Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre unveils new £100k cattery

Hundreds more cats can be rescued and rehomed after the launch of a ‘fabulous’ new cattery at Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre.

The new accommodation has been unveiled this month at the animal care facility in Ince Blundell.

Deb Hughes, a spokesperson for Freshfields, said: “It’s a fantastic place and it will mean we can rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome cats more quickly as they move through the accommodation.

“We can look after their health better, help them with their well-being and socialisation, and we can monitor them more closely.”

Last year Freshfields rehomed 293 cats, already above its average of 250-290.

At the beginning of 2023 it launched a fundraising appeal to replace the existing accommodation which had been in place for 25 years.

Deb said: “It was built in the way many were at the time and was a timber and mesh structure with individual units and units where pairs or cat families could be kept, and it did its job for many years, but it wasn’t ideal.

“It wasn’t fully sealed, it was difficult to clean and, while we did the best we could, it wasn’t up to the standard of accommodation that we wanted to provide.

“We started a fundraising plan early last year because we wanted to make the cattery a place that was fully sealed, that was warm and safe, but could be ventilated and temperature-controlled.”

Donations came from Pets at Home Foundation and the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust, as well as support from its ‘dedicated and generous’ animal-loving local community.

Work began in Summer, and it was completed and ready for use by the end of the year.

The main unit now has 28 pens as well as a medication room, an indoor ‘intake’ room and a separate isolation unit, the latter created by converting a former storage area to develop an eight-pen area where cats can recover from surgery, stay if they need vaccinations, or if they have an infection.

“They can be separated from the main cattery population,” said Deb. “It’s fantastic, it’s clean and hygienic. The new cattery is made from UPVC and Perspex with ventilation so we can control the individual temperature of each pen and the staff have kitted it out beautifully with resting areas and climbing areas, rugs and blankets, and toys and treats, and it looks great.

“There’s a new meet and greet area where prospective owners can meet a cat, with a sofa and a rug, and some toys. It’s a calm, relaxing space, where the cats and prospective owners can sit and get to know each other and see if they are a suitable match.

“The staff work really hard to make sure they match the animals at Freshfields with the most suitable owners and environments.”

She added: “It’s now fully functional and so as we start 2024 we can be more effective and help and rehome hundreds more cats thanks to these improvements.”

Freshfields is bracing itself for more surrendered animals as austerity continues to hit and owners are forced to give up pets they can no longer afford.

“It’s heartbreaking when we don’t have room. We want to make sure we have an effective rescue and rehoming system and this new facility and this new accommodation will help us, so we can be there for everyone and every animal who needs us.”

Deb added: “Even the most caring cattery like ours is no substitute for a loving home, and that’s what we want for all our animals. This new facility will help us achieve that.”

Freshfields also needs some new volunteers to help it in its work at the new cattery! Deb said anyone wanting to get involved in changing the lives of its ‘fabulous felines’ can contact them at cattery@freshfields.org.uk