Cats Protection: Leading the Way in Cat Rescue and Care
Cats Protection is a charity that aims to protect stray cats, home unwanted cats and provide better welfare for cats. Fortunately, I had the chance to meet and interview store manager (Purley) Monica Shannon about the charity.
What is the primary mission of your charity when it comes to cat protection?
Monica said that this charity aims to help cats, rehome cats and protect them. Educating people on taking care and adopting cats, spreading the word about the safety of cats.
This can be in the form of speeches, lectures or assemblies in schools or colleges.
They also work in the local areas around them, rescuing stray cats and helping them find new owners whilst also making sure their health is good.
Can you share some of your initiatives that have significantly impacted cat welfare?
Cats Protection think that the best way to reduce the number unwanted cats is by neutering existing cats.
Neutering means when a female pet is sprayed to remove ovaries, and a male pet is castrated so they can't produce baby kittens.
This is helpful because a mother can produce around kittens every time they give birth, which can be too much for the owner, this means that the owner is likely to abandon and leave the kittens, which gives the cats a worse quality of life, this is also healthier for the female cat.
Cats Protection offers to pay for neutering surgery in lower-income households and provide education on it.
Cats Protection also provide temporary homes for cats to stay in, provides permanent homes and helps with cats' mental health and anxiety.
How can the people reading get involved with your charity?
One way is by volunteering, Monica said that in a typical retail shop, there is only an assistant manager and a store manager. The rest of the workers are volunteers.
Another way you can help is by donating old items and unwanted possessions so that the charity can sell the stock to invest in cats.
Of course, you can always donate to the charity or report stray cats that you find.
What is a challenge your charity faces today in cat protection?
Monica says that a problem that she faces is the economic condition of the country.
This is because as the economy gets worse, more people financially struggle, and those people don't have the money to support a pet cat, so many people leave them for adoption.
However, this means that fewer donations are also made, but there are more cats to care for.
Therefore, this struggle affects the charity.
Can you share a success story where your charity made a big difference in a cat’s life?
One story is when Monica was working in the shop and heard a faint meow outside.
Outside the shop was a kitten in a cardboard box with a plate of food.
That kitten has now been adopted by Monica, who has now saved it from a life in the streets to a comfortable home where it's provided for.
There are many more success stories that were possible because of Cats Protection.
So, if you would like to donate or support this charity's cause, here's the website.
And thanks to Monica Shannon for the opportunity to have this interview.
