FAQs
Many of the queries we receive, both on the phones & via
email, are similar in nature, and crop up regularly, so we have compiled this
page to hopefully answer the most common questions. If we haven't answered your
query on this page, please feel free to contact us.
Questions from the public:
Where is your shelter based?
I want to adopt a cat or kitten - what do I need to do?
How much to you charge for a cat or kitten?
I can't afford to get my cat neutered - can you help?
I have a stray cat - what should I do?
I need to rehome my cat - what should I do?
My cat has gone missing - what should I do?
I would like to volunteer - how can I help?
I would like to make a donation - what should I do?
There is a feral cat in my garden that keeps having kittens - what should I do?
I know of a colony of cats that are constantly having kittens - what can I do?
You get paid to do this, come & pick this cat up immediately!
Answers:
Where is your shelter based?
We do
not have a shelter, but have fosterers that take in cats to their own homes,
either in a spare room in the house or into cattery style pens in their garden.
Go to our fostering page to find out more.
I want to adopt a
cat or kitten - what do I need to do?
We will
need to ask you a few questions, usually over the phone, & if we have anything
suitable then we will need to arrange a visit your home -
We carry these out to ensure that we find a cat that fits
your circumstances. Home visits are also a chance for you to ask questions and
discuss the ins and outs of homing a CP cat. Go to our Adoption Procedure Page to find out more.
How
much to you charge for a cat or kitten?
We do
not make a charge for a cat or kitten. However, as we need to raise the majority
of our funds ourselves, & we can spend over £100 on 1 female cat (that does not
need any medical attention) then we do request, if possible, a donation. For a cat
or kitten we suggest £35. However this is a
donation so you can give as much as you want to.
I can't
afford to get my cat neutered - can you help?
Cats Protection may be able to help with the cost of
neutering your cat. You can qualify for support
if you are the owner of the cat that is to be neutered
and also one of the following:
- full-time student
- On benefits
For more information phone our
Neutering Helpline on 01495 772181 or email us at
gwentsouthcp@btinternet.com If your application is
successful, the voucher will be sent direct to your
veterinary surgeon ready for when your cat goes for its
operation. The current value of the vouchers is £26 for
female cats and £20 for male cats. You will need to pay
the remaining amount yourself directly to the veterinary
practice.
Multi-cat neutering
We may be able to offer financial
assistance to help neuter groups of six or more cats in
one household. Please phone our Helpline on 01495 772181
& leave a message & someone will get back to your with
more details about this scheme.
I have a stray cat - what should I
do?
If you have a stray cat
that you are not able to keep then we can certainly
put the cat on out list to come into care, & also
offer advise on how to try to rehome the cat
yourself, please go to our Come into Care Page.
I need to rehome my cat - what should I do?
There are many
different reasons why people decide to rehome their cat. Some are sadly
unavoidable, but in some cases rehoming is avoidable with a little help and
encouragement. We aim to give hope and advice to help with both situations,
please go to our »» Rehoming Advice
Page.
My cat has gone
missing - what should I do?
If you have lost
your cat, don’t panic too soon, cats often go ‘missing’ and then arrive home
late, the next morning, or even a number of days later, wondering what all the
fuss is about. Please go to our Missing cat Advice Page.
I would like to volunteer - how can I help?
We are
always pleased to hear from anyone who can offer help. There are lots of things
that we need help with, including fund raising, home visiting, fostering &
donating. Please go to our Volunteering Page - there are many things to be done!
I would like to
make a donation - what should I do?
We need to raise
the majority of our funds ourselves, so every penny helps! Every penny is used
to help the cats & kittens in the Gwent area. If you would like to
make a donation to the Gwent branch then please go to our Donation Page which will give
you lots of way to donate.
There is a feral cat in my garden that
keeps having kittens - what should I do?
We can offer to
pay for the neutering of the cat & also provide you with a trap to catch her. We
have a limited number of traps so there maybe a waiting list but unneutered
females are always top of our list! Give us a call on 01633 850476 or email us
on gwentsouthcp@btinernet.com if
you would like some help or advise. Unfortunately we do not have the facilities
to take any feral cats into care, all we can offer is to trap, neuter & return -
but at least you will not have the problem of a feral colony being born from 1
unneutered feral female - this can happen very quickly. One unneutered female
can be responsible for 20,000 descendents is 5years!!
I know of a feral
colony of cats that are constantly having kittens - what can I do?
An uncontrolled
feral colony will grow quickly; the cats will be
susceptible to disease and may also become a nuisance.
Simply removing the cats isn't a long term solution, as
a new colony will soon move in.
The best option therefore is to
neuter all of the resident feral cats within as short a
time frame as possible. Over a period of years this will
reduce the size of the colony. A controlled, healthy and
manageable colony will deter other ferals from moving in
and will keep vermin levels down.
We may be able to help towards the
cost of neutering a feral colony, provided that the cats
are returned to site and their subsequent well being is
assured (in terms of daily feeding and veterinary
treatment).
You will need to contact us, either
by giving us a call on 01495 772181 or emailing us on gwentsouthcp@btinernet.com.
You get paid to
do this, come & pick this cat up immediately!
All I can
say to this is - WE ARE VOLUNTEERS!!! The majority of us
work during the day & volunteer with the cats during the
evening & at weekends. Even if you have an emergency, we
can only help if we can. We know that there are many,
many cats & kittens out there that we can never help.
This does upset us, but if we do not have the space -
where can we put your emergency?! Many of us have
bedrooms full that are not 'officially' spaces for cats,
but we must draw the line somewhere. This may mean that
we can't help you immediately but we will do our very
best to do what we can & will give you lots of other
numbers to contact to ensure that you have the best
chance of getting some help. So please don't get angry
with us, we are doing THE
BEST THAT WE CAN.
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