Jo Brand Opens New Cat Centre
Rehoming base for needy felines opens its doors next to Putney Animal Hospital
Comedian Jo Brand has opened a new cat rehoming centre for south west London to help find forever homes for cats in need.
The RSPCA Wimbledon, Wandsworth and Sutton District branch has opened the new centre next door to the RSPCA Putney Animal Hospital. It will provide a base for the branch and also provide boarding for cats who are looking for their forever homes.
The centre held a ribbon cutting ceremony with members of the public, staff, CEO of the RSPCA Chris Sherwood, and comedian and TV presenter Jo Brand at the end of August.
Jo Brand has been filming for the next series of the Channel 5 show Jo Brand’s Cats and Kittens at the hospital in Putney.
Laura Kennedy, branch manager, said, “It is just fantastic to be able to open a cat rehoming centre for our branch. Previously, we have relied on advertising the cats available for rehoming on our website and word of mouth. Now we have a base and a presence in the community where people can pop-in and speak to us, and hopefully rehome a cat.”
The property, which was previously an RSPCA charity shop run by the Friends of Putney group, has four cat pods and will also maintain part of the shop selling cat accessories, such as collars, food and litter.
Since officially opening on September 1, the centre has already successfully rehomed six cats in 12 days from the centre.
One of the success stories so far is Tammy and Lacha, two black and white brothers (see image above) who came into RSPCA care on March 13 from a multi-cat household. For six months they did not have a single enquiry which left the staff caring for them baffled. The eight-year-old brothers were moved to the cat rehoming centre and, just one day after opening, the pair were rehomed together.
Laura added, “Tammy and Lacha are a brilliant example of how having a centre really does make rehoming so much easier. Not only can people come in to see the handful of cats we have in the centre but they can also learn about the other cats we have in foster homes, or private boarding who are all looking for homes.
“The UK is facing a cat overpopulation crisis and our branch sees no exception with lots and lots of cats coming into our care each year, particularly in the summer months when so many unplanned and sadly unwanted kittens end up coming into RSPCA care.
“The new centre will make it easier to rehome cats, and network cats from the hospital to other areas. It will allow us to work closely with the hospital as we are just next door so transportation will no longer be an issue with a quick trip across the car park to a cat pod. This means that we can provide boarding for cats who no longer need to be treated at the hospital but may not otherwise have been able to be moved out due to space demands.”
The branch also relies on the dedication of foster carers with 10 active fosterers in the Wimbledon, Wandsworth and Sutton area who will continue caring for cats in the area.
Meanwhile the centre is also in desperate need of donations of food and litter for the cats in its care, please contact them if you can help on 07944 308169 or email admin@rspcawimbledonandsutton.org.uk
September 20, 2018