Cat Chat, the Cat Rescue Resource - A Unique Online Re-homing Charity for Cats

About Cat Chat

Cat Chat is a web-based charity that sources new homes for thousands of cats and kittens from rescue centres across the UK and Ireland each year. CatChat.org launched in 2000 and was, in fact, the first charity in the UK to feature rescued cats for adoption online!

Last year the charity celebrated its 20th anniversary, and what a year it was.  When Coronavirus first hit in early 2020, Cat Chat’s services were needed even more, as meeting cats for adoption online became the new normal.  Cat Chat’s website visitor numbers started to rise steeply, and currently, there are around 1.3 million page views every month. This has meant a big increase in adoption enquiries - and many more cats homed as a result. 

Cat Chat co-founder Mandy Cotter said:

In all of our 20 year history, this is the first time where we have heard that some rescues actually have a few empty pens.   I think many people have re-evaluated their lives and decided that taking on a rescue cat would be a huge benefit - to them and to the cat! If there are any small silver linings to be found in these awful days of covid, that surely must be one of them.

The Cat Chat team are particularly committed to finding homes for any long-stay and harder to home cats. Their special ‘Overlooked Cats’ section shines a spotlight on those cats who have been waiting too long in rescue.  One of those overlooked cats was Prince (pictured), who had been in the care of Thanet Cat Club, Kent, for over two years.

Prince's Story

Prince needed a very special, experienced person to offer him a home. The rescue knew that he could be the most gentle, loving boy once someone has gained his trust, but he could be unpredictable with strangers and would sometimes lash out. He also has asthma, for which he needs medication. All this meant that for more than two years, Prince had constantly been passed by in favour of ‘easier’ cats.

Cat Chat stepped in to help raise his profile.  As well as featuring Prince in the Overlooked Cats section, they devised a special promotion for him to find his perfect person.  He needed someone who would be patient with him and be willing to accept his quirky ways. He also needed to be the only cat in a child-free home.

It wasn’t long before Prince’s perfect people spotted him on Cat Chat and contacted the shelter. After several conversations, a covid-safe meeting and all the usual checks, the adoption was agreed. When Prince went off to his new home, the shelter manager admitted she was ‘a quivering wreck’ worrying about how he would get on after being in care for so long, but she needn’t have worried...

After only a few days in his new home, the shelter sent this wonderful update: 

Prince is in his forever home, all because they saw him on Cat Chat! His adopters love him and he settled more or less straight away. Prince adores his new humans, and it’s as if he has always lived with them! Thank you for all of your help and encouragement.

It wasn’t just Prince who got lucky, though. At the end of 2020, a spokesperson for Thanet Cat Club said:

 Thanks to the wonderful team at Cat Chat all of our long staying cats have been rehomed!

Cat Re-Homing

Cat Chat offers free Cat Homing web pages to rescue centres, enabling them to feature their cats seeking homes. All the cats on these pages then appear on the charity's Cats Needing Homes’ database, which helps people locate cats to adopt in their local area: www.catchat.org/adopt 

Here’s what some of the rescues say about Cat Chat:

“Cat Chat is the best website to attract good potential adopters. All my best adopters are sourced via Cat Chat, many, many thanks.”   Star Cat Rescue, Lincolnshire

“You have truly been an incredible help to us. We can't afford a website, so having our cats feature on Cat Chat makes rehoming possible.” Bushy Tail Cat Aid, Hertfordshire

"Cat Chat has helped me home many cats over many years, and I really appreciate what you all do to help rehome rescue cats."   Caring Animal Rescue, Staffordshire

"We cannot thank Catchat enough for their help advertising our cats. We get a lot of interest via yourselves!"   RSPCA Macclesfield, South East Cheshire & Buxton

A couple of years ago, a survey of shelters showed that well over 10,000 rescued cats from all over the country were finding a new home through Cat Chat each year, and the 2020 ‘happy homings’ figure looks set to be even higher. Mandy said:

We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far, but there is still much more to do. We believe that there is a home out there for every cat!

Lola's Story

Because Cat Chat is visited by such a high number of rescue minded people, often a cat will get a number of enquiries. Lola (pictured) from Maesteg Animal Welfare Society, Bridgend was one such lucky lady.  

Lola had found herself unwanted due to some difficult home circumstances and had been signed over to the rescue. Sadly, this is a very common situation, and cats often come into care due to family problems or accommodation issues. 

Whilst it was clear Lola had been well cared for, it became apparent that she preferred her own company and didn’t like being near other cats. It almost seemed like she thought she was too pretty and too special to mix with the riff-raff! So it was felt that she would be happier as the only cat in a new household. 

Lola needed a special home where she would be loved and adored. Very quickly after her appearance on Cat Chat, not just one but several hopeful enquirers came forward.  A spokesperson for Maesteg, Animal Welfare Society, said:

Lola has been rehomed via Catchat.  She had several people offering her a home, so we were able to choose the one most suited to her needs. Thank you for this wonderful service, this site is essential to our rescue.

Cats come into rescue care for various reasons, and there are always a variety of cats waiting for a home! The charity’s website has a wealth of information about adopting, so it’s the ideal place to begin your adoption journey.

Finding Your Local Cat Rescue Centres

If you are thinking of welcoming a cat into your life, start by finding details of your local rescue centres on the Cat Chat website. This has the most comprehensive list of rescue centres on the web and is constantly used both by the public and the wider cat rescue community.   Here For Cats in Cobham, Surrey said:

Cat chat is the best place when looking for a local cat rescue charity. I always recommend it to people.

Team Cat Chat

As Cat Chat is internet-based, all volunteers work at home on their own computers.  Mandy said:

We embraced the concept of ‘virtual volunteering’ many years ago, and have built up a fantastic team, who connect to each other through an on-line office.

Currently, there are over 30 dedicated volunteers helping to keep the site and its services running.  Mandy continues:

I love the fact that, for example, a volunteer in Scotland sitting on their sofa with a laptop can be helping to find a home for a cat in Wales, whilst a volunteer in London working at their kitchen table might be helping a shelter in Yorkshire!

Kimba’s Story

Kimba (pictured) had been fending for himself outside for some time before he was reported to Mitzi’s Kitty Corner rescue in Totnes, Devon, and brought into their care. His good fortune at being rescued was overshadowed by the news that he tested FIV positive when he went to the vets for neutering. As Kimba was around ten years old and FIV+, the rescue knew it would not be easy to find a new home for him without the help of Cat Chat.

Ruggedly handsome Kimba wasn't a typical streetwise tomcat. As soon as he was safe in rescue, he turned into a gentle, loving boy, definitely suited to domestic life. He showed all the signs of being the perfect companion cat; he loved being around people and was very affectionate. He just needed someone to give him a chance to offer him a loving home where he would get lots of attention.

When Kimba's profile was added to Cat Chat, all the advice for potential adopters was available on the site to give him the best chance of being chosen. And, after only two weeks of appearing on Cat Chat, his prayers were answered.

A spokesperson for Mitzi’s Kitty Corner said:

Kimba, our darling FIV puss, was rehomed last weekend. It’s an ideal home offering lots of love, a big bungalow to explore as well as a secure garden, with his own adventure playground.  He was spotted on our Cat Chat page.  Thank you!

With good care, FIV+ cats regularly live into their teenage years. The Cat Chat website has a comprehensive page presenting the facts versus the fiction about FIV to inform and reassure potential adopters: www.catchat.org/index.php/fiv

Helping Shelters - Helping Cats

Ever since Cat Chat was launched back in 2000, one of the founding principles is that their services would always be free to the rescues. Therefore all donations to the charity ensure that these vital services can continue without costing shelters a penny.  

Co-founder Mandy said:

We’re proud to be referred to as a ‘rehoming lifeline’ by many shelters, but we couldn’t achieve this without all our wonderful donors and supporters.

Our friends at The Cat Butler have been hugely supportive. Their gold standard cat sitting service really does put the cats first; an ethos that is close to our own hearts. They are also donating a percentage of their profits to benefit Cat Chat, thus helping more cats find loving homes. Their help is really appreciated.

By supporting Cat Chat, you will be helping rescued cats in rehoming centres across the country to find the new homes they long for.

Find out how to support Cat Chat here: https://www.catchat.org/support

Or, to receive Cat Chat’s monthly e-newsletter, including some of the latest Happy Homings, sign up here: https://www.catchat.org/index.php/catchat-news-signup

Sandra James

Owner & Founder

The Cat Butler was set up by Sandra James in recognition of the fact that a stay in a cattery can be unsettling for many cats and also their owners.