Where Can I Adopt a Cat?
Cats make fantastic pets; they are easy-going, not as loud as dogs, and can curl up on your lap and comfort you after a long, hard day. If you find yourself with a cat-shaped hole in your heart and are eager to adopt, there are many rescue centres around Ireland with cats and kittens looking for their forever homes.
Galway Cat Rescue
Galway Cat Rescue have partnered with Petmania Galway to help find local homes for cats in their care. They are an all-volunteer group of animal lovers that are committed to helping homeless cats in Galway, and dedicated to give every cat a chance to live a safe, healthy and happy life.
They operate using a network of fosterers who look after cats and kittens in their own homes. This provides the best possible opportunity for them to become well socialised in a normal domestic environment.
Galway Cat Rescue want cats to find a forever home in the shortest time-frame, and by adopting best practice adoption protocols and early age neuter/spay procedures, they can go to these homes directly from the invaluable socialising care a foster home provides.
For more on Galway Cat Rescue, visit their website here.
Adopting a Cat
Cats and kittens can be adopted from a local rescue centre or SPCA. Make sure to do your research and compile a list of local groups seeking homes for rescue felines in your area.
Take a scan through their website, social media, and any local media to make sure you’re working with someone who treats their animals well and are ethical in their practices. Petmania have partnered with rescue centres in local areas to help animals find their forever homes; take a look at our partners here.
Avoid purchasing from ‘selling sites’ and always look for reputable charities that have animals’ best interests at heart. Watch out for unethical breeders and kitten farms, who have little to no regard for an animals’ welfare, and will often neglect preventative healthcare for their cats, with a lack of simple flea, tick and worm treatments — and often have poor sanitary conditions.
Rescue centres that are registered charities with full accountability and those that are under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provide for the best practices. They will also follow the best practice guidelines as advised by the government agency in homing.
Benefits of Adoption
There are many benefits to adopting a rescue cat, including:
- Offering a good, stable home to a cat or kitten in need, thus saving lives.
- The cat or kitten is already socialised and housetrained, health-checked, parasite treated, neutered/spayed and in good health.
- The cat or kittens adoption profiles will let the adopter find the best match for their family based on age of cat/kitten, personality (which will have been assessed by the centre) , whether the cat/kitten will adapt to young children in the home/other pets and or whether the adopted feline requires special care or indoor only homing. This provides for a smooth rehoming transition minimising the stress on all parties.
Questions to Ask the Adoption Centre
Before bringing home your cat, there are some questions the rescue centre may ask you, such as:
- What you are looking for in a cat-Indoor only? Outdoor? A mix of both?
- What age range of cat do they seek?—Senior, kitten, or adult?
- Do you have other pets? Some cats may not get on well with other animals in the house, so this will need to be considered before you bring any new animal home.
- Allergies in the home occupants? Many people are allergic to cat hair—it is best to find this out before you bring a cat home.
- Rental or owner occupied property? Provision of landlord permission to keep a pet is required in rental situations.
- Details of vet they will use post adoption?
The full GCR Adoption questionnaire can be found here. The adoption questionnaire is in everyone’s interest and endeavours to find the best possible match for both parties in all cases.
