Black not so lucky for black cats in Surrey (From Redhill And Reigate Life)

Black not so lucky for black cats in Surrey

2:26pm Monday 24th September 2012 in Local News

Black cats in Surrey are facing a popularity crisis as new figures show almost 60% of potential cat adopters in the county would not pick one.

The figures from charity Cats Protection have been released with the cause struggling to find homes for black moggies.

The charity is now planning to hold a Black Cat fundraising event to highlight the problem and hopefully find homes.

Cats Protection say that black cats in Surrey take 40% longer to re-home than other cats.

The cause is already being stretched by numbers of moggies being brought into its rescue centres – many of them victims of families having to give them up in the current recession.

Gill Courtnell, a home visitor from Cats Protection’s Crawley, Reigate and District Branch, said: “On average, Surrey’s black cats take 40% longer to re-home than other cats, and our pens are full of beautiful black cats struggling to find homes.”

She said: “Cats Protection is committed to caring for all types of cats – whatever the colour of their fur – but we need the public’s help. “We’re trying to raise funds to increase our presence in the Surrey area so that we can help even more cats and kittens live happy and healthy lives.”

The branch is to hold a fundraising Black Cat Dinner Dance and Charity Auction at The Felbridge Hotel in East Grinstead on Friday, November 9.

The aim of the event is to raise funds for the Cats Protection Shop and Cat Havens Appeal, to develop new ways of funding the branch’s work. Cats Protection said it needs to raise £30,000 to set up a shop and 'cat havens' in Crawley – an information centre where people can get help and advice on cat welfare, as well as a place for people to meet cats that are looking for adoption.

Cats Protection’s Crawley, Reigate and District Branch, run entirely by volunteers, takes in, re-homes and neuters cats. Last year alone the branch homed 402 cats and kittens, and helped more than 950 cats with vet treatment, homing, or helped with cats that were lost and found. Out of the 402 cats re-homed, 190 were black – either totally or with bits of white.

The black cats took, on average, about 40% longer to re-home.

According to an ICM poll of 1,001 people in Surrey commissioned on behalf of Cats Protection, 58.5% said that as a first choice they would not pick a cat with black fur. Just 24% said they would prefer a cat with black fur and 17.5% said they either didn't know or that the colour of the cat's fur would not matter.

Tickets for the Cats Protection Dinner Dance and Charity Auction, priced £45 per person and including a drink, three course meal followed by petit fours, entertainment by Nick James and music to dance to, are available by completing the ticket order form at: www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/Crawley_FLYER_DD.pdf Alternatively, they can be bought online at: www.ticketsource.co.uk or by email at: blackcatdinner@gmail.com People attending can get a discount on a room at The Felbridge Hotel on the night by quoting the event when making a telephone booking on 01342 337700.

Website: www.catsprotection.co.uk