Requirements
TO ADOPT ANY ANIMAL
Are you living within our area?
Check whether you are within our area of coverage remembering that we are based in West London.
Are you happy to pay the adoption fee?
You will need to pay us a minimum adoption fee which for kittens up to the age of 6 months is currently £125 each, and £100 for cats older than 6 months. For rabbits we ask for £30 and for guinea pigs £10-£15 (depending if neutered). This is paid at the time of adoption and collected for us by our foster carers. All of our cats are now vaccinated, microchipped and deflead/wormed. If over 5 months old he/she will also have been neutered. Please note that we are not government funded in anyway so we do rely on this money to carry on rescuing these animals and keep them in our care while they are looking for new homes.
Are you old enough?
We do not home animals to people under the age of 18 unless parents/guardians take on full responsibility.
NB. WE DO NOT GENERALLY HOME CATS OR KITTENS TO FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN UNDER 4 YRS OLD. We may make an exception if we have any cats available for adoption who we are confident can happily live with very young children.
TO ADOPT CATS
Your home circumstances?
We are happy to consider applications to adopt our animals from the following –
Private Homeowners
Those in Council and Housing Association properties. Confirmation will be required from the council or housing association that you are permitted to have pets.
Those in Private Rental Property. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, tenants have the right to make a request to their landlords to have pets. In order for tenants’ applications to proceed, we will require written evidence from the landlord that permission has been given for pets. You will be asked to provide a copy of your rental agreement or other evidence that you are a tenant and have proper permission. Your landlord’s contact details will also be required, as we may need to contact them for clarification.
Please note that regardless of your home circumstances, all other requirements for adoption will need to be satisfied.
Do you have your own garden?
Your property should include your own garden which is ideally to the rear, and should be adequately fenced off to block access to roads. If you do not have a garden then you might consider adopting a cat which has already shown he/she doesn’t want to go out, or one who can’t go out for medical reasons. We do NOT home kittens where they will not be able to go outside.
Can you keep your cat/s indoors at night?
HAWs believes that for their own safety cats should be kept at night.
For more information about keeping cats in at night.
Is your home on a quiet road?
This will be assessed on a home visit. If you are on a busy road it may still be possible to adopt a cat as long as the house is terraced and windows/doors at the front can be made secure.
Are you working long hours?
We do not home young kittens singly where they will be alone for most of the day/night.
TO ADOPT RABBITS
To adopt rabbits you will need to have a hutch which is at least 6′ wide and a 6′ long run as a minimum if you are keeping them outside. If you are keeping them as house-rabbits they will need a pen of at least 2m by 1m.
Please note that we do not generally rehome rabbits on their own unless they are to be company for an existing rabbit. Very rarely a rabbit will be looking for a home on it’s own due to particular circumstances.
TO ADOPT GUINEA PIGS
To adopt a pair of guinea pigs you will need an indoor cage of at least 1.2m x 60cm. They will also need a run. We do not rehome guinea pigs to live permanently outside.
Guineas will be rehomed in pairs unless they are to be company for an existing guinea pig.
TO ADOPT DOGS
Hounslow Animal Welfare does not rescue or re-home dogs.
See the dog page of this website for a list of reputable dog rescues.