Cats wait a total of 344 days in rescue centre waiting to find homes

The RSPCA in Warrington is appealing to find homes for four cats in their care who have waited a total of 344 DAYS to find their forever homes.

This comes as the RSPCA across England and Wales is seeing a stark influx of cats coming into their care – while rehoming has sadly slowed by 30%, meaning more cats are coming into the RSPCA than there are potential adopters looking to rehome them.

The RSPCA Warrington, Halton and St Helens Animal Centre has four long-stay cats who are now desperate to find their forever home. 

Susanne Fearnley, Animal Care Support Manager at the branch, said: “These cats have been waiting a total of 344 days to be rehomed and we’re not sure why. Oscar, Honey, Jemima and Frederick are all lovely cats who will make brilliant companions for their new family.

“Sadly, we have seen a drop in rehoming in general which could be due to the cost of living crisis putting a strain on people’s finances.”

Oscar is a two-year-old black and white cat who has been at the centre for a whopping 143 days after arriving in September last year when he was rescued as a stray cat in need of help. He is such a friendly and chatty feline who loves fuss and food. 

He enjoys playtime and likes being groomed and has a very good nose for food – which means treats will need to be hidden carefully. He is very loving and will make a fantastic companion for a family – he can live with children as he’s quite used to them with his foster family and he will need a quiet garden where he can explore and lounge in the sunshine.

Susanne added: “Oscar’s the most perfect cat but sadly he has been with us for ages waiting to find his forever home. We think it may be because of his coat colour as black or black and white cats tend to be chosen last which could be due to people’s perception that they could be unlucky or don’t look good in Instagram pictures! But we would always urge prospective owners to look past just looks – although he’s so handsome anyway!

“Each cat has their own unique and amazing personality which is due to bring some joy into your life. Sadly, Oscar has seen many of the other cats at the centre go off to loving homes before him which is really sad.”

Honey is a nine-year-old tortoiseshell cat who sadly came into the care of the Warrington Branch for the second time after her previous adopter who rehomed her last year was sadly hospitalised and could no longer care for her.

As a slightly older lady, Honey is looking for a quiet life with a sofa to snooze on and a garden to potter around in at her own leisure. Sadly, Honey has been at the centre for 84 days after being returned in October last year. Honey is a sweet cat who finds cattery life quite overwhelming and is looking for an adult-only home where she can be the only pet and her new owners will be around for a good part of the day to keep her company.

Jemima is a two-year-old silver tabby cat who has been with the centre for 63 days after arriving in December last year. She was rescued from a multi-cat household where her needs were not being met.

Jemima was a little nervous when she first arrived but is now a loving little lady who would suit a nice, quiet household where she can be the only cat in the home – and get all the attention. She would also prefer an adult-only home and to not to live with a dog.

Meanwhile, Frederick is a four-year-old white and black cat who came into the centre 54 days ago after he was found abandoned outside a vets in a carrier along with another cat. He was understandably nervous around people and his new surroundings when he first arrived – and spent a lot of time hiding in his box and rarely popping his head out. Cattery life was rather scary for him but over time, he has started to settle and learn to trust his carers. With plenty of love and attention from staff and volunteers, he is now an incredibly affectionate and friendly boy who enjoys lots of fuss and likes to play.

He can still get a little nervous around new situations so he would prefer a quiet home with a family with secondary school aged children or older and he would also like to be able to go outside and explore. He would also prefer to be the only cat in the home and wouldn’t like to live with a dog.

If you can give any of these cats a loving home, please contact the RSPCA Warrington, Halton and St Helen’s Branch by emailing a perfect match form (available from: https://www.rspca.org.uk/findapet/rehomeapet/process) to [email protected]. 

Alternatively, call the branch for more information: 01925 632944.