Rehoming Guide
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Guide to Rehoming
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 Animals Needing Homes
Two dumbo rats - Staffs (14th April 2008)
Two Dumbo girls and they are four and a half months old.  More...

Baby rats needing homes - Worcester (31st march 2008)
I have fostered both baby and adult rats from a lady who had 2 accidental litters. She is emigrating so I agreed to find homes for them.  More...

Lots of rats needing homes - Margate, Thanet, Kent (28th March 2008)
Lots of rats (a mix of different coloured hooded rats) seek loving homes in the Margate area. They are all very friendly and all just under a year old.  More...

 Animal Welfare News
450,000 obese rabbits on the run (5th April 2008)
An estimated 450,000 pet rabbits in the UK are obese - a shocking figure that represents 30% of the total rabbit population in the UK.   More...

Missing cat called Spooky from Kent (28th March 2008)
Spooky was last seen on the 24th March (Easter Monday) in the GREAT THRIFT
area of Petts Wood.
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Are your pets members of your family? (25th March 2008)
Do you think of your pets as family members? Is your cat or dog a replacement for the children that have now flown the nest? New research from the University of Warwick suggests what we've always suspected, that pets are sometimes more like family than our own kin.  More...

 

 

Rat Rescue :: Guide to Rehoming

How to Rehome a Pet

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This is not a pleasant Guide to write as no-one likes to think that a pet will be separated from an owner that the pet has come to love and trust. However, there are circumstances where, sadly, rehoming your pet is the only, and fairest, option.

Maybe you have split up with your partner and cannot take your pet with you due to accommodation problems. Or maybe you have become ill and no longer able to cope with the care of your pet.

Rescues are overflowing with animals and may not be able to take your pet for quite a while. To find a rescue local to you, ask at your vets as they may know of one; scour the internet; and use these links:
http://www.cavyrescue.co.uk/rescue-site-links.shtml or http://www.cavyrescue.co.uk/affiliated-rescues.shtml.

Even if the rescue cannot take your pet immediately, in lots of cases they can put you a waiting list.

However, if you do decide to rehome your pet yourself, it will also minimise the stress factor for the animal – going from a home to a rescue to another home is a bit harrowing for any animal, however big or small. By going from the security of your home straight to another should lessen the stress aspect.

You should be aware that it can be a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating process. You will need to be flexible in arranging times for people to come and meet your pet. If you are at work all day, you may find that, for a while, your evenings/weekends will be taken up with meeting potential new owners. However, everyone is perfectly capable of rehoming a pet and, after all, isn’t your pet worth it?

(Please note: if you originally got the animal/s from a Rescue (as opposed to a shop), under the terms of your Adoption Contract, you should be able to take them back to the relevant rescue. So contact the organisation. They will be sympathetic).

We always advise that in the cases of more than one pet, you don't split them up as that will stress them out. It will be hard enough going to a new home, let alone one where their friend is absent, too.

REHOMING

Firstly, ask around friends and family. In a lot of cases, someone will know someone else who may be looking for a pet just like yours.

Secondly, try advertising on the various animal websites (you can search for them at the top of the www.cavyrescue.co.uk home page or do a search in 'Google' or 'Ask Jeeves') . For example, if you have a rat you wish to rehome, visit: http://www.ratrehome.co.uk/

Your local free ads will also be a good medium to advertise, but always put a 'cost' for the animal/s in your ad. This will help weed out the people who just want a free animal (and, if applicable, a cage). If someone isn’t prepared to pay for an animal and it’s cage/hutch, what happens if the animal ever needs veterinary treatment?

Put up ads in your local vets and pet shops advertising the animal/s.

If you go to our 'Needing Homes' section at http://www.cavyrescue.co.uk/cgi-bin/rehome.pl and complete the form there, we can place an ad for you.

VETTING APPLICANTS

If people do come along to meet your animal, don't feel pressurised to rehome them if you don't think their new home will be any good - we often turn away people we do not feel comfortable with!

If possible, arrange to take your pet to their potential new home. This will give you a chance to see your pet’s new environment and make a judgement whether they will feel happy. For example, a shy, little cat used to a quiet household will not fit in well into a noisy home with unruly children and barking dogs!

Look at how the rehomer talks to and handles your pet. Go with your gut instinct.

See if they ask all the right questions, such as diet, exercise, routine etc. Do not leave your pet there and then, give the potential rehomers a chance to ‘cool off’ – many people answer ads without thinking through the consequences.

If, after a week or so, it is still right for you and the new owners, then go ahead.

If you have been unsuccessful in rehoming a pet yourself, find a rescue local to you by clicking on the link:http://www.cavyrescue.co.uk/affiliated-rescues.shtml

You can also add them to our 'Seeking homes' section by sending a blank email to:

photoads@cavyrescue.co.uk

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