Whilst you are fostering, it is highly likely that your cat(s) will have to visit the vets at some point, usually for routine things like:

• Microchipping
• Vaccinations
• Flea & Worming Treatments
• Vet health check certificate.
• Neutering

If you are happy to take your foster cat(s) to the vets, you can either make the appointment yourself, or we can make it for you. Just let us know some days/times that would suit you if you want us to do it.

If you are making the appointment, please remember that unless there are exceptional circumstances, and you have agreed this first with Ally, all appointments must be made at our preferred vets:

Linkswood Veterinary Centre, Catley Cross, Halstead CO9 2PE
Tel: 01787389248

We reimburse travel at a rate of 45p/mile. Just take a photo of a VAT fuel receipt (dated within 2 months either side of your journey) and contact Ally for the claim form.

If you would rather we try to arrange transport for your cat(s), please let us know the dates and times you would not be available to have them collected. Please note that you will need to be available for them to be returned at the end of their appointment, as our volunteers do not have the resources to look after them. We have provided likely times for the most common treatments in the following outlines.

Microchipping

This involves inserting a small chip (like a grain of rice) under the skin of the scruff of the neck. The microchip number will be added to their vaccination card. This procedure only takes a few minutes.

Flea & Worming Treatments

These are generally either spot treatments (drops on the scruff of the neck), tablets or liquid doses, and only take a few minutes.

Vaccinations

Each cat will require two vaccinations, each only taking a few minutes.

After the first one is done, the second dose must be given approximately 3-4 weeks later. The vet will determine the time frame for this second vaccination.

It’s important to note that if the second dose is not done by the deadline, the cycle needs to be restarted. If you have taken kitty for their first injection, please let us know the stated time frame for the second dose, and if you made the appointment, so we can record it.

Health Check and Certificate

The basic health check takes a few minutes and the certificate will be completed during their appointment.

If they are also booked in for the additional FeLV/FIV snap test, this takes approximately 30 minutes.

The vets will keep the certificate (in “Lucy’s Drawer” if you need to ask for it) until second vaccination, but please let us know the results, preferably by sending us a clear photo of it.

Neutering

Adult Cats

Male adult cats, and female cats that are neither pregnant nor nursing, are spayed/neutered as soon as possible. They cannot leave for their forever home unneutered.

Neutering involves several hours at the vets after the operation for recuperation and monitoring, and in some cases an overnight stay.

Pregnant Cats or Nursing Mums

All pregnant cats or nursing mums still need to be neutered before they leave the care of Catitude. Unfortunately this can involve a bit more of a military operation (no pun intended) than normal.

Mums can usually be spayed approximately 8-10 weeks after they give birth. Her litter should all be fully weaned by then, and they don’t need access to the 24/7 milk bar. If you happen to have another room available for her to recuperate properly on her own following her operation, then she can be spayed at this point.

If, however, she has to return to the same room as her litter, she would have to cope with a load of baby beans jumping all over her.

In that case, to avoid as much stress for mum as possible, we feel it’s kinder that on the day of adoption she is dropped off at Linkswood for her spay. After the operation, and the necessary recuperation and monitoring by the vets, she can be picked up from Linkswood by her new owners and go to her forever home.

This way she will have left our care neutered and can go to a nice quiet bean-free home environment to recover from her surgery.

Kittens

All kittens are automatically covered by our neutering scheme, and the cost of neutering is included in their adoption fee.

Kittens can only be neutered when they are between 4-6 months old and at least 2kg, so whether they can be neutered when still in foster will depend on how quickly they are adopted.

If they are still with you, the procedure is the same as for adult cats.

If they have already left your care, the new owners will contact Catitude and we will book them in at Linkswood for neutering.

We keep a list of all kittens to check that they have gone for neutering when they are old/big enough.