Stray Cat Tales: Betty the Garden Cat
Some months ago now, back when it was still cold, wet and wintery, we started to see a timid black and white cat, wearing a red collar, hanging around in our garden. We’d occasionally see her through the cat-flap, but she would bolt as soon as we tried to approach. She now trusts us enough to come into our house for food and allows us to groom her matted coat.
Since she has a collar we assumed that she wasn’t a stray, just a typical cat looking for a free meal. As the weather has steadily improved we’ve been spending more time in the garden managing to build up some trust with this lovely little cat who we had simply named ‘garden cat’. It quickly became clear that she was not being fed at all. Her boney back, hollow sides and clearly discernible ribs were enough evidence for us to conclude that nobody was feeding this poor creature, who had been spending the coldest months of winter living outdoors.
For the past couple of weeks she has been getting through a complete can of cat food every day, along with a little dried food for variety. She will now come into our house but has not yet established a pecking order with our two overfed house cats who are a little put out by the interloper. She has a delightful nature, very friendly and affectionate which suggests she has once lived in a home where she was well looked after. We are planning to continue to feed and gently groom her coat until she trusts us enough to take her to the vets to find out if she has been micro-chipped. Her new name is ‘Betty’, chosen after we’d seen a street performer by the name of Betty Brawn performing in this year’s Brighton festival.
The number of unwanted pets in the UK has seen a significant increase in recent years. People get pets of all descriptions without really thinking about the responsibilities and costs of looking after them. Unfortunately many will end up thoughtlessly dumped without any regard for the animal’s well being. Cats are top of the unwanted pets league table with over 3000 rescued by the RSPCA last year. The new animal welfare act makes pet owners legally obliged to care for their pets properly, perhaps this will help to hammer home the message that pet ownership is a privilege and a responsibility.
Josh from Wooden Sheds wrote,
It’s really nice to know that there are persons like you that care for them.
Link | November 27th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Craig from Dog Doors wrote,
Over the years I have built up a collection of 5 beautiful stray cats. Unfortunately 5 is my limit, I have had to turn away several since reaching that. Another point to bring up is the importance of spaying and neutering your cats. If your cat is ‘active’ it is making the problem of strays worst by increasing their population needlessly.
Link | February 7th, 2009 at 4:56 am
steve from Credit Card Debt Reduction wrote,
Very touching story, I have five cats none of which are strays but it is good to see people who genuinely care about the animals. I recently did a wildlife research expedition with a UK based company called GVI, its so nice to see that some people care about the animals of the world and want to keep them around for generations to come.
Link | February 12th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Gabrielle from Real Estate Agent in Orlando wrote,
Thank you for being so caring! It’s people like you who make our world go round!
Link | July 23rd, 2009 at 9:49 pm
awais from flights to bangkok wrote,
Very intersting Thanks for this nice work.
Link | December 30th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Nikon Monarch Binoculars wrote,
I wonder why some people will want to have pet when they can’t take proper care of them. It makes no sense to me…
Link | July 11th, 2011 at 2:20 am