How to adopt

We are happy to rehome our cats with young children providing the parent(s) are happy to teach the children how to respect and treat animals. It's also important the cats have previously lived with young children or our staff are confident the cats would be able to live in a household with young children.

We are happy to rehome our cats to people who already own cats providing the cat has already lived with another cat in their previous home or staff have cat tested them and are happy they would be confident to live with another feline.

If you already have a cat which has not yet been neutered this will need to be done before reserving a Mayhew cat. If your cat has not been neutered due to his or her health problems you will need to provide a confirmation letter from your vets.

Providing the dog has been cat tested and the cat has either lived with a dog or staff are confident they would be able to live with a dog. We ask that the dog is introduced to the cat at The Mayhew so we can assess this too.

You will need to provide us with either proof that you own the home you live in, or provide us with a permission letter from your landlord, council or housing trust.

If you live in rented accommodation, the adoption process will be vastly speeded up if you can bring an approval letter to your cat viewing.

We occasionally get cats in which need to be kept indoors and are happy for these to be rehomed to people who live in accommodation with no garden/outside access.

These may be elderly cats, cats with health problems, or cats who have always lived an indoor life, we would not adopt a young cat or kitten without direct access outdoors as we believe they should be given the opportunity to explore and be independent.

We are happy to rehome our cats anywhere in the UK providing potential adopters are able to carry out a minimum of two trips to The Mayhew Animal Home. However, please note, our home visits may take longer to arrange.

You need to be over 18 to adopt a cat from The Mayhew.

Also, if there is an increased chance your new cat might outlive you, we will ask to meet the person who would take the cat on, should this happen.

All family members.

We cannot reserve a cat over the phone/email without first discussing and meeting the individual cat with you in person at The Mayhew. Due to the large number of abandoned cats we are dealing with on a daily basis we are unable to discuss individual cats over the phone/e-mail with every potential adopter, as we are a charity with limited resources.

If you are serious about adopting one of our cats we strongly recommend that you visit The Mayhew as soon as you're able during our opening hours. We will not reserve a cat for you, unless we feel it is the right match.

We have around 150 cats at any one time and we are happy to introduce you to the ones which meet your needs.

Some of our cats can be out in a foster home rather than residing at the Home itself.

If the cat you are interested in adopting is in a foster home, you will be given the foster carer's details to arrange a meeting once you have discussed the cat with one of the adoption officers at The Mayhew. Depending on the foster carer's availability this may mean visiting the cat on a separate day. If the cat is on foster the details will be written on the individual cats' web page.

There is no limit on the time you can spend getting acquainted with suitable cats before you reserve, and we would encourage you spend as much time with them as possible. Before you officially adopt and take your new cat home, you will be encouraged to spend time with him or her in their cabin.

All of our cats are fully health checked and temperament tested. We are always completely honest with adopters and will make it very clear to you if the cat you are interested in has any health or behavioural problems. There are however no long-term guarantees. Any cat can develop a health or behavioural problem at any point in his/her life. If you adopt a cat from The Mayhew you will be required to register him/her with your own local vet and seek direct help from a professional behaviourist if needed at any point in the cat's life. Veterinary and behaviourist fees can be expensive, for this reason we strongly recommend pet insurance. We offer lifetime support for all of our cats and will be available to offer guidance throughout the cat's life.

Before you can take the cat home, will need to conduct a home visit (see below).and also the cat will need to have a final veterinary health check.

If you choose a cat you would like to adopt which we agree is a suitable match, we will reserve the cat for you. Payment is also taken at this time.

It is £75. All of our cats and kittens are neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, health checked and behaviourially assessed before they are rehomed. We also provide you with a year's friend of The Mayhew membership.

Whilst this fee may seem high, this doesn't even cover the procedures/areas outlined above.

On average The Mayhew spends over £800 on each animal who comes in for rehoming. This cost covers things like veterinary treatment, food and care whilst it is with us. Some cats are very lucky and are only with us for a short time whilst others stay in our care for many months whilst they are recovering, before going up for adoption.

The Mayhew is a charity solely funded by the generosity of the general public.

Our home visits are extremely important, as we need to ensure that all potential owners and their environment is conducive to a happy life for our cats. It is also a second opportunity for you to ask any advice/information on how to care for your new animal.

Our cats have already been given up once before by their previous owners, they are now looking for guardians who will be 100% committed to them for the rest of their lives. You will be taking on up to a fifteen year commitment, which must not be taken lightly. All of our procedures are in place for the benefit and welfare of our cats.

Whilst we understand it may be easier for you to 'buy' a cat or kitten, we would hope this is not something you would consider when hundreds of homeless cats are destroyed every week in the UK due to overpopulation. Please do not think our policies are in place to put you off adopting a cat. Instead look at them as an opportunity to prove your commitment to us. You'll be happy you did when find yourself living with your perfect companion and knowing you've helped save a cat's life in the process.

It is normal to have some anxiety in the first couple of weeks following the arrival of a new animal in your home. Please call us on 020 8969 0178 to discuss any issues you may be experiencing and we will do our best to help and support you.

Due to our rigorous adoption procedures and advice given we rarely need to take animals back into the Home, but as part of our commitment to you and the animals we adopt out we will take in any animals which you can no longer care for.