SUMMERTIME - but the living is far from easy for Petline organiser Chris Butterworth.

She says she's being 'swamped' with calls from concerned locals worried about the seemingly homeless cats which are wandering into their gardens.

The animals belong to holiday makers who have left them in the care of neighbours.

Because so many of them aren't wearing identity tags well meaning householders are calling Chris, reporting them as lost.

She says the problem could be solved overnight if more owners purchased a collar with a disc on it.

"There are cats who don't like wearing collars but thats usually because they've not been put on properly. If they put a collar on so they can only get two fingers between the collar and the cat its just right," says Chris.

Another alternative to solving this identity crisis is to have Felix micro chipped.

This painless procedure involves inserting a micro chip under the fur which contains the name and phone number of the owner.

On a lighter note, seven dogs and 17 cats have been re-united with their relieved owners.

Lost

* EBONY: slim, black, female cat with an orange/red luminous collar. Went missing in the Woodheys Park area of Sale on May 13. New to the area. Call 283 0826.

* FELIX: black and white, Felix lookalike male cat. Went missing in Flixton in mid April. Call 748 4625.

* FUDGEY: small, tan tortoise shell female cat with a red collar and three bells. Went missing in the Higher Road area of Urmston on May 15. Call 748 7695.

* ROSIE, NIPPER, SNOWY and HEIDI: four female guinea pigs, two white and two brown. Went missing in the Brooklands area on May 15. Call 969 1067.

* CONNOR: six month old, black, male kitten wearng a green collar. Went missing in the George Street area of Urmston on May 16. Call 746 8088.

* DENNIS: white, neutered male cat with grey tabby markings and a distinctive tabby marking on his front leg. Wearing a red collar when he went missing in the Stretford area on May 13. Call 865 2019.

* COCO: small, light brown, terrier type female dog. Wearing a green fabric and leather collar when she went missing on the Devisdale in Bowdon on May 20. Call 0385 230 116.

* ARNIE: black and white shih-tzu type male mongrel dog who is stocky with short legs and a recently clipped coat. Went missing in Sale on May 20. Call 969 0818.

* SUSIE: small, black and white, Felix lookalike female cat. Went missing in the Withy Drive area of Sale on May 18. Call 282 8542.

* ELLIE: timid, Felix lookalike female cat wearing a fluorescent yellow collar. Went missing in Altrincham on May 7. New to the area. Call 233 0462.

* INDIE: slim, one year old, black and white pointer type female dog wearing a red and black collar. Has been ill recently and is on medicaton. Went missing in the Ashley area on May 26. Call 926 8677.

Using Petline

IF YOU would like to put a pet on the register or have any news about animals but do not want to speak directly to the owners, call Chris Butterworth on 902 0483, between 9am and 9pm. If she is not around, keep trying. If you want a picture of a lost pet to accompany an appeal, send it to Rick Bowen, SUM, 25 Ashton Lane, Sale, M33 6TP - but speak to Chris at Petline first.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.