RSPCA South Australia is currently caring for the highest number of felines ever.
There are 669 cats and kittens in care, a 35% increase on the total number of felines in care two years ago and a 16% increase on the number in care at this time last year. The most dramatic increase has been in adult cats. A total of 190 adult cats are in care, up 24% compared to this time last year.
Over the next 12 days leading up to Christmas, RSPCA South Australia is dropping the adoption fee for cats over 6 months old. RSPCA South Australia’s Head of Animal Operations Tim Charles hopes the no-fee offer will be the incentive people need to open up their homes and hearts to a friendly feline this Christmas. All cats and kittens available to adopt from RSPCA are desexed, vaccinated, microchipped and vet-checked.
“Cats come to us for a variety of reasons, none of them their fault, and the best Christmas present for them, and the dedicated staff and volunteers who care for them, would be a loving new home,” Charles says.
Of the 190 adult cats currently in care, the majority (63, or 33%) were surrendered by their owners, some of whom either had too many cats to care for or couldn’t find pet-friendly accommodation. Nearly 60% of the 479 kittens currently in care came in as strays, some of them clearly dumped – an illegal act under SA’s Animal Welfare Act.
Kitten season is in full swing, with last year’s introduction of mandatory desexing laws still to take effect. Charles urges anyone who was unsure whether desexing their cat was the right thing to do, to visit an RSPCA shelter and see for themselves the tragic consequences of indiscriminate cat breeding.
“Our rescue officers continue to find kittens in shocking circumstances, such as dumped in boxes or left wandering beside busy roads,” Charles says.
“Most of them are living with our wonderful volunteer foster carers because they’re too young to be desexed and made available to adopt.
“Our message is that, like dogs, every cat deserves a responsible owner – that is the primary goal of our recently released cat management plan, a joint initiative with the Animal Welfare League.
“As a compassionate community, we must continue to work together towards far better welfare outcomes for cats than we are currently seeing.”
All cats available to adopt can be viewed here.
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