Washed, fed, warmed up and named Stormy.

We've all heard of a rat up a drainpipe, but how about a cat?

A couple of weeks ago, in "really bad weather conditions", a member of the Napier public found a kitten in a drainpipe in Arnold St, Onekawa.

Named Stormy by the team at the Napier SPCA Centre where she was handed in, the approximately 8-week-old domestic short-haired female is lucky to be alive, says centre manager Joy Walker.

She believes the kitten had been stuck for a few hours before being rescued.

"Stormy was brought into the Napier centre, cold, shivering and hungry. The person who found her told us if she hadn't found the kitten in time it probably wouldn't have survived, as the water in the drainpipe was rising rapidly.

"She was warmed up, fed and is now with one of our lovely animal welfare inspectors and recovering well."

Although Stormy wasn't microchipped when she came into the centre, she will be done when she becomes available for adoption, Joy says.

"Microchipping is done with all of our available for adoption animals, with some exceptions such as chickens, for example."

Joy says although the traditional kitten season is over, the Napier and Hastings SPCA centres are inundated with kittens.

"The centres just haven't had a gap. Cats tend to breed during the warmer weather, so we believe this may be causing the breeding season to extend.

"Currently it feels very much like it is a year-round situation, so timely desexing of both cats and dogs is very strongly recommended. We currently have 117 in care for Napier and 130 in Hastings."

Joy says up to seven years ago, they would have around five to six adult cats and a few dogs or puppies in care from April to October each year.

"While cats are one of our bigger issues, we have also seen a large increase in incoming puppies, especially neonates (4 weeks old or younger). These all have been exceptionally large litters, often more than 10 individuals. Unfortunately, those have mostly been abandoned or dumped so we were not able to offer advice or assistance in any way to the owner."

Joy says the centre is always after more volunteers.

"We have a range of volunteer jobs available, some include cleaning cat rooms, helping with general cleaning such as dishes, laundry and litter trays, helping clean and exercise our dogs, as well as several volunteer positions at our op shops for people who want to help but prefer not to be hands-on with the animals."

Volunteering as a foster carer with SPCA is another option and depending on the reason for fostering, cats can stay with a carer from between two and 10 weeks. Joy says they are very flexible, so if a foster parent is going away or can only do a short time, they can take the animals back into centre care.

"If you want to experience kittens, sign up as a foster parent and we can supply you with all the kittens you could ever want. We provide food, litter, bedding and trays. All a foster parent has to do is love them, play with them and drive them to their vet appointments. And once they are ready for adoption, we can take them back in and give you more."

To try and lessen cat numbers coming into the SPCA, the centre operates a stray cat collar process, where a cat wears a collar for a few days to locate the owner, who then gets in contact with the centre.

"This collar process is very successful. Cats do have large territories and can roam quite a bit. People often assume that a cat is a hungry stray, when actually it lives three streets over and visits five different houses for food. If a cat does end up coming in to us, the return rate is relatively good and even better, if the cat is microchipped."

Joy says the extra stress with the extended kitten season takes its toll.

"It is difficult because we don't seem to get that break that we used to and our dog numbers are much higher as well. We have a very supportive team, which helps a lot, but our biggest help would be from our wonderful volunteer and foster parents. We could not do this without them."

The public can help by volunteering, fostering and supporting SPCA through various donations such as food, toys, blankets, towels and of course financially.

"The volunteer teams at both Napier and Hastings Centre, as well as the op shops, are such a lovely bunch. For some of them it is a good way to get out of the house and build some great relationships with like-minded individuals. I believe this has helped quite a few people cope post-Covid. So if anyone is interested, there are so many benefits to becoming a volunteer at our centres or our op shops."

■ For more information about adopting, volunteering or fostering at the Napier SPCA visit 31 Mersey St, Pandora, Napier, or phone 06 835 7758.