Rotherham man sets up early intervention team to support cats and their owners
“All of our rescues are bursting at the seams...I thought it would be helpful to have a team that steps in before the cats get to that point”
A Rotherham man has set up a volunteer group in hopes of relieving pressures on overcrowded cat shelters in the area.
Dom Swift, 47, set up Project MILO earlier this year, in memory of a beloved cat, Milo, who he and his family adopted.
The project is aimed at early intervention, assisting people in finding missing cats, rehoming strays, and provides education and support for existing owners.
Dom hopes this will reduce the burden on local cat rescue centres, which he says are often working at maximum capacity.
“All of our rescues are bursting at the seams,” Dom said, adding: “I thought it would be helpful to have a team that steps in before the cats get to that point.”
Dom, who says he used to be indifferent to cats, now battles his allergies to protect furry friends in the local area, as well as helping out cat owners who are experiencing financial difficulty.
He credits Milo with this change of heart, and says that the barriers his family experienced in adopting their first feline companion helped him to see rescues in a greater light.
“We only had Milo for the best part of a year,” Dom recalls, “But even in that short space of time he made such a huge impact on the household, and left a huge void.”
Dom and his family now have two pet cats whom they adopted from a local rescue centre, as well as taking in rescue cats on a temporary basis.
Last week, Dom and his partner rescued two sisters, Crystal and Willow, who were being advertised for free online. The pair were extremely underweight, and had already carried litters despite only having recently turned one year old.
“When people advertise cats for free it can attract the wrong crowd so we were determined to rescue them,” he said.
Dom detailed the variety of difficulties sometimes encountered when trying to rehome missing or stray cats.
They include: difficulties finding registered owners and issues regarding obtaining veterinary care for animals you don’t own.
Having combatted these barriers with Milo and the other cats he has cared for, Dom says he truly understands the importance of provisions for strays and has started Project MILO as a way of helping.
The Project is currently on the lookout for volunteers to support cat search and rescue missions, which help to reunite missing cats with their owners.
Dom is also hoping to create a waitlist of potential foster and adoptive owners, and urges anyone who may be interested to contact him for more information.
“Getting on the adoption list early gives us time to properly educate potential owners and means we can get cats rehomed more quickly,” he said.
Another key part of Project MILO involves providing assistance to cat owners who are struggling financially.
The team works with owners to donate essentials like cat food or to help with vet bills for things like vaccinations.
If it is no longer viable for cats to remain in their current home, Project MILO helps to rehome them via the adoption waitlist, or signposts owners to specialist rehabilitation services where appropriate.
Since starting out in August this year, the team has rehomed eight cats, most recently sisters Crystal and Willow. It has also supported a number of local people with financial and material donations.
The team accepts donations of unwanted cat beds, food, toys and other useful items like medical gloves. You can also support Project MILO by donating to Dom’s GoFundMe page, or by purchasing items from the Project’s Amazon wishlist.
You can find out more about Project MILO and how to get involved via its Facebook page.