RSPCA volunteers launch major appeal to help unwanted cats and kittens in Milton Keynes

Hard-working volunteers at the city’s RSPCA branch have launched a £23,000 appeal to upgrade their cattery.

The branch, which receives no funding from the national charity, has helped almost 700 animals in the last year alone, saving them from a life of neglect and finding them loving new homes.

These included 50 neglected cats and kittens that were rescued from a single street in MK in one massive operation.

But the stream of felines has taken its toll on the branch’s cattery, which is now desperately in need of renovating.

The cattery, built in 2015 in a volunteer’s back garden, is an “invaluable resource” for the charity. But now the tiled flooring is cracked and slippery and the sink is leaking, causing the area to be damp.

New glass windows/covers need be fitted to the outside of the pens to replace makeshift covers volunteers use to keep the animals warm, and a new roof is needed to keep them dry in winter and cool in summer.

A spokesperson for the branch said: “We are a branch committed to helping every animal we possibly can. All of this made possible by a team of dedicated volunteers, with our cattery intaking a huge amount of these rescues and our wonderful fosterers taking the rest.

Our cattery is an invaluable resource for our charity… All of these upgrades will help us to provide an even higher level of care to all of our cats. Cats who majority of the time, have been rescued from dire situations, having spent years on the streets, in neglectful environments. They can finally come into care and enjoy a level of comfort that they so very deserve.”

The cattery is visited by members of the public wanted to adopt a cat or kitten, so the charity has to adhere to strict health and safety regulations.

"Currently the slippery floors in wet weather and the tiles beginning to crack pose a health and safety risk,” said the spokesperson.

You can view the fundraising page and make a donation here,

The branch’s website can be viewed here.