The search to find a new owner for Mumma Cat has gone on for more than six months, ever since she and her five newborn kittens were found in a shed and left with staff at Family Vet Centre, Albury.

Senior vet nurse Aimee Hollonds said notices at the clinic as well as on Facebook and Instagram had failed to attract any offers.

“Sadly we haven’t had much interest for her, but she’s beautiful,” Miss Hollonds said.

“The kittens have all got homes, Mum’s been advertised for a while.

“She’s great with us and she does like it here but I think she’d like a warm bed for winter.”

Albury Cat Rescue volunteer co-ordinator Rae Smith said finding homes for cats could be difficult during the cooler months.

“This is notoriously a quiet time,” she said.

“I don't know whether it’s the cold weather, we all just hibernate.

“Although if they only had a cat on their bed at night they’d be so much warmer.”

Other reasons could be approaching tax time or school holidays or that people are struggling with finances and can’t consider a new pet.

“We’ve had a pretty good run of adoptions, and especially older cats, but it’s just gone really quiet,” Mrs Smith said.

Where dogs are often selected by breed, adopted cats might be chosen for less formal reasons.

“Some people don’t like a black cat, but then some people do,” Mrs Smith said.

“Someone might have had a tabby when they were younger and they want to get another one now.

“A lot of people also want an older cat because they’re, not less maintenance, but they’ve gone through that silly stage and they’re quite content to sleep at home all day while the owners are at work.” 

Miss Hollonds said Mumma Cat was healthy and probably two years or under.

“We don’t know if this was her first litter or not, but she knew what she was doing, she looked after her kittens very well,” she said.

Now desexed and microchipped, Mumma Cat would also be vaccinated before going to a new home.

At the moment, she has a free range out the back of the clinic and seems to enjoy playing mum to another guest looking for an owner, 16-week-old kitten Pickles.

“Mumma Cat’s a quiet kitty but she gets along well with cats and dogs, because obviously being here, nothing much really fazes her,” Miss Hollonds said.