Kitten Season

Cats are seasonal breeders and typically have two litters a year, Spring and Summer.  Kittens need to be weaned at around 9-10 weeks old before they can leave their mothers.  We usually have plenty of kittens in need of homes from May to December with fewer available in the Winter months.

If you are interested in adopting kittens or a mum and kitten, please email us so we can put you on our waiting list.

Please note: All our kittens are homed in pairs either with a sibling or with their mother. We do not rehome kittens as single cats.

Why does Celia Hammond Animal Trust rehome kittens in pairs?

We have decades of experience rehoming cats and we have observed that it is very important for kittens behavioural development to grow up with members of their own species.   Most people understand the importance of socialisation when it comes to pet dogs and their own children, this is why people take puppies to the park or dog classes to socialise with other puppies, and human children are taken to playgroups to mix with other children. Kittens learn how to be cats through playing and interacting with each other.

When kittens are raised singly there is a risk of problems developing, a risk which is higher with kittens who are raised singly as indoor only cats and will not have the opportunity once old enough to mix with cats outdoors.  Kittens like to rough play with each other and in the absence of a feline friend this rough play behaviour will be directed at their owners.  We are frequently approached and asked to rehome cats and kittens who have been raised singly as indoor cats, are now too boisterous and are perceived to be 'attacking' children and adults in their home.

Kittens just love being together; anyone who has watched two kittens play together can see how much they enjoy chasing and playing with each other and then collapsing in a heap together to sleep. A single kitten will miss its mother and siblings and the new owner will need to fulfil these needs day and night. A single kitten will be very demanding and a lot more work then a pair of kittens who provide vital company for each other.

The comfort a pair of kittens gain from each other helps minimise the stress of being rehomed. Many rescued kittens are initially shy and to face a new home on their own could be very frightening. If you already have an adult cat then it is generally easier to introduce a pair of kittens rather than a single kitten – a resident cat will initially be hostile to a new arrival whether kitten or adult, a pair of kittens will stick together, and existing cats can either play with them or leave them as they wish.  Alternatively a single cat friendly adult cat should be considered.

All our kittens are neutered, microchipped and have had their 1st vaccine before they get adopted.

Please email HelloAdoptions@celiahammond.org with your name, address and contact phone number.

Our cats are rescues, that have either been abandoned, stray, neglected or abused. All homes need to have a home check either by video call or in person and we will provide advice about caring for cats or kittens. This is also a chance for us to see what type of home you can offer to one of our cats and to best match a cat with your home and family.

Following a successful home visit, we will make an appointment for you to come and meet the cats at the shelter and adopt. If you have picked cat/s from the website, you will meet them on adoption day.

We are prioritising homes that are local to our centre and these are the Canning Town catchment areas: East London, parts of North London and parts of West Essex.

If you can offer a home to a harder to home cat, we will consider a home outside these areas.