Please note: all applications are made strictly via the online application form. Please only apply for the cats and kittens appearing on our website and advertised for rehoming on our Facebook page. It is not possible to reserve any before they are ready and we do not hold a waiting list.
We often post pictures on Facebook and Instagram of tiny kittens- purely because our supporters love to see them – but we cannot reserve kittens before they are ready for adoption at 12 weeks and are placed on our adoption sites.
Applications need to be made using our application form so that we have all the information we need. Please read our rehoming policy before applying to ensure that you meet our guidelines. Once we receive your application, we will notify you as soon as possible if we need further information. Please bear with us if this takes a few days as we often have dozens of enquiries.If you meet our homing criteria, and we think you would be a good fit with the cat you have expressed interest in, we will invite you in to meet us and the cat. Please do not call us to chase a viewing appointment as the staff answering the phone do not help with rehoming and cannot assist you
If you are thinking of adopting a cat or kitten, please read our adoption policy below before sending us an application.
Please ensure you include all the information, as we cannot consider an incomplete application. If you live in a rented property, we need to see written permission from your landlord at the time of any viewing appointment.
If you have a cat already, we will ask for proof of up to date vaccines and any other cats in the house must be neutered.
The Rehoming Process
- We always do a home check to ensure that the location is safe. Our visit is not intrusive, but we do need to see where the cat will be living. Please bear in mind that because we do homechecks, you need to live within a reasonable driving distance from us. This is c 40 minutes from Stockport, so Bolton, Bury and Oldham are probably too far, but please contact us to check before applying. We do not rehome to houses on, or very near a main road (100m), a railway line or open water . All our cats, unless specified as house cats, need access to a garden. Please note that we do not rehome kittens as housecats, nor cats who have previously been used to going outside.
- We do not rehome cats or kittens into households where there are children under 5 years of age, or households that have dogs.
- While we have a reasonable idea of the personality of our cats, and it is often clear if, for example, they don’t get on with other cats, it is not possible to guarantee their suitability to be around children. It is very important that potential adopters ensure that their children meet the cat in the presence of our rehoming team prior to adoption.
- We reserve the right to refuse to rehome an animal. Placing cats with adopters is entirely at our discretion. Please do not be offended if we find your circumstances unsuitable for having a cat.
- We need to see two forms of ID, one piece of photo ID (driving license, passport) and one showing your address (bill or statement). This must correspond to the address where the cat will be living. We do not rehome to third parties; we need to meet the person who will be the cat’s new owner in person.
- All our adult cats are neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and vet-checked. They are also treated for fleas and worms.
- We strongly recommend insuring your adopted cat, as the cost of vet bills can be high
Kittens
Please do not apply for specific kittens, particular genders or colours at this stage.
Kittens are vaccinated, Chipped, deflead and wormed. If a kitten is too young to have been neutered, we will cover the cost of the neuter op through our vets Vets4Pets in Stockport. We do not rehome kittens until 24 hrs after their second vaccine, by which time they will be approximately 12-13 weeks old.
Caring for your new kitten
The paperwork
Your new kitten will have been thoroughly vet checked, flead, wormed and had all his vaccines, including leukaemia. He will also have been microchipped, and the chip details registered with Petlog. In the paperwork you have been given is:
Vaccination Card – This gives the date of the vaccines given, and when his annual booster is due. It is essential that your cat is vaccinated every year to protect from common diseases which can often be fatal.
Microchip number – We will transfer the microchip details to your name and address. It is very important that you keep the records updated if you move, or acquire a new phone number.
We will also tell you when the kitten was given flea and worm treatment, the products used, and when to repeat. It is important that you use products prescribed by the vet, and not supermarket brands as many are ineffective and can cause allergic reactions.
You will also have 4 weeks free cover with Petplan, and at the end of that period, can decide whether to take out a policy with Petplan or with another provider.
Introducing your kitten to another cat
We recommend that this is done very slowly, and in stages. Place the closed carrier with the kitten inside on the floor and let your cat see and sniff around the kitten, without the risk of contact. Keep your kitten in a separate room, but allow your cat to be outside the door, and eventually they can be introduced in the same room with you present. There will be hissing! Gradually, your cat will learn to accept – or tolerate the kitten, but they should never to left alone unsupervised. When you are out, place the kitten in a room where the cat cannot reach him.
Spay and neuter
Your kitten will be ready to be neutered at 18-20 weeks of age, depending on weight. We cover the cost of this through Vets4Pets in Stockport. Please book the op as soon as you can as they do become very booked up. On booking, please tell the vet that your kitten is adopted from the Heatons, but give your details as contact. The cost will be on our bill.
If you do not plan to use Vets4Pets Stockport after the neuter, please ensure that your kitten is registered with another vet straight away.
If you have a mixed pair, it is likely that we will already have neutered the male before collection.
Help and Support
If your kitten appears at all unwell, it is important that she is checked by a vet asap. Small kittens can become dehydrated very quickly if they have sickness and diarrhea.
If you have any questions at all post adoption, please don t hesitate to call us. We love to see photographs of our babies, and hear how they are settling heatonscats@gmail.com
Feeding your kitten
We will tell you what your kitten eats and how frequently. It is a good idea to keep him on the same food to avoid upset tummies. Kittens should have access to kitten biscuits and fresh water, and while a little cooked chicken is great as a treat, please don t give your kitten human food – or cow’s milk. Cats are lactose intolerant.
The first few days
Your kitten will have been with his siblings since birth, and never been on his own. He is also used to the same people caring for him every day, and not accustomed to being handled by strangers. Please be patient with your little one if he appears frightened or hides away. He will soon learn to trust you, and realise he is in a safe place.
Show him where his food and litter tray are, and where his bed is so he can go there when he wants to be by himself and sleep. Kittens do sleep an awful lot, and he needs time to be quiet and not played with while he rests. Please teach children to respect this, otherwise your kitten may become anxious.
Initially, it is a good idea to keep your kitten in one room where he is safe, has a place to sleep and his litter tray, food and water. You can gradually let him explore – bearing in mind that kittens can squeeze into very small spaces. We have had reports of kittens up chimneys, behind the fridge and under the kitchen units. Please kitten proof in advance! They can also get their little bodies through partially opened windows, and may bolt through an opened door. Please also take care with hot drinks, and having the kitten in the kitchen when the hob is on or still hot. Washing machines and tumble dryers need to be carefully checked!
Some flowers and house plants are extremely toxic to cats and kittens (for example lilies)
Toys are great for keeping him amused – but no string or ribbon, as he may swallow it. All our kittens will have had toys and scratch posts to keep them amused.
Your Appointment
Appointments are between 15-30 minutes long, and gives us a chance to allow you to meet all of our wonderful Cat and Kittens. Once you have chosen a cat or kitten you would like to adopt, we will begin the home check process, this can take up to a week to complete depending on how busy we are.
Adoption Fee
There is a £100 adoption fee per cat and £110 adoption fee per kitten. Without these sums, it would be impossible for us to carry on caring for so many cats. Our food and vets bills are huge!
Before applying, please consider the financial commitment of having a cat. Apart from food, cats need regular flea and worm treatment and vet fees can be high : for this reason, we strongly recommend insuring your cat.
It is a condition of adoption that the cat or kitten you adopt is registered with a vet within a week of adoption. They are currently registered with Vets4Pets in Stockport but the records can be transferred to a vet of your choice on adoption.
Taking your cat or kitten home
Your cat or kitten may have been in the sanctuary for some time, and before that, been a stray. Therefore, the change in environment to your home can be scary for them, and they need time to adjust. Your cat may hide away from you for a few days. With patience and reassurance, they will soon explore their new home.
We require you to keep your cat indoors for at least 4-6 weeks. (if adopting a kitten they will be kept indoors until 10 months old, and can only be allowed out once they have been neutered or spayed) This will allow them to get to know you and also where they now live, so they won’t wander away. They will need a large litter tray, which is changed regularly, access to fresh water and a secure place to sleep. It is a good idea to confine them to one room initially, but with lots of contact so they get to know you. It is important to remember that cats can squeeze through very small spaces, so keep windows closed!
The rehoming team will tell you what your cat likes to eat. Here, they are fed wet food twice a day, and have constant access to water and good quality cat biscuits. We never offer food other than cat food, or occasionally fresh chicken. Cats are lactose intolerant, so should never be given milk.
If you are rehoming a kitten, please remember that they will have been with their siblings constantly, and being alone in a different environment is a huge adjustment for them. Kittens need their own space, exactly as older cats do, with a bed that is specifically theirs, and a well-placed litter tray that they can locate easily. You may need to place your kitten in the tray after feeding initially, until they learn where it is! We feed our kittens three or four times a day with wet food specifically for kittens, and offer continuous access to kitten biscuits and fresh water.
When you take your cat home, you will be given a vaccination certificate to show when their annual booster is due. It is vital to ensure that your cat is fully vaccinated, as many cat diseases can be fatal. Vaccinations are also required should you ever need to use a boarding cattery.
If you have any concerns at all about your newly adopted cat, we are on hand to help. Just call us on 0161 975 0784, or email us at heatonscats@gmail.com
Post-rehoming
We will contact you a week or two after rehoming to find out how your new furry friend is settling in. If you have any questions at all, please give us a call or send us an email.
Pet Insurance
You will receive 4 weeks free insurance through Petplan. At the end of four weeks, Petplan will then contact you to discuss taking out a policy, which is up to you. We do recommend that every cat is insured through Pet Plan, as vet bills in the case of illness or accident can be very high.
Finally, we grow rather attached to the cats we rehome, and it is lovely to hear how they are settling into their new home, so please update us when you have a minute. We especially love to see photographs and hear your funny, mischievous, and heart-warming stories – email them over to us or get in touch via Facebook.
*Please note that it is not possible to take a cat or kitten on the same day as viewing because we need to do a home check, and in some cases the kitten will need to have a second vaccine.