THE NEIGHBOURHOOD CAT
By Carly Lazowski
Spring is the time of year when the cattery at West Hatch has an influx of entire ( unneutered ) male cats . In one week alone we had three entire males admitted , all with a similar story but from different areas .
All three of these cats had abscesses from fighting , which lead to members of the public phoning the RSPCA , concerned for their welfare . Sadly these male cats had been living out on the streets for some time .
Male cats like these are often fed by several members of the public where they may receive some sort of shelter . The neighbourhood cat can tick along for a few years like this .
The problem arises when the cat needs extra support like veterinary care or becomes a nuisance to the community , like fighting with other cats , spraying or entering people ’ s homes . This is when the RSPCA are asked to help as there isn ’ t any one person that is able to take full responsibility for the neighbourhood cat .
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The RSPCA helps sick and injured stray cats . Quite often these cats will need a cat trap set as they will be unhandleable . On arrival at West Hatch a male cat fitting this profile will be very unhappy with his situation and will often need a few days to settle into his new environment . After receiving the medical care he needs , the cattery team will look to place the cat into the right home after the cat has undergone behaviour assessments and rehabilitation .
During the cat ’ s stay it soon becomes clear that he would have been in a home situation at some point in his life , more than likely as a kitten . The cat will be nervous of people but will make small steps towards interacting with us .
There is always a story behind these male cats often told by the people living where the cat hangs around . The simple act of neutering and ID chipping is likely to prevent a large proportion needing to become the neighbourhood cat and in turn needing help from rescue centres .
Following on from the arrival of these males will be the pregnant females ...