RSPCA London East branch - extra rescue cat space

Aim

We desperately need more capacity and funding to cope with the huge increase in the number of abandoned and sick cats coming into our care.

Every few days now we receive a call from an RSPCA inspector desperately trying to find somewhere to take in a cat they literally have in their hands, a cat that has nowhere else to go. Every week we are sent a long waiting list of sick or injured cats that have been taken into the RSPCA Finsbury Park hospital, treated and now need to move out to branches for rehoming - so there is space for the huge influx of other cats needing treatment. We receive emails every day from people who no longer have the time or money to take care of their pets and need to give them up. Due to limited space, we often have to turn away these cats in desperate need – which is soul-destroying for us.

The cost of living crisis has hit us all hard. The number of abandoned cats has never been higher. These are cats that have been left behind when their owners moved away, or were evicted, or passed away. These are cats that have been left on the doorsteps of local vets (like our video star Scarlett), left on buses, or put out on the streets. These are cats that have owners who need to work longer hours, who don’t have enough money to feed themselves and their cat, or who can’t afford the vet treatment their sick cat urgently needs.

Our project aims to give us more space to take in those cats and give them the care they need. We are run entirely by volunteers and have no paid staff. It is on us to rehabilitate these cats and find them the loving forever homes they deserve. Every week we spend time with these cats and see first-hand the traumas they have been through. Beautiful Thor came in to us after his owner was videoed abusing him. Handsome boys Ritz and Carlton had been left to fend for themselves in a motel room. Terence had a neurological condition that his owner couldn’t cope with. The list goes on and on.

At a minimum, most cats that come in to us need flea and worming treatment, microchipping, neutering and vaccinations. Many have expensive health conditions. We have a cat with a thyroid condition in long-term foster care and her care alone costs us over £1500 per year, and another young cat who has heart problems requiring scans costing over £300 each (even at a discount). Even when cats are ready for rehoming, we are receiving very few applications for them so they have to stay in our care longer, which means less space available and is not beneficial for their welfare. Inspectors and local food banks have asked us for pet food to hand out to those that can’t afford it. The cost of medication, basic supplies and fuel has gone up, and our boarding costs will rise next year. Fundraising income is at an all-time low.  

Our project will mean we could provide more pet food to local food banks and the local community, enabling some owners to keep their cats. It means we can take in more cats in urgent need where their owners simply cannot care for them anymore. We badly need your help, this funding is so very important to our cats and they don’t have anyone else. They deserve to get all the care they need, and loving homes to keep them safe, happy and well for the rest of their lives. Please contribute to our project – and help hungry cats like Moonlight get a square meal. You can see more of our cats here!

This project successfully funded on 29th December 2022