Ipswich Missing Cats outline safety advice for pets after latest increase is missing cats

Ipswich Missing Cats group is urging pet owners to make sure they are doing everything they can to keep their cats safe, after an increase in the numbers going missing.

Last month, 57 cats were recorded by the group as going missing, with an average of 38 disappearing each month so far this year.

Last week, group members spent two days rescuing five abandoned nine-week-old kittens from bushes in Wherstead Road, while extreme cases this year include a cat found tied to a post and burnt and a dead cat in an alleyway behind Spring Road that appeared to have been stamped on.

For every 10 that go missing the group estimates that on average two will return home and two will be hit by cars but never found.

But group members are urging owners to protect their cats to cut the chances of them going missing. Leyla Edwards, 46, who looks after admin and welfare for the group, said: “It’s about telling people that it does still go on but there are ways to protect your pet. There’s no excuse for not chipping your cat – it’s £10 and could reunite a missing cat.” Only one in five cats are chipped, according to the group, despite the low cost.

The group is also recommending special protective fencing which keeps cats contained in their gardens, neutering to stop breeding with feral cats and bringing pets in at night.

Cats trapped in neighbours’ sheds is also an increasing problem, with homeowners being urged to check their sheds for any stowaway moggies.

Ms Edwards said: “I wake up to a lot of posts from people saying their cat is missing and with really heartbreaking stories, so if you can do something really worthwhile to save them it lifts your spirits.”

To report a missing or found cat visit www.missingcatsanglia.org.uk.