Terms of Adoption

About these terms

These terms set out the commitments we make to you as an adopter, and the commitments you make to the cat you adopt. They apply to every adoption arranged by Dubai Nine Lives Rescue, wherever in the world you live. They are confirmed in writing before any cat travels.

Who can adopt

• You must be at least 21 years of age.
• The cat must live indoors only, or have access solely to a securely enclosed balcony or catio.
• All windows and balconies that open must be fitted with secure mesh or netting before the cat arrives.
• If you rent, you must provide written permission from your landlord to keep a cat.
• You must complete a video home check and a video meet and greet before approval.
• Everyone living in the household must agree to the adoption.

What we provide

Before your cat travels we complete, at our cost, neutering or spaying, core vaccinations, rabies vaccination, microchipping, deworming and parasite treatment, FIV and FeLV testing, the rabies antibody titre test where the destination requires it, export permits, the animal health certificate, the IATA travel crate and the flight itself.

We disclose every known medical and behavioural condition honestly and in writing before you commit. A rescued street cat may still develop conditions that could not reasonably have been detected before travel.

The adoption fee

The adoption fee is set by region: 800 AED (UAE), 300 GBP (UK), 350 EUR (Europe) and 400 USD (USA). It is payable once your application is approved and before travel is booked.

The fee is not a purchase price. It contributes to the veterinary care of the cats still waiting in our sanctuary. It is non-refundable once travel arrangements have been made, except where we cancel the adoption ourselves or the cat becomes medically unfit to travel, in which case it is refunded in full.

Your commitments as an adopter

• Provide a permanent indoor home, food, enrichment and routine veterinary care for the cat’s natural life.
• Keep the microchip registration up to date with your current contact details.
• Never declaw the cat, never allow it to roam unsupervised outdoors, and never use it for breeding.
• Allow reasonable post-adoption contact, including occasional photo updates.
• Contact us before making any decision about rehoming.

Return and rehoming policy

If at any point in the cat’s life you can no longer keep them, you must contact us first. You may not sell, give away, abandon or surrender the cat to a shelter or third party. We will work with you to find a safe solution, and we will always take the cat back rather than see it placed at risk.

If we have reasonable grounds to believe a cat is being neglected, or that the conditions above are being breached, we may ask for the cat to be returned to us.

Trial period and settling in

Rescued cats often need two to six weeks to settle. We ask you to keep the cat in a quiet transition room for the first 7 to 14 days and to contact us early if anything worries you. Our volunteer behaviour advisers support you for as long as you need.

Limits of our responsibility

We are a volunteer group, not a commercial breeder or pet dealer. We arrange transport through licensed relocation companies and airlines, and we are not responsible for delays, schedule changes or incidents that occur while the cat is in a carrier's custody. We give no warranty as to a cat's future health, temperament or lifespan beyond disclosing honestly what we know.

Questions

If anything here is unclear, ask us before you apply. Email hello@dubaininelives.com or message us on WhatsApp at +971 54 704 6784.