Cat-fans with expertise and a little spare time needed for down-on-their-luck felines

Homeless strays, unexpected kittens, abandoned pets and beloved moggies are just a few of the cats cared for by Weymouth Cats Protection. Help is now needed to keep up with demand.

Volunteer Gloria Ashwell, who runs the national charity’s Weymouth branch, has noticed an increase in cats being abandoned for financial reasons over the past year and is expanding the offering to local cats to meet expected demand.

Last year, 20% of the cats placed in the branch’s care were abandoned for financial reasons, a sharp increase compared to just 8% in the previous five years.

Gloria says: “We have seen that since the cost of living crisis began people have really been struggling and not only are people finding it increasingly difficult to meet their daily expenses but also veterinary care so cats in need need more treatment before.” they can go to their loving home. We therefore need help, especially from anyone with expertise in cat welfare, to enable us to support more native cats and give them new homes.”

Although more and more cats are being given up because their owners can no longer afford them, stray cats still make up the majority of those seeking new homes through the branch. A recent admission was 15-year-old Jiminy, who had been living in a neighbor’s backyard for three years since the death of his owner, using only a plastic igloo for shelter. Jiminy’s situation became increasingly desperate as old age, frigid weather and an erratic food supply began to take their toll on him – he walked stiff and lost weight rapidly.

Gloria explains: “We wasted no time in making emergency arrangements for Jiminy who was taken into my care at the end of November and after a vet check and first vaccination was ready to go to his new home. He was quickly adopted to a perfect home in early December and now he and his owner are very happy. If we hadn’t been able to help quickly, Jiminy would probably have endured many more cold nights outdoors with a high possibility of becoming seriously ill.”

To help more cats like Jiminy, Gloria is looking for volunteers to join her and her branch mates, and welcomes anyone interested in helping local cats. Anyone with cat handling experience or who would like to help with hands on cat care are especially encouraged to contact her as she is looking for people to fill the role of cat welfare team leader in the branch as well as carers.

Welfare Team Leaders provide support and encouragement to carers and must have a background in cat welfare. It is your responsibility to ensure caretakers have the most up-to-date information on cat welfare policies and procedures and to keep cat records up to date.

Foster parents care for cats in their own homes until a new owner can be found. No special equipment is required, but cat caretakers will need an open space, or in some cases the charity can provide a custom-made outdoor enclosure for their foster cat to enjoy safe life in a second home. It’s also important that groomers have IT skills and internet access so they can keep up to date with the details of their cat’s whereabouts. The facility accepts cats from all walks of life and all ages, and the charity provides everything needed to create a temporary home for the cats, from food, toys and bedding to veterinary care.

You can find a look behind the scenes as a sponsor here http://bit.ly/BeingAFosterer

To find out more about both cats and the branch visit www.cats.org.uk/west-dorset or for more details on current opportunities in the branch visit www.cats.org.uk/support-us/volunteeropportunities or call us on 01305 262 737 or email Gloria at [email protected]