This tiny little lady is Arwen, an 8-month old unneutered cat who came into the care of the Greenwich Wildlife Network after a volunteer spotted her being given away for free on a local community group, as she did not get along with a new dog in her household.
Although Arwen’s former owner was truly seeking a new, happy home for her, this is an extremely high-risk way for animals to change hands, and this is why we decided to step in. Animals given away on the internet are vulnerable to being re-sold, used for breeding, or even used as bait in dog fights or for acts of cruelty; a recent case of dogs being obtained for torture videos in Australia is a disturbing example of this. More often however, these animals simply go to individuals who aren’t prepared for the potentially 10+ year commitment of owning a cat or dog, and all the veterinary fees and responsibilities that that entails. Whilst rehoming via a reputable animal rescue is often a longer route due to the extremely high demand for rehoming services and therefore long waiting lists, it is always the safest rehoming method for any animal, as rescues have the means and experience to properly vet adopters for suitability - and quickly weed out people with bad intentions.
Arwen was also unneutered, which meant it was almost inevitable that she’d end up pregnant in a short time. We have only a tiny capacity to assist with rehoming cats at the GWN - although that may change in future - but this was one of those rare occasions where we could fit this miniature, shy yet very sassy cat into our current menagerie. We’re pleased we’ve spared her an uncertain or unpleasant fate elsewhere.
This lovely lady is now chipped, neutered and has begun her vaccinations. Although initially timid, she has slowly revealed herself to be loving, curious and very purry. She’s also a little bit firey when she needs to be.
We are already exploring prospective adoptive homes for her, which will be carefully vetted and home checked for long term suitability.