This May, cats will be in the spotlight with specialist cat insurer, Agria Pet Insurance, dedicating the month to celebrating the differences that makes every cat special, while supporting those in rescue.
Agria’s recent survey of the current situation in the UK’s cat rescues confirmed some uncomfortable statistics – including that 80% of cats are not adopted due to their age, appearance or disability.
A third of cat rescues surveyed said that they were already full, with two thirds reporting a significant increase in cats being surrendered to them over the past year. The majority reported this increase to be between 25% and 50% above what is usual for them, and more than 70% of rescues are worried about how many more cats are set to arrive in their care as lockdown continues to ease.
The survey also found that, sadly, a quarter of cats in UK rescues have been there for at least six months.
Tom Vaughan, Head of Marketing at Agria Pet Insurance, says, “The increasing pressure on cat rescues in the UK has been apparent for some time, and with the pandemic amplifying this significantly, many are really struggling. We work with hundreds of rehoming organisations and see the issues in rescues first-hand. Just this week, one of our partners has had to close – so we’re hoping to help others out as much as we can with the Agria CatWalk.”
“Doing this, while dedicating May to every cat, is a very exciting time for us at Agria. The CatWalk celebrates all the things that we love about our most mysterious of pets – their unique personalities, strange pastimes and diverse looks. We know that every cat is perfect, so the CatWalk is ‘anti-model’ – all shapes, sizes, colours, breeds and personalities are very welcome! It’s the moment for all cats to strut their stuff to support those looking for homes and the amazing rescues that care for them.”
During May, as well as sharing feline facts and cats looking for homes, Agria will also be running a photo competition on their Facebook page with four winners set to secure a £1,000 donation to the UK cat rescue of their choice. They will also win a luxury cat hamper from Love Louie and a year of modelling opportunities for their cat with Agria. A total of 12 runners-up will each win a £500 donation to the UK cat rescue of their choice plus a cat hamper.
Each new cat policy taken out during May will also result in a donation to UK cat rescues, with owners benefitting from a £50 voucher to spend at their vet, plus their first month of insurance free*.
To find out more about the Agria CatWalk, visit: www.agriapet.co.uk/pet-owners/products/for-cats/cat-walk-2021/ and to take part and be in with a chance of winning up to £1,000 for the UK cat rescue of your choice, follow Agria’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/agriapetuk/
*Special offer valid in May only, promo code ‘HSCAT’ must be quoted. Terms, conditions and excesses apply, see www.agriapet.co.uk/tscs/
Survey carried out among Agria Pet Insurance cat rescue partners in April 2021.
