Pleasing 4 Pets

A shelter which homes abandoned cats has been flooded with new additions as the declining economic climate in the UK drives pet owners to discard their pets.

The Cats Protection unit in the village of Nuthall in Nottinghamshire has the facility to shelter 30 cats but currently has 44 in house with a waiting list of at least 200 more.

The Deputy Manager at the unit, Debbie Heathcote commented:-

“There has been an increase in the number of people needing us – the phone calls have gone up dramatically.

We are starting to hear more that people cannot afford them.

This year will probably see more cats coming in.

This means the numbers on the waiting list will go up.

The quicker we can home the cats, the quicker we can get them off the waiting list.”

Over the course of 2008 the centre was home to around 84 stray cats, 33 abandoned moggies and 173 other cats whose owners decided that they were no longer able to keep them, mostly because they couldn’t afford to look after them.

The Cats Protection unit at Nutall covers the entire Nottingham area in addition to Long Eaton. Its doors are open from the hours of 11.00am until 3.00pm daily, including weekends.

For further information on Cats Protection in the Nottingham area call 01159
386 557.

A concerned animal charity has reported that since the downturn in the UK’s economic climate more and more pet owners are abandoning their pets amid fears that they cannot afford to feed or care for them.

The Cats Protection League in Reading said that although there are many owners prepared to abandon their pets, there are still those who are prepared to take care of them after they have been dumped.

One animal lover from Berkshire came across a cat which had been left in carrier bag at the side of canal.

The Caversham resident, known only as Joanna, spotted a carrier bag in the road whilst on a canal walk and cautiously looked into the bag.

Inside she found a tiny ginger kitten. He was shivering and both his eyes had stuck together and his nose was running.

Joanne took the poorly cat home and contacted her local Cats Protection League. She was concerned that the kitten could be suffering from cat flu and was determined to have him looked at by a vet.

Luckily the kitten was given the all clear from pet flu and it was decided that he was simply suffering the effects of the cold after being dumped by the side of the canal.

Now the lucky kitten, christened Socks, is happy and healthy and living with Joanna and her existing pet cat.

A spokesperson from the Cats Protection League admitted that the charity is struggling to cope with the increasing numbers of cats being abandoned. She said:-

“This is a heart-warming story indeed; but many kittens and cats aren’t so lucky.

We’ve had more animals being left on the doorsteps of our centre than usual, and we think that is because people think they can’t afford to feed them or pay their vets bills.

We often see an increase in abandoned animals at this time of year. Sometimes because people are getting a new pet for Christmas, so they get rid of their old cat for the new arrival. But we’ve had more than normal and I think it’s because of the credit crunch.

This time of year is very bad for abandoned animals. The weather is terrible, so they find it harder to survive outside.

We have over 70 cats waiting for homes in Reading and the surrounding areas.
We also have a disproportionate number of kittens also waiting to come in, not uncommon for this time of year but nevertheless there are more than usual.

It’s only thanks to eagle-eyed members of the public acting quickly that some are saved - young kittens are especially vulnerable during the long, cold nights.”