Most cats that are rescued and re-homed are non-pedigree but many of the rescue organizations are seeing an increase in pedigree cats coming into their care.

Many of the cat clubs also have rescue arms who try to find new homes for adult pedigree cats who could be unclaimed strays or homeless for other reasons such as their owners have died or are unable to keep them or there may have been a sudden onset of allergies. Sometimes breeders also give up cats that they are not planning to further breed with.

The clubs will keep lists of rescued cats who need homes, together with lists of people who are willing to offer homes to such cats. Some also have facilities to take cats in while awaiting new homes.

Brigid Oakley, of the Siamese Cat Club Welfare Trust, says: “Ideally we like to home the cats without having to take them into care as this is far less traumatic for the cats, though not always for the owners.

“We will take in any type of cat when they come in as companion cats to a Siamese but if we are asked to take in other pedigree cats on their own we will refer the owners to the appropriate GCCF (Governing Council for the Cat Fancy) club as we feel they know best how to home the breed they specialize in.

“If the cat is in our care and has a known health problem such as FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) or hyperthyroidism we offer lifelong support for the problem. Our adoption form, which the new owner has to complete and sign, gives a guarantee that we will always take the cat back, whatever the reason.

“For cats we take in, a charge is made to cover our cattery costs but we make no charge for cats who are re-homed from their own home, although donations are welcome.”

Making the right breed choice
It is important to do a bit of research before you consider which pedigree would be right for you as some cats have already been re-homed several times. Breeders, cat shows and of course Your Cat magazine are a great starting point. While their appearance can differ immensely, so can their temperament and level of need
in terms of care.

If you think a quiet longhair would be for you, consider whether you would be willing to spend every other day grooming him to keep his coat in good condition. If you fancy an extrovert, however, and members of your family are sensitive to cat hair a foreign shorthair or a curly coated Rex breed might be a good choice.

There’s lots of information available so you should be able to find out everything you need to know, including if the breed is known for mixing well with children if you have a family or other pets. Breeds such as the Asians, Burmese and Devon Rex are said to get on well with dogs, while the Japanese Bobtail is known to mix well with children.

Specialist care…
The St Francis Persian Cat Rescue has definitely seen an increase in the number of rescue pedigrees. In the past two years alone the charity has rehomed over 2,000 Persians.

Founder Pauline Wright says: “We have been running for 13 years but the number of Persians we take in has not diminished.

“We aim to take every cat that needs re-homing though this is sometimes very difficult as we have small premises.”

When the cats come in they are checked over by a vet and vaccinated, spayed or neutered and given any necessary treatment. Once they get the all clear they are ready for re-homing. Home checks and vet references are required from potential owners.

“Older cats and those with major medical problems live out their days with us with a big garden to loll around in and a choice of comfy beds to sleep on,” says Pauline.

“A few years ago we took in Duke, a white Persian who everyone said was the ugliest cat they had ever seen. He was spotted by a local builder who fell in love with him. Duke was often seen travelling to work with his new owner and when he and his wife had children, Duke would let them do anything with him. He definitely fell on his paws!”

Many of the permanent residents at St Francis are ‘oldies’. “People seem to think that a ten-year-old cat doesn’t have much longer to live so we take them in,” explains Pauline. “Yet older cats have wonderful personalities and can live for many more years. We have several in their very late teens and they still have their mad moments.”

St Francis founder, Pauline Wright.

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