Covid fear cat feared abandoned

Say hello Dolly

A cat found in a Devon street may have been abandoned due to misguided fears about felines spreading coronavirus.

The elderly black female is now named Dolly after the little girl who found her near a broken cat carrier outside shops in Reddenhill Road in Babbacombe, Torquay. It is thought the cat was abandoned in the carrier but managed to escape, injuring herself in the process.

She was taken in by a family living nearby, who called in the Torbay-based cat rescue charity Feline Network when they realised she was hurt. The charity took the cat to an emergency vet and she is now being looked after at one of its foster homes.

Early in the coronavirus pandemic there were media reports that cats could catch covid-19, but there is no evidence of them passing the virus to humans. The charity has now issued an appeal for information to find out where the cat came from, as she has not been micro-chipped.

Feline Network founder Debbie Johnson said it was possible the cat had been stolen and dumped. It was also possible she had been abandoned due to unfounded fears that people can catch Covid-19 from cats, or the owner no longer being able to afford to look after her.

Ms Johnson reassured owners that there is no evidence of people catching the virus from pets. The incident has been reported to police, as abandoning a pet is an offence under animal welfare law. Ms Johnson thanked Dart Vale Veterinary Group at Totnes which waived its fee to provide emergency care for the injured cat.

She said: “Under no circumstances should an animal be abandoned. If people are having problems looking after their cat, they should get in touch with us. We will always help if we can, or pass on to another organisation.

“This is the first time we have come across a case like this, but up and down the country we are hearing about a lot of cases of cats being abandoned. When the lockdown is over we will be looking for a nice home for Dolly, who is a lovely elderly cat.

“She has had a horrible experience. Luckily the family took her under their wing and realised she was injured and needed help, which is where we stepped in and did our bit.”

Ms Johnson said the charity was under financial pressure due to the lockdown, as its shop in Paignton was closed and it was not receiving rehoming fees.