Caring for cats

Cats Protection helps around 200,000 cats and kittens each year through its network of 230 volunteer run branches and 36 centres.

In 2019, they homed 41,000 cats and reunited 2,500 with their owners.

They’ve received more than £2.2 million, thanks to People’s Postcode Lottery Players.

Over the past two years, this support has helped find loving new homes for thousands of cats by funding essential cat care assistant and volunteer team leader roles. It’s also provided 10,000 microchips, ensuring cats can be easily identified when they leave the centre’s care and pays for two cat behavioural expert posts – who provide specialist advice and practical support to the charity’s centre teams.

The charity’s work to provide care and welfare support for cats and their owners has continued during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Nine-month-old Beebee came into the care of the Bridgend Adoption Centre as her owners were moving. She was heavily pregnant and shortly after arrival, gave birth to five kittens.

Cats like Beebee are continuing to receive essential care, with plenty of interaction from centre staff to keep them entertained, which is particularly important during a time when many cats are remaining in care for longer than usual.

Cat care assistant, Stevi Cosh said: "We’re spending lots of time with the cats and doing everything we can to keep them entertained. Many cats are enjoying extra playtime – they all seem to love a good fishing rod toy – and we’ve also been using enrichment puzzle feeders to make mealtimes more interesting.

"We’re really grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery who are supporting roles like mine this year, helping to ensure that we can continue to go that extra mile for cats. We’re looking forward to finding loving new homes for them all as soon as we’re able to, but in the meantime, we’re keeping them happy and healthy."

For information about cats and Coronavirus, visit www.cats.org.uk/coronavirus

Image: Bridgend Adoption Centre