The SPCA is putting out a plea to cat lovers to consider adopting a new pet, preferably an older cat. A flood of cats and kittens have inundated the cattery in the past couple of weeks. In the last two weeks alone, the SPCA has received over 500 cats and kittens.
SPCA Animal Services Manager Tracey Dunn says they are appealing for people to consider adopting an adult cat, as they often tend to get overlooked in favour of kittens.
“Most of our kittens are not ready to be adopted till January. We don't adopt kittens out till they're 8 weeks old, and they have to weigh at least 800g, more if they've been sick. But we have various ages of cats coming in at the moment. We have a lot of lovely adult cats and older kittens. Adult cats might also suit some people’s lifestyles better. All our cats and kittens come desexed and microchipped,” she says.
Tracey says that the SPCA can give people good advice on which cats to adopt when they come in. Older cats can be a great match for those with busy lifestyles as they might require less attention, their personalities are already developed, and the cat is more mature than a young, naughty kitten.
“We always tell people to consider how much companionship they can give a cat before adopting one. For both kittens and cats, if you’re going to be away for long periods of time during the day, such as for work, you might want to consider getting two so they can keep each other company.”
Tracey says that people should also consider other factors before taking on a pet, such as ongoing costs (food, vet bills), how it will fit into their lives, if they have children or other pets, and how they might take care of cats while on holiday.
“We get kittens from people who haven’t desexed their cats, lost or stray cats, abuse cases, people dumping them, pet owners whose situations have changed and they maybe can’t afford to have a cat anymore, or they’re going away for the holidays and their arrangements for pet care has fallen through.”
If you’re interested in adopting a cat from the SPCA, check out their adoption guide for more details.