In the UK one of the best ways of providing for your cat on your death is to register with the Cat Guardians service provided by Cats Protection, a leading cat charity. This is a really clever, win-win idea if you can’t be sure of finding a relative who will look after your cat(s) when you die.
For young people, making sure that your cat is OK after you die is not on the radar. But there are a lot of older people who get a lot of comfort from their cats. They have a close relationship with their cat and at a certain age people are likely to die before their cat. This is the opposite to what usually happens.
In the UK, from the ages of 64 to 85 the risk of death varies from 1 in 65 to 1 in 21 (high). Over 85 the risk is 1 in 7 (very high). This is morbid information but older people have to digest it because it affects when and how they make their Will. Everyone should make a Will. And as cats live to about 15-20 years of age your Will during your seventies (and ideally well before that age) should contain a clause that:
- gives (bequeaths) a gift to the Cats Protection and;
- makes reference to the Cat Guardian service which you have signed up to for well in advance. There should be a clause which instructs the executor or executrix to contact Cats Protection to alert them that it is time for them to take your cat into their care before rehoming.They recommend the following, “My Executors should contact Cats Protection (Registered Charity Numbers 203644/SC037711) of the National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath RH17 7TT to arrange for the care of any cats that I may own at the time of my death.“
Cats Protection will then arrange for your cat to be rehoused. Cats Protection say that they will never euthanise your cat. That is very reassuring.
I think this is a brilliant idea. You can download the Cat Guardian’s service registration form on this page.
Cats Protection should gain from this as it encourages people to make a gift to them in their Will and your cat gains because he will be cared for in a proper way. It takes the worry out of making sure your cat will be alright.
I know that in my mother’s case she had not made provision for her four cats. The two blue British Shorthairs were driven to a home over 100 miles away to someone who expressed a wish to care for them. I took in Charlie and the other cat, whose name I forget for the moment, probably went to a rescue facility. There was quite a lot of hassle involved if I am honest.
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I’m only 35 but I am thinking about making provisions. I have a friend who I would want to have my cats if I am not around. Therefore I want them to go to her and I want her to have enough money every year to look after them. That’s as simple as that really 🙂
I’m glad you have a trusted friend to take care of your cats if necessary Marc.
For all we have many cat loving friends we have no one close enough who could take on our 2 cats, they are 11 years old and used to being indoor/outdoor cats and our home revolves around them.
The chances are one or both of us will outlive our much loved boyz, sad days to dread, but if anything unexpected did happen to us we know that Cats Protection would ensure they both got suitable and loving homes as we have a branch right here in our town.
I think this is a wonderful idea and it also opens up the possibility of older people being able to adopt a cat because if they sign up for this with Cats Protection, they will have peace of mind knowing their cat will be taken care of if he outlives his caretaker.
I think that anyone who doesn’t actually have any money to leave a legacy in their will, could instead leave instructions that donations be given to Cats Protection in lieu of flowers at their funeral.
We signed up with Cinammon Trust years ago incase anything happened to us both together, but as their sanctuary is down in Cornwall and far away from people living in the North this is better because Cats Protection have branches all over the country.
I think this is a great service by CP and I think that as well as providing peace of mind for cat owners and as well as CP hopefully being left a legacy in return for that peace of mind maybe more older people who previously were too worried about their cat outliving them will now dare to have another cat, maybe an older cat, knowing that if the worst happens the cat will be cared for, it might even help CP to rehome more cats to older people and so reduce the number of cats waiting for loving homes. There is of course already the Cinammon Trust but it is based in Cornwall, an awful long journet for cats from the North, the beauty of the CP scheme is that cats will be cared for by the local branch. We’re considering this seriously incase the unthinkable happened and our two precious boys were left orphaned.