bascats3

Helping needy cats and kittens in our area since 1988.

 

Reg Charity nos 203644 (Eng & Wales),  SCO37711(Scotland)

 

 

 

NEXT HOMING SHOW :   SATURDAY 7 AUGUST  1 0.3 0 a m - 1.3 0 p m, Admission 50p

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH HALL, WICKHAY (OFF GREAT KNIGHTLEYS), BASILDON, SS15 5AD

 

 
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CAN YOU HELP??  Getting homes for cats has been very hard lately, which is really sad as we have lots of beautiful cats  and kittens just longing for lovely homes to go to. At the moment we have over 80 kittens in our care as well as over 30 adult cats. We can only take in other unwanted and stray cats when we have found homes for the ones we are currently looking after.  Do have a look at our “We Need a Home” page,  which has details of some of the cats who are looking for homes. If you are thinking of adopting a cat or kitten, please do give us a call on 01268 285778 and give a loving home to one (or more) of these fantastic felines.

ALFIE

CAT OF THE WEEK

ALFIE
Alfie came to us from a multi-cat household

He is a very energetic, lively and loving little kitten, aged about 4 months,  who loves to play. He has been neutered.

Alfie likes the company of other friendly cats where he can have a rough and tumble so would love a home that already has another cat or a home where he would receive lots of attention. He could adapt to life with a nice dog, but not very young children.

Can you give him the home he needs?

FREE NEUTERING CAMPAIGN – For a FURTHER LIMITED period we are able to offer free cat neutering for both male and female cats. To qualify you need to be on a means-tested benefit, JSA, pension or low income and live in post code areas SS11 to SS17, CM11 to CM15 and your cat must be 5 months or older. Other conditions apply.  To find out more,  please ring our Neutering Line on 01268 543283.   DON’T MISS OUT, RING US TODAY!

 

About the Basildon, Brentwood & District Branch

The Basildon, Brentwood & District Branch of Cats Protection was started in 1988, when it was known as the Laindon Branch, because most of the original members lived in the Laindon area of Essex. We later changed our name to the Basildon & District Branch. From 2003, we  also officially covered the Brentwood  council area, so we changed our name again to reflect the area we now cover (Postcodes SS11 to SS17, CM11 to CM15). From a small beginning with just 12 original members, we now have around 300 members. In common with most Cats Protection branches, the work of the branch is carried out by a smaller group of active members who foster the cats, fund-raise, do follow up visits etc. Our branch covers a large area which encompasses the whole of the Basildon & District Council area, which includes Wickford and Billericay, plus nearby Stanford-Le-Hope and Corringham, and the Brentwood Council area which includes, Hutton, Shenfield and Brentwood.

In 2009, we helped over 1100+ needy cats, including finding homes for 500 cats and kittens. The rest were helped with free or assisted neutering and other veterinary treatment where the need arose. Our costs for fostering alone were over £27,000 last year and on top of that our veterinary costs were more than £38,500. Apart from a small annual grant received from Cats Protection Headquarters, we have to raise the rest of our funds locally. With fundraising, telephone and a very small amount of admin costs we need to raise over £70,000 each year to allow us to continue our rescue service at its current level. Ideally we would like to see our branch grow to help even more local cats, volunteers and funds permitting. Since our branch started, we have found new homes for nearly 8000 cats. We sometimes wonder what would have happened to them if we had not been here to help them, which is why we suggest a donation within the region of £60 when adopting a cat as this allows us to continue helping more cats,  the central aim of the charity.

         Branch Homing Figures for the last 5 Years

In common with most animal rescues, adoption figures are down because adoption enquiries are declining, which means that we have fewer spaces to take cats in , whereas requests for cats to be taken in by the branch are ever increasing

Year

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Cats Homed

238

249

233

218

223

Kittens Homed

346

337

315

297

277

Total

584

586

548

515

500


We do not have a central shelter like some Cats Protection branches. Instead the cats which we take in are cared for by some of our members (we call them our fosterers) in their own homes. Some of our fosterers have specially built cat pens in their gardens. The pens have heating in the winter and provide a snug and warm temporary home for our rescued cats. Here is a picture of one of our pen blocks:

At any time we usually have over 40 cats in our foster homes which may seem quite a lot, but on a bad week, our Homing Officer can be asked to take in over 50 cats, so we always have a waiting list. We really do need more foster homes. If you live in our area and have a spare room, telephone and transport and would like to find out more about fostering, we'd love to hear from you. The Branch supplies all food, litter and equipment and pays for all vet bills for fostered cats. You supply the love and cuddles. It is very rewarding to see your foster cat go off to it's new home.

Many of the cats and kittens we take in are strays, but just as many come in from homes, where the owners have had to give up their cats for a variety of reasons including loss of job, relationship breakdowns, allergies, finance problems etc. Many of the strays we take in are pregnant females, who have been heartlessly dumped when they have become pregnant, when if they had been spayed at the appropriate time, this could have been avoided. Our branch runs a low cost neutering scheme to help less well off people to get their cats (both male and female) neutered, so there really is no excuse.

If you live in our area and could give a loving home to a rescued cat or kitten, please contact our CATLINE on 01268 285778, or E-mail us at homing@bascats.org.uk

If you would like to volunteer to help our branch (Fund-raising, Fostering, Follow-up Visits, transport etc), please contact our CATLINE on 01268 285778 for a chat about what is involved, no obligation , of course

OR E-mail us at recruitment@bascats.org.uk

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