Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Rescue & Rehoming => Rescue & Rehoming General => Topic started by: catwomyn on February 25, 2011, 10:07:07 AM
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Hi, I wonder if any rescues could help me out here.
A friend of mine is a housing support worker and occasionally comes across rather feckless people keeping animals when they're not allowed them in their tenancies, or keeping them in unsuitable conditions etc. They just get them without realising the consequences, or understnding how to look after them properly.
He rescued 3 3-week old kittens a few weeks ago, and the other day he found one person keeping 2 kittens, 2 rabbits and a guinea pig in the same cage!!! I have rescue contacts and arranged for a foster home for the kittens, while he got someone else to take the rabbits & guinnea pig. But unfortunately the *!@# gave the kittens away before he could get them. I am really upset by this, but that's another story.
Anyway we were thinking if his office could produce a simple factsheet about what it actually entails to look after an animal, both financially and in terms of providing a suitable environment. I have downloaded some info from CP about neutering but I am at a bit of a loss about costs of feeding, vet care etc. Do any of you wonderful people have estimates about costs? I don't really keep track of how much I spend on my cats. We'll have to make the info easy to read as a lot of the people he deals with aren't very bright...
Thanks in advance.
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Hi Hun
That's so wonderful of you and your friend to help the animals. :hug: :hug: :hug:
I am sure some of the rescues will pop a post reply but in the meantime here are some links that can help
Kitten care guide - http://www.fabcats.org/owners/kittens/info.html
Some easy to read PDF brochures from CP -
Getting a cat - http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat_care_leaflets/EG01-Gettingacat.pdf
Welcome home - http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat_care_leaflets/EG02-Welcomehome.pdf
Caring for your cat - http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat_care_leaflets/EG03-Caringforyourcat.pdf
Feeding - http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat_care_leaflets/EG04-Feeding.pdf
Behaviour - http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat_care_leaflets/EG06-Felinebehaviour.pdf
Cats & the law - http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat_care_leaflets/EG10-Catsandthelaw.pdf
Cat s & Children - http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat_care_leaflets/EG07-Catsandchildren.pdf
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It surprised me the other day to find one of the larger local social housing agencies did not really have much of a policy on how many animals their tenants could have.
I was checking up on someone one who wanted a couple of cats, lived in a small two up two down in the inner city and already has 2 cats and a dog.
There only policy was 'as long as they didn't cause upset' which, I'm sorry, is just to late really.
If that means that someone can legitimately acquire cats until the neighbours complain, and then suddenly rescues are expected to accommodate 30 cats, then the company are not doing their job.
Its worse than not allowing pets.
The happy medium must be that a limited number of pets are allowed, and must be registered with the agency.
A good agency that really wanted to go the extra mile should also insist that animals are chipped as part of that registration so that animals are not "abandoned" to the neighbourhood and also have a clause that animals must also be neutered as soon as possible with a signed declaration from the vet that this has been done. They should work closely with their local animal rescues.
I know we would welcome the chance to be proactive in this area as would our local CP and RSPCA.
The very least they should do is hand out neutering leaflets with each new tenancy and at regular intervals.
It would save us the job of having to walk the streets posting neutering leaflets when we have other things that need to be done.
If they can run the business, take any profits then this is something that should be managed as well.
Please don't think I am having a go at you because I am not. This is an area that things can be vastly improved on and so easily improved on with one or two motivated people.
and if you are interested, my opinion was in such houses with practically no outside space, 3 pets is enough so please don't shoot me down! :rofl:
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Further to Tans great post, the cost of keeping a cat and vet bills, insurance is constantly changing and very high right now but you sheet could say that cats need to be neutered, vacinated and chipped and insurured due to the high cost of vet bills.
It could be recommended that they draw up a chart and estimate the costs plus food and litter before taking on an animal.
It should be stressed that takong on an animal is for life and in the case of a cat that could be about 20yrs.
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I wonder if you could incorporate the neutering message too ie un neutered males are likely to spray urine in their houses, un-spayed females are more likely to develop mammary cancer. You could put a link/phone number to CP/RSPCA neutering campaigns where they can get reduced cost spaying/neutering.
As for costs, this is just for the essentials:
Cat food - £20 a month for supermarket wet cat food based
Cat litter - £7 a month
Flea drops/worming treatment/carpet flea spray - £4.65 a month - play on the 'if you don't do this your home might get infested with fleas'!
Routine vet visit - £29.50 + cost of any treatment needed (maybe reduce this a bit as I'm South East and my vets are quite expensive).
Vaccinations boosters - £50 a year (£4.15 a month)
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Thanks for all the great replies! The neutering message will DEFINITELY be in there, as it's my particular hobby horse.
In reply to Angie, he doesn't work for a housing association. I don't really want to give all the details as he's not here to explain himself...
The thing is that many of the tenancies don't allow pets, and the tenants get them anyway, and it falls upon the support workers to rehome them... the fact sheet will be for people living in tenancies that do allow pets.
Anyway, I'll be using this info and hopefully get some of these idiots to think twice about taking on animals. Thanks again.
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Well done hun . The more we can spread the word of cat care the right way hopefully it will get better for the rescues :hug: :hug: :hug: