Over 100 cats from across Birmingham are celebrating being settled in new homes as a result of Cats Protection’s new contactless homing scheme.
 
Birmingham Adoption Centre was one of the first of the charity’s centres to take part in the new Hands-Free Homing scheme which has formed part of Cats Protection’s response to lockdown restrictions and the impact on its ability to safely home cats. Since the trial began at the end of April the Hollywood centre has homed 103 cats through the new contactless approach to homing.
 
Informed by government guidelines, the scheme sees photos, videos and descriptions of cats available to rehome posted on the centre’s website www.cats.org.uk/birmingham/adopt-a-cat. Much like online dating, if a match is made virtually, a meet-up via phone or video call is arranged by staffs from the centre who then confirm suitability with a simple welfare questionnaire and series of checks. Once the adoption fee has been paid, the cat will be delivered to its new home by Cats Protection staff, with social distancing rules strictly observed at all times.
 
Cats available to rehome are all neutered, vaccinated and micro chipped. A special aftercare package with Hands-Free Homing includes follow-up calls in the first weeks to ensure that the cat and new owner are both happy.
 
Ginger-and-white Tommy, who is around five-years-old, was one of the first cats to be homed from the centre under the new scheme after he had spent almost a year living as a stray before being rescued.
 
Adopter Dawn Smith from Wednesbury happily welcomed Tommy into her home and introduced him to her other cat, Daisy Belle. It wasn’t long before Tommy had made himself part of the family.  Dawn says: “Tommy is well and truly settled in with me and Daisy Belle. His favourite toy is a brown furry rat that he likes to throw around and ‘kill’ before needing a lie down from all his exertion. He also likes to be brushed and is sparkling white and ginger now, having lost the excess oil in his coat from living outside.
 
“Tommy has also accepted his cat-cousins who live next door and calls round to visit and hang out in their garden, hoovering up their food if he gets the chance. He’s a gorgeous boy with a big personality and now I have two beautiful munchkins and couldn’t have chosen better.”
 
Alison Dickenson, Adoption Centre Manager, says: “We’re thrilled to have passed the 100-cats milestone with Hands-Free Homing.  It was particularly difficult when lockdown started knowing there were cats needing homes and potential new families waiting but no way to link them.  Now we have the best of both worlds; it keeps everyone safe and suitably distanced while ensuring cats move to their new homes as quickly as possible once a match is made.”
 
The centre has a number of cats currently waiting for adoption including one-year-old black-and-white Dezzy who has been at the centre recuperating after a tough start in life. He was found by a group of teenagers as a very young stray living by a stream, covered in mud, hungry, struggling with multiple infections, including MRSA and cat flu.  Now healthy and negative for both, he may have symptom flares at times when he is run down so needs an understanding owner who can help him come out of his shell and learn to enjoy life after his difficult kittenhood.