Feline Friends London

27/10/2024

Following on from our amazing update today we’d like to ask everyone a huge favour and hope that you can help us raise awareness of the change in the RCVS Code of Conduct.

The change has meant that owners of elderly cats like Boots who are lifted off the streets as strays and euthanised can complain to the RCVS for non scanning.

It means that when your cat disappears and is taken to a vet and euthanised by a person not registered on the microchip your voice will be heard.

These are cats like Bibs and Boots who have driven our determination to see cats recognised in the same way that dogs are so please share this information to all the cat groups you are in and contact us directly or tag us in posts where you see this happening.

“Standards & Advice update: April 2024

This update follows a decision by the RCVS Standards Committee to agree new guidance on compulsory microchipping of cats following the introduction of legislation in England.

In April 2024, our Standards Committee agreed to add guidance on the new legislation which extends the compulsory microchipping requirement to cats into the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct at Chapter 29 (‘Small animals and microchips’) and Chapter 8 (‘Euthanasia of animals’).

Historically, only dogs have been subject to compulsory microchipping in the United Kingdom. However, from 10 June 2024, by way of the Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, keepers of cats older than 20 weeks in England will also have to ensure that their cat is microchipped. Guidance has been added into Chapter 29 to support veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to understand the requirements.

Additionally, Standards Committee agreed to add cats to the guidance in paragraphs 29.30-29.33 of Chapter 29, and paragraph 8.9 of Chapter 8, around scanning for a microchip where a healthy cat is presented for euthanasia and there are no other welfare concerns. This guidance already exists for dogs, having been introduced in 2021 following consultation with Defra.

As outdoor cats may wander and be fed by someone other than the owner, the guidance also highlights that cats may be presented at a practice mistakenly as a stray or for euthanasia because it is considered a nuisance. In these situations where the cat is otherwise healthy, veterinary surgeons should check for a microchip prior to euthanasia to establish whether there is someone other than the person presenting who has responsibility, or is willing to take responsibility, for the cat.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/features/standards-and-advice-update-april-2024/

If you are a rescue or registered breeder please put your contact information on a DEFRA compliant microchip database - we can help you with that so please message us.

Dawn and Sue

27/10/2024

27/10/2024

Please help Feline Friends London celebrate National Black Cat Day today, by donating to our appeal for our gentle giant, Robert.

Robert was left at a vet practice by a member of the public, over two years ago, where he was known simply as 'Black Stray'. He was so timid and scared he retreated to the back of his kennel, where he remained shut down and became a euthanasia risk.

We took Robert into our care, where he has learned to trust his fosterer and made friends with a young female cat, Mulki. Due to his fearful nature and tendency to hide when anyone visits his foster home, Robert has become a long-term foster cat.

Two weeks ago, Robert became lethargic and stopped eating and and was admitted to Romford Vets4Pets as an emergency. He was found to have fluid in his abdomen and given a poor prognosis. Euthanasia was suggested but we wanted to give Robert a chance. After 8 days in hospital and having the fluid drained off, he has started to eat small amounts and become much brighter.

If you would like to donate to help us continue Robert's care, there are donate and PayPal buttons on our website https://felinefriendslondon.uk

We can also accept company-matched donations through Benevity - please search for Feline Friends London on the Benevity platform.

Any surplus from this appeal will go towards the care of our other foster cats, many of whom need complex and costly vet treatment.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

27/10/2024

Please help Feline Friends London celebrate National Black Cat Day today by donating to our appeal for Robert's stay at Romford Vets for Pets and his treatment.

Robert was left at a vet practice a little over 2 years ago, where he was named 'Black Stray' and retreated into a corner at the back of his kennel. He was so frozen and timid that had become a euthanasia risk. When the vet practice called and asked if we would take Robert in, we arranged to collect him and he has become a long term foster, due to his timid, and will stay at his foster home, where he has made friends with Mulki, a young female.

A couple of weeks ago Robert stopped eating and became lethargic. He went to Romford Vets4 Pets as an emergency and was hospitalised for 8 days. He was found to have fluid in his abdomen and an infection, and there was concern he might have cancer. After having fluid drained off on 3 occasions, Robert, who had been given a poor prognosis, is now doing much better.

Please donate to help us cover the costs of Robert's treatment. Any funds remaining will go towards vet care and treatment for our other cats.

You can donate towards Robert's treatment via the Donate or PayPal buttons on our website: https://felinefriendslondon.uk. We can also accept company-matched donations through Benevity - please search for Feline Friends London on the Benevity platform.

Thank you for thinking of Robert and our other rescue cats in need.

20/10/2024

To update my post, I would like to make clear that I am only asking people not to take strays to Petwell House Vets. I am not trying to discourage anyone from using the practice for veterinary treatment. We used the practice for a number of years and have never had an issue with the skills and competency of the veterinary staff nor the treatment they provide.

The kittens in this photo were found in a bag at a bus stop by a member of the public last week and brought to Petwell House vets in Hayes, where they were taken in by a locum vet.

The following day the head vet became aware of them and was going to kill them if they weren't out of the practice by 6pm that evening. He later relented and extended these sweet kittens stay of ex*****on for a further half hour while rescue space was sought.

An animal lover was going to offer to pay for the kittens to be kept overnight but this became unnecessary when fortunately they were found somewhere safe by a rescue. They are now being cared for by kind fosterers.

This is to warn people not to take strays or unwanted animals to Petwell House vets in Hayes or Feltham, as there is a risk they will be killed instead of being cared for and given time to find rescue space with a charity or new homes.

05/09/2024

FELINE FRIENDS LONDON IS URGENTLY LOOKING FOR A FOSTER HOME FOR A FRIENDLY MALE STRAY ABOUT TO LOSE HIS FEEDERS

Feline Friends London are urgently looking for a foster home for Gatsby, a friendly young male stray in East London, who will lose his feeders on Saturday, when they move out.

Please consider offering Gatsby a foster home and saving him from an uncertain future, where he won't know from where and when his next meal will be coming.

If you can offer a foster home to this friendly young boy. please contact Feline Friends London by calling or sending a message to 07786380572 or emailing us at [email protected]

Thank you!

28/08/2024

A CRY FROM THE HEART ON BEHALF OF OUR UK CATS

Cats drive 15% of internet traffic, being the subject of around 30 million Google searches per month. They are easily the most popular category on YouTube, with videos featuring cats receiving over 26 billion views.

However, away from the virtual world of the internet, the reality is very different, and cats need our help more than ever before, with the numbers of stray and unwanted cats and kittens in the UK alone, going off the scale. In over 16 years of rescuing cats, I have never known a situation as desperate for cats as it is now.

Several negative factors have converged to bring this about. Covid lock downs caused a deluge of people wanting to adopt cats, dogs, puppies and kittens, with many of these animals subsequently not being neutered and later given up or abandoned.

The difficulty of getting vet appointments during Covid served to compound the problem, as far more people acquired animals, but fewer vets were available to see them, as many vets went back home to their native countries and never returned.

There has been a steep increase in vet fees as corporate vet companies, owned by private equity firms, and driven by profit over animal welfare, have been buying up once affordable independent vet practices, that are becoming ever more difficult to find. Medivet, for instance, charges £300 for a cat spay and £280 for a castration. (This in contrast to, say, Vets4Pets, whose Romford hospital charges £65 for a cat spay and £50 for a castration.) Set against a background of a cost-of-living crisis, many cat owners are now struggling to feed their cats, and pay for neutering and vet treatment.

The bigger corporate charities like Cats Protection and the RSPCA aren’t helping the problem either. We need to neuter 92% of all female cats to keep the population stable but are failing to reach this percentage. CP, one of whose core aims is neutering, could offer support with free neutering to smaller rescues, who do most of the frontline rescue work, but has refused to do so, citing welfare concerns about small rescues. CP also has scant presence in London, after recently closing their North London Adoption Centre, and has no branches within the main body of London.

The RSPCA, run by a senior management team who seem increasingly out of touch, closed their Putney Hospital and Southall Cattery 4 years ago, cut down their frontline provision by 20% and now no longer take calls after 5pm, leaving the job of helping sick and injured animals to the smaller rescues. I have now heard of several cases where the RSPCA has suggested the euthanasia of healthy cats, as they claim to lack space to house them. However, like CP, they have invested funds in a new logo, that could have been better spent on the animals the RSPCA was set up to protect.

Feline Friends London not only receives calls from all over London but are now from all over the country, from kind members of the public seeking help for stray cats and kittens. Vet practices, including charity vet clinics like the PDSA, are getting more cats than ever dumped on them. This sudden increase in stray and unwanted cats only serves to underscore how desperately cats are needing our help.

Given all the above, I am appealing to the cat-loving British public to ensure the protection and welfare of our beloved cats by supporting, not only Feline Friends London, but their local cat charities and rescues by volunteering for them, adopting from and fostering cats for them, giving them donations, including of cat food that can be made available for struggling owners, and publicising the good work these smaller rescues do.

We need to strengthen our smaller charities and rescues in this way, as the future of our cats depends on them. You can find your local cat charity or rescue by going to catchat.org, a wonderful resource for helping the nation’s cats.

The photos accompanying this appeal, feature some of our Feline Friends London cats and kittens, who would have died were it not for life-saving vet intervention, and the excellent care of our fosterers.

You can donate to Feline Friends London by going to our website https://felinefriendslondon.uk, where you will find a donate button and a PayPal option.

We can also accept company-matched donations through Benevity – please search for Feline Friends London on the Benevity platform.

Thank you on behalf of all our cats!

26/08/2024

UPDATE: BUTTER'S SURGERY WAS SUCCESFUL AND HE HAS MADE A FULL RECOVERY. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO DONATED SO GENEROUSLY TOWARDS HIS SURGERY.
HE IS NOW WITH ONE OF OUR FOSTERERS, WHO DESCRIBES HIM AS ONE OF THE CUDDLIEST AND MOST LOVING CATS EVER.

FELINE FRIENDS LONDON ARE APPEALING FOR FUNDS FOR URGENT LIFE- SAVING SURGERY FOR 9 MONTH OLD BUTTER

Butter, a sweet, friendly 9 month cat, has an intussusception, and Feline Friends London are appealing for funds so Butter can have urgent and vital surgery to save his life.

An intussusception is when a part of the intestine is wrapped inside another portion of the intestine. It can be caused by a viral infection, intestinal parasites, foreign bodies or changes in diet.

Butter, who will be in considerable discomfort, needs surgery urgently as animals with an intussusception can deteriorate rapidly and die.

At the moment we are trying to raise £1000 and any surplus in funds will go towards our other cats who need complex treatment and 24 hour care.

We appreciate your kindness and generosity in helping us raise sufficient funds to save Butters' life.

There is a donate button and a PayPal option on our website: https://felinefriendslondon.uk.

We can also accept company-matched donations through Benevity - please search for Feline Friends London on the Benevity platform.

Thank you!

19/08/2024

UPDATE: I now have a description of this little cat from the vet practice where she was taken. She was a grey semi-long haired British Short Hair-type cat but not a full BSH. The carrier she was found in was a blue cloth carrier and not a plastic carrier as I reported in my post below. If you know of anyone, who owned a cat fitting this description, especially in the Hackney area, please call us on our Feline Friends London number 07786 380572. All calls will be treated confidentially. Thank you.

Feline Friends London were called on Tuesday, 13 August by a local vet practice and asked if we could take in a young female cat of 7 to 9 months, who had been found dumped in a carrier on Hackney Downs, E8, and brought to them by a member of the public. It is uncertain how long she had been there on Hackney Downs, confined in a plastic cat carrier in the heat.

The cat was dehydrated, underweight, and had maggots, which hadn’t yet burrowed into her skin. She was also severely anaemic, most likely from the flea infestation she had.

The vet practice kept the cat in over the next few days, as she needed to be on oxygen to survive. When a staff member checked on her Friday morning, she had passed away.

If the owner of this innocent little cat reads my post, this is to say I consider our highest purpose as human beings, is to care for those more vulnerable than ourselves and to relieve suffering in whatever form it presents to us. Those who cause suffering are committing the ultimate sin against life and failing to acknowledge how fragile and precious it is. This sin is all the greater when that suffering is inflicted on those who are vulnerable and utterly dependent on us.

This young cat came in to the world a pure little soul, who should have had her life ahead of her. She was completely dependent on you, her owner. Instead of giving her the love and protection she needed, you chose to discard her, possibly because she had fleas, leaving her in a plastic carrier that would be stiflingly hot in the height of our summer, and let her take her chances on survival or non-survival.

She died struggling to breathe. If there is justice in this world, though it seems in increasingly short supply, and those who cause suffering, are required when the scales are weighed against us, to be exacted a payment of some kind for the ill we have caused during our sojourn on this earth, that you, dear owner, when you leave this world, will be required to make a payment of some kind for the suffering you caused to an innocent creature.

05/08/2024

UPDATE: FOSTER AND PERMANENT HOMES NOW FOUND FOR BUNY AND HER KITTENS

URGENT FOSTER HOME NEEDED FOR BUNNY AND HER 7 KITTENS

Bunny turned up as a pregnant stray on fosterer, Jess's window sill, and Jess didn't have the heart to leave Bunny, a sweet and friendly black cat, outside. Unfortunately Jess is moving in a couple of weeks and we are now looking for a new foster home for Bunny and her 7 delightful kittens, who Jess lovingly refers to as 'the potatoes'.

If you think you could help out by fostering this adorable little family, please email [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] or message or call 07786 380572.

Thank you!

Photos and a video of Bunny and her 'potatoes' attached.

16/07/2024

URGENT FOSTER OR PERMANENT HOME NEEDED FOR TWO CATS LEFT BEHIND WHEN THEIR OWNER WAS EVICTED & WHO WILL ALSO LOSE THEIR FEEDER ON FRIDAY

Sheba a 6 year old black female and Pebbles a 7/8 year old calico tortie, were left behind when their owner was evicted. Both cats are neutered.

A neighbour has since been feeding them but is going away on Friday, after which they will have no-one to feed and care for them. Both cats are lovely, friendly cats and have no health issues.

Please call or message Feline Friends London on 07786380572 or email [email protected] if you are able to offer a foster or permanent home to Pebbles and Sheba. Even a temporary foster home until their feeder returns from holiday would be a big help.

Thank you for any help you are able to offer these two sweet girls, who through no fault of their own, are now in desperate need of food and protection.

14/07/2024

UPDATE: WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS OFFERS OF FOSTER AND PERMANENT HOMES FOR SHADOW AND WILL ARRANGE FOR HIM TO GO TO ONE OF THESE HOMES. I HAVE LET THE VET PRACTICE KNOW & SHADOW IS NOW SAFE.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR RESPONDING SO PROMPTLY🥰

14/07/2024

UPDATE: WE HAVE HAD MANY OFFERS OF A FOSTER HOME FOR SHADOW AND HE WILL BE GOING TO ONE OF THESE AS SOON AS IT CAN BE ARRANGED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CONTACTED US. IT HAS BEEN HEARTWARMING TO KNOW THERE ARE SO MANY KIND PEOPLE OUT THERE.

URGENT FOSTER HOME NEEDED FOR SHADOW WHO WILL BE EUTHANASED IF NOWHERE FOUND IMMINENTLY

Shadow is a sweet, friendly one year old male cat who has feline calici virus. He is currently at vet practice but will be euthanased if a foster or permanent home isn't found for him urgently.

Please contact us on 07786380572 or by email to [email protected], if you are genuinely able to commit to helping Shadow by fostering him or offering him a permanent home.

Thank you!

07/07/2024

LUCY & LOTTIE, TWO SWEET SISTERS LOOKING FOR A LOVING FOSTER OR FOREVER HOME TOGETHER

Lucy & Lottie are young sisters of around 3 years old, who were left at a vet hospital early this year, where they have now been staying for several months, despite being healthy, sweet-natured cats.

They are so lovely and friendly and we would love to help them get out of the vet hospital and find the forever home together they need and deserve. We would also welcome offers of good, reliable foster homes.

Please contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling 07786380572 if you think you can open your heart and give them the home they are longing for and, like every animal, need and deserve.

https://felinefriendslondon.uk/adoption/lucy-and-lottie

Thank you!

07/07/2024

WHITE PAW IS URGENTLY LOOKING FOR A FOSTER OR PERMANENT HOME AS HE WILL LOSE HIS FEEDER FROM 15 JULY

White Paws is a young male stray described by his feeder as: "The most domesticated, friendly, lovable and playful cat I've ever met. He desperately needs to be re-homed into a cat-loving family as he is so adaptable and extremely friendly", White Paws will lose the kind man who has been feeding him, since he wandered into his garden over 6 weeks ago, as his feeder is needing to move out of the home.

Please consider offering White Paws a permanent or foster home so that he will continue to have the basic nourishment and protection every cat needs. He will be quietly grateful for your care and repay you with his friendly nature and playful company.

09/06/2024

UPDATE, BIG THANKS TO AMANDA BROOME FOR SECURING RESCUE SPACE FOR THIS LITTLE FAMILY

URGENT FOSTER HOME OR RESCUE SPACE NEEDED FOR A 2 YEAR TORTIE MUM AND HER TWO 3 MONTH KITTENS

We are looking for a foster home or rescue space for a 2 year old tortie mum and her two 3 month kittens.

Their young owner is being evicted on Tuesday, isn't allowed cats at the temporary accommodation where she will be moving and said doesn't want to leave them in a park.

Please call or message us on our Feline Friends London number 07786 380572 or email us at [email protected] if you are able to offer rescue space or a foster home for this little family.

Thank you!

02/06/2024

FURTHER UPDATE: THIS SWEET LITTLE GUY IS LOOKING FOR A HOME AGAIN AFTER THE HOME FOUND BY THE VET PRACTICE FELL THROUGH.

Please would anyone who is still interested in offering this little cat a foster or permanent home, call, text or WhatApp Feline Friends London on 07786380572 or email us at [email protected]

Thank you!

UPDATE: THE VET PRACTICE CONFIRMED THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE EUTHANASED THIS CAT AND HAVE A HOME LINED UP FOR HIM

THANK YOU TO THE MANY PEOPLE WHO RESPONDED TO THIS POST, OFFERING THE CAT A HOME

URGENT FOSTER HOME NEEDED FOR SWEET ONE YEAR OLD BLACK MALE AT RISK OF EUTHANASIA DUE TO LONG STAY AT VET PRACTICE

The cat we are seeking to help was taken as a stray to a SW London vet practice two months ago. They haven't been able to find him a home and unless a home or rescue space is found imminently will euthanase him due his length of stay.

If you can offer this little cat a foster or permanent home please email us at [email protected] or call or message us, including via WhatsApp, on 07786380572. Please don't respond via FB as we don't check FB regularly so email or mobile is more immediate.

Thank you!

23/04/2023

It is with deep sadness that I am letting you know that we had to say ‘goodbye’ to our beloved Tiny Tim, yesterday. He had been partially faecal incontinent, with a sore a**s, since a 6 to 8 week-old kitten, when we took him in, aged around 6 months, just before Christmas. After being in our care for the last four months, and having seen 3 different vets, where he had enemas and a balloon dilation of the re**um, he was admitted to The Ralph referral centre on Thursday late afternoon for investigations and surgery. He was given a colonoscopy, usually a standard procedure without ill effect but which caused a tear in either his re**um or colon. He was also found to have inflammation inside the re**um, with a hernia on the left side.

Surgery to repair the tear may not have been successful as the sutures might not have held. However, without this repair, faecal material would leak into the abdomen causing a potentially fatal infection and possible peritonitis. If the tear was to the re**um, accessing and repairing it would involve splitting the pelvis, as would subsequently repairing the hernia. The surgery carried a high level of risk and not a good prognosis for success. We therefore accepted the vet team’s recommendation and made the heart-breaking decision that it was best to let Tiny Tim go while he was under anaesthetic.

He was a sweet, loving, clever and playful little cat, who touched the hearts of all those who met him and who never complained, despite considerable discomfort.

Our thanks go to our fosterer, Khaled, who cared for Tiny Tim these last four months and to Kate, who collected him from Medivet A10 and cared for him initially. Also, to the staff at Medivet A10, where he had been taken in August as a kitten with a burden of worms and an a**s the size of a cherry, having supposedly been found at the side of a shed, and who had him in their care until just before Christmas. Finally, to the internal medicine & surgical teams at The Ralph.

Please do consider donating in memory of Tiny Tim and for our many other cats and kittens who need our help, some of whom have complex conditions in need of surgical intervention or long-term care. You can donate via PayPal or the donate button on our website https://felinefriendslondon.uk. Scroll down and you will find donate options near the bottom of the page.

Thank you for your support of our rescue work and your kindness towards our cats.

Barbara
Founder Feline Friends London