Home to Home FAQs

Q:  Why should I use the services of the OCWT?

A:  Pedigree cats do not do well in mainstream rescue centres, they are highly bred and find the large facilities distressing. They also very often end up in the wrong sort of homes who have no experience of the breed.  Our breed are talkative and people orientated, we have often seen rescue centres advertise them as noisy and demanding, so it is important that people who like this type of personality come forward.  We do not allow the public to come and choose a cat, cat and home are carefully matched before an invitation is issued to come and meet a cat.  In mainstream rescue centres pedigree cats are put alongside cross-breeds and when someone comes to choose a cat they are chosen because they look different or interesting because they are obviously pedigree and expensive cats.  This is not the correct basis for taking on a cat of our breed.  Most people that approach us offering a home have lost an elderly Siamese or Oriental cat and thus understand the needs of the breed.

Q:  I need to rehome my cat, how can the OCWT help me?

A:  We can provide screened homes that may be suitable for your cat. This means we have asked lots of questions of the person offering a home and will try and match this up with the needs of the cat that you wish to rehome.

 Q: How will I know this home will be a good home for my cat?

A:  The final decision is yours, you need to talk to the person offering a home, invite them to meet your cat and use your own instincts as to whether this will be a good home for your cat.  You can either visit the home, deliver the cat on the day of adoption or in many locations we can find someone who will visit the home and make a home check.  We are also on hand to discuss your queries and offer advice.

Q:  What price should I charge?

A:  It is not the function of the OCWT to find buyers for cats. All homes arranged through our service are expected to be offered for a donation only.  In some case expenses may be requested for travelling or extra things that have recently been paid for.

 Q:  What does it cost to use the services of the OCWT Welfare?

A:  There is no cost to you but donations are always welcomed. We definitely expect the person adopting to give a donation to the OCWT in order to help us run our service. There is no specific amount, but £100 per cat is most commonly given. However more or less is acceptable.

Q:  Do you cover the whole of the country?

A:  Yes we do, we are based in Sussex but have homed cats in all parts of England, Scotland and Wales.

Q:  My cat sprays and is often dirty will you still be able to find a home for him?

 A:  Most certainly, problems of this nature are often due to cats being unhappy in multicat households and we find the problem ceases if placed in a single cat home. Therefore it is important to always tell us what the problems are and give us as much detail as you can about your cat. In severe cases we recommend a spell in our safe house cattery to have the best chance of overcoming these problems and not taking them on into another home.

Q:  My cat is a flu carrier I have been advised to put her to sleep, can you offer an alternative?

 A:  We can find homes for these cats in single cat homes. We offer the new owners all the advice and support needed for as long as necessary. Most of these cats live long and happy lives.

 Q:  How long does the process take?

A:  There is no way of knowing this. We often place cats quite quickly especially if there is someone on our existing waiting list who appears suitable. Other cats take a bit longer, but if the length of time becomes a problem we can usually offer a place in our safe houses while a home is found.

Q:  What about the cats GCCF & Microchip paperwork?

 A:  It is a good idea to pass everything over to us. We give out pedigree certificates and vaccination certificates to the new owner and usually retain pink GCCF registration slips in our files.  If your cat is microchipped this is transferred into the name of the OCWT for the rest of the cat’s life so that we would be notified if the cat were to be found and we could be part of the process of informing the owner. If this were to occur it would also be an opportunity for us to make sure the cat was being looked after properly and offer advice to make sure it did not get lost again.

 Q:  What happens if the new home does not work out or circumstances change?

A:  We try to be on hand to give support and advice during the settling in period but if things go wrong or there is any change of circumstance at any time throughout the cats life we would ask to be informed and would arrange a safe house place or another adoption.

Q:  Should we have any sort of written agreement between ourselves and the person adopting our cat?

A:  We provide an adoption agreement which you can use if you wish. There is one copy for the person adopting, one copy for you and one copy for our files.

If there are any other queries not answered here please call the OCWT Welfare officer on 01424 892618 (Local Rate: 0845 0529655) or email bookends@btopenworld.com.