More cats rehomed in a ‘rollercoaster year’
Covid-safe model sees 20% rise
VOLUNTEERS are celebrating a year which has seen more cats rehomed since introducing a new digital system – all thanks to coronavirus restrictions.
Like all branches and centres across Cats Protection’s network, the volunteerrun Gosport Town Branch had to pause rehoming and cat welfare work when coronavirus restrictions came into place in March.
When they recommenced homing cats in July they used a new, Covid-safe model named Hands Free Homing which has helped the branch see a 20 per cent increase in cats homed between July and December compared with the same period in 2019.
Kate Stapleford, branch coordinator, said: ‘ This has been a real rollercoaster of a year for all of us in the branch, both personally and in our volunteering roles.
‘But we’re ending on a high, celebrating helping more cats and kittens since July than we did in the same period the year before. It’s a lovely outcome which really shows that something great truly can come out of adversity.’ With Hands-Free Homing, potential owners can arrange a virtual meet-up to check suitability after seeing a cat on the website.
Once the adoption fee has been paid, the cat is delivered in a socially-distanced way to its new home by a Cats Protection volunteer, followed by a series of followup calls in the first weeks.
Other highlights of the year have included successful Trap-Neuter-Return projects.
Six feral cats were humanely trapped at a rural business park in Southwick, between
September and October, and all cats were neutered in arrangement with local vets on standby.
The majority of cats were returned to their outdoor colony after their procedures and health-checks, but two went on to live as chief mousers at a farm where they have had their own cat-flap built into a stable door to give them freedom and shelter.
The branch also had cause for huge celebrations when kind readers of The News helped them raise almost £2,000 after they set a target to try and raise £500 to help them through lockdown.
Readers also delivered a mountain of donations to help the branch navigate kitten season in lockdown.