An Adoption Story – Spencer the Cat

Latest post from Cheska, our Animal Welfare Officer.

Meet Spencer, the beautiful tabby and white boy who in every picture looks like he is about to say something interesting! He came to us at about 5 years of age in October 2022 from one of RSPCA’s incredible Animal Rescue Officers who responded to a report of a stray cat in need of our help.

Sometimes when we rescue a stray cat like this, we often don’t find out anything about their background because they haven’t been microchipped and the person reporting the stray cat doesn’t have any information either.

Fortunately for us and for Spencer however, he did in fact have a microchip which helped us piece together his history. We know that he had a previous owner who sadly passed away, and from that point onwards he began to live as a stray without anyone taking responsibility for his welfare.

The private boarding facilities we use for incoming cats are vital for us to be able to take in cats as quickly as we can, because we know they are set up properly and we can rely on the fantastic owners to take care of the cat’s needs.

However, we do always strive to move our cats to a home setting as quickly as we can so that they can begin settling back down into a home-life that they may not have experienced for some time. With Spencer we were able to keep him in one of the catteries we use for only 6 days, after which he spent 11 days with a fosterer before being adopted. It’s truly incredible when we are able to turn an animal’s life around so quickly and reduce the amount of time they spend in temporary housing.

Spencer was adopted by Ryan from Kent, who we have stayed in contact with so we can hear about how they are settling together as a new family. Ryan was even kind enough to send over an update alongside some photos so we can share with everyone how Spencer is getting on. He writes:‘

Adopting Spencer was a very smooth process. Communication with the RSPCA via Jacqui was clear and efficient ensuring we could make the adoption work for us and with as little disruption for Spencer as possible. Temporary fosterers took real care of Spencer in the interim and also communicated effectively. Jacqui and the RSPCA have continued to provide us with support, post adoption. Spencer is already a huge part of the family and has settled very quickly. Overall a very rewarding process.’

One of the many challenges that come with rescuing and rehoming stray cats – and other animals – is that without knowing anything about their background we are forced to make decisions without any information about their past medical history, temperament, and experiences.

Luckily Spencer came to us very friendly and with that vital microchip that could provide us with some of this information, but when we are left without, it makes it more difficult to place a previously stray cat to a new home that is suitable.

So along with the other important reasons to arrange microchipping for your pet, it can also guarantee that any future home for them will be as appropriate for them as possible. Thankfully there are many charity-run programmes where owners can apply to get their pet microchipped if they are struggling to find the funds for it, and luckily, we are one of those who might be able to help!

We run a welfare assistance scheme where you can apply for financial assistance paying for some medical bills, and this includes microchipping and neutering. If you want to read more about this, click on this dedicated page.

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