Written by: Duncan Pollock

I would never have guessed how complicated the process to adopt a kitten is when we agreed to get one for our son. The process involves a similar network of agencies, interviews, an assessment, and some prolonged ‘finger crossing’ as we awaited the outcome of our application as applying for a visa to the UK!

In my normal Monday to Friday job I’m lucky enough to (normally) travel internationally quite a bit; until a couple of weeks ago, I was due to travel to the UK just before Easter, and that meant that I needed a renew my visa. For those of you who have yet to have the pleasure of applying for a visa, it’s a pain! That said, there are no crazy queues like when applying for an ID or passport, but the admin takes time, a lot of time, and it’s extremely thorough, something I understand; but it’s not like I’m looking to access Buckingham Palace for tea and cucumber sandwiches with Aunty Liz. Nonetheless I had to do it, so I did.

Gone are the days of just finding a litter in the classifieds, picking a cute kitty, and then heading home. We were going to do things properly, by the book, as one should; so we started our search at the cat trapping and sterilisation network. The ‘network’ is a Facebook Group of over 2,500 members, who take in abandoned kittens, finding them foster parents, and ultimately placing them in good homes. It wasn’t going to be a simple process, it was going to be thorough, but understandably so.

Soon after our initial engagement (let’s call it interview 1), the ’network’ were notified of an abandoned litter of day old kittens in Vredenburg, and there was a ginger female, a rare find that my son was dead keen on; the process began:

• Step 1: We were referred to Caz’s Kitty Haven (they were managing this particular litter);
• Step 2: We chatted to Caz, answered many questions, and were granted a provisional ‘OK’

(our second interview)

• Step 3: Was a physical home inspection, where thorough is an understatement:
  • Did we have an electric fence;
  • Was our house and garden kitten proof;
  • Did we have experience with other pets;
  • How we were going to introduce the new kitten to our existing cat and dog;
  • What is the best food;
  • What is the preferred cat litter? etc. etc. etc.

I kid you not when I say that the inspection lasted over 2 hours.

• Step 4: We waited. Our (kitty) ‘visa’ was being assessed;
• Step 5: 3 days later we got the call – APPROVED
• Step 6: We paid, but then had to wait some more; Nala, as she’d been named by her

foster mom, had to get a little bigger and a little stronger

• Step 7: Finally! At 12 weeks we could fetch her; Nala came home

As I said a thorough process, as it should be. One I urge you all to follow – these guys do good work.