The secret life of the Curry Mile’s stray cats
Fancy a saag PURRneer? Vicki Scullard investigates Rusholme’s feline colony
RUSHOLME is perhaps best known for the array of curry houses and takeaways closely packed together on a section of Wilmslow Road. The south Manchester neighbourhood is one of the city’s most diverse areas, with a multicultural mix of families living in its rows of red brick houses.
But hidden in plain sight there’s another family in town that even the most eagle-eyed of you may have overlooked.
If you walk around the maze of streets off the city centre’s main artery you may come across members of Rusholme’s Curry Mile Kitties - a 25-strong cat colony with attitude.
But unlike their animated counterparts, it’s not all fun and japes for the stray cats of Rusholme - it can be a harsh world out there.
Not only are they more susceptible to infections, such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), strays are also more likely to be involved in road accidents – especially unneutered male cats, who will roam for miles looking for a female mate.
Thankfully for the Curry Mile Kitties, they are not alone.
Suzanne Crump, who lives in neighbouring Moss Side, is one of the volunteers who looks after the colony.
They have created a safe space for the cats to call home when they’re not roaming the streets, and regularly offer them extra food, as well as carrying out an all important neutering programme.
Some of the cats are fairly tame and comfortable with human contact, but many are completely feral and cannot be handled or approached - so the volunteers have to be extra careful not to spook them.
Teacher Suzanne, 31, said: “The majority were born on the street, so they are classic ferals.
“There are a few that we have been able to rehome, but the majority have been born and bred on the Curry Mile so they are proper street cats – just like on Top Cat.”
The cats ‘live’ in an undisclosed location in Rusholme, but are free to roam the streets like regular alley cats.
Suzanne said: “The cats live in boxes stacked on top of each other. It’s like a cat apartment complex. They’re packed with straw – it’s really cosy. They love their home.
“They still prowl around like they own the place – which they do, of course. Plus there is no problem with rodents in the area because the cats sort that out straight away.”
While the cats are living the life of Riley now, sadly it wasn’t always the case.
The colony was first found almost six years ago by local resident Sonia Wilson following a shocking and gruesome discovery on the Curry Mile.
A council worker found a single black bin bag containing severed animal heads close to Walmer Street East and Basil Street, off Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, in August 2014.
Suzanne said: “When the cat heads incident happened Sonia was mortified and felt that something clearly needed to be done for the stray cats in the area.
“She went to the place where they were discovered and found a load of kittens hanging around, so she took them home and looked after them.
“To keep her friends and family up to date with what was happening with them she created the Facebook page, and it’s grown from there.
“On the page people can donate towards the cats’ care, such as vet bills, the cost of neutering and food. Plus they get to see videos of the cats playing and messing about.” The volunteers work hard to make sure they do not interfere too much with the cats’ day-to-day lives – they just make sure they are safe, well, and well fed.
The team gets help from the Cats Protection, which offers them a discounted rate for their trap, neuter and return programme, and Yew Tree Vets in Withington deals with their health check-ups. The Curry Mile Kitties are every bit the typical mismatched tribe of alley cats - headed up by matriarch One Eye, named due to her missing organ. Suzanne said: “Their leader, the queen, is called One Eye. The rest of them don’t step out of line with her - they wouldn’t dare.”
Also making up the Curry Mile Kitties is Big Fluff, the beautiful black ball of fur who is the oldest member at aged six. Elsewhere there is another black and white moggie called Pedro, and Big Fluff’s brother Button, who has a striking resemblance to the superhero Batman.
“It was a bit manic but it’s got to a manageable stage now, the cats all live in a place together where they can come and go as they please,” said Suzanne.
“They have a feeding station and shelters so they have cover and can hide away when they want to and there is a lot of shrubbery and a huge brick wall perimeter so they are safe from dangers.”
While feral cats cannot be domesticated, the Cats Protection believes that population control is vital, as felines are prolific breeders.
One unneutered female cat could potentially produce up to 18 kittens a year.
Holly Wong, coordinator of the Manchester Branch of Cats Protection, who is also a community neutering officer for the charity, said: “I wouldn’t say Rusholme has a particularly high level of stray or feral cats.
“There are pockets of issues in most urban areas, particularly in areas of deprivation, but the key attraction would be either a feeder or a food source.
“Rusholme’s attraction is the heavily concentrated high number of food establishments so they will either get fed by people to keep the rats at bay or be scavenging from the food waste produced. We have similar sized colonies in several other postcodes in Manchester.”
● You can visit the Curry Mile Kitties on Facebook and donate to the cause at www.facebook.com/currymilekittens/
The majority have been born and bred on the Curry Mile, so they are proper street cats Suzanne Crump, volunteer