Cat abandoned with heart-breaking note looking for new home
A cat is searching for a new home after being abandoned outside the Blue Cross Torbay rehoming centre with a heart breaking note from his owner, who could no longer care for him. The pet charity says he is just one of many older cats in need of their help, as they are overwhelmed by calls from people who need to rehome their pets.
Staff at Blue Cross’s Watcombe rehoming centre were curious to see a bin liner outside their gates when they arrived at work last Thursday (6th March). On closer inspection, they found that the bin liner contained a cat carrier, with a frightened cat in inside and a note attached.
The handwritten note read: “Jarvis was a starving thin cat now plump! Can no longer look after him, for which I am sorry… Know you will do what you can, can’t let him be uncared for again.”
Kelly Hennequin, Animal Welfare assistant at Torbay Blue Cross, said: “We were really touched by the note left by Jarvis’s owner, who obviously cared for him very much. He’s a very sweet boy, so hopefully it won’t be too long before we find the right new home for him.”
At around seven years old, Jarvis fits into the category of ‘senior’ cats, who often struggle to find new homes, despite being full of life with years left to live. Torbay Blue Cross is currently caring for nine older cats.
Kelly added: “We’d really encourage people to consider rehoming one of our older cats. It’s such a shame that they are overlooked at what is really quite a tender age, when you consider cats often to live up to 16 or 17 years, or even older. They have a good few years in them yet!”
With older cats staying longer at rehoming centres, space is at a premium and there are currently over 40 cats on the waiting list at Torbay. In order to help as many pets as possible, Blue Cross has developed schemes to help more pets without admitting them to centres. Volunteer fosterers care for cats and kittens in their homes and on the Home Direct scheme, cats who are able to stay in their own home with their owner, until Blue Cross find a new match for them.
Jarvis is more of an outdoors cat, but will be affectionate and companionable once he gets used to you and will purr when you scratch his head. He would love to find a new home on a farm or in stables, where he can be cared for while keeping his independence. To find out more about him or any of the other cats at the Blue Cross rehoming centre in Torbay, call 0300 777 1550 or visit www.bluecross.org.uk.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
• Photos of Jarvis and cat box outside centre attached.
• Torbay pet rehoming centre has been helping homeless and abandoned pets across South Devon and East Cornwall since 1988. The centre rehomes hundreds of cats every year and also a number of dogs via The Blue Cross Home Direct scheme.
• To contact the centre call 0300 777 1550 or drop in at Ashley Priors Lane, Watcombe, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 4SE (check the website or call ahead for opening times).
• Blue Cross has been dedicated to helping poorly, injured and abandoned pets for over 100 years. We opened the world’s first animal hospital in 1906 and since then our doors have never closed to sick and homeless animals.
• Today we run four animal hospitals and 12 rehoming centres across the UK, which provide treatment and seek happy homes for thousands of cats, dogs, small pets and horses every year.
• Blue Cross actively campaigns to improve all aspects of animal welfare, working with the government, schools and others to improve the lives of pets and their owners. For more information, please visit www.bluecross.org.uk.
• Information / contact details for partner organisation (if appropriate).
Media contact
Sophia Khan, Blue Cross press office – 020 7932 4070 / [email protected]