RSPCA Sheffield cat welfare is top of agenda

A cat welfare scheme is looking for Cat Smart volunteers to champion neutering and to help reach more pet owners in the community.

Cat Smart is an RSPCA scheme which aims to help raise awareness of the importance of neutering and microchipping cats as well as offering discounted or free neutering to owners in the South Yorkshire city.

The scheme is now looking to reach more people in the community and is recruiting a team of Cat Champions to help them. The help they’ll give will include raising awareness door to door, attending neutering and microchipping events and talking to members of the community about cat welfare.

RSPCA’s cat population control manager, Carrie Stones, said: “In South Yorkshire, the RSPCA received 3,825 calls about cats, from abandonments to neglect. Nationally, we receive a call about a cat every three minutes which is why spreading the word about their welfare is so important. We and many other cat and vet organisations believe the solution to the cat overpopulation crisis is neutering cats from four months old to avoid unplanned litters and reduce the thousands of cats who end up in the care of the RSPCA and other charities.”

Key tasks will include talking to people or groups about Cat Smart to tell them about the aims and objectives, listening and gathering people’s views about cats, identifying new groups to get involved with, supporting the door to door programme, being supportive, respectful and empathetic to others.

Other tasks involve accurately reporting the views gathered to the ct population control manager, organising and getting involved in publicity events, attending local events and meetings, undertaking an introductory training session and participating in ongoing training if necessary. If you are interested in volunteering for this role please contact Carrie Stones on [email protected].