Sometimes cat owners can be faced with circumstances which prevent them from keeping their cats any longer or in continuing to provide good care and affection. 

At Westgate Ark Cat Refuge, we accept that sometimes this unhappy situation is going to occur, and we try to help find suitable new homes for such cats, rather than trying to preach or criticise.

Pets are a serious commitment and no one should take animals on lightly, but sometimes things do go wrong, and people make mistakes. Where this happens we are a refuge that is dedicated to trying to help both the cats affected and their owners.

Relocation

If you need to surrender your cat due to circumstances beyond your control, then

you may complete the Surrender Application Form.

Surrendered cats are temporalily housed with us and cared for at the Ark, whilst we endeavour to find them quality new permanent homes that match their needs.

Not all cats are suitable for admission to the Ark, or for rehoming, but we help where we can.

Rescue Cats

We try to admit as many cats as we can from living rough without a carer, ferals, along with cats who have been abandoned, lost, or mistreated.

These cats can be far harder to find homes for, and sometimes the only realistic long-term option with feral cats is to help get them neutered, and then placed on a suitable location where they are safe and wanted, such as on agricultural land or stables.

If we rescue feral kittens at a young age, then it may be possible to domesticate them through gradual increased exposure to people.  Sometimes this can be successful, but the window of opportunity to do so is very narrow.

Cats suitable for admission

The ideal rehoming scenario is that of healthy domestic cats who just need a temporary place of care and safety. While staying with us, we can then find them permanent loving new homes appropriate to the individual cat.

If a cat's health issues, character, or behaviour make a cat unlikely to be rehomed, then it it may be difficult for us to admit the cat. This is because if we cannot realistically rehome them, then we cannot indefinitely tie up a room that would otherwise be used to house many cats in the same timeframe, thus denying those cats a chance of help.

Treatment of our Volunteers

Our volunteers work hard for the cats we admit and care for, and are generally the best and most caring of people. Cat rescue work, especially the areas of admissions and homing, can be very emotional for people, different views may be held by different parties and frustration is possible.

Despite this our volunteers must be treated with courtesy, respect and politeness. We have a zero tolerance policy on all rude, threatening or unpleasant behaviour levelled towards our staff or organisation. This includes both physical and online abuse. We will not help anyone who is bullying or aggressive.