Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Flip

Original poster

CEO of Cats Protection quits over colleague hoarder

19 replies

EachandEveryone · 21/01/2022 10:05

It just popped up on my Facebook. Interesting. Although I can easily imagine it happening if you are there all the time! www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/20/cats-protection-ceo-steps-down-after-trustee-found-to-keep-18-cats?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0J5VZLqUHHi3puKFQLctdi978kum62Jrg25Ihefse3iRgZMCFbzup9Tyc#Echobox=1642706752

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 21/01/2022 10:25

Well that's ridiculous. There is no suggestion that they're not well cared for and I see that number includes the foster cats. I've got twice that number at least and I have no 'welfare issues' and would take a dim view of someone telling me I couldn't keep them, especially as I only have them because they're not easily/at all homeable and, in the case of the fosters, there just aren't enough fosterers. I imagine that's the same with this lady.

Dreadful reaction from CP CEO there.

thecatneuterer · 21/01/2022 10:30

It also sounds as though she has a garden, so they've plenty of space. And many cats are happy living in groups. I often see 5 or 6 of mine all trying to squeeze into one bed, so they can all sleep in a huddle, even though there are countless other identical beds available. Again, it's all just ridiculous.

Original poster

EachandEveryone · 21/01/2022 10:32

You were the first person I thought about😃 its outrageous isnt it? I must leave a comment. Sounds like he was looking for an excuse.

OP posts:

StarbucksSmarterSister · 21/01/2022 10:45

You have at least 36 cats? How big is your property?

ofwarren · 21/01/2022 10:47

Can you foster me TheCatNeuterer ?
Your house sounds like bliss!!

Toddlerteaplease · 21/01/2022 10:52

The owner of the rescue I got my two from gas a large number of cats. They are all well cared for and the house is clean and tidy.

PineappleTart · 21/01/2022 10:54

His argument is a need for a code of conduct though and the trustees refusal to willingly sign up to this is problematic especially when it's been raised by audits.

While one person may be able to provide adequate space and care for 18 cats in a 3 bed house not everyone would be able to. That could be addressed in a code of conduct that they sign up to

thecatneuterer · 21/01/2022 10:59

It also shows a lack of understanding by the CEO of his own charity and the challenges it faces. There aren't enough homes for the number of cats that need them. Not even nearly. For every cat we take in, we probably have at least another 20 requests to take in cats that we have to refuse due to lack of space and resources. In a perfect world, where everyone got their cats neutered, and there wasn't this enormous surplus being born every year, then perhaps we could be a bit fussier about the exact number of square meters per cat and separate water bowls for each (ffs) etc. But in the real world if people like this lady don't take them, then they likely as not won't get homed at all. Or they would sit in a rescue for longer meaning other cats that are being thrown out, or giving birth on the street, or abused or whatever can't be brought in due to lack of space. We aren't living in an ideal world and it sounds as though this lady is doing what she can to make it a little bit better. And it sounds as though the CEO simply doesn't understand the situation 'on the ground'.

Oh and why call her a hoarder? That's inaccurate, from the details given, and unnecessarily offensive.

thecatneuterer · 21/01/2022 11:01

@PineappleTart But it reads as though this Code of Conduct would say that a house of that size could only accommodate say four cats regardless of how they are being cared for. It does only seem to be considering the number of cats v space (again no mention of garden) and nothing else.

RoseSays · 21/01/2022 13:06

At first reading the article thought the CEO had a point, then then hearing the realities from the catneuterer on here being realistic that when you work for a rescue you are going to end up with more cats/dogs for the space than is ideal.
Crazy but during 2021 I had to turn to an adoption from abroad to get a rehomed cat as none of the rescues in my county had any left. I wish I'd come onto MN and asked!

Original poster

EachandEveryone · 21/01/2022 15:33

How did he even know?

OP posts:

Lockedoorsopen · 21/01/2022 15:41

Its ridiculous to have that many cats in a three bedroom house - even with a garden. She is hoarding and not putting the welfare of the cats first - and I am an avid feline lover. Has she got insurance for them all? Have they got adequate space to hide - I bloody doubt it!

LalaMelyn · 21/01/2022 15:48

It does go on to say that all of the cats were rehomed to her by.... Cats Protection

Why were they rehoming 18 cats to their own trustee in the first place? Would they have rehomed 18 cats to Joe Bloggs who wasn't a trustee?

toppkatz · 21/01/2022 16:09

This is ridiculous.

Winniemarysarah · 21/01/2022 16:12

@Lockedoorsopen

I agree. Having that many cats is of no benefit to the individual cat.

thecatneuterer · 21/01/2022 17:15

For starters, 6 of those 18 are fosters it says in the article. Foster cats (normally a mum and kittens) have to be kept in a separate room until the kittens are old enough to be homed. This would be the same wherever the foster home was. The only alternative would be a pen in a homing centre. Also, by definition, foster cats are temporary residents. A hoarder is not someone that has temporary residents that are then rehomed. It's a mental condition (and I have certainly met plenty of cat and other types of hoarders) and I can see no evidence at all that that label applies to this lady.

That leaves 12 cats in a large-ish house with garden. That really isn't that many. I could talk at length about mine (as I've said I have double that number - both of permanents and fosters) and they are all showing every indication of being happy. I don't understand the 'space to hide away' comment. Apart from when there are fireworks, when all my scaredy ones hide in the cupboard under the stairs), I've never seen any of mine hiding. If they get spooked by a builder or something then they're straight out of the cat flap until the perceived danger is gone. And as for 'has she got insurance'. There is no suggestion in the article that the cats aren't well cared for. We have no idea what her finances are - not everyone lives hand to mouth - it would appear that's not a problem.

And I would bet anything that the cats she has taken aren't those that could have easily got homed elsewhere. Just as my permanents have next to no chance of ever having being homed I imagine hers are the same which is why she has taken pity on them. It's what happens when you work in rescues.

Rehoming centres are always full with a long waiting list. If she hadn't taken these then that would be more cats that aren't being helped at all, because there are far, far too many cats for the numbers of homes available.

It would be amazing if people routinely neutered their cats, and we could reduce the numbers of excess cats and all cats could find perfect, loving homes. But we are so far from that situation that it might as well be science fiction and so, in the real world, we need all the homes we can get. Of course rescues have to turn down a large number of homes for a variety of reasons. But there being 12 permanent cats in a large house, which are all well cared for, isn't by any stretch a good enough reason.

Winniemarysarah · 21/01/2022 18:37

12 certainly is too many imo. So is fostering 6 cats at one time (unless it’s a litter of kittens).

titchy · 21/01/2022 18:50

@Winniemarysarah

12 certainly is too many imo. So is fostering 6 cats at one time (unless it’s a litter of kittens).

What do you suggest then - euthanasia?

thecatneuterer · 21/01/2022 18:57

@titchy Well that's exactly it isn't it? Those are the sort of choices rescues have to make. If there aren't enough homes, or fosterers, then there are two choices - euthanasia or to not take in any more. A call about a cat having given birth in a gutter - 'sorry, we're full', a call from the police having found a cat locked in a flat with it's dead owner, on the brink of death itself 'I'm sorry, we're full - just put it outside'. This is the reality. If a caring person who works for CP and is able to look after the cats well can take in some of them, even if they don't all have their own individual water bowls, well that means that CP can say yes to a few more of those calls.

Flip