Cat charity launches Garden Cats Guide 2014
Guide aims to reduce numbers of feral kittens
Yorkshire Cat Rescue has published a guide to inform and educate the public on what to do if they suspect that a litter of kittens has been born in their garden.
Despite numerous campaigns to raise awareness for neutering female cats, there are still thousands of litters of kittens unknowingly born in gardens across the country. These kittens are either left to fend for themselves or ultimately put to sleep because they have grown up feral.
The Garden Cats Guide 2014 features eight pieces of advice, ranging from how to spot early signs that a litter has been born in your gardens, to how to tame feral kittens.
The founder of Yorkshire Cat Rescue, Sara Atkinson, said: “Our Garden Cats Guide aims to educate people about what to do if they suspect a cat may have had kittens in their garden – often in a shed or underneath an old car. Mother cats, including tame family pets, will go to great lengths to hide their new-borns and may do so in a covered compost heap or a narrow gap between garages where they are nearly impossible to reach.”
Kittens usually emerge from hiding when they are between five to eight weeks old, by which time they are nervous of people and require extensive one-to-one handling. The earlier kittens are found and taken in to a foster home, the more likely it is that they can be found a loving home later in life.
Sara continued: “If this guide helps someone spot and capture just one more litter of kittens that would otherwise have grown up feral, I would deem it a success. I hope people will read and share it as far and wide as possible.”
Click here to download the Garden Cats Guide for free from the charity’s website.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
