Stand up for rescue cats..... homeless cats

I am lucky enough to have a home and regular meals. Many of my sisters and brothers lead wretched lives on the street - starving, flea ridden, and terrified. Please help them by

getting your human to wise up on what to do about them. Spread the word that these cats can be helped. International Cat Care has a lot online about how to help them - https://icatcare.org/unowned-cats/feral-street-community-cats/

Just feeding the cats, like the video above, isn't enough. But regular feeding is the beginning of a process. It is called Trap Neuter and Return - or TNR. Neutered cats are healthier than un-neutered ones. Females often die after endless kitten bearing and males die of diseases transmitted by fighting. Neutering means that the colony isn't full of diseased kittens, many of which will not survive into adulthood.

Feed regularly first. Then trap. Then neuter and euthanise those suffering from diseases. Rehome the stray cats that are used to human homes. Rehab, tame and find homes for young kittens. Return the adult feral cats to the site. Continue with regular feeding for a healthy colony and to keep an eye out for strays or feral cats that turn up.

That way, newcomer cats can also be trapped and neutered and the colony will eventually die out. This should please the people who want to see fewer cats. Their solution of merely shooting or poisoning strays and ferals usually merely results in newcomers taking over the empty territory.

Stand up for rescue cats.... when to neuter

Every kitten should be a wanted kitten. But there are too many cats without homes in this world. One way to reduce overpopulation is to reduce the number of cats that have kittens - but that needs human co-operation.

In the UK, cat rescues are beginning to change their methods. Till recently, they found home for their kittens and asked the adopters to make sure these were neutered. Some rescues handed out vouchers to help pay for this.

Adopters are only human (dumb animals) and so some forgot. Some decided they would like to cash in and sell kittens. The rescues had to follow up and make sure the neutering happened.

It was a mess. It cost time and money. Even veterinary humans were slow to realise that they had got it wrong and females needed neutering faster than they thought. We can get pregnant from 3 months onwards.

Now these rescue humans are beginning to wise up. They have realised they cannot rely on humans to do the right thing, so they are neutering their kittens before giving them up for adoption.

It's safe (researchers have looked into it) and it stops human error. Purrlease spread the word.

Prevent human error. Neuter kittens before adoption.

• Is it safe? Read 'Help Stop Teenage Pregnancy! Early-age neutering in cats,' Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, (2011), 13, 3-10
  

Stand up for cats in rescue.... keep us apart and safe.

Cats in rescue ought to be kept in single houses - unless they already know their companions. Just dumping us in a pen full of strange cats is enormously stressful.

It may seem like a good idea to save money, or just to rescue more cats, but it doesn't pay off.

More stress means more disease. More disease means more vets bills. More disease also means more cats are euthanised.

Scientists have measured our stress levels in rescue, and a pen full of cats - coming in and going out to new homes - is the worst possible accomodation.

So, rescues, start thinking smart not fast. Build proper premises. Take in fewer cats, concentrate on homing them out fast.You will save money and you will save more cats.

And saving more cats is what we all want.

• For more feline thoughts on human behaviour go here.