By Martin Neville – Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Picture by ROBIN CROSSLEY.

WITH his beautiful black and white coat, pink nose and playful character, he would make the perfect family pet.

But even cute kittens like Woody (pictured) are becoming increasingly difficult to re-home as the credit crunch bites.

Feline Welfare founder Nikki Hazelgrove said the current economic climate, exacerbated by a population explosion among the Island’s felines, had brought them to crisis point with more than 20 cats at her small Newport rescue centre or in temporary foster homes.

“We are saturated. We are completely up the creek without a paddle and all the rescue centres are in the same boat,” she said.
“Every day we are having to turn cats away and prioritise our efforts to those in trouble — animals which have collapsed, are injured or emaciated and need veterinary care. It’s so frustrating for us.”

With Islanders feeling the pinch and prioritising their spending, Nikki said it had resulted in more cats being brought to the centre or simply being abandoned. In a double whammy for the Island’s rescue centres, fewer families were willing to take on the financial responsibility of a new pet, meaning cats like Oliver are taking much longer to re-home.“Oliver came to us last October, aged 18 months. He’s now two-and-a-half and still with us,” she said.

Nikki added the onset of winter and freezing nights brought about its own welfare issues for strays, particularly the older cats.

For more information about Feline Welfare and the special neutering/spaying scheme it runs with the RSPCA, please call Nikki on 01983 521778.