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Preston’s Cat Welfare team has warned they are currently experiencing a crisis in three areas of the city as the number stray and un-neutered cats continues to rise year-on-year.
The risk of cats being stray and un-neutered is they are more susceptible to ill health as well starvation and unethical trafficking by criminals.
Neutering cats and ensuring they are healthy remains a paramount issue, as deciding not to neuter a cat can increase their risk of obtaining infectious diseases such as toxoplasmosis.
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As well as the cat being poorly itself, this also poses a high risk to wider public health, as cats are able to transmit these infections onto humans and other animals.
Lack of responsible ownership as well as deciding to not neuter cats leads to increased numbers in stray and feral cats.
Meet the woman aiming to help the cats
This is something that Lauren Alice from Preston’s Cat Welfare Team is particularly concerned about,
She told Blog Preston: “There is a national crisis with stray and unneutered cats. All rescue centres are bursting. In Preston we find Deepdale, Ribbleton and Fishwick to be particularly challenging areas.”
Lack of funding, as well as little support for charities that help to support cats such as the RSPCA and Cats Protection means that the number of strays on the streets is increasing.
Lauren said: “There are so many stray cats as people don’t neuter them and an increasing number of people are moving house and leaving them behind”
“Cats Protection used to run a £10 chip and snip scheme, but now they are no longer in the area, this isn’t available and many people don’t see it as a priority to spend around £100 on their cat to ensure they are safer and have a better quality of life.”
Speaking about the importance of taking care of your cat’s health and wellbeing, Lauren stressed the importance of microchipping and neutering,
She said: “If cats are microchipped and neutered, they are safer. Tom cats wander further, and fight causing abscesses and injuries and take more risks”.
“A high number of cats killed on the roads are un-neutered males, if cats are neutered this prevents this behaviour”.
Lauren herself who is a cat owner added: “I’ve spayed female cats that can have a litter from four months old causing problems to themselves and the litters”
“Cats that have an increased number of litters end up losing their kittens as they don’t have enough nutrients to help them thrive.”
In order to prevent more cases that are like the situation in Deepdale , Preston Cat Welfare is able to, with the help of public donations ethically trap the cats into a “carrier to transport them to safety”.
Led by a small group of women volunteers, the organisation aims to do whatever they can to provide help, love, assistance and care to vulnerable cats in the area. A community of nearly 2,000 people work together in a Facebook group to re-home and support cats in the city.
Lauren said: “We are a small group of women who volunteer, most of whom work and have their own families. “
Part of the work they do to protect cats in the area involves “chip checking potentially lost cats in the hope of reuniting with the owner” as well as rehoming cats that are no longer wanted and finding rescue spaces for stray cats.
Aside from just covering the Deepdale area, they aim to give aid to Preston as a wider city also.
Lauren said: “There are a couple of people that help fundraise small amounts to help us buy traps, pay vet bills, but we aren’t a registered charity, and the cost is mainly ours.”
However, the situation is not one that is improving Lauren says, as the number of stray and dumped cats is increasing year on year,
She said: “Kitten season isn’t a season anymore, it’s all year round, kittens are being born outside, and most of them don’t survive.”
“Sstray cats are living in alleyways, fighting owned cats, going into people’s houses for food, it’s heart-breaking.”
Lauren also said that she hopes speaking to Blog Preston will help the charity to raise awareness about the importance of neutering and chipping cats.
She said; “We want to raise awareness and educate different communities about how important it is to neuter and chip cats, we need help feeding and looking out for the colonies of cats that will be returned to areas after neutering.”
“We can help trap, neuter and return the cats, provide shelters, but we need help with looking out for the cats, feeding them, assistance with trapping etc.”
‘An influx of cats needing new homes’
Blog Preston also approached the RSPCA for a comment about the situation, and they said, that the number of reports of homeless and un-neutered cats has increased over the past year, and the Preston district branch is currently dealing with a high influx of cats who are “currently looking for new homes.”
Over the past year for the charity nationally has recorded “27,853 incidents about cats in need and of these reports, 7,879 concerned abandoned cats.”
Lucy Bailey from the RSPCA said: “Some of them will have come in as injured strays, others might have been abandoned or cruelly treated. It might also be worth emphasising that microchipping is now mandatory for cats before they reach 20 weeks of age.”
“Microchipping is the most effective way of ensuring you are reunited with your pet if they get lost or stolen, and it helps to trace the cat’s owner if people have concerns about an animal that they think might be a stray.”
Lucy also believes that the cost of living has also contributed to owners being unable to look after their cats properly, but says that there are local charities in the Preston area that can “offer neutering vouchers and take out pet insurance to cover unexpected costs.”
She said: “”For the cat population to be controlled, the timing of neutering as well as the overall number of cats neutered is critical. Sadly, many female cats are un-neutered by the time they reach a year old , meaning they could have already had at least one litter.”
“Neutering also means cats lead healthier, happier lives. This is because neutered cats, especially males are less likely to roam far from home or get into fights with other felines , both which can increase their risk of injury or picking up illnesses.”
“With the rising cost of living, cat owners are encouraged to plan ahead, make sure they are registered with a vet, explore whether charities, including RSCPA branches, can offer neutering vouchers in their area and take out pet insurance to help cover unexpected costs”.
Lucy also advised members of public who come across a dumped cat to contact the RSPCA and report this by calling 03001234999.
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