PONSONBY PETS

It’s the SPCA’s busiest time of the year, and it’s only round the corner.

As we officially enter spring and rejoice at all the lovely changes the warmer weather brings, teams at the SPCA are bracing themselves for kitten season. So, what exactly is kitten season? Coinciding with the warmer summer months, kitten season is when cats breed and vulnerable cats and kittens end up at the SPCA needing help, stretching resources at the SPCA shelters to the very limit. A typical kitten season sees well over 9,000 cats and 17,000 kittens come through the SPCA’s doors. “While kitten season is the cutest time of year with so many babies being born, the impact on our centres, resources and staff is enormous. Every year we are forced to hire extra staff just to manage. Many kittens that arrive to us have been abandoned, neglected, are desperately sick, or very young. Some have had a tough start to life; we’ve seen day old kittens rescued from under a spa pool, a pregnant mum dumped at one centre in a chilly bin, and another litter of kittens left in a bush off a deserted highway,” says Andrea Midgen, SPCA CEO. SPCA Centres have already begun preparations for this busy period which is just around the corner. So, how can you help?

SPCA Auckland Centre on 09 256 7300. influx of felines; the peak of kitten season can see up to 400 cats and kittens needing foster homes at one time. Donate – it costs SPCA up to $500 to look after each litter, and we receive very little government funding.  PN

Have your cat desexed, if it isn’t already.

If you find any sick or injured cats or kittens, report this to our

Sign up to foster if you’re keen on helping SPCA look after the Head to www.spca.nz/donate

Bake a difference for animals on 21 & 22 September

It’s easy. Just bake, sell and raise money! Register at spcacupcakeday.co.nz

Ponsonby News readers are everywhere… Fashion designer Jane Daniels’ three cats having a nose at our latest issue. She tells us they are all British Blue Short-hair, from Matamata, and has four of them. They are 2 and a half years old and all get on incredibly well like a family, which of course they are.