Catastrophes Cat Rescue was set up through our involvement in animal welfare campaigning in the 1970s.

 

As we became established and our 'no-kill' policy became known, our work increased dramatically. We now run a sanctuary in East Sussex for unwanted cats.

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Many of the cats in our care have been abandoned or are simply in need of a new home because of a change in people's circumstances. Some have been ill treated. They are all in need of love and care.

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Sterilisation is the only humane and effective way of reducing and controlling large populations of stray cats.

 

Our work with feral cats involves spaying and neutering complete colonies and giving any necessary veterinary treatment. Feral cats are returned to their site of capture if long-term food and shelter can be provided. If not, they are relocated to a suitable farm or country home or stay with us for life.

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Liz Varney, Catastrophes' Executive Director, leads our team of volunteers which includes a vet, vet nurses and experienced trappers. We are often invited to an area by local residents concerned by growing numbers of feral cats. Large communities of stray cats can be a nuisance to people. They themselves also suffer from a lack of food, untreated wounds and injuries leading to infection and slow and painful deaths, and countless unwanted kittens born to females that are too weak and malnourished to feed them.

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Our sterilisation team travels to Spain each year to regulate communities of cats in and around Torrevieja. We work closely with Street Cats, a local group run by Jim and Gwen Harrower. Together we are able to trap, sterilise and release nearly 200 cats in just one week, ensuring that populations remain stable and healthy.

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Sterilisation trips are only possible with the support of local people who appreciate the difference we can make to the animals' lives. We also rely on cooperation from the relevant government authorities in granting permits so our team can work in the country. We hope in future also to visit Malta to tackle the problem of growing populations of stray cats on the island.