SPCA 'absolutely chocka'

SPACE NEEDED: Extra collapsible cages have been set up in the quarantine room to deal with the overflow of felines. PHOTO/ STUART MUNRO

Wanganui SPCA is bursting at the seams.

Over Easter Weekend, the centre on London St was hosting just shy of 100 animals - mainly kittens and cats - general manager Danny Auger said.

At the moment, about 170 animals are in Wanganui SPCA care.

Not all of them are kept at the centre, with some being looked after at foster homes, though their care is still paid for by the SPCA.

"Wanganui SPCA is extremely full," Mr Auger said, judging it to be fuller than it had ever been.

Nationwide, the SPCA has a deal with Animates pet store that they can send some excess animals to them to be adopted from the store. In the past few months, the Wanganui branch has sent about 50 kittens to Animates to be adopted. This was in strong contrast to the Feilding and Palmerston North centres, which have sent about 12 or 15 kittens each since December, Mr Auger said.

"There's a huge problem in Whanganui with unspayed and unneutered cats, we've just got them coming through the door all the time."

He said the quarantine room at the Whanganui centre was "absolutely chocka" and they had set up extra collapsible cages for all the cats and kittens.

"If people believe ... if they've got a cat, obviously a female cat that isn't desexed, then it's going to get pregnant. There is no maybe, it will.

"It's quite obvious that Whanganui is very far behind in the desexing of animals."

Wanganui SPCA now has a deal that anybody who comes to the centre, spends $5 and shows their community services card and another form of ID will receive a voucher to have a male cat desexed.

Mr Auger said they were working on providing assistance to have female cats desexed too.

He encouraged people to think of the SPCA first when buying a cat or kitten, adding they would get their new pet already desexed and microchipped.

-To help Wanganui SPCA, go to 134 London St or call 06 345 3369.