Feral Cat Welfare - Welcome

A family of rabbits needing a home

  

Mum, dad and female baby rabbit all looking for a new home together.

Sometimes in the course of our cat welfare work we come across other animals suffering from abuse or neglect, and if we can we try to help them too.  This family were living in a small outdoor hutch, initially with four more babies which had been sold via the internet.  The hutch was so small the dad's head touched the roof and there was no room for them to move, hop or even lie full length.  The base was wet and filthy and consequently the undersides and paws of the rabbits were also wet and filthy.  We have taken these rabbits into our care and they have now been cleaned up and the mum and dad neutered.  We'd love for them to go to a home together once they are over their ops and have been reintegrated (we've had to separate dad while mum is recovering and because his instinct to mate will not abate for a couple more weeks).  The baby rabbit will need spaying at 5-6 months.

If you have experience with rabbits, have a large hutch (no smaller than 6'x2'x2', a secure fox/dog-proof run so they can enjoy some time on grass, and would like to help this family further by providing them with a loving home, please get in touch.  A home visit will be carried out and a donation towards their neutering operations appreciated. 

For advice on hutches and requirements see: http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm

 


Charity Auction

We will be holding a fun charity auction on Saturday, 10th March.  If you can help by donating items such as those below, the cats would be very grateful (and so would we!)

 Small pieces of furniture that will fit into a car (chairs/stools/cabinets/side tables/lamps/bookshelves etc)

Jewellery - costume/silver/gold/modern/old

Unused items of any kind still in boxes/cellophane

Well known perfumes/aftershaves/lotions/moisturizers etc

Ornaments, kitchenware, crockery, glassware

Pictures, prints, posters

Fun, quirky, collectible, unusual items - don't have to be expensive! 

We can collect if you live in Leeds. 

Extra help on the day is always appreciated too! 

 You can now help us by making a donation through

eBay - Easyfunding - Paypal or byTexting a Donation (Just Giving)

Please see our donation pages for further information. 

 

 

HISTORY  

Since 1997 the trustees of FCW had worked as volunteers for Adel Branch of Cats Protection in Leeds until it was closed in January 2010 by the National Cat Centre. As well as taking in and caring for unwanted domestic cats, the Branch had been supporting feral cats by neutering and providing food thus preventing their numbers from increasing and reducing their suffering.  Knowing the struggle feral and timid strays face, being the least popular of cats and the most persecuted, the trustees wanted to try and continue helping those that had once been supported regularly by the Branch and do whatever they could to help those that would come to their attention in the future.  Feral Cat Welfare was formed in March 2010.

HOW WE WORK

We are completely self funding and volunteers carry out all the work in their spare time and from their own homes.  We do not have an adoption centre but rely on fosterers to care for the cats temporarily until suitable homes can be found.  There are two Trustees (Treasurer and Secretary), a Fundraising Organiser and a group of volunteers who help in any way they can.  We are a registered charity and work within the guidelines outlined by the Charity Commission.

AIMS

  • To educate the public with regards responsible pet ownership.

  • To raise funds for and run neutering campaigns to reduce the number of unwanted kittens being born and so reduce the number of homeless and feral cats.

  • To supply food to those people feeding feral cats on a regular basis and contribute towards veterinary treatment if necessary. 

  • To loan traps to and wherever possible assist those people willing and able to trap feral cats for neutering.

  • To raise funds to provide a permanent refuge for feral and timid stray cats.


WHAT ARE FERAL CATS?

Many times cats that are considered feral or wild are just frightened domestic pets that have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves, often unneutered.  Once in care they soon show their true characters and are found to be friendly and affectionate.  Even cats considered feral or wild can turn into loving, trusting and loyal companions if given time and patience.  If nursing feral mothers can be brought into care before their kittens are too old then the kittens are just as tame as a domestic kitten.  If brought into care slightly older, they can still be "socialized" and eventually become as friendly and trusting as domestic kittens. 

What Feral Cat Welfare cannot do at the moment is trap cats and kittens on a regular basis as, being a relatively new group, we do not have the volunteers, funds or facilities for this work.  It is recommended you contact the National Charity, Cats Protection, (see Neutering Assistance below) for further assistance regarding trapping.  A local Branch may be able to help.
 
THE LIFE OF A FERAL OR TIMID STRAY CAT

Feral and timid strays live an often precarious life and many kittens don't even reach adulthood.  They are considered vermin by pest control companies who trap and dispose of them, not always humanely.  Many people are unaware of ferals because they are shy and nervous of people and usually stay hidden during the day.  Calls for help with feral cats often only surface when a litter of kittens is found in a garden or outbuilding.

The responsibility of feral cats lies with humans as they are the result of the human desire to have cats as pets.  They exist because adult pet cats were not neutered and after being abandoned, thrown out or because they strayed produced litters of kittens in hidden "nests" outside.   These kittens grew without human contact and became nervous, and they went on to have more kittens who grew to be feral.  They are not the same as true "wild" cats and with patience and kindness many can revert back to the domestic cat they once were, or learn to trust and show affection to their feeder or carer.  Kittens can be socialized and become as friendly as domestic kittens if given time.  Others remain feral and avoid humans wherever possible but still rely on them for food, often scavenging around dustbins, back alleys and gardens.  These cats live a short and fretful life.
 

Unneutered females can become pregnant repeatedly, struggle to find safe situations to rear their kittens and are constantly hungry.  Before they have regained their strength and their kittens have become independent they become pregnant again.  A feral mother rarely succeeds in feeding two litters of kittens at the same time and  some inevitably suffer.  Unneutered male cats wander and fight for territory and food and soon deteriorate due to starvation, infected wounds and disease. 

NEUTERING ASSISTANCE

Feral cat numbers would be greatly reduced if pet cats were neutered.  Feral Cat Welfare does not have the funds available to support reduced cost neutering but if cat owners are on benefits or low income half price or free vouchers can be obtained from Cats Protection.  There are many Cats Protection branches around the UK that are run by volunteers, some of whom may be able to help with the trapping, neutering and return of feral cats.  They supply neutering vouchers to the public for their own cats, dependent upon income, and assist with funding the neutering of larger colonies of feral cats by providing grants.   

If you know of any domestic or feral cats in need of neutering, please contact Cats Protection on 03000 12 12 12 who may be able to assist.  You will also find a list of local Branches on the Catchat website:   www.catchat.org.  
We respect all animals and the environment and make every effort to use environmentally friendly and ethical products and services in our work.