Should Cats Stay Inside? With Anne Batley Burton
Have you got a cat? Are you concerned as to whether it should stay inside or be left free to roam outdoors? In this interview Anne Batley Burton (Real Housewives Of Auckland) the founder of The NZ Cat Foundation shares some wisdom on how you can best look after the wellbeing of your cat.
What is the NZ Cat Foundation?
There are so many unwanted and abandoned cats and kittens in our Community and it’s the aim of the NZCF to de-sex all community/stray cats.
It is their hope that one day all cats are cared for in a loving home. Education of the community, particularly the young is paramount, with regard to its responsibility and care of its cats. This issue is not a “Cat Problem” but a “People Problem”.
The NZCF offers a sanctuary to unwanted stray cats in a protected environment where all their needs are met in an indoor/outdoor environment.
Importantly they practice T-TNR in areas where there are stray cats. This involves many nights of trapping by their volunteers, vet visits where they are health checked, de-sexed, vaccinated, treated if necessary and microchipped. Where ever possible these cats and all kittens are re-homed.
However, for those who are too timid they return them from whence they came, as long as the property owner agrees, and they set up a feeding station with volunteers to feed them.
If not, the NZCF takes them into their beautiful purpose built sanctuary, affectionately known as “The Pussy Palace” which has predator proof fencing and is situated in a rural environment set in the midst of an olive grove where they can enjoy both indoor and outdoor living.
Help the helpless
The NZCF receives many calls for help daily. Cats behind shops, factories, under an old villa. A vet phoning because the children want to put down a healthy cat when their mum goes into a retirement home! The police – a woman in women’s refuge leaving mum cat with 4 kittens, a landlord threatening to bring in pest control because his tenants were feeding homeless cats. The list goes on and on.
The sanctuary is now home to more than 200 stray, elderly or unwanted cats and they need your help! Not only are they helping these poor defenceless cats, but they are doing a community service which benefits everyone. To donate, head to their website.
Hi I'm Monique Bradley.