Feline Friends London

12/07/2025

Very disappointed with Snow Paws rescue.

They took in one of our foster cats, from a dishonest fosterer, who rehomed the cat to them without our knowledge. We found out from the microchip company, who alerted us when Snow Paws, despite seeing the cat was chipped to us, nevertheless tried to change his microchip.

Not wishing to have the cat moved around we came to an agreement with Snow Paws to change the cat's chip to his new owner and have him vaccinated on our account for an adoption fee.

When the same fosterer, after taking hundreds of pounds from us in expenses for a mum and 4 kittens, told us he wasn't going to return the cats to us or allow us to rehome them, I contacted Snow Paws, to find out whether they had been offered the cats. They told me they hadn't.

However, I recently found out that the fosterer kept the mother and one of the kittens and guess where the other 3 kittens went. To Snow Paws, despite them knowing we had covered all the expenses for these kittens and we wanted them back.

In over 17 years of rescuing cats I have never come across another rescue who has behaved like this and I hope I never will.

07/07/2025

UPDATE & CORRECTION:
The very pleasant Coordinator of CP Sutton called me earlier. They were never contacted about the two original female kittens belonging to the mother and daughter in Sutton, nor were they given the address of the home. They would have helped getting the two female kittens neutered and with the other cats in the home, given the opportunity, and would like to work together with Croydon Animal Samaritans helping cats in the Sutton area. I will amend my post accordingly and offer my apologies to CP Sutton for posting incorrect information.

Well done to Croydon Animal Samaritans for rescuing 11 adult cats, including one who gave birth to 5 kittens five days later, from a multi-cat household in Sutton, where they were living in appalling conditions.

The owners of the cats were a mother and daughter on benefits, who obtained 2 female kittens last year.

When CAS visited the home they were horrified both by the state of the cats, who were extremely emaciated and dirty, and the conditions in the house.

Here they discovered 8 adult cats, including the one who was heavily pregnant, and 8 x four month kittens.

The next day the emaciated pregnant cat in the care of CAS gave birth to 7 premature kittens. Not all survived but two tiny kittens, who mum couldn't produce sufficient milk for, are being successfully hand-reared by one of CAS's volunteers.

The cats are all in the process of being neutered and CAS are gradually taking them into their care when they have space. (They currently have over 240 cats and kittens in their care.)

Yesterday CAS also took in the 8 x four month kittens and in the meantime are providing masses of good food for the remaining cats.

This whole situation could have been avoided if the original two female kittens had been spayed.

I have known and been in contact with Croydon Animal Samaritans for many years and have always been impressed by their dedication and their tireless devotion to cats in need.

This job, and these cats and kittens they have saved from starvation and sickness, is yet another example of their good work.

27/10/2024

Following on from our amazing update today we’d like to ask everyone a huge favour and hope that you can help us raise awareness of the change in the RCVS Code of Conduct.

The change has meant that owners of elderly cats like Boots who are lifted off the streets as strays and euthanised can complain to the RCVS for non scanning.

It means that when your cat disappears and is taken to a vet and euthanised by a person not registered on the microchip your voice will be heard.

These are cats like Bibs and Boots who have driven our determination to see cats recognised in the same way that dogs are so please share this information to all the cat groups you are in and contact us directly or tag us in posts where you see this happening.

“Standards & Advice update: April 2024

This update follows a decision by the RCVS Standards Committee to agree new guidance on compulsory microchipping of cats following the introduction of legislation in England.

In April 2024, our Standards Committee agreed to add guidance on the new legislation which extends the compulsory microchipping requirement to cats into the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct at Chapter 29 (‘Small animals and microchips’) and Chapter 8 (‘Euthanasia of animals’).

Historically, only dogs have been subject to compulsory microchipping in the United Kingdom. However, from 10 June 2024, by way of the Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, keepers of cats older than 20 weeks in England will also have to ensure that their cat is microchipped. Guidance has been added into Chapter 29 to support veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to understand the requirements.

Additionally, Standards Committee agreed to add cats to the guidance in paragraphs 29.30-29.33 of Chapter 29, and paragraph 8.9 of Chapter 8, around scanning for a microchip where a healthy cat is presented for euthanasia and there are no other welfare concerns. This guidance already exists for dogs, having been introduced in 2021 following consultation with Defra.

As outdoor cats may wander and be fed by someone other than the owner, the guidance also highlights that cats may be presented at a practice mistakenly as a stray or for euthanasia because it is considered a nuisance. In these situations where the cat is otherwise healthy, veterinary surgeons should check for a microchip prior to euthanasia to establish whether there is someone other than the person presenting who has responsibility, or is willing to take responsibility, for the cat.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/features/standards-and-advice-update-april-2024/

If you are a rescue or registered breeder please put your contact information on a DEFRA compliant microchip database - we can help you with that so please message us.

Dawn and Sue

27/10/2024

27/10/2024

Please help Feline Friends London celebrate National Black Cat Day today, by donating to our appeal for our gentle giant, Robert.

Robert was left at a vet practice by a member of the public, over two years ago, where he was known simply as 'Black Stray'. He was so timid and scared he retreated to the back of his kennel, where he remained shut down and became a euthanasia risk.

We took Robert into our care, where he has learned to trust his fosterer and made friends with a young female cat, Mulki. Due to his fearful nature and tendency to hide when anyone visits his foster home, Robert has become a long-term foster cat.

Two weeks ago, Robert became lethargic and stopped eating and and was admitted to Romford Vets4Pets as an emergency. He was found to have fluid in his abdomen and given a poor prognosis. Euthanasia was suggested but we wanted to give Robert a chance. After 8 days in hospital and having the fluid drained off, he has started to eat small amounts and become much brighter.

If you would like to donate to help us continue Robert's care, there are donate and PayPal buttons on our website https://felinefriendslondon.uk

We can also accept company-matched donations through Benevity - please search for Feline Friends London on the Benevity platform.

Any surplus from this appeal will go towards the care of our other foster cats, many of whom need complex and costly vet treatment.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

27/10/2024

Please help Feline Friends London celebrate National Black Cat Day today by donating to our appeal for Robert's stay at Romford Vets for Pets and his treatment.

Robert was left at a vet practice a little over 2 years ago, where he was named 'Black Stray' and retreated into a corner at the back of his kennel. He was so frozen and timid that had become a euthanasia risk. When the vet practice called and asked if we would take Robert in, we arranged to collect him and he has become a long term foster, due to his timid, and will stay at his foster home, where he has made friends with Mulki, a young female.

A couple of weeks ago Robert stopped eating and became lethargic. He went to Romford Vets4 Pets as an emergency and was hospitalised for 8 days. He was found to have fluid in his abdomen and an infection, and there was concern he might have cancer. After having fluid drained off on 3 occasions, Robert, who had been given a poor prognosis, is now doing much better.

Please donate to help us cover the costs of Robert's treatment. Any funds remaining will go towards vet care and treatment for our other cats.

You can donate towards Robert's treatment via the Donate or PayPal buttons on our website: https://felinefriendslondon.uk. We can also accept company-matched donations through Benevity - please search for Feline Friends London on the Benevity platform.

Thank you for thinking of Robert and our other rescue cats in need.

20/10/2024

To update my post, I would like to make clear that I am only asking people not to take strays to Petwell House Vets. I am not trying to discourage anyone from using the practice for veterinary treatment. We used the practice for a number of years and have never had an issue with the skills and competency of the veterinary staff nor the treatment they provide.

The kittens in this photo were found in a bag at a bus stop by a member of the public last week and brought to Petwell House vets in Hayes, where they were taken in by a locum vet.

The following day the head vet became aware of them and was going to kill them if they weren't out of the practice by 6pm that evening. He later relented and extended these sweet kittens stay of ex*****on for a further half hour while rescue space was sought.

An animal lover was going to offer to pay for the kittens to be kept overnight but this became unnecessary when fortunately they were found somewhere safe by a rescue. They are now being cared for by kind fosterers.

This is to warn people not to take strays or unwanted animals to Petwell House vets in Hayes or Feltham, as there is a risk they will be killed instead of being cared for and given time to find rescue space with a charity or new homes.

05/09/2024

FELINE FRIENDS LONDON IS URGENTLY LOOKING FOR A FOSTER HOME FOR A FRIENDLY MALE STRAY ABOUT TO LOSE HIS FEEDERS

Feline Friends London are urgently looking for a foster home for Gatsby, a friendly young male stray in East London, who will lose his feeders on Saturday, when they move out.

Please consider offering Gatsby a foster home and saving him from an uncertain future, where he won't know from where and when his next meal will be coming.

If you can offer a foster home to this friendly young boy. please contact Feline Friends London by calling or sending a message to 07786380572 or emailing us at [email protected]

Thank you!

28/08/2024

A CRY FROM THE HEART ON BEHALF OF OUR UK CATS

Cats drive 15% of internet traffic, being the subject of around 30 million Google searches per month. They are easily the most popular category on YouTube, with videos featuring cats receiving over 26 billion views.

However, away from the virtual world of the internet, the reality is very different, and cats need our help more than ever before, with the numbers of stray and unwanted cats and kittens in the UK alone, going off the scale. In over 16 years of rescuing cats, I have never known a situation as desperate for cats as it is now.

Several negative factors have converged to bring this about. Covid lock downs caused a deluge of people wanting to adopt cats, dogs, puppies and kittens, with many of these animals subsequently not being neutered and later given up or abandoned.

The difficulty of getting vet appointments during Covid served to compound the problem, as far more people acquired animals, but fewer vets were available to see them, as many vets went back home to their native countries and never returned.

There has been a steep increase in vet fees as corporate vet companies, owned by private equity firms, and driven by profit over animal welfare, have been buying up once affordable independent vet practices, that are becoming ever more difficult to find. Medivet, for instance, charges £300 for a cat spay and £280 for a castration. (This in contrast to, say, Vets4Pets, whose Romford hospital charges £65 for a cat spay and £50 for a castration.) Set against a background of a cost-of-living crisis, many cat owners are now struggling to feed their cats, and pay for neutering and vet treatment.

The bigger corporate charities like Cats Protection and the RSPCA aren’t helping the problem either. We need to neuter 92% of all female cats to keep the population stable but are failing to reach this percentage. CP, one of whose core aims is neutering, could offer support with free neutering to smaller rescues, who do most of the frontline rescue work, but has refused to do so, citing welfare concerns about small rescues. CP also has scant presence in London, after recently closing their North London Adoption Centre, and has no branches within the main body of London.

The RSPCA, run by a senior management team who seem increasingly out of touch, closed their Putney Hospital and Southall Cattery 4 years ago, cut down their frontline provision by 20% and now no longer take calls after 5pm, leaving the job of helping sick and injured animals to the smaller rescues. I have now heard of several cases where the RSPCA has suggested the euthanasia of healthy cats, as they claim to lack space to house them. However, like CP, they have invested funds in a new logo, that could have been better spent on the animals the RSPCA was set up to protect.

Feline Friends London not only receives calls from all over London but are now from all over the country, from kind members of the public seeking help for stray cats and kittens. Vet practices, including charity vet clinics like the PDSA, are getting more cats than ever dumped on them. This sudden increase in stray and unwanted cats only serves to underscore how desperately cats are needing our help.

Given all the above, I am appealing to the cat-loving British public to ensure the protection and welfare of our beloved cats by supporting, not only Feline Friends London, but their local cat charities and rescues by volunteering for them, adopting from and fostering cats for them, giving them donations, including of cat food that can be made available for struggling owners, and publicising the good work these smaller rescues do.

We need to strengthen our smaller charities and rescues in this way, as the future of our cats depends on them. You can find your local cat charity or rescue by going to catchat.org, a wonderful resource for helping the nation’s cats.

The photos accompanying this appeal, feature some of our Feline Friends London cats and kittens, who would have died were it not for life-saving vet intervention, and the excellent care of our fosterers.

You can donate to Feline Friends London by going to our website https://felinefriendslondon.uk, where you will find a donate button and a PayPal option.

We can also accept company-matched donations through Benevity – please search for Feline Friends London on the Benevity platform.

Thank you on behalf of all our cats!