A mature moggie who enjoyed his naps so much he kept rolling off his owner’s balcony is just one of the older cats currently being overlooked at the Island’s cat adoption centre.
The centre is on the lookout for a home for shy ginger and white Garfield, who loved falling asleep al fresco, but sadly his deep dreaming became too dangerous for him to stay in his favourite sleeping spot.
Centre struggling with a lack of enquiries
He would therefore be better suited to ground floor home with a garden where he can continue his enthusiastic snoozing in the sunshine without risk of injury. However, the centre is struggling with a lack of enquiries, especially for ‘senior kitizens’.
Following a bumper first six months, which saw 48 per cent more cats rehomed than last year, staff and volunteers at Cats Protection’s Isle of Wight Adoption Centre have witnessed a marked slowdown in the number of adoption enquiries. This unfortunately coincides with them experiencing unusually high levels of cats needing care.
Golden oldies
Golden oldies like Garfield are being particularly affected by the lack of potential adopters, having to remain in care longer than expected, and the centre is appealing for would-be owners to consider giving these cats a home before the summer is over.
Morrison: 60 cats in our care
Deputy manager, Jo Morrison, says,
“It’s been a very busy year so far and as fast as we have homed one cat we have had another ready to come into care.
“We always expect summer to be busy, but we’ve noticed that the numbers of cats needing help hasn’t slowed down but our enquiries over the past couple of months have. It means our pens are full and cats are waiting longer to be homed.
“We have 60 cats in care at present and 30 per cent of them are mature, senior or elderly, with the oldest currently being 16 years old.”
Affectionate, friendly personalities
Two other cats currently looking for a quiet home are Millie and Mollie. The 10-year-old sisters have been in care since early May and are known for their affectionate, friendly personalities and relaxed temperaments.
Both enjoy sitting on a lap and receiving lots of fuss. The duo are very clean tortoiseshell cats, with Mollie keeping her sleek semi-long-haired coat well-groomed as does Millie with her neat shorter coat.
Jo says,
“We don’t want to rush anybody into getting a cat before there are ready as it’s a big commitment both emotionally and financially. However, we would love to hear from anyone who has already decided they would like to adopt a cat.
“We’d especially love to hear from anyone interested in one of our older cats – we know their personalities, likes and dislikes already unlike a young cat or kitten, plus they are much more likely to want to snuggle up rather than explore the tops of your curtains!
“Please do get in touch, the more cats we can home, the more cats we can help. We can’t wait to hear from you!”
To find out more about cats currently available for adoption at the centre visit the Website or call 03000 120 175.
News shared by Cats Protection, in their own words. Ed
