A cat whose owner was forced to give her up because a change of landlord meant she was no longer allowed pets has become the longest staying cat at a centre in Bryncethin.
Tortoiseshell-and-white Tula was taken in by Cats Protection’s Bridgend Adoption Centre in February when her owner had to urgently move home and the only available accommodation would not allow pets.
The 10-year-old is known for being friendly as well as happy to do her own thing but despite her laid back nature, she has now been in care for three times longer than the 39 days it takes on average for cats across the charity’s network to be homed from the moment they arrive in care.
With over 140 cats currently in care at the Bridgend centre and 130 more on its waiting list, as well as pregnant cats giving birth to new litters, it is an extremely busy time. As one of the charity’s top-three centres for adoptions – the team rehomed 643 cats over the past 12 months alone – ‘busy’ is now a way of life for staff and volunteers. However, some cats like Tula are being consistently overlooked and the team fear the underlying reason is age.
Deputy manager Jenna Butcher explains: “More than 40% of our cats are currently kittens and although not all are old enough or ready to go to their new homes, it means poor Tula has a lot of competition. We all know kittens are incredibly cute but one of the great benefits of an older cat is that you already know their personality whereas kittens are still developing. An older cat is also more likely to seek you out for affection, whereas kittens have a lot of energy to burn and are keen to learn all they can about the world around them!
“At the centre Tula is most often spotted relaxing on her scratch pad and showing her belly! She is typical of the cats we’re struggling to home at present, she’s easy-going and although not a lap cat, she’s affectionate with a great personality and doesn’t have any traits that will make her difficult to care for, she’s simply slightly older. We’d love nothing more than to see her happily settled in an adult family where she can be the only pet and really enjoy having a home of her own once again.”
Jenna adds: “If anyone has been thinking about getting a cat, especially one like Tula , we’d love to hear from them. Our team is excellent at matching would-be owners with their perfect cat – and of course the more we can home, the more we can take in and also make space for the young or vulnerable cats who have nowhere else to go.”
All cats adopted from Cats Protection are vet-checked, neutered, microchipped and up-to-date with vaccinations and parasite treatments. All adopters also have access to six months free behaviour support as well as four weeks of free pet insurance.
Further information about Tula and the work at the centre is available at www.cats.org.uk/bridgend or by calling 01656 724396.