Feral

Thanks to Daughter for telling me about Westgate Ark in Newcastle, which works with Cats Protection to rescue and rehome cats. At present, some areas are being invaded by feral cats.

Feral cats are unwanted cats who live wherever they can. Some are abandoned, or strays that haven't been neutered. An unneutered cat can produce litter after litter after litter, so these kittens have no experience of living in a house and before long they are old enough to breed. However much you like cats, swarms of them are a problem. The cats don't have much fun either, living on the street, scavenging for food, and having to fight for their place in the pecking order.

A heroic lady called Linda has been rescuing feral cats and kittens and taking them to Westgate Ark. The aim is to find them homes, but before this can happen they have to get used to being handled, and what it's like to live in a human environment. They have to feel safe with people. Not easy with adult cats, and probably not always possible, but the chances are better with kittens. Westgate Ark depends heavily on volunteers to do the immense work of feeding and cleaning, but now they also need volunteers to just be with the kittens, talk to them and handle them, in order to socialise them.

Yes. They need volunteers to cuddle kittens. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.