Owning and caring for a cat is great fun and very rewarding, but it is also a big responsibility and a long-term commitment in terms of care and finances. If you own a cat you are required by law to care for it properly. Cats have an average life span of 16 years and beyond and should be considered part of the family; you should be committed to involving them in all life changes that can occur in this time such as moving home, having a family and changes in personal circumstances.
We will carry out a home-visit prior to adoption and in some cases suggest minor changes that help ensure your home is as pet friendly as possible. We’ll also call or visit afterwards to make sure you and your new pet are adjusting well to your new life together.
What is FIV?
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is an important viral infection of cats that occurs worldwide.
The virus was first discovered during the investigation of a disease outbreak in a previously healthy colony of rescue cats in the USA, that had been showing similar signs to people with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Although HIV and FIV are very similar, the viruses are species specific, which means that FIV only infects cats and HIV only infects humans. Thus there is no risk of infection for people in contact with FIV-positive cats. Cats are most commonly infected with FIV through bite wounds. Once infected, a cat will remain infected with the virus for life, and after a period that may last several years, the virus may damage the cat's immune response and lead to signs of disease.
Should I get my cat neutered?
Yes!
Look after her
When your girl cat is about four-months-old, she will start to attract the attention of tomcats.
This is why it’s important to have her spayed before she is four-months-old to protect her from getting pregnant while she's still a kitten herself.
You may have heard that it’s good for cats to have a litter of kittens before they are spayed - but this isn’t true. Once she has been spayed your kitten will be able to do all the things cats enjoy doing, like going outdoors, climbing trees and playing.
Getting your boy cat snipped
Your boy cat will need to have a simple operation, called the snip. This can stop him from spraying in your house to mark his territory, which can be very smelly, and getting nasty injuries from fights. He'll also be less likely to wander off and get run over, as cats that are snipped tend to stay closer to home.
Having your cat snipped will protect him from a nasty disease called FIV - which is the same as HIV in people, but for cats. It's spread through cat bites, often between males fighting over a female. It can’t be caught by people.
All cats adopted from us will be neutered. If kittens are too young to be neutered we will give you a voucher against the cost (to an agreed value)
