NEGLECT AND CRISIS CASES:

The start of 2026 has been filled with sad cases of neglect and cats and kittens in crisis. Our phone, email and message boxes are filled with requests to take cats in, and there have been so many emergencies.

There has been an unprecedented amount of pregnant cats, hungry mothers with kittens, and a high number of starving, scared and injured tomcats. We and many other charities are struggling to cope with the numbers caused by an appalling lack of neutering and care.

Neglect is as bad as deliberate cruelty, and we have taken in so many of these poor cats, and not all of them survive. The levels of prolonged starvation that some of these cats have endured has taken a mortal toll on them, meaning that sometimes, no matter how much care they receive from us and our vets, it is all too late. Cats turned out of their homes to survive on the streets, cats and kittens dumped in carriers in woodland to die a slow and painful death alone, cats neglected in the home, the list goes on and it is truly heartbreaking.

Brumas, a black unneutered boy, had been spotted by a kind lady, Lin, who was worried about him. She started feeding him and alerted us to his presence and to the fact that he was quite badly injured. She sent photographs and helped with trapping him so she could get him safely into our care. Once he was with us, we could see that his injuries were in need of immediate veterinary care, and they were much worse than we had initially thought. His head and neck were covered in sores and abscesses, and he was given a long acting antibiotic injection and pain relief. He has had a huge amount of fur removed in order to care for his wounds, (so he doesn’t look too pretty right now), but this will of course grow back, and the important thing is that he is safe, he is eating well and is less stressed, which will help in his healing process. Without Lin noticing him, and her kindness, Brumas would have died from his infected injuries.

Ziggy, a sweet little Persian boy, had such a matted coat due to lack of grooming, that he was unable to climb into his litter tray, so he was toileting elsewhere. His matted coat pulled at his skin so much that he has sore red patches of skin. He has had to be shaved by our vets because his knots were so bad that they were impossible to groom out. He is now using the litter in his unit perfectly because he can move without pain, and he isn’t in constant stress, but the whole experience has been extremely distressing for him, and in the short term he will be fostered by one of our volunteers who will help him recover from his ordeal.

Blinky was so weak with starvation when she came into our care, we were afraid that she wouldn’t survive. It has been a long journey and she has a way to go in her recovery. Due to how underweight she still is, we have used little jackets to help to keep her warm during the winter, and will continue using them into the chilly early spring months.

These are just three examples of the many crisis cases we deal with as part of our daily work. Brumas, a homeless, unneutered, fighting tom cat, Ziggy, neglected in his home and given up when he couldn’t use his litter and Blinky, so weak from starvation that her survival was touch and go. They will all be available for adoption when they are ready, but until then we will continue to care for them and give them all the love and kindness they need. It is not just their little bodies that are in need of care, but their emotions too.

These situations are avoidable. There are charities that can help with neutering, professional groomers if you can’t or won’t do it yourself, and plenty of vets and charities available for advice and guidance before things go so badly wrong for the innocent creatures involved.

There is currently an explosion of pregnant cats, kittens, young juveniles, unneutered males, and poor homeless, stray cats struggling to survive. If you suspect a cat is in need of help, please let your local charity know. Scanning for microchips is standard, so if they are somebody’s lost and loved pet, they will be reunited, but if they are in need of help, your intervention could be the lifeline they desperately need – and if you see a box or carrier, or your dog is interested in something on a walk, please investigate, because if they contain a cat or kittens, it could be their last chance of life.