Cat centre could have the purr-fect pet for you

On a busy Sunday afternoon there are rows and rows of feline faces peering out at potential adopters and the centre is bustling with volunteers.

Recently the centre came to the rescue of 60 cats found in one house.

In this astonishing case, concerns were initially raised when a report of 12 kittens with eye problems was brought to the attention of the SSPCA. Shortly after, the owners appealed to Cats Protection as they had to vacate their home urgently and a number of cats needed rescuing.

Centre manager Andy Currie said: “We were a bit surprised when the van doors opened and we counted in an additional 48 cats and kittens.

“Our vets were on site when they arrived and kindly stayed on to check the new arrivals that ranged from a few days old to about a year old.

“We were then brought another two by the SSPCA and one of the cats gave birth to two kittens at the centre giving us a grand total of 62 from the one house.

“The arrival of so many at the one time did put a strain on the centre and a lot of improvisation and additional work by the volunteers and staff was required.”

Andy says that help and support from volunteers is ‘invaluable’ and is vital to the running of the centre.

Dozens of volunteers dedicate their time to caring for the cats, with weekends a particularly busy time for them.

Mornings see the pens being cleaned, medication dished out and the cats fed and watered.

Perhaps most importantly of all, they offer them some much needed affection in the afternoon and they also chat to potential adopters.

Anyone who is interested in adopting a cat has to pay a fee and pass a home visit conducted by volunteers, before they can take their new pet home.

The £60 fee covers veterinary care and includes pet insurance for the first four weeks. Each cat will also be checked for fleas and worms, micro-chipped and neutered if they are old enough.

Many of the rescue cats at the centre are victims of over-breeding and poor veterinary care which can often occur when purchasing pets online.

Despite the fact that there are so many cats waiting for homes, many people still choose to buy pets online via advertising websites.

Andy said: “I think that with so many animals in the care of various animal welfare charities, why buy an animal online?

“You could save a rescue animal and give it the chance of a loving home, knowing that you will have been given accurate and honest information about the animal.”

The Cats Protection Centre at Auchinloch is open from 11am - 3pm daily for those looking to take home a new pet.

It even has an Amazon wish list, should anyone wish to donate some toy-s, blankets or treats for the cats.

Visit www.cats.org.uk/glasgowac for more information.