1,300 reasons to be paw-sitive, but more cats need homes this Adoptober

RSPCA Cymru rescued and rehomed more cats than any other animal in 2018 – but needs to find more FUR-ever homes for cat companions as the month-long Adoptober rehoming drive continues.

More than 1,300 cats were rehomed in 2018 – forming the bulk of more than 2,000 animals rehomed by the RSPCA in Wales over the year. Pets found homes from RSPCA animal centres and via the charity’s network of independent branches across the country.

That means the RSPCA – over the year – rehomed more than one cat in Wales every seven hours, underlining the vast efforts undertaken to find new homes for cats who have been subjected to cruelty or neglect.

RSPCA officers in Wales also rescued 1,514 cats* in Wales in 2018 following calls made to the animal welfare charity’s 24-hour emergency line.

Local authority areas that topped the table for the most cats rescued  were Cardiff (159), Rhondda Cynon Taff (142) and Swansea (128); with the frequency of rescues in Caerphilly (126) and Flintshire (124) also high.

RSPCA cat welfare expert Alice Potter said: “Sadly we do know that cats are an extremely misunderstood pet and can often find themselves the victims of poor care.

“Our inspectorate is getting calls every day from worried members of the public reporting cruelty to these animals – and, on average, in Wales alone our officers are rescuing more than four cats per day.”

RSPCA Cymru believe neutering will play a key role in reducing Wales’ overpopulation of cats, and thus ensuring fewer animals need to be rescued from difficult situations by RSPCA officers, or come into the charity’s care needing a new home.

The animal welfare charity has teamed up with Cats Protection to run a cat neutering scheme across Wales, where eligible owners – including those on state benefit, in receipt of low household income, or those who are a full-time student or pensioner – can get their pet cat neutered and microchipped for only £5.

Coralie Farren, RSPCA regional operations manager for Wales, added: “2018 was – yet again – such a busy year for our animal centres and branches; finding loving new homes for cats that too often were removed from situations of neglect, danger or inappropriate care.

“The overpopulation of cats in Wales – however – could be helped drastically by raising the rates of neutering, which consequently will lead to fewer unwanted animals coming into our centres and branches.

“We urge people to get their kittens neutered at around four months of age – rather than six months – to reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy in cats. Many schemes can offer financial support – including RSPCA Cymru’s partnership with Cats Protection, where eligible owners can protect their cats for just a fiver.”

The RSPCA and branches continue to search for the purr-fect new homes for cats in their care, as the influx of feline friends continues.

Cats in the care of the RSPCA include the domestic semi-crossbreed Amber, who is three-years of age and boasts a thick coat, and an unusual, eye-catching glare – with one green eye, and one blue eye.

Amber is a big fan of attention, and loves being pampered by human companions. She initially came into the care of the RSPCA Ceredigion Branch, and will soon be available for rehoming via the Llys Nini branch.

Harper is also based at the Llys Nini branch, and is a bold and confident cat, with a very excitable nature. He came into the care of the charity after things did not work out with a previous owner, but staff are sure that Harper will make a fantastic companion for someone.

The one-year-old ginger cat is a huge fan of play – and is particularly keen on spending time in his tunnel. Enquiries can be made to the branch via 01792 229435.

Another cat not lacking confidence is the wonderfully-named Sir Dai James, based at the RSPCA Bryn-Y-Maen Animal Centre at Upper Colwyn Bay. He’s a four-year-old domestic shorthair crossbreed, who is bursting with life and now seeks a second chance of forever home happiness.

Viola, meanwhile, has been finding her feet  at the Newport Adoption Centre. She’s a sweet, two-year-old domestic shorthair crossbreed tortoiseshell, who came into the care of the RSPCA with her kitten – who has now been rehomed.

She could live with older children, and warms up to people very quickly. Viola’s vocal for food, showers people with affection and loves to show her youthful side when playing with toys.

Amber, Harper, Sir Dai James and Viola are just five of the countless cats in the RSPCA’s care seeking a chance of forever home happiness. Other pets available for rehoming can be found on the RSPCA’s dedicated ‘Find a Pet‘ website.

This month the RSPCA launched a campaign for ‘Adoptober’ and is dedicating the month of October to raising awareness of its vital work finding homes for animals most in need. This week (14-20 October) is dedicated to cats.

If you’re not in a position to give a pet a home this October, you can still help thousands of animals in the RSPCA’s care by donating to Adoptober online, by sponsoring a dog kennel or cat pod for just £1.50 a week, or showing your support for rescue pets with an RSPCA t-shirt. Find out how to support the work of your local RSPCA online.