Kitten Rehoming Service
In short:
Pet Connection takes unwanted kittens from members of the public and finds new homes for them. We routinely flea and worm them as soon as they come in. The re-homed kittens are free, but we do charge £4.00 for the flea and worming treatment received.
More detail:
In 2003, Millvale Animal Sanctuary asked if we could help them re-home kittens as they had over 90 in stock. This is how our kitten re-homing service was born.
Over the years, more and more people learned about our service and the numbers of kittens coming through the shop grows each year.
If you have kittens that you need re-homing:
We can take kittens from 6 weeks old but they do need to be healthy, tame and well handled.
During kitten season (April - September), demand for the service is very high so people need to put their names on our waiting list and we will contact you when space becomes available. Just telephone the shop on 028 308334422 and let us know your details, name, telephone number, how many kittens, what colours they are and when they will be six weeks old.
When we have available space, we will contact you and ask you to bring your kittens in. Sometimes people are phoned within a few days of the kittens turning six weeks old but at times, it may be a few weeks before we are able to take them.
All providers of kittens are encouraged to get their cats neutered and spayed. Help with the cost of this is sometimes available through the Cats Protection League. Details can be obtained from the shop or from your local vets.
If you would like to adopt a kitten:
During kitten season, on most days, we have a selection of kittens to choose from in the shop. If there are no kittens on site, we will take your telephone number and contact you when kittens do come in.
Newry Veterinary Centre have kindly offered a free health check for your kitten. In order to avail of this service, you need to book an appointment with the vets (tel: 028 30262266). It is recommended that you consider vaccinating your kittens in order to keep them safe and healthy.
All responsibility for the kitten's welfare transfers to the new owner upon receipt of the kitten. If problems do arise soon after re-homing, we would appreciate you letting us know as we can then contact the original owners to let them know. Most kittens don't have health problems but some of the problems that may be encountered include cat flu and ringworm. Ringworm was very common in 2009 but we have seen very little of it in 2010 and even less in 2011. Both of the above conditions will require veterinary treatment.
If you would like more details about the above, please just ask a member of our staff.
A new threat to kittens this year is cat parvo, it has been confirmed in Banbridge and Belfast. We had a kitten who suddenly took ill on our premises in July this year. He was taken to the vets immediately and cat parvo was a possibility. He, and his litter mates received treatment.
Because the treatment subsequently worked, cat parvo was ruled out as most young kittens who contract this disease unfortunately don't survive it - even with veterinary treatment.
It was a worrying time and re-homing had to be halted for a period of five days but we now know what symptoms to look out for and hopefully it will not reach Newry and affect our cat population.
Items you will need when adopting a new kitten:
Essentials:
Litter tray, liner and a scoop (even 6 week old kittens use these, much easier than toilet training a puppy)
Cat litter - staff can help you choose which litter to choose from.
Kitten Food - both dry kibble and wet food are now recommended for cats. This mixed diet helps to ensure healthy kidneys.
Food bowls - one for water and one for food.
Worming syrup - (we will have given the kitten the first dose, but this needs to be continued every two weeks until 12 weeks of age)
Kitten collar
Extras:
Kitten toys
Kitten bed - kittens need their own bed, placed in a position out of draughts and where they can have some privacy. They like to feel warm and safe and they also like their bed to have a snug backing to mould into. Don't be tempted to buy a bed that is too big, it is better to have a bed that suited to their small size and to consider buying a bigger bed in a few months when they grow.
Kitten treats
Preventative flea treatment - from 12 weeks of age.
Cat scratcher - (this will help to save your furniture)
Cat litter tray freshening powder
Grooming brush - (especially important for long haired kittens)
How to choose a name:
Research reflects that cats find it easier to hear names consisting of one or two syllables and they react especially well to names ending with 'ie' or 'y' e.g. Blackie, Sooty or Lucky.
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