Why mature (and adult) moggies make marvellous companions

Cats Protection’s Coleraine Branch currently has several ‘Mature Moggies’ and adult cats waiting for their ‘purrfect palaces’.
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Figures from the charity’s centres show that cats aged 11 and over spend an average of 33 days waiting to be adopted – twice as long as the overall average time of 15 days and over four times longer than kittens, who wait an average of eight days.

In fact an adult cat stays on average 40 days in care in the Coleraine branch before being rehomed.

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In a survey conducted by Cats Protection to understand why many ‘senior kitizens’ are being overlooked and just 24% of respondents would be likely to consider an older cat, compared with 68% of respondents who would be likely to consider getting a kitten.

MinnieMinnie
Minnie

The top reasons for not considering an older cat included that they might not live long and an older cat might get ill and cost money.

However, owners of older cats stated: they are calmer (58%), they don’t want to leave the house as much (54%) and it feels like they are more of a family member (52%).

Cats Protection says improvements in cat care have greatly raised the life expectancy and quality of life for household moggies, with many now living into their late teens and early 20s in remarkably good health.

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One adult moggy in the Coleraine branch that needs a new home is Charlie.

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Lucky

She is approximately nine-years-old, and her whole life changed when her elderly owner went into hospital and sadly passed away.

Having been with her owner since she a kitten, Charlie was very scared when she first arrived into care. Now she enjoys being petted and getting attention but she will still need time to settle into her new home, and will need to lose some weight.

Once she settles in though, she’ll be a devoted pet.

The branch also has adult cats Maisie (13 years old), Lucky (male, 6 years old) and Minnie (approximately 4 years) who came into care after their owner moved and unfortunately could not bring them along.

MaisieMaisie
Maisie
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They are all patiently waiting for their second (and in Lucky’s case third) chance at getting their ‘furrever’ home.

Mark Hetherington, Branch Coordinator says: “It’s a shame that older cats stay with us longer as they have a lot to offer.

“Their characters are fully formed and they’re less likely to scale the curtains or knock your ornaments off the shelf!

“Older cats can often still be quite playful when they choose to be and many enjoy a few short games each day.”

CharlieCharlie
Charlie
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All cats adopted from Cats Protection have been fully health-checked and come with a full medical history and four weeks’ free pet insurance which also covers new conditions.

To find out more about the mature moggies available for adoption check out www.facebook.com/ColeraineCatsProtection or https://www.cats.org.uk/coleraine/adopt-a-cat