33. Putting it into practice: "Ah, that's why my cat..."

Cat's needs are not the same as human needs, they are species-specific.

It can be difficult to meet all the needs of cats coming into rescue without some stress and risk of disease, although we have identified ways to minimise this.

Some strategies Cats Protection employ to maximise emotional welfare of the 6000 cats it has pending adoption, at any one time, include:

Providing visual barriers between pens so cats do not come face to face
Providing places to hide, climb and rest up high
Using two beds in the pen, allowing alternate beds with a familiar scent to be left behind while the other is washed
Providing cats with interactive toys to allow them to exhibit some hunting behaviour

The number one way to help the unwanted cat population is neutering before puberty, which is why Cats Protection spends millions of pounds neutering hundreds of thousands of cats every year and promotes early neutering to stop teen pregnancies.

What makes a cat a cat is the very reason why they are so well-loved, and with a little understanding of their background and behaviours we can continue to enjoy our lives with them. It is very rewarding that when we see things from the cat’s point of view we can make a positive change in their welfare.