Centre manager Michelle Igoe with Zoe, aged 5;
Georgina Disney with Tigs, who has an immune deficiency which means she can’t go outside;
Cashew and Kernel, aged 2, are a brother and sister who need a home together:
Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh and Da Vinci – siblings who were abandoned on a pet shop doorstep
Published: 2 August, 2013
by ANDREW JOHNSON
THERE are black cats, white cats, ginger cats, big cats and little cats. But all have one thing in common: they need new homes after being abandoned by owners who for some reason couldn’t cope with them.
The Cats Protection adoption centre in Junction Road, Archway, is appealing for help as the recession and kitten season means that felines are facing their own housing crisis.
Four kittens, for example – Picasso, Monet, Da Vinci and Van Gogh – were recently abandoned on a pet shop doorstep.
Others have been left behind by owners who have had to go abroad and others by owners who couldn’t afford vets’ fees.
Michelle Igoe, manager of the centre, said that they also need volunteers and foster carers after around 100 staff of the national organisation recently took voluntary redundancy.
“The money we have coming in is down,” she said. “But it’s important we invest what we have in looking after the cats.
“We are running a neutering programme at the moment. One female cat can be responsible for 20,000 offspring, taking into account the kittens produced by its children and grandchildren.”
Michelle joined Cats Protection from the NHS where she worked as a manager.
“I was with them for eight years, and things were running really on their own,” she said. “I thought, what did I really want to do, and it was to help cats. I grew up with cats, and my parents always homed rescue cats or strays.
“I even thought about retraining in veterinary science, but when I looked at the jobs I realised my management skills would be very useful. I feel really privileged to have this job.”
She added: “People are often distraught when they give up their cat. It might be because they are being evicted and can’t take the cat with them or they have financial problems and can’t afford the vets’ fees.”
Georgina Disney, who also works at the centre, said that neutering is free for people on benefits or pensioners, and that it’s easier than ever to adopt a cat.
Cats Protection no longer do home checks and potential owners can take a cat away with them. They can also be booked on their website. Some cats are “indoor” and so the new owner doesn’t necessarily need a garden.
“We’ve currently got 56 cats,” she said. “We’re full. We don’t have a waiting list anymore as it just got too long.”
• For more information on becoming a volunteer or to adopt a cat visit www.northlondoncats.org.uk
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