Our Animal Welfare Officers have had a busy month rescuing some of the capital’s cats that have been found abandoned or neglected in some of the most unlikely places.

From providing ongoing support to carers and pet owners in difficulty, responding to animal welfare issues out in the community, and delivering a range of initiatives including a Trap, Neuter, Return programme for London’s feral cats, our Animal Welfare Officers are always on hand to help, and this month have been called out to a range of cat cases:

A few weeks ago, a 14 year old cat called Cleo was left outside The Mayhew. The carrier had a note attached to the top which stated that Cleo has hyperthyroidism and the owner could no longer look after her. Unfortunately this is a sad situation that we so often see when older and ill cats are neglected and dumped because their owners cannot afford to pay the vet fees.

One female cat, which had been abandoned by her previous owner, was found in a neighbour’s shed and had given birth to a litter of five kittens. This is another common situation when pet owners don’t consider the full commitment of owning a pet and cats are dumped because they are no longer a cute kitten.

Our Animal Welfare Officers were recently called out to rescue tiny and friendly two month old Pickle, the cat, who was found running around a local playground.

One male cat had jumped off a balcony in a tower block in Kilburn, but sadly died from the fall. He had not been neutered, which could have been why he was so desperate to escape and find a female.

Our Animal Welfare Manager, Zoe Edwards, said: “This poor cat went through an awful ordeal. We suspect that because this cat was unneutered, it was restless and hormonal and was desperate to find a female cat. A male cat’s instincts will make them do everything they can to find a mate, which might have been what made this poor cat so desperate to jump from a balcony. We urge owners to neuter their cats, whether male or female. Indoor cats also need to be neutered as it not only helps with behavioural issues, it can also prevent accidents happening that could be fatal. “

At our Vet Clinic here at The Mayhew we provide low cost and affordable neutering.

While eight kittens were brought in after being found abandoned – they are so adorable we have named them after rappers including Tinie Tempah, Wiley, and Stormzy.

Our Animal Welfare Officers rescue and help hundreds of animals in need every year. They also operate a Trap, Neuter, Return programme to control London’s feral cat population. Our Vet Clinic neuter and health check the feral cats and they are returned back with their colonies. Find out about their work here and please consider a donation to help them help even more animals.

We offer low cost neutering at our community vet clinic; find out more about our services and book an appointment at our Vet Clinic here.

Notes to Editors

• Since 1886 The Mayhew Animal Home is one of the most effective animal welfare charities in London, helping thousands of dogs and cats to escape a life of abandonment, cruelty and neglect every year.
• The Mayhew rehomed 542 cats and dogs, reunited 63 lost dogs with their owners, and helped 1327 animals in the community in 2015.
• Our Animal Welfare Officers actively work in the local community preventing animal welfare problems before they arise and helping pet owners take care of their pets.
• Our Vet Clinic is our on-site community clinic providing low cost and free neutering and also worming, de-fleaing and microchipping as well as dental care and health checks.
• TheraPaws is our pet therapy initiative where we take dogs into hospitals, hospices and dementia and care homes across London to visit and engage with older people, encouraging social interaction and emotional and physical wellbeing.
• The Mayhew also works overseas. Mayhew International works in countries including Afghanistan, Georgia, India, Nepal, and Russia tackling the cat and dog overpopulation crisis. We help to fund neutering and rabies prevention programmes and provide veterinary training for overseas vets.
• More information about The Mayhew’s work can be found at themayhew.org