About Us
All our cats are cared for in our fosterer’s homes – we do not have a cattery and rely on volunteer fosterers to care for our cats. The fosterer role involves taking in rescued cats, caring for them for a period of time, ensuring they are vet checked and given the necessary health care they require, and then finding them a new home, including undertaking a home check. You can find the fosterer role description here.
If you would like to apply to become a fosterer with us please complete the application form and email this to us at [email protected].
The History of Cats Action Trust
Originally set up at Neston in North Wiltshire in 1981 and registered as a charity in 1995, the organisation has carers around the district who provide foster homes and other support for cats and kittens.
CAT is run entirely by volunteers. We have never had any paid staff and have operated for over 35 years with the support of volunteers who care for our cats and kittens, donate food, supplies and funds, and who run our charity.
How is Cats Action Trust run?
Our fosterers rescue and re-home abandoned and unwanted cats and kittens. Cats Action Trust aims to provide assistance to the communities of North and West Wiltshire, which means we cover rural areas as well as towns and villages within an approximate 20 mile radius of Melksham.
We are committed to rehoming cats which are in good health and socialised for adoption. Each cat is thoroughly vet checked and given a blood test for Feline Aids (FIV) and Feline Leukaemia (FeLv) in order to help reduce the spread of these contagious diseases. We are also committed to neutering all cats we rehome. A major aspect of our work is to actively support the reduction of births of unwanted kittens.
All our cats and kittens are cared for in foster homes, where they are given love and attention until a new home is found, whether their stay is long or short. We have fosterers throughout Wiltshire, in Melksham, Chippenham, Bromham, Trowbridge, and Pewsey.
All prospective homes are carefully checked before cats can be re-homed. We try hard to match our cats with the right new owners.
The majority of the cats coming into us are re-homed. Sometimes animals are very unwell, old or unsocialised to put into a family home and in this case, we care for them as long as possible, believing that they deserve comfort and happiness even if their life is almost over. Euthanasia is a final resort and is only ever carried out if the cat is suffering and has no hope of recovery.
Fundraising
Expenses are high: vet bills, food, cat litter and heating, not forgetting the cost of pens which cost upwards of £1000.
Raising funds is one of the main aspects of our work. Funds are mainly raised by our charity shop in Melksham and through the kind donations of our supporters.
Each year our expenses continue to rise, and despite growing awareness of the need for a national neutering programme, the number of unwanted cats and kittens is steadily increasing. We rely on cat-lovers to fund and support our work and a donation is expected for each cat/kitten homed.
For more information on how you can support us please see the How You Can Help Us page.
Caring for our cats
All the cats taken in by Cats Action Trust are given a general health check and are blood tested for two significant feline diseases: the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV or feline AIDS) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV).
FIV
The Feline Immunodeficiency virus reduces the cat’s immune system leaving them vulnerable to other feline infections but is not life threatening on its own. With careful attention to diet and general health an FIV cat can have a long and healthy life. An FIV cat would need to be an indoor cat, with no other felines present as this is a transmittable disease, and access to a fully enclosed secure garden would be ideal.
FeLV
FeLV is a lifelong infection. Most cats diagnosed with FeLV die within three years of diagnosis, often from a subsequent disease such as leukaemia. FeLV is passed on by direct contact between cats, for example through saliva or bites.
We would also seek to rehome a cat with FeLV to an indoor home with no possibility for contact with other cats.
Denzel
This handsome 8-year-old black male cat was found as a stray in Trowbridge and was brought into the Trust on 20th June 2016 after being neutered by Garston Vets in Trowbridge. Routine blood tests revealed that he was FIV positive and so had to be homed as a single, indoor cat. His friendly, outgoing and affectionate character made him an ideal companion for someone spending a lot of time at home as he was so desperate for human contact and cuddles. He was quickly adopted by a lady who works from home. Denzel has become a very pampered indoor cat, keeping company to his new owner who dotes on him. The two of them have become inseparable and a real bond has developed between them. With a good diet and regular veterinary checks, he lives a normal and healthy life.
