Rehoming Older Cats

[tucan]

Hi . i have looked in the paper and somone is looking to rehome there cat, as they are moving away and cannot take the cat with them. i've arranged for a meeting next week to meet the cat, so i was wondering, if there is anything i should look for? i'm rather worry it as the cat is in her middle age, so i'm not sure, how long i will have with the cat, older cats needs more medical care/attention etc. what i'm most affaid is the cat end uo not liking me.

 

[The-Wolf]

good for you to want to rehome and older cat, i have done it in the past and havn't regretted a moment.

In my case Gennie was 15 when I took her on and the re-homing centre told me she would last
just 6 months due to her age and kidneys. sadly she passed away last year at the grand old age of 19
but that was 4 years more than they gave her, so I am content that her last years were in comfort and
appreciated by her.

I digress
what you should do when you go and see the cat is
not approach it, sit down and let it come to you.
you can encourage this by making eye contact and then looking away.
to a cat this is an invite to approach, you may have to do this several times.

ask the owners about past medical care, has she any ongoing illnesses like kidney problems, arthritis, heart mummers etc.
has she ever been involved in a road accident or run away. (not that any medical problems should put you off, but you need to know to provide adequate care and your budget may not cover long term vet bills)
what kind of personality is she, aggressive, dominant, shy, loving etc.

basically get to know the cat as much as you can and if you have any doubts tell them there and then,
if they can't help make you certain this cat is for you, please decline to take it on. this will give them plenty of
time to find someone else.

HTH

 

[Lynda B]

You've been given awesome advice. I volunteer in animal rescue, both dog and cat. My first cat was 14 when I adopted him. He died within 4 months of cancer of the jaw, but he gave me the best 4 months I could've asked for. My second cat, Sasha Bella, is 15 now. I got her when she was 10. She's had absolutely no health issues at all.

I guess it depends on what you're looking for. Just watch their cats behavior. Sasha's previous family told me she wasn't a lap cat, wouldn't be affectionate, would throw up and have diarrhea all the time. I really didn't care. I just wanted to get her away from them so I took her. She's never had diarrhea or thrown up.... she's a lap magnet and her purr can drown out the home theater system. So, her behavior with them was entirely different that her behavior is with me.

So, listen to them when it comes to matters of health issues, but listen to the cat when it comes to personality issues.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

really the main thing is the personality of the cat and if you get on with them. just take some time to sit with the cat and let it suss you out, when it's a little more comfortable then you'll see how well you can get on.

obviously there will be more medical bills etc with an older cat but you can get health problems with young cats too so you should always be prepared for that.

 

[tucan]

sad news : just been to see toffee today and she is really sweet, but i'm not going to adopt her.
they said in the paper that she is an older cat, but they didn't say that she is also rather ill - which she also need lots of medical care, and they can't afford it. - which make me think wether they are really moving, or if they are just trying to palm off the cat, so someone else can fork out the vet bills.
this made me really sad, as she seem to be a really nice cat. she came and sat on my lap as soon as i sat down and purred the whole time i was there.

 

[The-Wolf]

that is a shame but I'm glad that you have made that decision.
you have done the right thing, not only for yourself but for Toffee.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

poor little toffee, hope she gets the care she needs