Ellon & District Cats Protection is celebrating 20 years since its fomation in 1991.
During that time approximately 3,200 cats and kittens have been taking into care and homes found for 3,000: the remaining 200 have either been claimed by their owners, or if terminally ill have been put to sleep, while there are currently about 50 in care.
Ellon has a small group of committed volunteers covering a large geographical area and giving freely of their time for the benefit of stray and unwanted cats. This commitment is shown by the fact that of the committee of seven, three are original members and a further three joined about 15 years ago.
There is also a number of helpers who may help with fundraising or home visiting.
For some, Cats Protection has become a way of life, and this is especially true of the fosterers who have 24 hour a day responsibility for the cats and kittens in their care, but also true of the fundraiser's, who spend many weekends standing behind a stall.
There have been many changes in the past 20 years, both within the Cats Protection and in the wider community.
All our cats and kittens are now vet checked, vaccinated, micro chipped and if old enough are neutered before homing.
Prospective homes have always been visited in order to ensure that each cat is matched to the right home.
Volunteers are now more difficult to find than when the branch started, as most people now have jobs as well as families and have little spare time to give to charities.
The financial climate also means that people may be forced to give up their pet or are reluctant to take one on.
A more recent trend is for people to be selling kittens for up to £80 each by advertising in the press and, it is surprising how many will readily pay this amount for a kitten which has not been vet checked, has not received any treatment for parasites, has not been vaccinated nor micro chipped.
A main part of the work of Cats Protection is to encourage the neutering of cats. Entire males spray, fight and spread both Feline Leukaemia and Feline Immunity Deficiency Virus, entire females add to the population of unwanted cats in the country. All charities are full at the moment with unwanted cats which were once adorable kittens.
Almost every day brings a phone call about a female cat which has turned up and had kittens in someone's garden or a tom cat which is spraying and attacking someone's pet.
Cats Protection helps where it can but, when all the pens are full this may mean trapping, blood testing, neutering and then returning the cat to site, this is not always popular but may be the best that can be done.
Much is expected of Cats Protection, but without more volunteers to foster, home visit and fund raise expectations cannot always be realised.
Contact
elloncp@hotmail.co.uk or phone Lynn on 01358 721204 or Dorothy on 01358 723314 for information.
The charge for rehoming a cat is £30 or £45 for two. This fee goes towards the cost of vaccinating, microchipping, Vet care and all the other costs involved in getting the cats ready for rehoming. We also accept donations on top of this fee should you so wish.
Some of the cats in our care may not yet be on our website. If you are looking for a feline companion, please call us on 01358 721204