This is a copy of the chicklist I give my home visitors. I give them training first and arrange for them to go out on home visits where they can observe experienced home visitors but find the checklist helps as a way to guide the conversation. The other thing I always tell my home visitors is that a home visit is a chance to educate, not only inspect so by talking through cat care, you are doing a lot of good. Sorry the text is a bit all over the place, I just copied and pasted and teh formatting seems to have gone a bit odd but here it is:
These are a guideline for the things you will need to discuss on a home visit:•
If there are other cats in the household then check that they are well cared for and check with the owner that their vaccinations are up to date. Also check that other pets are neutered. (cats and dogs)
•Vet details- are they currently registered with a vet? Advise that if not, they will need to register with a local vet as soon as they bring the cat home.
•Settling the cat into the house and introducing the cat to other pets. Suggest that the cat is given a ‘safe room’ where they can relax the first few days until they are ready to roam the house freely. Introductions to other pets will need to be done slowly and they should not be left alone until they seem quite happy together.
•Food, water and litter. Advise that clean water should be available at all times. Kittens need feeding four times a day and adult cats need feeding at least twice a day. The cat will also need a clean litter tray available at all times which is in a quiet spot with easy access. If a multi-cat household, the suggestion is one tray per cat plus one extra.
•Keeping the cat in for 3 weeks and then letting them out for the first time.
•Will there be a cat flap? If not, then how will the cat get access to the inside/outside?
•Keeping the cat in at night. This is what we advise as the highest proportions of cat thefts and road traffic accidents happen at night.
•Collars. As the cat will be microchipped, the cat can be identified but if owners want to use a collar then we recommend a ‘snap’ fitting, safety collar which will come off if it gets caught on anything as elasticated collars can cause injury.
•Potential hazards, e.g. plants, lilies, ponds, water butts etc.
•Holiday arrangements- what will happen to the cat when owners are away?
•What CP will do to the cat - neutering, microchipping, vaccinations. Flea and worm treatments, vet check, Pet Plan insurance.
•Pet insurance- The cat will come with 6 weeks free insurance which can be continued. We recommend that pet insurance be purchased after the six weeks as vets bills can be very costly.
•Yearly vaccinations- The cat will come vaccinated against cat flu, enteritis and FelV (Feline Leukaemia) which will need to be updated with a yearly booster.
•Flea/ worm treatment. We recommend that owners give their cats regular worming and flea treatments. Please refer to the latest version of the Cats Protection cat care standards for most recent guidance.
•Neutering of kittens- We expect all adopters to promise to have the kitten neutered at the earliest possible date. They will be given a slip when they collect the kitten which will need to be handed to the vet at the time of neutering. This will act as confirmation to us that the neutering has happened.
•Donation- We invite all prospective adopters to give a donation to cover some of the cost of the treatment that the cat will have received. It will also allow us to help another cat. While we can not ask for a specific amount, we need to explain that the cat will have had treatment that will cost in excess of £65 and so this is the amount that people usually give.
•Earliest date available to collect cat- When will they be available to welcome a cat into their home?
•What type of cat they are they wanting to rehome? Try to be quite general but we need a good idea of what age of cat/ short haired or long haired/ child friendly / streetwise etc. Try not to mention colour too much.
•Follow-up visit- Advise that there will be a follow-up visit, four-five weeks after the cat is homed to check that both cat and owners are well and happy. As home visitor it will be your responsibility to liaise with the adopters and carry out the home visit. Please feedback to homing coordinator.
•Discuss as appropriate:
-kittens and young children
-Grooming, scratching posts etc
-Transport- if the adopter doesn’t drive, how will they get to the vets?
-Any planned changes in the household, e.g. Change in work hours, building work etc.
Please also discuss volunteering and becoming a member of the Branch.
Remember, no home is perfect. Home visits are all about weighing up the potential adopter’s circumstances and making a recommendation. Enjoy the role!
