Charity’s message as 16 cats dumped in a month
Pawz for Thought, an animal welfare society in Sunderland, has taken in 16 cats that were abandoned in November and is now looking to rehome them.
Last month, 16 cats were dumped in various locations around Sunderland including a cemetery and at the side of the road, on the A1.
The sanctuary saw a major increase last month of the number of cats that had been abandoned.
Karen Britt, a volunteer at the sanctuary for seven and a half years said: “People think I’ll get a cat for a few years and then they’ll just get rid of it when they don’t want it anymore.”
WithChristmascomingup, the sanctuary has had a few inquiriesfrompeoplewantingto get cats as presents for family members or friends. Karen, has turned these people away but has been met with some harsh responses.
Karen has emphasised that pets are a long term commitment and not a Christmas present that can be returned if it doesn’t live up to someone’s standards.
She added: “I’ve had people messagemeandgivingmelists of everything they want. They say ‘I want a cat that’s friendly, that doesn’t scratch the furniture, that’s playful’.
“They want this and that and and before the cat even hasachancetosettleintoanew home they get sent back because they don’t sit with them, or they’re not playful enough.”
For some cats, their unknown background makes them hard to rehome, meaning they can be at the sanctuary for years. Karen said: “It’s hard for people to get a real feel of what the cats are like in this environment and some cats end up here for years because they’re not what people are looking for, when all they really need is a chance.”