Shropshire's furry friends supported despite lockdown
An increase in unwanted pets, a lack of fundraising, and two lockdowns, has made 2020 the toughest year yet for Shropshire Cat Rescue.
The charity, which is based in Shrewsbury but operates all over the county, was forced to close its charity shop doors at points in the year, making it hard to raise the much needed funds to look after the cats in its care.
Operating throughout the coronavirus pandemic hasn't been easy, but dedicated volunteers said looking after their furry friends was made easier with the help and donations from supporters.
Like many charities, Shropshire Cat Rescue's fundraising was completely stopped in the normal sense as events were cancelled and charity shops had to temporarily close, leaving them reliant on donations.
An increase in abandoned and unwanted pets has also made the year more difficult than usual, as people simply can't afford to look after cats and also can't get them neutered, resulting in even more kittens.
Marion Micklewright, shelter manager, said the work just hasn't stopped this year.
"We are starting to see the effects of the lockdown and the pandemic," she said. "Just this morning, a little black kitten arrived who had been found in a cardboard box on a footpath.
"He doesn't have a name yet, but is very sick and dehydrated, we took him straight to the vets – it is basically on life support now. The person obviously cared enough to put breathing holes on the box, but a dog could have found it, and if not then it could have frozen.
"We are seeing more cases like this. It could be people can't afford vet bills or couldn't keep the cats for some reason. But we have lots of cases like this coming in. There are a lot more abandoned cats, for various reasons.
"People who have not got their pets neutered, quickly leads to a breeding frenzy. We will have groups of 10 or more cats, who might be feral so haven't been handled, and so aren't suitable for rehoming as pets.
"Some of our colleagues at smaller rescues have not been able to operate effectively as we have been lucky enough to, so there is added pressure that way."
The rescue currently houses around 80 cats, some ready to be rehomed and others living in its retirement village for sick or elderly cats that need a quiet life and somewhere to chill out in their later years.
As it approaches winter, heating is just another of the many expenses the rescue pays out for, and a lack of fundraising this year is concerning.
Marion said: "The biggest effect of all is our shop being closed. Footfall in the shop has not been as busy as we would have liked when it was able to open again. Fundraising events have had to cease.
"We have been dependent on some of our volunteers turning to selling on eBay and Facebook. Our supporters have been brilliant. We have not suffered as much as other places perhaps because of our fantastic supporters."
Marion said the most important message for people is to get your pets neutered.
"I know it can be expensive, but call us and we will try and help," she said. "It's irresponsible not to."
She added: "The vets here have been brilliant, we have been supported by them the whole way through. Not just here in Shrewsbury, but all over the county.
"The thing is, is that we can't just say no. We have to try to help. It has been incredibly difficult."
Visit shropshirecatrescue.org.uk/ to find out more about the charity and donate.
