The gift of giving…

A concern happens every Christmas in the rescue world. That in the new year they’ll be an influx of cats and kittens who have been bought as gifts with little thought of what bringing a feline into the home actually means. Sadly, it’s absolutely valid for them to feel this way, if you look at news articles and figures.

Partly because of this, and partly because the festive season is generally chaotic; meaning it’s very difficult for a new animal to settle into their home, many cat rescues put a hold on rehoming. This isn’t the negative it first appears to be, as if you’re genuinely interested in offering a cat a home this gives you time to learn as much as you possibly can about their care and convey that information to any children in the home.

You could wrap any supplies you need for when your cat comes to you in the new year, and the purpose of those things can be explained. You could have pictures of the cat suited to your family to show the children, and discuss possible names. You could even have a countdown calendar to the agreed adoption date. Instead of the halt being viewed as a negative, it can be framed as a positive to any children involved.

Obviously, people who breed cats purely for profit won’t have the same policy. But they’re also unlikely to give you any support after you take a feline family member on that might be required.

So if you’re considering the possibility of a cat joining your home for Christmas, maybe try this approach. Then the gift of giving happens doubly; because a cat that needs a family too is getting the best gift of all.