AN ANIMAL rescue centre is expanding its service to help find homes for stray and abandoned cats, after being inundated with calls about them over the festive period.

Ramshaw Rescue Centre, near West Auckland, has always offered accommodation for horses, dogs and farm animals, on the 54-acre farm, but never cats.

After being flooded with calls to find homes for the animals and answering queries from people looking for kittens, manager Kate Wilson is looking at converting an old tack room into accommodation for up to ten cats.

"I always said we wouldn't get into that side, but we were getting tons of calls about them and I thought it wouldn't be too difficult to make an addition to the rescue centre," she said.

But she said she needed help with building and equipping the cattery.

"We've had a new tack room built and the old one is very sheltered, which would be ideal for keeping cats because they're a bit more sensitive than dogs," she said.

"It would probably only be enough room for ten cats but it's ten that possibly would be saved from being destroyed."

Ms Wilson said she needed people's help to collect equipment for the cats, and any advice on how best to convert the old tack room.

"Because I've never had cats before I don't have any equipment.

"We need donations of things such as cat litter trays, carrying baskets, food, scratching posts and bedding to make the accommodation nice for them.

"If we get a good response we may even be able to convert the tack room over the next week. It really depends on how much help we get.

"Once it is ready we will be able to keep it up and running."

Ms Wilson said she also needed to find a builder to complete work on a £23,000 kennel block, which will eventually provide 14 new homes for dogs.

Anyone who can help the rescue centre can contact staff on (01388) 834644 or send any donations to Ramshaw Rescue Centre, Ramshaw, West Auckland, County Durham