We have been running our rescue for a number of years and in October 2023 we became a registered charity. We are based in the South West, in a beautiful part of Somerset, on wonderful grounds, Judy Knowles (founder and farm owner) has lovingly created a cat rescue centre fit for royalty!
We take in cats with many different back grounds. Some of our cats come to us through local charities i.e. RSPCA. Others come from members of the public who have located stray or street cats, and some come to us from owners who have made the difficult decision to relinquish their pet.
We never judge, as we have the cat’s best interests at heart.
We are in the midst of organising charity status, which will help us access some funding. However, until this is all organised, we need to raise funds to vaccinate, worm, de-flea and spay/neuter the cats and kittens in our care, as well as treating any other medical needs they may have before they go to foster homes or their forever homes.
As with people, we need to make sure that the mental health of the cats in our care is looked after. You can imagine that some cats come to us with a dislike for human contact, or they are frightened and feel alone as they have been abandoned, it is our job to help these cats. We give them time, patience, and a warm cosy home. We sit with them and talk to them to being with and gauge our next steps. Ultimately the cat is in control, and we strive never to push a cat and stress them out.
Our main goal is to provide a suitable home for a healthy and rehabilitated cat, whether that be in a home or on a farm/stable etc. We try and match our cats with suitable owners, so if you see a cat you adore, yet the cat doesn’t mix with small children, if you have small children, then we will encourage you to consider a more suitable cat.
Our facilities
We have a large enclosed outdoor pen, with a heated cabin and lots of little cubby holes for our cats that prefer the outdoor life. We have several hedgehog houses and wendy houses that the cats love to make their own and nestle down in during colder weather. There are also high areas for them to bask in the sun during the spring and summer. This height also allows them to look down and observe us when we go in to feed, water and clean the area. Many of the cats in here get re-homed to farms or stables, or homes with out buildings.
We have a purpose built cattery with a functioning kitchen, storage area and 9 pens, plus a small desk area. There are two large family pens, one of which can be split, so we can have a quiet area for pregnant queens to give birth. There are 2 “isolation” pens, that can be used for cats that have medical issues, or those that require a quiet area, these are quite adaptable. There are also four other smaller, yet comfortable pens. These can house a queen and her young family, or a couple of cats from the same family. These pens are all cosy, with plenty of hiding places for those cats who need them. We are planning to make outdoor window boxes aka “catios” for each indoor pen, so when the sun is shining, the cats can bask in the warmth outside.
The pens are all heated, they have toys, different platforms so the cats can explore, they have towels, blankets and bedding, plus areas for litter trays and feeding. They are very well looked after.
