Ireland’s pet experts, Petmania, are gearing up to celebrate all things feline this April. Throughout the month, Petmania will be promoting responsible cat ownership and highlighting the importance of neutering cats to help reduce the pressure on cat rescue centres across the country.
Celebrating Cats and Responsible Ownership
Cat ownership is booming in Ireland, with recent research conducted by Petmania revealing that a staggering 46% of Irish pet owners have a cat in their home, making them the second most popular pet after dogs.
April is also the beginning of kitten season, which typically runs until September. This period sees a surge in the number of kittens born, often leading to overwhelmed rescue centres struggling to rehome unexpected litters.
Petmania’s Commitment to Cat Welfare
Throughout April, Petmania will be:
Offering special discounts on cat food, litter, and other essential feline supplies, both online at https://www.petmania.ie/ and in their 16 stores nationwide.
Providing valuable resources and advice on cat care through their dedicated team of pet care experts available seven days a week in-store and through their online advice centre at https://www.petmania.ie/.
Petmania is urging cat owners to have their cats microchipped this April.
Microchipping is a permanent and safe way to identify cats and significantly increase the chances of them being reunited with their owners if they go missing. Petmania offer microchipping by appointment at their stores nationwide for only €24.99
Spreading the Neutering Message
Petmania is urging cat owners to neuter their pets to prevent unwanted litters and ease the burden on rescue centres. Some of the key benefits of neutering include:
- Reducing the risk of unwanted litters
- Helping to prevent certain cancers and diseases in both male and female cats
- Contributing to a calmer and more manageable cat.
- Reduce the risk of your cat roaming
Helping Cats Find Forever Homes
Several cat rescue centres will be visiting Petmania stores throughout April. These visits will allow potential adopters to learn more about cat adoption and connect with rescue volunteers. Some of the local rescue centres that Petmania partner with include:
Deise Animal Sanctuary (Waterford)
- Has homed 15 domestic cats already this year.
- Provides a free re-homing page for people struggling to find homes for their cats.
- Cares for 27 feral cats at their sanctuary.
- Neuters/spays over 350 cats per year.
- Has rehomed 16 cats/kittens so far this year.
- Sees a steady increase in cat intake from late Spring to Summer.
- Emphasises the importance of microchipping to reunite lost cats with their owners.
Cats Trust Rescue (formally Aughrim Cat Rescue)
- Will be at the Carlow store on Saturday, 6th April from 3 to 5pm to raise awareness about cat adoption.
- Recently achieved charity status.
- Rehomed 395 cats and neutered 566.
- Took in 55 cats and rehomed 35 cats as of March 2024
- Most rehomed cats are under 1 year old.
- Spayed/neutered 802 cats in 2023 and 235 so far in 2024.
- Sees a steady increase in cat intake from April to September but seeing more kittens outside this period.