A Darlington charity cat shelter has launched a fundraising appeal to build a new cattery, after having to leave its present location.
The RSPCA Cat Rehoming Hub looks after for cats that have been abandoned or handed in after their owners could no longer care for them.
The team at the Cat Hub in Darlington is seeking to raise £50,000 to build 10 new cat pods after a proposed rent increase meant it had to move.
The shelter has already secured £25,000 towards the cost of the new pods.
Read more: Meet the 1,000th cat to be re-homed from the RSPCA Cat Hub in Darlington
Sophie Moran-Barker, RSPCA Cat Hub Rehoming Co-ordinator, says: “We have been caught in a perfect storm of rising costs and falling donations, so we can no longer afford to rent our cattery.
“We rely solely on donations to carry out our work. Donations have fallen markedly during the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. At the same time boarding fees and other costs have increased.
“Until our new cattery is up and running, we will continue to rehome cats using our extensive network of foster carers, albeit at a reduced number. With kitten season now upon us, we anticipate being stretched as to how many we can help.”
Read more: We spent an afternoon as a cat socialising volunteer in Darlington - here is what happened
The RSPCA Cat Hub is one of the most successful cat rehoming centres in the country, finding happy, new forever homes for more than 1000 cats and kittens in less than four years.
It takes in abused, neglected and abandoned cats rescued by RSPCA officers.
The Cat Hub is supported by four local branches of the charity, including RSPCA North Teesside and District branch based in Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, South Tees and District branch, and Northallerton, Thirsk and Dales branch and is administered by the RSPCA Darlington and District Branch.
The Cat Hub has a JustGiving page for donations at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/CatHubPods or click here.
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