You saw a post about a SHE cat up for adoption. There is something about a particular photo that speaks to you. The description seems to fit the mental picture in your head of that cat.
And you think…”Yes, that seems like a cat that would suit me. I can see myself giving that cat a home in my situation.”
Then of course you would like to know how something like this actually works. The cat is in Egypt. And not are you. – How does such an adoption work? And how much does that cost?
It works like this;
The adoption procedure starts as soon as you make a formal adoption proposal. We will reserve the cat in question for you. After writing down some basic information about the candidate, we make an appointment for the 'home check'.
That is a video call with an SHE volunteer. Usually this is in English. But don't let that stop you if that would be a problem. We'll solve that.
The purpose of the 'home check' is to check whether the adopter is ready to care for a cat, and specifically the cat in question.
And, for example, check whether the prospective adopter effectively understands that SHE cats are indoor cats (a secure garden/catio is also good).
It is a conversation about the adopter's personal living situation, experience with cats and animals, and the characteristics of the home that they will share with the cat. What potential risks are present in the home for the cat and advice on how to solve them.
The interviewer will then write a report of the conversation and give advice. That goes to the SHE Admin team. They will then decide whether to allocate the cat to that adopter.
If the green light comes, the adoption can continue.
The only administrative part is signing the adoption contract and return it.
So there is an adoption contribution to pay. For a regular adoption that is £195 which is €228 (April 2024) or about $244, US.
£75 is payable after the successful 'home check'. There is then a 14-day cooling-off period with a full refund. The remainder of the balance is payable before the adoptive cat's flight departs. The adoption contribution for a 'relocator' is lower.
The adoption contribution is a contribution to the costs. The rest comes from the monthly sponsors. They typically pay £25 per kitten and £35 per cat. Part of the monthly budget goes towards building up the 'travel fund' for that cat.
One question you will be asked is whether you want to pay for an extra test. A rabies test is required by law. Everything that is legally required that is included in the adoption fee. All cats also come with basic vaccinations with documentation and are neutered or spayed.
You can also have the cat tested for FIV/FeLV for £15. FIV is cat AIDS. See this article for more information about this disease. FeLV is feline leukemia. See this article for information about this disease.
It is not common for SHE cats to suffer from this disease. But you'll only know for sure if you get them tested. It is probably also cheaper to have this tested in Egypt than at home.
If for you the decision to proceed with the adoption depends on such a negative test then have this done at the beginning of the adoption procedure, before the home check, before paying the adoption contribution.
Then you have to wait until it is possible to organize transport of the cat to a location as close as possible to the adopter. There is a 'flight parent' necessary. A traveler who is going to travel from Cairo to where the cat needs to go. At least that is the case for the EU. The cats go to the USA and the United Kingdom via cargo.
The cat comes with a sturdy transport box included.
The intention is to receive the cat at an agreed place and time. If it is not logistically possible for you to travel to the location that will be proposed, discuss this with the SHE contact persons and the other adopters. Maybe there are solutions.
Maybe another adopter would like to pick up your cat and drop it off with you on the way home or meet up along the way. Or take it home so that you can pick it up very soon.
Or perhaps the cat can come along on a later transport opportunity that may be more convenient. So keep in mind that some effort and travel will be required to pick up the adopted cat.
Pay attention to the 'integration process' section in the adoption contract. Have a plan to introduce the new cat if there are other pets.
Once your adopted cat is home safe and sound and has recovered from the adventure, don't forget to take it to your local vet for a check-up and registration of the microchip. All SHE cats come with a microchip. But if the registration in your name has not been done, that chip is useless.
For Belgium: explicitly set the visibility of the information to 'public' at CatID.be. Otherwise, only veterinarians and animal shelters can look up who owns the cat.
If there are any problems after the cat's arrival, contact a SHE admin, such as the one who did the home check. If you can no longer care for the adopted cat, please contact Safe Haven Egypt about this, as you promised to do in the adoption contract. SHE will then attempt to repossess and re-adopt the cat.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to send me an email or to contact me via Facebook.
Walter Vermeir
Experienced expert and promoter of SHE
NL 
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