Mature Moggies Week 13-17 November #CharityTuesday

I was adopted when I was 10 weeks old. I was lucky. I found the best forever home any kitty could wish for. That was 6 years ago. I am so happy and I love my home and mum (and granny too).💚

Me as a happy contented kitty on my Mum's lap when I got adopted

But some cats and kittens aren't so lucky. Especially mature moggies. Some find themselves at the shelters through no fault of their own. Either they are strays, have been thrown out by selfish owners that no longer wanted them, have been left behind when their humans have moved out, or simply have gotten lost and have not been microchipped so their owners cannot be traced.  Then there are those poor cats whose humans have sadly become ill or died.

There are so many circumstances. But these dear kitties need love and affection and a warm home too. And you know what? They make marvellous companions too!

That's why this week (from 13-17 November), Cats Protection - the UK’s leading feline welfare charity that helps over 190,000 cats each year through its national network of over 250 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres - is holding a ‘Mature Moggies Week’  

From Cats Protection website:

"Figures from the charity, which show that older cats can take over twice as long to find a home as their younger counterparts, prompted the survey to understand why many ‘senior kitizens’ are being overlooked in favour of fresher-faced felines.

“Interestingly, there appears to be a misconception about what constitutes an ‘older’ cat, with 23% of respondents saying they would consider any cat aged over five years as ‘older’,” said Mark Beazley, Cats Protection’s Director of Operations.

“Actually a five-year-old cat is only 36 in human years and a cat generally isn’t classed as a senior until it reaches 11 years of age.”

A survey of 2,000 people who currently own or have previously owned cats, was commissioned by Cats Protection during September 2017 Some other key findings from the survey included:

Character and medical history were the most important considerations for people when choosing a new cat (with 87% and 83% classing them as important respectively), followed by age (68%).
Just 24% of respondents said they would be likely to consider an older cat, compared to 68% of respondents who would be likely to consider getting a kitten.
Less than 4% of people knew that the equivalent human age for a one-year-old cat is 15 years old. The majority (69%) thought that it was five years old.
Only 16% of people knew that the equivalent human age for a five-year-old cat is 36 years old. The most popular answer (38%) was 25 years old.
The top reasons given for not considering an older cat were that it might not live long (72%), it would more likely to get ill (56%) and if it is unwell it will cost money (40%).
Almost a fifth (19 %) of people who were unlikely to consider an older cat said that one of the reasons was that older cats are not very playful.
Owners of older cats cited the top three: they are calmer (58%), they don’t want to leave the house as much (54%) and it feels like they are more of a family member (52%).
Cats Protection says improvements in cat care have greatly raised the life expectancy and quality of life for household moggies, with many now living into their late teens and early 20s in remarkably good health.

However, figures from the charity’s centres show that cats aged 11 and over spend an average of 33 days waiting to be adopted – twice as long as the overall average time of 15 days and over four times longer than kittens, who wait an average of just eight days.

“It’s a shame that older cats stay with us longer as they have a lot to offer,” added Mark. “They tend to stay closer to home, so they are less likely to be involved in road traffic accidents and more likely to enjoy curling up on a warm lap, making them great companions.

“Their characters are fully formed so you know what sort of cat you’re getting and they’re less likely to scale the curtains or knock your ornaments off the shelf! That said, older cats can often still be quite playful when they choose to be and many enjoy a few short games each day.

“Life in a pen is no substitute for a permanent home so we would urge people to consider adopting an older cat.

“All cats adopted from Cats Protection have been fully health-checked and come with a full medical history and four weeks’ free pet insurance which will cover any new conditions that arise after adoption.”

During Mature Moggies Week, Cats Protection will be asking people to share stories about their own cats as well as providing educational messages and advice to those who either own or are thinking about adopting an older cat.

To get involved visit Cats Protection’s social media channels from 13-17 November at www.facebook.com/catsprotection or www.twitter.com/catsprotection

For more information about mature moggies visit: www.cats.org.uk/maturemoggies
                                                                                                                 

Mature Moggies at Cats Protection

Adele and Blinky are Cats Protection mature moggies. If you would like to adopt them or see other senior cats looking to be rehomed please click here to take you to Cats Protection website 

ADELE (Photo: Cats Protection)

BLINKY (Photo: Cats Protection)

Older kitties awaiting forever homes at Wood Green, the Animals Charity

LEAH (Photo: Wood Green)

Leah is a beautiful, sweet, affectionate girl that enjoys a fuss and a chin tickle. She can be a little nervous about people she doesn't know at first, but soon relaxes and starts to purr loudly.  She is looking for a quiet home where she can be the centre of attention and have all the love she deserves! If you would like to find out more information about Leah, then please contact the Heydon centre.

CINDERS: (Photo: Wood Green)

Cinders is a very affectionate lady and will often express this by padding with her paws and by having a little dribble! She would love nothing more than to have a loving home, and she is very eager to meet you. If you would love to give her a home contact the Heydon centre.

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MY RESCUE STORY

All proceeds from A Forever Home For Athena will be donated to the following charities:

Wood Green the Animals Charity
Greek Cat Welfare Society 
Cats Protection 

All proceeds from this bag 
and mug will be donated to the above charities.

Rescue Cats Rock Coffee Mug
by CatGoddessDesigns

Athena Adopt Don't Shop Bag by CatGoddessDesigns
Create personalised canvas tote bags at zazzle.co.uk

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More homeless pets looking for forever homes can be found on my Mum's Pinterest Pet Rescue board.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. As a rescue kitty myself I want to help other rescues find their forever home, so each week on Charity Tuesday I share adoptable cats from Wood Green, the Animals Charity (which is where I was rescued) and some other charities dear to our hearts. Mum and I are so grateful to Wood Green because without them we would never have found each other! Please note however that this post does contain some affiliate links. This means if you click on the Zazzle or Amazon links to purchase any of the items featured, I will receive a small 
affiliate commission. We are not affiliated with any other charity mentioned in this post.