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My boyfriend just got me the best Valentines present ever – a beautiful little cat called Lola! She’s 6, and we got her from my nearest Cats Protection rehoming centre. Her and my boyfriend are already best pals.
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How we picked her
Sammy originally told me I was getting a cat on the Sunday after Valentines. He drove me to our local RSPCA without telling me where I was going. I was so excited!
The RSPCA had some cute cats, but they’d all been reserved already for someone to come and pick them up.
One thing I didn’t like about visiting the cats at the RSPCA is that it was hard to see the animals. All the cats had outside facing rooms, with an indoors section at the back, and as it was February, most of them were tucked up inside.
You weren’t allowed to actually go into the cat shelter itself. So it was difficult to even see some of the shyer cats before you committed to adopting them. Whereas at Cats Protection, the volunteers were more than willing to let you come into each cat’s own room to get to know them better.
Cats Protection
After not having much luck at the RSPCA, we decided to go to our local Cats Protection League rehoming centre. Unfortunately Sunday just isn’t a good day to adopt a cat, as most of them were booked for new homes already. We did get to play with some sweeties though, and the staff told us that Wednesday was the day to visit.
They told us that cats come in all the time, but on a Tuesday is when the vet gives them the OK to be adopted, and their pictures go up on Facebook. Luckily, we already had Wednesday booked off work, and we got there as early as we could!
Picture from the Cats Protection site 
Lola
We knew she was the one straight away, she’s so friendly and keen to get to know everyone. Most of the felines we saw at the Cats Protection centre were sleeping in their back room when we first got into the buildings where they’re held, but Lola came straight up to the window meowing. Her previous owner had died, and we knew we wanted to give her a home.
We told the staff we’d love to have her, and they gave us an appointment to pick her up on Saturday.
Getting the room ready
You should get the room you’re going to keep your cat in (initially) ready before you set off to pick her up. Make sure there’s food and water, a litter tray and somewhere for her to sleep at the very least. I also bought a scratching post and loads of toys to stop her getting bored.
I spent about £100 on food, litter and accessories for Lola before she arrived. What can I say, she’s a spoiled princess.
My favourite places to shop for cat bits are The Range and B&M, I weirdly live in a pet shop black spot, so they were my best bet.
Wicker cat carrier basket – £34 at Amazon.
Sushi catnip toys – £2.49 at B&M.
Cat scratching post – £19.49 from Fetch.
Picking her up
At my Cats Protection shelter, it costs £60 to adopt one cat. She’s already had her vaccinations, and been neutered and microchipped.
All we needed to do when we got there was sign a few forms and she was ours! We took her home in her basket and she is settling in well already. As a former renter of tiny flats, getting a cat has always been a major factor in deciding to buy a house.
I love her so much, no present has ever made me so happy. It really feels like a home now, and all because of Lola. Sorry about the state of my house in this post, by the way. There’s still a lot of work to do!
Want to keep up with Lola? Your best bet is to follow me on Instagram. I would create a profile just for her, but I don’t want my cat getting more famous than me.
Any questions? Drop me a comment.
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