Petition calls for cattery to be reopened

DUNDEE’S cat lovers have come together in an effort to protect their feline friends from becoming strays.

Missing Pets Dundee and Angus, a Facebook page dedicated to helping find missing four-legged friends, has joined forces with a group of former Cats Protection volunteers in an effort to resurrect the city’s only cattery.

The group has launched a petition calling for the reopening of the Cats Protection facility on Foundry Lane, after it was closed in November.

The charity, which provided shelter for cats in need of adoption, announced the closure on November 1 when Dundee entered Level 3 Covid-19 restrictions, saying it would last “until further notice”.

Nicky Beaton, the page manager for Missing Pets and creator of the petition, said cats in Dundee have been left at risk after the closure of the charity branch.

She said: “Dundee needs a cattery and we don’t have one now that the place has closed down. The closest Cats Protection branch is now in Arbroath and it’s unfair for Dundee residents.

“We’ve always had one in Dundee and now that we don’t, so many more cats are at risk of just being put out on the street when people can’t look after them.

“We’re hoping that Cats Protection do see what we are doing and decide to reopen the cattery, so that we can have our own local branch.

“So far we’ve had a lot of support for the petition and we are hoping to see more.”

At the time of writing, the petition had gathered more than 520 signatures on change.org, clocking up more each day.

Joan Watson, who volunteered at the old cattery for six years, believes the support shows the huge demand for a new cattery in the city.

She said: “Right now, Dundee’s cats have no protection and that’s leading to problems.

“There’s already a national problem with people getting lockdown pets and putting them out with things opening up again and we can see that happening here in Dundee in some places.

“I think that with the pandemic it’s more important than ever to have these kinds of places and that’s why we’ve decided to do something.

“There are clearly people who want a local cattery in Dundee, for years it worked here.”

A spokeswoman for Cats Protection said an update on the future of the Dundee facility will be given “when the situation is clearer”.

She added: “In light of our ongoing need to ensure our centres can be managed in a Covid-19 safe way, Dundee Adoption Centre remains closed whilst we review how we can best support volunteers and help cats and their owners in Dundee.

“In the meantime, Cats Protection would like to offer our assurance to all cat lovers in the Dundee and district area that we are still able to assist you with adopting a cat, relinquishing a cat into our care and subsidised neutering.”