Can you help Cats Protection Help a Kent Kitten this Summer?
Cats Protection is urgently appealing for funds to help cope with the vast numbers of kittens that the charity expects to take in during the rest of the summer and early autumn. With up to 7,000 cats in care at any time, this means many cats in Kent will be in care this autumn.
Owing to the unseasonably cold weather at the start of this year, the kitten breeding season has been delayed until the summer, which means Cats Protection will be inundated with hundreds of abandoned and unwanted kittens during August and September.
"As a result of the late spring, the influx of kittens will coincide with our busiest time of the year, putting a massive strain on our Branches," explained Janet Wickens, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Cats Protection.
"We are doing our best to prepare but, like any charity, our resources are limited. I would therefore ask people to give whatever they can - just £10 enables us to give a kitten warmth and shelter for 3 nights, while £20 pays for a month's supply of food."
Individuals can also help alleviate the situation both now and in the future by considering neutering their adult cats.
Beth Skillings, the charity's Head of Veterinary Services, said:
"One unneutered female cat can produce up to 18 kittens a year, or up to 20,000 descendants in five years, so owners who do not neuter their cats may unwittingly contribute to cats being abandoned in the future. Neutering is usually an inexpensive operation that can be performed by a local vet and owners on a limited income can apply to the charity for help towards the costs of an operation."
Cats Protection has thousands of cats that desperately need to find new homes. If you are interested in rehoming a cat or kitten, or wish to apply for financial help towards getting your cat neutered, please call the charity's Helpline on 08702 099099 or email helpline@cats.org.uk. The Cats Protection charity also have an Adoption Centre in Bredhurst, Kent - you can contact them direct on 01634 232471.
If you would like to make a donation to Cats Protection's Kitten Crisis Appeal, please call our freephone number: 0800-917-2287 (lines open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm). Alternatively, you can donate on-line at www.cats.org.uk or send a cheque to the following address:
Freepost SEA 7678, Cats Protection, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 7BR, quoting the code DM8K17.
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