What happens when a stray cat comes to us ?
When we receive a stray cat, it is firstly scanned across the shoulders, in the hope of trying to locate a Microchip. This chip holds vital information about the cats owner.
See main article HERE
The animal is then given a quick heath-check MOT to start with. This is to discover if anything is obviously wrong with it, that needs to be treated immediately, and for possible future treatment later on. As a matter of course, de-fleaing AND de-worming treatments are administered, to alleviate any discomfort caused by these microscopic and intestinal parasites.
The poor creature is then given a name, purely as a point of reference for staff. If the cat has had a previous home, it will probably have had a completely different name to the one we choose for it. The cat then gets allocated it's own individual, nicely heated cabin - which comes complete with a comfy bed, some tasty food, fresh water, a litter tray and some toys.
For the next few days we monitor the cat, to observe it's eating habits (whether it prefers wet or dry food), its general nature (is it fussy / scared / aggressive), and the contents of its litter tray (which can indicate the presence of nasty worms and the like). Once the cat has started to settle down, and we know a little bit about it's general state, the cabin's cat flap is opened, so the cat can go outside of the heated cabin whenever it feels like it. The cat then has access (via a set of steps reaching down to the floor) to a separate (but still enclosed) outside portion of the pen. Here, there is a very much larger area for the cat to stretch its legs in, it has another comfy bed to lie in, in the fresh air, secondary litter trays to use, and more toys for the cat to have a play with.
During the cats' stay with us, it will be closely monitored as to observe its eating habits - this is usually a good indicator of the cats general well-being, and any sudden deviation is brought to our attention quickly, and dealt with accordingly. All cats are also under the care of our contracted Veterinary Surgery, who consult each cat individually, to diagnose and monitor any ailment the cat is suffering from. Any medication is administered as prescribed by our vet. Any cat in our care can blood-tested if deemed appropriate, to discover any potential communicable diseases (like FIV or FeLV), or to diagnose any unusual feeding behaviour (such as Diabetes - if the cat is noticed to be drinking excessively).
As per our policy on feline population control, the cat is then neutered - if not already done. Males benefit from this procedure, as it reduces the need to spray mark their home, and reduces aggression if their territory is visited by other males. Females benefit from not having to endure repeated pregnancies year after year.
And there is
NO TRUTH to the old-wives-tale that a female cat
MUST have at least one litter before being neutered !!!
Once the cat has been neutered, it is then given a booster course of vaccinations to protect it while it is encountering other cats and the great wide world in general.. The vaccine prevents infections of common communicable diseases such as cat 'flu and feline enteritis. The other thing we do, is fit the cat with a Microchip as a standard procedure. ALL of our cats are microchipped and registered on the national database before the cat leaves our care.
When the cat has been passed as fully fit and healthy by our vet, then they are moved to an identical pen, this time on our "Homing" corridor for the viewing of potential new owners. Who will hopefully choose their next pet, based on their own wants and needs, and the requirements of the cat is also taken into consideration. The cat also comes up in our "
Adopt A Cat" area of this website. A new owner is required to have a "Home Visit" by Cats Protection staff, to ensure that the potential new home is suitable for homing a cat of their choosing.
Once the "Home Visit" has been successfully passed, then the new owner can take the cat to its new home to start its new life. And we at Cats Protection are happy and smiling, for another of our temporary charges has been homed to careful, loving, responsible owners.
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PLEASE NOTE - When a cat has no previous record of ownership, the person who found it, signs a document that effectively transfers ownership to Cats Protection. The cat is then classed as "stray" for TWO WEEKS from date of signing over, and is assumed to have an owner somewhere. Barring our regulation health check, along with mandatory de-fleaing and de-worming, and any immediate medical treatment deemed necessary by our vet, we will not begin the re-homing procedure until this time has elapsed. AFTER TWO WEEKS, the cat is then deemed to be the property of Cats Protection, and will be handled according to our policy on neutering and microchipping before being re-homed.