How to help cats in your local area
We all love our cats but when we hear of other cats living an awful life of neglect, it can be very upsetting. So what can we do to help other cats in distress? Often we are not in a position to take other cats into our homes, but there are many other ways we can help. There is always ways to help cats in your local area, you can always reach out to local rescues and charities and ask them how you can help.
Make sure your own cats are chipped and neutered
Firstly we need to take responsibility for our own cats, make sure you get your own cat microchipped and make sure all the details are correct, you will need to updated details if you move or changed telephone number. This will prevent your cat being put into a rescue centre or put down if it ever gets lost, a finder can check the chip and get your cat back home safely to you . It is important to get your cat neutered, this will prevent your cat from straying and preventing unwanted pregnancies. Tom cats can travel up to five miles looking for a mate, fighting with other toms which can result in them contracting FIV( Feline aids), and whilst off looking for a female there is always a risk of them being run over.
So are you considering getting a cat or kitten?
If you would like to get a new addition to your family, then instead of buying a cat from a breeder or looking for a kitten, why not visit your local rescue centre? There are so many cats needing homes, an older cat can be a better option as you will not have the worry of leaving them alone for to long. When meeting the cat you get a good overall picture of the personality of cat and get to see their behaviour, this will give you an indication if they are suited to your home. An older cat will be more settled and less destructive than a kitten.
Adopting from a rescue centre is a great solution, the cat will be health checked, chipped and neutered all within the adoption cost. Also you will be giving an unwanted a loving home. There are many adoption centres to choose from, do a search of your area to support your local rescue.
So what if you can not home a cat permanently?
There are other options if you can not take on a cat permanently, you could consider being a foster carer for cats. This maybe looking after kittens until they are old enough to be rehomed, or taking on a poorly cat until they are well enough to be rehomed. There maybe cats that are so traumatised that they need extra support to learn to feel safe in a home. These cats need to learn to trust humans but may not cope with the conditions of a rescue centre. This can be very rewarding when you see a cat growing in confidence. Many rescue charities foster cats in homes, for further information contact an organisation such as Cats Protection who can offer you advise on fostering, link here
How do I help stray cats in my area?
There has never been so many strays on the streets as there are today, if you suspect a cat is a stray contact your local rescue who can put you in contact with an organisation that help with trapping and neutering. The cat can be trapped, taken to a vet for health check and checked for a microchip, if the cat does not belong to anyone, it will be neutered, health checked and taken to a recue centre.
Some organisations deal a system called TNR, which is trap, neuter and release, this is usually done for cat living in colonies. These cats are trapped, taken to a vets for neutering and will be health checked, then they will be taken back to their colony and released, this will prevent fights between cats and unwanted pregnancies. These cats have always lived on the streets and would not adapt to living in a home, if you have colony in your area, you could help by feeding and checking the cats are healthy and well.
What ways can I get involved with helping cats?
There are many cat rescue organisations in you area, and they are always needing extra help so contact your local rescue to see how you can support them. They may ask you to volunteer, either by coming in to feed the cats an look after them or maybe doing small jobs around the centre such as repairs, painting or gardening. There are fundraising events that you could attend or maybe create your own events to raise funds for the cats. List of cat rescues in your area then visit Catchat.org, click here
If you do not have time to help out your local rescue then you could support buy donating food, toys or blankets. Also find out if there is a food bank in your area and donate some cat food, there are many families struggling to feed their cats and this would be a great help.
You could always sponsor a cat, most cat rescues offer the chance to sponsor a cat and often you get updates about your cat that you sponsor, this can also be a great present for someone.
Lastly spread your knowledge about cats, advise people how to care for their pets. You could explain how great it is to rescue a cat and tell them about the things you do to support your local rescue. There are many cats that do not have loving homes, so lets do our best to help in anyway we can and speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, and help end any suffering.