How to adopt in a professional cattery?
Prepare your cat for summer
15 August 2021
How to adopt a cat in France?
15 August 2021How to adopt in a professional cattery?
You have decided to adopt a pure breed kitten. Did you ask yourself the right questions before contacting a breeder?
Adopting a cat is a decision that will change your daily life for many years to come.
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Are you able to take care of a living being in the long term? You have to think about the commitment that this represents, both in terms of responsibilities and financial commitment. It has a cost that you have to consider: the expenses to meet the daily needs (food, hygiene products, grooming for some breeds…) as well as the health expenses (recurring expenses such as vaccination, as well as possible illnesses or life accidents)?
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Have you thought about your cat-sitting organization: what will you do with your little companion during your holidays or your private or professional trips? Is your lifestyle compatible with the needs of your future companion?
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Depending on your age and/or health, have you thought about what would happen to him/her in case of a major problem?
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Are you able to give your pet some time to be present and play on a daily basis?
If you are able to answer positively to all these conditions, it is possible to carry on with your project.
First of all, you will have to consider the choice of the breed. Indeed, each breed has different characteristics, both physical and in terms of character. Nowadays it is easy to get information about the different breeds, for example through organizations (LOOF, associations that group breeders by type of breed), specialized newspapers, books, internet, professional cattery sites, online discussion groups. You will be able to get a first idea of the breeds. Adopting a Persian and adopting a Bengal are two very different projects. You must be interested in the characters, the physical characteristics described in the breed, the common care that varies from one breed to another, the possible health fragilities…
Once your choice of breed is made, you will enter the phase of achievement. Several possibilities are offered to you: searching for ads or searching for catteries. Ads allow you to find an available kitten. However, choosing to contact one or more breeders will allow you to choose the environment in which your kitten will be raised. You can also be interested in the work that the breeder provides, for instance how they run their cattery and their work on disease prevention for your chosen breed. Depending on the demand, you will have to be more or less patient: you may be on a waiting list until new births arrive.
When a kitten is available for you, the adoption process will start with the reservation of the kitten. It can be done on site or remotely depending on the case. It is always better to meet when it is possible, but when the adopter is far away or abroad, that can be difficult. Since the Covid 19 pandemic, visits to catteries are regularly forbidden.
A reservation contract will be established between the future adopter and the breeder in order to formalize the commitment and a sum is paid for the reservation. The most important elements are mentioned: the contact details of the breeder and the adopter, the description of the kitten in question and the identification of the parents, the terms of the sale (price, health information, departure date, legal clauses…). From that moment on, the breeder and the adopter will be committed to each other.
During the weeks of life of the reservation contract, many stages will occur in the life of the reserved kitten. During these weeks the kitten will evolve, it will grow and discover its environment, it will develop its senses and personality. It will acquire its motor skills and will gain in autonomy day after day. The breeder will show you its evolution and will keep you informed of its progress, personality, and health. After 8 weeks of age, the kitten will be able to have the first traditional visits to the veterinarian for identification, health check-up, and vaccination. Before the departure, a veterinary certificate will detail its apparent health.
In the departure file you will have a number of documents including the health record, veterinary certificate, sale deed, various information notices, a copy of the health tests of the parents, proof of registration at the LOOF.
Around 12 weeks of age you will be able to pick up your kitten if you live in France, but for a departure abroad you will have to wait 15 weeks minimum and plan additional administrative and sanitary formalities. Each destination country has their own rules; an international adoption needs time. It requires the organization of a trip that can be more or less complicated.
Adopting a kitten or a cat is an important act that must be carefully considered. The more the process is accompanied, the better the success of this project will be. It is therefore preferable to contact a professional in this field who will be able to accompany you in your approach, to avoid hurried adoptions that can lead to the abandonment of cats.
In the next articles, I will give you tips on how to welcome and care for your cat in the best conditions.
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