A pregnant cat was brought to Battersea by her previous owners due to financial struggles associated with the cost of living crisis.
When two-year-old Nami first arrived at Battersea’s Old Windsor centre, she was expecting an unplanned litter. Nami’s previous owners had taken her in as a kitten from a family member and grown very attached over two years. With a heavy heart, they had to surrender her to Battersea’s care due to financial struggles exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis, as they could no longer afford essentials like pet food and were struggling to afford essentials for themselves.
Despite her difficult circumstances, Nami adjusted remarkably well to her new situation and carers. After going through her initial assessments at the Old Windsor centre, pregnant Nami was sent to stay with a foster carer to give birth to her kittens in a home environment. Nami was found to be an easy-going cat who adores human company and eagerly followed her foster carers around seeking affection. She even took to sleeping in their beds.
Sweet Nami, described by her foster carers as “a joy to have”, gave birth to a lively litter of four kittens, Luffy, Zoro, Robin and Chopper. Other than being timid of the hoover, the four kittens were full of energy, and when not enthusiastically playing, they were often found napping on their carers’ laps.
Fortunately, Nami, Luffy, Zoro, Robin and Chopper have all been rehomed in loving new homes in time for the festive season. They can now be found climbing on their new owners’ legs and purring away in delight.
With the cost of living still high and households being obliged to limit their expenses, the charity has seen a steady increase in owners wishing to give up their pets. Last month, approximately one in twelve animals were brought into Battersea’s centres because their owners told Battersea they could no longer afford to keep them. This is more than double the number in October (3 per cent). In the year to date, 181 cats have been relinquished to Battersea because their owners told the charity they could no longer afford to keep them or afford their vet bills. This is up 11 per cent year on year, from 163 in 2022, and up 202 per cent from 56 in 2021.
Unfortunately, Battersea suspects that many more owners are relinquishing their pets for the same reason, even if they do not want to admit it. In October, the charity received 1215 enquiries from people looking to bring their cats to one of our centres for rehoming, a 90 per cent increase year on year.
Bridie Williams, Rehoming and Welfare Manager at Battersea said: “We cannot understate the emotional turmoil facing families and owners who have to make the difficult choice to give up their pets amidst financial hardship. Our staff aim to ease that burden as best we can - providing reassurance, compassion, and simply focusing on finding the best possible new start for these animals.
“We know that having to give up a pet under any circumstances is truly heartbreaking but we want to remind people that bringing them to a rescue like Battersea is the most responsible thing you can do if you can no longer meet their care needs. We will strive to help and do so without judgement.”
As part of the charity’s ongoing work to help alleviate pressures on pet owners and ensure fewer cats and dogs need to come into rescue centres in the first place, Battersea partnered with food waste charity FareShare and an alliance of national animal organisations to help distribute meals to pets in need across the UK. The partnership has to date provided over one million meals for dogs and cats across the country – helping those worst affected by the cost –of living crisis.
The charity website also offers free pet advice and money saving tips for owners who may be looking into ways to reduce their monthly outgoings. This includes instructions for making pet toys and treats using low-cost ingredients and items that can be found around the home.
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Notes to editors
· At Battersea we offer our love and expert care to dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres, and by sharing our knowledge and resources with rescue organisations around the world. We do this because we want to help every dog and cat, everywhere.
· In 2022 Battersea directly cared for 2,278 dogs and 2,253 cats at our three centres. We also helped thousands more through our campaigning work, supporting other rescues and animal welfare advocates, and sharing knowledge and advice with pet owners.
· In addition to the site in South West London, Battersea also has two other centres based at Old Windsor, Berkshire and Brands Hatch, Kent.
· To find out more visit our website or follow Battersea on Twitter @battersea_, Instagram @battersea or facebook.com/Battersea.