Charity champions the joys of mature moggies

As older cats take over three times longer to rehome than kittens, Cats Protection has launched #MatureMoggiesDay on 16 June to highlight the many benefits older cats bring and to inspire people to share heartwarming stories of their senior feline companions.

According to the charity, cats aged 11 years and older take an average of one month to find a new home, whereas kittens typically find homes in just eight days.

This is why Cats Protection is sharing stories of older 'kitizens' waiting for adoption and offering advice on its website about caring for senior cats.

"Older cats often have established personalities and, as they often have longer stays in care than young cats, our staff and volunteers can know more about their individual likes and dislikes to make sure they are the best fit for you," said Sarah Elliott, Central Veterinary Officer at Cats Protection.

Cats Protection has a strong track record of rehoming older cats. Two years ago, the charity helped rehome Flossie, who was recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest living cat just weeks before her 27th birthday.

Flossie, who is now 28 and doing well, was rehomed with Vicki Green in Orpington who said: "I knew from the start that Flossie was a special cat but I didn't imagine I'd be sharing my home with a world record holder. She's so affectionate, playful and sweet, especially when you remember how old she is. I'm immensely proud that Cats Protection matched me with such an amazing cat."

The oldest cat the charity is currently looking after is 19-year-old Charlie who has been at Cats Protection's East Norfolk Centre for over a month.

"Cats go through six life stages as they grow, and they start to be considered old when they reach the 'mature' stage at age seven but they typically don't start slowing down until they reach the senior stage at 11 years old," said Sarah. "Similar to dogs, cat life stages can be roughly equated to human years, meaning that we can calculate a cat's age both in cat years and human years. However, this is complicated, as cats mature much more in their first human year than they do for the rest of their lives. This is much like humans, who age slower and slower as years go by."

Better vet treatments and care mean that our pet cats are living longer than ever and with the average life expectancy for pet cats in the UK 11.7 years1, some pet cats can live into their late teens and even reach their early 20s.

Those interested in adopting from Cats Protection can view mature moggies looking for a new home on the charity's website here.

Those interested in finding out their cat's age in human years can find out here.