The Mayhew Animal Home and Kitten Season!

I went to visit the Mayhew Animal Home today which rescues, neuters and re-homes unwanted animals and strays within the north of London and was very impressed by what I saw. The Mayhew is run by a small, but dedicated, team of staff, aided by students and volunteers, and supported by home foster carers. The Mayhew’s emphasis is on responsible pet ownership and it goes to great lengths to promote this for the animals in its care and also to the people who come to adopt new pets. All the animals leave the Mayhew neutered, chipped and vaccinated. They are also assessed for any behavioural issues or health problems and these are fully addressed before the animal is allowed to be rehomed. People who come forward to adopt a pet are assessed for their suitability and the staff discuss at great lengths the commitment of owning a pet and no animal is allowed to leave the shelter unless they are completely happy they are going to a loving home that will provide life-long care.

The care and attention the animals receive at the Mayhew is extraordinary and great emphasis is placed on ensuring each animal is given daily individual attention. All the dogs are played with and walked at least twice a day and all the cats receive cuddles and attention. There is also a secure outdoor area for the cats to play in, which is especially important for the many kittens the Mayhew look after. One fantastic feature of the Mayhew is a large garden for their population of semi-feral cats. These cat cannot be rehomed for various reasons, so the Mayhew neuter, chip and vaccinate them and they live quite happily in a group outside. The garden has many different kennels and hidey holes for all the cats and permanent access to the indoors for rainy days. When I visited, on a fabulously sunny day, many residents were basking in the warm weather and appeared perfectly content. For truly feral cats who would never settle in a confined space they operate a ‘Trap, Neuter and Release’ program, which allows the cats to return to their territories and live in family groups, without the females continually breeding. They also have a dedicated team of foster carers who will take in animals, both dogs and cats, who may be unsuited to a kennel environment or need socialisation in a home environment. This is of great benefit to the animals, especially to feral cats and kittens, who may never adapt to a home life otherwise.

The reason for my visit to the Mayhew was to highlight ‘Kitten Season’, which is currently upon us and the fact that at this time of year the rescue is inundated with queens and their litters, who are either strays or who have been dumped by their owners. The Mayhew do their best, and there are certainly plenty of enquires for the kittens, but supply always exceeds demand and there are always kittens left over, who grow out of the cute and fluffy stage and are therefore much harder to rehome. The most frustrating thing about this situation is that it is so easily avoided by simply ensuring young, female cats are neutered before the age of 6 months. All cats leaving the Mayhew are neutered, even the kittens who are done at 9 weeks old, and the charity offers low cost neutering to the local residents. However, every year it is the same, which is why PetStreet and the Mayhew are working together to get the message out there that all cats should be neutered; it is a quick, cheap, safe procedure which will stop the supply of unwanted kittens in the world.

The Mayhew is a wonderful charity which isn’t simply a rehoming centre. Each animal is individually assessed, cared for and found suitable owners, who have also been extensively briefed on the responsibility of taking on a pet. Through its neutering and education campaigns it aims to stop the problem of unwanted pets at its source and there is nothing they would like better than to see themselves put out of business and we at PetStreet are delighted to help them in that aim.

If you want to learn more about the Mayhew, make a donation, or become a foster carer, you should visit their website at www.mayhewanimalhome.org.