Cats Protection

Before you use the contact link, please read the information contained on this page regarding strays - Thank You.

What constitutes a Stray? Is it the Cat that has wondered through your Garden, dug a hole, and destroyed your plants? The answer to this is No.

Cats by their very nature are creatures who know few boundaries, they are not like dogs, who are happy to remain in your garden, and go for a walk with you, although I have to admit, several of our Cats join us when its Dog walking time.

All Cats have the instinct to survey their territory at least once in their lifetime. And that territory can be as much as 16 square miles, why? well, the main reason is to check out the 'New Kids on the Block', food sources for emergencies, and lay their scents all over the area so other Cats on the prowl will know they live here, and this is their territory.

So, we get back to the question, What is a Stray? To answer this we need to elaborate more on 'What is not a Stray'.  Seeing a Cat in the Garden or Doorstep, Windowsill etc, which obviously is saying 'let me in, I'm hungry' doesn't constitute a stray, it is most likely is someone's Cat who senses a home friendly to Cats.

The law is unclear on Strays, but the RSPCA's policy on this is the one we follow. The Cat must be seen for 8 consecutive days to be designated a Stray. A Shelter or Rescue will not, or should not, take a Cat in for re-homing until this time period has elapsed.  However, if the animal is sick or injured, then its classed as an Emergency, and First Aid may be given by a Vet.  If you feel this is the case, contact the RSPCA on telephone number 08705 555 999. Cats Protection are not an emergency service, so therefore not equipped to help in this situation.

Many people are scared to feed these Cats incase the animal takes up residence, but, I always advise people to feed them.  If we have a space after the 8 day period and can take the Cat, its always easier when you know where the Cat will be at a set time. So feeding at a regular time is important.  If you find out that the Cat belongs to a neighbour or lives near by, then you know you are not putting their life at risk by withholding that food, so it can safely be stopped, and the Cat will soon learn not to keep calling for food.

July 1st 2007

Cats Protection now has a policy where a stray must be advertised. The finder must place an ad in the local press, or put a postcard with the cats details in a Newsagents window, etc. This advertising MUST be in place, before we can accept the stray on our waiting list.

One tip is to place a collar on the Cat, one with a message barrel, then you can place a message in this barrel, stating that the Cat has been a regular visitor, and leaving a contact phone number.  This has proved a very effective way of informing owners what their Cats are up to.

Another idea is to take the Cat to a Vet and ask them to scan it for a microchip. This method of identification is becoming more and more popular, and I would advise any Cat owner to microchip rather than placing collars on their Cats.

Often when kittens are not neutered when they reach 6 months, they wander away from home, and get lost.  A Queen will come into season, and seek a mate, a Tom will feel his hormones stirring and likewise search out a mate.  The outcome of this is 'kittens'.  And more often than not, a Cat will seek out some shelter in order to have her kittens, and that shelter could be in your garden.

The Mother cat by this time is learning to rely on her instinct, and although she was born a domestic cat, she now appears feral, mainly because, she shows a lack of trust towards humans. So what do you do?  Phoning rescues will inevitably bring the question, "Is the Mother feral?" and all too often, a quick judgement is made, and the answer, yes, is given without it necessarily being the case.

Firstly the fact that the cat is alone with her kittens, although sometimes it has to be said, the Tom responsible for fathering the kittens, does stay alongside his new family, indicates the Mother may not be feral, as a feral cat is a colony cat, and seldom do ferals leave that colony. Also a feral would seldom come into a garden for food. or shelter, as they prefer places where there are few if any humans around.

The photo I have included here is of such a family of Cats that appeared in a garden and advice was sought about.  The Mother was timid, and would hide if the owner of the house appeared, but, when the owner placed food in the garden daily for her, she soon brought her kittens along to share the goodies. Then gradually the householder, gained her trust.  This story had a happy ending, as the kittens were brought into CP care and were rehomed. The Mother cat was adopted by the householder, where she now lives happily, sharing the home with an adult Tom.

The hard part of this, is trying to handle the kittens in order to domesticate them.  Kittens born outside have sharp instincts, wild instincts, and if they are not caught and handled early enough, will be impossible to tame.  So, if we dont get them soon enough, or they are not handled, then we have little choice but to leave them outside, and come back and neuter them when they are 6 months old.

If this happens to you, please report them to us as soon as possible, and here are a few tips to help you decide how old the kittens may be. If their eyes are still blue, it usually means they are under 6 weeks, if their tail is 4" long, they are already too old for us to tame.

A Cat is designated in Law to be Property. So, it comes under the Laws of Criminal Damage.

For a Cat to be accepted into Cats Protection, it must be neutered, free of fleas and worms, and tested for Feline Aids and Leukemia. In order to test for this we need to authorise for the Vet to shave an area on the Cats Leg.

Both the act of neutering, and testing, could be classed as Criminal Damage and the owner would be within their rights to attempt to seek compensation.

This can be hard for people to understand, and I have often been called, uncaring, when a Cat is out in the bad weather, but, I do care, all of us here at Cats Protection care, and if we can help, we will do so as soon as we are able.

Try and offer shelter to the Cat, an outbuilding, greenhouse, even a makeshift shelter constructed from any waterproof covering, with warm dry bedding will help the situation.

Feed the Cat, avoiding giving it Cows Milk. ( Many Cats are allergic to this and it causes all kinds of gastric problems)

Try and gain its trust.

Don't attempt to handle the Cat if its aggressive toward you, this is often caused by stress and is no indication of their true nature.