lot of love, time and money into the animals in our care. We want them and their owners to be happy. We want happy, healthy, loved and adored cats with loving and adoring owners. We don’t care if you haven’t polished your furniture, cleaned your oven or the ironing pile is the size of a toddlers climbing frame. It’s absolutely NOT an inspection of your house.

We want to know that you’re going to be a good cat parent.

As the saying goes: Every cat deserves a home, but not every home deserves a cat.

Hopefully this explains why we do home checks, but any questions, please just ask.