Be A Feline “Friend”
Read all about the wonderful work done by Cats Protection, our charity partners for 2020.
CATS Protection is the UK’S leading cat welfare charity, helping around 200,000 cats and kittens each year through a national network of around 230 volunteer-run branches and 37 centres.
Why do they need our support?
This year, Cats Protection needs help more than ever to overcome the impact of Covid-19.
Branches and shops have had to close and face-toface fund-raising events have been cancelled.
On the positive side, the charity has adapted its adoption process and now offers hands-free homing, meaning that people can adopt a cat without visiting a centre, which has been enormously successful.
How do they help?
As well as finding new homes for unwanted cats, Cats Protection offers a number of services.
Paws Protect offers a temporary fostering service for people who are fleeing domestic abuse, Paws to Listen offers emotional support for those grieving their beloved cats and Cat Guardians gives people peace of mind that in the event of their death, their cat will be cared for until a new home is found.
The charity continues to provide cat-care information to the public through a range of methods, including its National Information Line, website, leaflets and talks to various community groups.
During COVID-19, Cats
Protection helped educate the public about feline pregnancy to avoid a summer kitten crisis with vets unable to carry out neutering operations.
Where do they operate?
In addition to volunteerrun UK branches and centres, Cats Protection also has over 120 charity shops and a national contact centre which is open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and provides cat welfare advice.
Who have they helped?
In 2019, 191,000 cats and kittens – that’s more than 520 a day – were helped.
They found new homes for 41,000 cats, reunited 2,500 lost cats with owners and neutered 150,000 cats and kittens, including 19,000 feral cats.
They gave talks to 41,000 people, helped 75 families to flee domestic abuse and rehomed 130 cats through Cat Guardians. ■
The Love Darg is “The People’s Friend’s” very own charitable appeal. Its name comes from an old Scots phrase meaning “a day’s work done for love”, and throughout its long life and various incarnations it has stayed true to that founding principle.
The Love Darg began in 1885 as a Grand Exhibition and Bazaar of Juvenile Industry to raise funds for a cot in the Children’s Ward of Dundee Royal Infirmary.
It then developed into a nationwide charity appeal that saw “Friend” readers make and donate thousands of gifts which were distributed to hospitals, children’s homes and hospices in the UK.
Times change, and in response to requests, we adapted, too.
Once again we are asking our generous readers to make specific items for Cats Protection.
These will be used in the centres to help the cats settle in and feel at home, with some being sold in the charity’s shops to raise funds.