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RSPCA using private boarding as centres full
Missy, staying at the RSPCA's Leybourne Animal Centre, is one of the cats looking for a new home.

The charity is appealing for adopters to help.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA) has revealed that it is having to pay to keep nearly 300 cats in private boarding as many of their centres and branches are full.

The cost of the private boarding to the charity is quickly adding up, with the RSPCA spending £8,287 per week to house 285 cats. The charity is keen to move them into its own centres and branches while it tries to rehome them, but there is not enough room.

The RSPCA says the problem is being caused by a combination of an increasing number of cats coming into the centres and a drop in the number of people looking to adopt a cat.

So far this year, the RSPCA has received nearly 10,000 calls about abandoned animals. The charity has said that in addition to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, unwanted litters are being caused by pet owners choosing not to neuter their cats, and the absence of a microchip means that some lost cats can’t be returned to their owners.

The charity is urgently appealing for people to adopt a cat if they can. It has also launched a Cost of Living Hub to help owners struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

Michelle Sidney, animal logistics manager at the RSPCA, said: “It is heartbreaking that we are seeing this, and while we are doing everything we can to take in cats from some of these situations and rehome them, it is becoming a serious challenge.

“On top of an increasing cat intake, rehoming has slowed which has left us in a situation where we have cats coming in faster than we can find homes for them.”

Leybourne Animal Centre is one of the charity’s centres that is struggling to cope with the number of cats in need of rehoming.
 
Leybourne deputy manager Angelina Allingham said: “We are absolutely swamped with cats! They are coming in faster than we can find homes for them.

“Alongside our team of fosterers we’ve currently got 66 cats and kittens in our care. On site we have capacity for 55 cats, but we’re already caring for 46, so we are rapidly running out of room. It won’t be long until those spaces are filled. Our fosterers are caring for 20 cats at the moment so we are practically full to the brim with cats.

“It’s devastating that our intake is going up and up but rehoming has really slowed down. We just want to get these guys and gals into happy homes.”

Potential adopters can search for cats on the ‘Find a Pet’ page of the RSPCA’s website.

 

Image (C) RSPCA

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.