A cat charity scheme in Sheffield aims to help carers in the city to get access to neutering for their pets.
Cat Smart in Sheffield is run by the RSPCA and offers free and discounted neutering and microchipping for cats in the city. To mark National Carers Week (10 -16 June), the charity is highlighting its plan to expand its services to help more carers in Sheffield. 
As part of the scheme, the team is able to pick up owned cats from their homes, provide cat carriers and transport and take them to be neutered before bringing them back to the owner after the procedure is done.
Carrie Stones, RSPCA’s cat population control manager, said: “This may seem like a simple thing but for someone who is relied on by a loved one 24-hours a day, other priorities like routine vet appointments can require lots of planning and care cover so Cat Smart want to take this worry away and make it easy as possible for owners to have their pets neutered so that they can continue the amazing work they do as carers.
“It’s great to be able to help people as well as their animals which is why supporting carers in Sheffield is extremely important to us. The UK is currently facing a cat overpopulation crisis with so many cats and not enough homes for all of them, which is why charities like ourselves are left inundated with unwanted cats and kittens.
“Neutering your cat from four months old can help tackle this crisis and not only that, it also helps to calm tom cats and queens alike making them easier to handle for the owner, as well as safeguarding them from disease and unexpected pregnancies.”
Sandra Brady, from Sheffield is a carer who used the Cat Smart service in February this year. She knew she wanted to get her two-year old cat Gizmo neutered but as she cares for her husband, John, 66 around the clock she wasn’t able to take him to the vets herself.
She said: “I just couldn’t have done it without Cat Smart. I care for my husband 24-hours a day, from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed. It was so appreciated that Cat Smart could come and fetch Gizmo and take him to be neutered. He had started attacking and scratching the sofa- – and me – but since he has been snipped, he has calmed down so much and doesn’t do that anymore.”
Carers Week is an opportunity to highlight the amazing work that carers do and the chance to look at ways to further support carers like Sandra, so they can continue to look after loved ones.
Cat Smart has so far teamed up with Sheffield Parents and Carers Forum and Sheffield Carers Centre, who provide vital support to over 11,500 local unpaid carers, to reach more people who may need access to the charity’s services.
To get in touch with Cat Smart, you can visit www.facebook.com/CatSmartSheffield
