Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
THIS week, if you’re tired of staying in, let’s go on a virtual visit to the RSPCA Cat Adoption Centre at Southall.
If you haven’t been before, it can be difficult to find, not least because it’s sometimes listed as being on Norwood Road whereas it always seems to me to be on Burket Close. But it’s right next to the Grand Union Canal and you can cycle to the centre along the towpath – you just have to remember (unlike me) to come up at the right bridge.
Normally the centre is buzzing with the Cat Adoption Centre on one side and a busy RSPCA Animal Clinic on the other. But, for now, it’s quiet and closed, except to staff and the cats they’re looking after.
Meeting us there (virtually, of course) is the Centre Manager, Bev Leavy. Bev should have been on holiday but, instead, she is leading two teams of dedicated staff as they look after the cats and kittens waiting there for rehoming to restart.
As well as beautiful adult cats, they also have lots of kittens – all with their own reason for needing RSPCA help so early in life.
Take, for example, Elsa’s brood. Their mum, Elsa, came into the care of the RSPCA after falling from a balcony while heavily pregnant. She fractured all her toes and bruised her pelvis. And, then had to give birth. Thankfully Putney Animal Hospital was there to help her. At present, Elsa is on cage rest but she and her gorgeous kittens will be looking for new homes when the Centre reopens.
Having so many kittens at the centre during lockdown presents challenges for staff. Between two and eight weeks of age is a crucial time in the development of a kitten with regard to how well socialised they are likely to be as adults.
The more new experiences kittens have in their early life, the more comfortable they are likely to be with new experiences when they are older. It is, however, important these experiences happen in a place where the kitten feels safe and happy – they must be positive experiences.
With lockdown, such opportunities are limited, for example, meeting a different range of people. Fortunately, the RSPCA has advice on how to address this issue by, for example, playing recordings of children’s/adults’ voices. You can see this advice at rspca.org.uk where you can also find advice on other aspects relating to care of your pet during the coronavirus outbreak.