Cats Matter
THE CANAL & River Trust, the organisation that cares for over 2,000 miles of towpaths, says that 6.5 million pedestrians, and 1.7 million cyclists, visit the waterways in a typical two-week period.
The Inland Waterways Association also say that there has been a record breaking rise in boat ownership as rising house prices and the cost of living crisis are making living on boat more appealing to people. Many of these will have cat and dog companions, especially given the rise in pet ownership also since the pandemic began.
We are increasingly hearing about cats living on narrow boats and sadly falling victim to speeding bikers, or being attacked by a dog off the lead.
Unfortunately, a minority ruin it for the rest of us but, of those we have spoken to, they say they “just didn’t expect a cat to be there’.’
Given this repeated response, we wanted to raise awareness of the cats and other animals who call our canal network home.
By law, people should not be racing on bikes down a towpath, or allow their dog to be out of control in public spaces anyway, but we would like to urge extra caution on the approach to busy areas, and areas where houses are adjacent to the footpath, or where there are moored boats.
We have recently done a blog highlighting some incidents, what the authorities are doing about the issues, as well as the different avenues people can take in response to reporting those who misuse our waterways and greenspaces: www.catsmatter.org/ single-post/cats-on-canals
Rora had only been exploring outside her home on the towpath for a short while before a stranger frantically knocked on the door of the boat where she lived asking her owner for helping with a dying cat that had been hit by a vehicle.
Her home was moored on a peaceful path by woodland.
She should have been free to walk across the towpath safely and free from harm.
Rora is not the only cat to have been involved in a hit and run by a cyclist by her moored boat.
Apart from wildlife that may be on or near the towpath, people are not usually thinking there might be a cat roaming about on the canal also, so we just want to remind people to remember there is a high possibility, especially near moored boats, and enjoy the summer weather on canals in a responsible way.
If someone does accidently hit a cat on a canal, even if the cat appears to be okay, we would urge they please try to locate an owner if there are nearby boats or houses where the cat could live.
Given the location and lack of resources, it might not be possible to take an injured animal to a veterinarian or local wildlife rehabilitator, as you would following road accidents.
Thank you.