Volunteer vet team on stray cat mission

A vet and an RVN from a Merseyside practice are flying out to help control a Greek island’s stray cat population.

The pair will neuter about 100 cats in a week on Skiathos as part of a programme to reduce the island’s stray cat population, as well as provide flea and worm treatment.

Holiday leave

Vet Sara Creech and RVN Claire Shepherd are using the holiday leave from their roles at Parker and Crowther Veterinary Surgeons – which has branches in Formby, Maghull, Birkdale and Churchtown – to volunteer with Skiathos Cat Welfare Association.

The charity helps deal with the plight of the island’s massive stray cat population, and this is the fourth time Dr Creech and Miss Shepherd have volunteered. They fly out on 18 April for eight days.

Since 2005, Skiathos Cat Welfare Association has neutered more than 5,000 cats and prevented thousands of kittens being born, following a programme to humanely trap, neuter and then release them.

Using a makeshift operating table in the basement of a villa, Dr Creech and Miss Shepherd will neuter 18 cats a day.

Viruses

Some of the island’s cat population is suffering from viruses such as cat flu and FIV, as well as worms and fleas, while hundreds of abandoned kittens exist.

It was while holidaying in Skiathos that Miss Shepherd, who owns four cats, was alerted to the charity’s work as she saw for herself the number of stray cats roaming the resort.

Covetrus – a worldwide distributor of medical, dental and veterinary supplies – is supporting the pair by providing free supplies for the trip, including gloves, flea and worm treatment, and drapes.