Trying to get through to the RSPCA about a cat.

My doorstep cat has gone missing since Tuesday. He was neutered in August but has a bad ear - there is not much you can do with him, as he is wild and goes for people, even when being fed. He has a little hut two doors down because the weather was turning (and my cats don´t like him). He hates hands, having been put in a crush cage to be treated and neutered. I am worried that if someone has reported the crusty eared cat to the RSPCA that he will be put down. He usually turned up 2 to 3 times each day.

Try the general enquiries on 03001234555 there is no-one there to speak to saturdays and sundays it takes you through a number of options. Each of these options is to do with different animals ie: cats ... it then speaks to you for a number of minutes ie ... find out YOURSELF if the stray cat you are phoning about belongs to anyone .... there are colonies of feral cats and we wont do anything with them leave KITTENS where they are (to make more ferals presumably) ???????? Pick another number ie birds ... fledgings etc leave them where they are .... it goes on then cuts off. So you have to phone back again.
I then tried the two hospital numbers for north and south london ... similar thing no-one there a recorded message went on and on ... until it cuts you off.
I then tried a mobile number for the south east branch ... it is an unobtainable number.
I phoned back the general number to report that my doorstep cat is missing but again it went on and on about cats etc ... and then said THEY DO NOT TAKE REPORTS OF MISSING ANIMALS ON THE PHONE ?? YOU MUST GO TO THE WEBSITE AND FILL OUT A FORM. What if you can´t?? If your computers on the blink or you are older without one etc?

I called the emergency number for cruelty etc ... on 03001234999 the lady was very nice and I explained that I had tried all other options and got nowhere, I just wanted to know if they had picked up any black cats from my area (as they put strays down in 7 days). She said she would take my number and maybe someone will let me know. Sadly, I had to use an alias as them and I have never got along !!!

It is very bad that they do not take reports of missing animals on the phone.
The phone options which may be helpful to some people seem very complicated and long winded, sending you round the houses before cutting you off.

Thanks

From the topic:

11. Pet Politics - Rights, Ethics, Re-homing & the RSPCA.

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11 Jan 2012 13:20

Tina Knowles

Christine cat went missing last year, sadly he never came back, but even after putting up posters etc no one phoned to say they even seen the cat, as for the R.S.P.C.A they are just useless now days simply because there is no one over the age of 20 working in there anymore (in me local one they are 16 - 20) they don´t answer the phone as I was told by one of them its not my job to answer phone, splus they don´t take any stray pets anymore or abandon pets, well that is unless they are being filmed then they go picking up stays rescue cats from trees etc.
Claire you be better off phoning either your local cats protection home or your local cats rehoming centre xx

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11 Jan 2012 07:43

Jacqui

I´ve had a similar experience with our local council, as, on Monday, whilst out walking my two, we were followed and constantly pestered by a stray entire male dog who wouldn´t leave Maddy alone, so much so that in the end I had to give up and put Maddy back in my car. The said stray dog had a collar on but no tag, he was an older dog and probably a GSD cross though he was much smaller than a GSD. When I got home I tried to phone the dog warden but there isn´t a direct number and I had to phone the council and go through their list of options. In the end, I had to give up, so I can identify with your frustration Claire and I totally agree with you. It´s at times like these when speed is of the essence and it ought to be easy and straightforward to speak to the RSPCA or the dog warden but they are like scarlet pimpernells and the whole system seems to be set up to make it difficult to speak to anyone or get any answers.

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10 Jan 2012 10:46

Vena

Yes Eric, So they would like us to believe, but they don´t take in strays any-more fail to respond to some cruelty cases, instead they choose to spend thousands on stupid campaigns that has nothing to do with them.

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10 Jan 2012 09:31

Eric Shadforth

But Vena, they haven´t got the money!!!!!(At least, thats what they keep telling us)

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10 Jan 2012 09:06

Vena

Sounds a nightmare , think its high time they made themselves more accessible.

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