Rehome Pets
Worth ruling out first
A good share of cat rehomings are driven by problems that have a fix:
- Litter tray problems. Cats that stop using the tray are usually ill, stressed, or telling you something about the tray. Cystitis and urinary problems are common and very treatable. Before rehoming, get a vet check — this is the most common reversible reason people give up cats.
- Allergies. Often manageable with air filtration, keeping the cat out of the bedroom, washing hands, and treatment from a GP. Worth trying properly before concluding it is impossible.
- A new baby. With ordinary hygiene precautions this is nearly always workable. Speak to your midwife or vet rather than acting on folklore about cats and babies.
- Cat-to-cat conflict. Frequently solved by adding litter trays, feeding stations and vertical space so the cats can avoid each other, rather than by removing one cat.
- Cost. Ask your vet about low-cost clinics, charitable funds and payment plans.
If you have been through these and rehoming is still right, that is a legitimate conclusion. The rest of this guide is about doing it properly.
Preparing your cat
- Neutering. An unneutered cat attracts a different and much less desirable set of enquiries. If she is not done, get it done.
- Vaccinations up to date, with the record to hand.
- Flea and worm treatment recently done.
- A vet check, particularly for older cats. Kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and dental problems are common in cats over ten and often invisible at home. Knowing about a condition lets you disclose it; discovering it after handover is how placements collapse.
- Microchip details current, and access to the registration so you can transfer it.
- A written profile: her food brand and feeding times, litter type, where she sleeps, how she is with strangers, whether she is indoor-only, what frightens her, and how she behaves at the vet.
Writing the listing
Photographing cats is harder than photographing dogs, and it matters more, because cats in listings all look broadly alike until a photo shows character.
- Natural light, no flash — flash produces reflective eyes and puts people off.
- Get down to her level rather than shooting from standing.
- Six or so photos: a clear face shot, a full-body shot showing size and coat, and a few of her doing something ordinary — on a windowsill, asleep, being stroked.
- If she has a distinctive marking, feature it.
In the description, be specific rather than flattering:
"Mia is a six-year-old spayed domestic shorthair. She is indoor-only and has never been out. She is affectionate on her own terms — she will sit next to you rather than on you, and she does not like being picked up. She hides for about ten minutes when visitors arrive, then comes out. She has lived with a dog and ignored it, and she has never lived with another cat. She is on a dental-care dry food and had a dental under anaesthetic last year."
Always include: age, sex, neuter status, indoor or outdoor, good with children and what ages, good with dogs and cats, any medical condition, any behaviour worth knowing about, and why you are rehoming. Leaving the reason out makes people assume something is being concealed.
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Screening adopters
Ask everyone the same questions and keep the answers:
- Who lives in the home, and how old are the children?
- Do you have other cats or dogs? Are they neutered and vaccinated? How would you introduce them?
- Do you own or rent, and does your agreement allow cats?
- Would she be indoor-only, or have outdoor access? If outdoors, how close is the nearest busy road?
- Which vet practice would you register with?
- Have you had cats before? What happened to them?
- What would you do if she needed treatment costing over a thousand?
- What would make you decide you could not keep her?
Ask for a vet reference. If they have had cats before, one call to their practice confirms those cats were registered, vaccinated and seen when needed. It is free and it is the most reliable check a private rehomer has.
Warning signs: refusing a home visit, wanting the cat today, the cat being a surprise gift, any interest in breeding from her, vagueness about where she would live, unwillingness to sign anything, or asking for several cats at once. Free-to-good-home cat listings are specifically targeted by people acquiring animals for resale and for worse. You may say no to anyone, at any point, without a reason.
Bonded pairs, indoor cats and seniors
Bonded pairs
If your cats groom each other, sleep in contact, and look for each other when separated, they are bonded and should go together. Splitting a bonded pair commonly produces appetite loss, over-grooming and withdrawal in both cats. It halves your pool of adopters, and it is still the right call.
Indoor-only cats
An adult cat that has never been outdoors has no mental map of a new territory and no experience of traffic. Giving her free outdoor access in an unfamiliar area shortly after a move carries real risk. If you want her kept indoors, say so in the listing and write it into the agreement — do not assume it is understood.
Senior cats
Older cats are harder to place and there is no point pretending otherwise. What helps: recent bloodwork, a clear statement of any condition and what it costs to manage, and honesty about life expectancy. Some adopters specifically want a quiet older cat. Widen your radius, be patient, and do not let impatience lower your standards for the home.
The handover and settling in
- Meet the adopter first, and see the home she is going to.
- Complete a written rehoming agreement, including a clause that she is returned to you if the placement does not work — not passed on or surrendered.
- Send her in a secure carrier with her own unwashed bedding, her litter tray, her current litter and her current food. The familiar smell is genuinely important to cats, and an abrupt food change on top of the move causes stomach upsets.
- Hand over veterinary records and the written profile.
- Transfer the microchip registration on the day.
- Tell the new owner to confine her to one quiet room with everything she needs for the first few days, and to let her emerge in her own time. Most cats hide for two to seven days. Hiding is normal; being dragged out from under the bed is what turns a nervous cat into a frightened one.
- Advise keeping her indoors for at least three to four weeks before any outdoor access, so she learns the new home is home.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to rehome a cat?
Kittens and friendly young cats often find homes within one to two weeks. Adult cats typically take two to six weeks. Senior cats, cats with ongoing medical needs, cats that must be the only pet, and semi-feral or very shy cats can take several months and need a wider search.
Should I rehome bonded cats together?
Yes, if they are genuinely bonded — grooming each other, sleeping touching, seeking each other out. Separating a bonded pair commonly causes appetite loss, over-grooming and hiding in both cats. It narrows your pool of adopters, but it produces a placement that holds.
Can I rehome an indoor cat to a home that lets cats outside?
Make it a deliberate decision rather than an accidental one. An adult cat that has never been outside can be at real risk if given free outdoor access in an unfamiliar area. If it matters to you, state it in the listing and write it into the rehoming agreement.
How do I help a cat settle into a new home?
Confine her to one quiet room with her litter tray, food, water and a hiding place for the first few days, and let her come out in her own time. Most cats hide for two to seven days. Sending her own bedding and litter tray, unwashed, makes a substantial difference.
Is it better to rehome a cat or take her to a shelter?
Rehoming directly lets you choose the home and usually costs nothing, whereas shelter surrender often carries a fee and gives you no say in the outcome. Shelters are the better route for cats with serious behavioural problems, unsocialised cats, and situations where you genuinely cannot wait — but most cats find shelters highly stressful.
Should I charge a rehoming fee for my cat?
A small fee deters the most casual enquiries but is not real protection. Screening, a vet reference, a home visit and a written agreement do far more. See what rehoming costs.
