Published at 17:07, Friday, 07 December 2012

TWO fashionable felines are looking forward to the festive season after finding a new home.

A pet may be a wonderful gift to give someone for Christmas, but if the recipient is unable to properly care for their new arrival, it can lead to animals being abandoned or treated inhumanely.

On June 25, five kittens were dumped by the side of the road near Animal Welfare in Rawlinson Street, Barrow – and the RSPCA fears the act of giving animals as gifts could lead to similar cases.

But there has been a happy ending for two homeless kittens who were adopted following an appeal in the Evening Mail.

The 18-week-old sisters were taken to Animal Welfare after their previous owner could no longer care for them.

However the pair, Prada and Gucci, are now settled in at their new Walney home after retired couple John and Mary Werry read about their plight and decided to adopt them in February this year.

Mr Werry, 68, said: “We had just lost our Border collie, Lucy, and I was planning to get another one when my wife read about the cats.

“Prada was a bit scrawny when she came to us, and they were both quite timid.

“When they first got home it seemed they had never seen grass before. They would touch it then run back inside the house. Now they seem to own the place.

“When I went to Animal Welfare, I was shown a few other nice cats but I had been told by my wife to get these two.”

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “With Christmas just around the corner, the RSPCA wants to remind people looking at getting a new pet that their commitment will need to last throughout the animal’s life.

“Almost like the vows for a wedding, pet owners need to remember they have to be there for their animals in sickness and in health and for better and for worse.

“If you’re considering getting a new pet, please remember you must really think through what it takes to look after one.

“Please ensure you have the time, money, love, and home environment and, most of all, commitment.”

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk