Devon charity Hector’s House Cat Rescue is marking its fourth anniversary with the official opening of a new centre in Torquay after coming to the aid of more than 2,000 cats since 2020.
The charity has moved to the premises of a former community church in Old Mill Road in Chelston. The purchase in February 2024 was funded from a legacy given to the charity in memory of the late Maureen Jones, a cat lover who lived in East Devon, and a loan from a supporter who wishes to remain anonymous.
The centre has now been fitted out with 14 pens over two floors and has been updated and adapted to suit the charity’s needs, funded by a grant from Pets Foundation. Facilities include storage rooms, an office, sluice rooms, kitchens, an office and toilets.
The official opening of the centre takes place on Saturday 21 September.
The charity now employs a full-time manager at the centre and two part-time employees – one manages the kittens in the charity’s care, the second manages the charity’s shop in Lucius Street, Torquay, which opened in March.
The charity’s work to rescue, care for and rehome stray and abandoned cats is supported by around 150 active volunteers. They include pen organisers who attend the centre twice a day to care for the cats in the pens.
Others volunteer in the shop, take part in fundraising at events, drive the charity’s vans, carry out maintenance at the shop and centre, work on the charity’s admin, and foster cats and kittens. There is an outreach team who respond to cat welfare concerns across Torbay and Devon.
Hector’s House was set up by Zara Oldfield at her home in Torquay in August 2020 and became a registered charity in November of that year. It was named after her long-haired black cat Hector who went missing two years earlier and has never been found.
Zara set up the charity to help the cats most in need, particularly abandoned unneutered male cats. As the charity grew, the number of pens at Zara’s home increased to nine before the charity’s work moved to the new centre.
In May 2024, the number of cats coming into the charity’s care since 2020 passed 2,000. In the 12 months to September 2024, the charity took in 664 cats. At the start of September, the charity had 37 adult cats and 42 kittens in its care.
Zara said: “When I started the charity, I had no idea then of the level of need that exists. Our primary aim is to prevent suffering, and ensure that all cats have the care and home they deserve. Our policy is that we will never put a cat to sleep if it has a chance of a life without pain or suffering.
“We would not have been able to get where we are today without the work of our amazing volunteers, the financial support of so many people, and the outstanding skill and care of the team at Medivet Torquay.
“The need for the work we do sadly shows no sign of diminishing. Cat rescues are full, volunteers are stretched to the limit, funds are in short supply and we have a waiting list of cats who need urgent care.
“Thankfully the move to the new centre means the charity is now on a more secure footing and the work can continue. I am so grateful to everyone who has helped us achieve this, and we are always looking to welcome more people to join the team.”
When the outreach team is alerted to a welfare concern, the cat will at first be fitted with a paper collar if possible with the charity’s phone number, asking an owner to call. The cat will also be scanned for a microchip if possible, which means the owner can be contacted and reunited if the cat is missing.
If no chip is detected and no owner traced, the cat will be advertised. If no owner comes forward, or if there is an immediate concern for the cat’s welfare, the cat will be brought in to rescue, using a humane trap to safely secure the animal if necessary.
After veterinary care and behaviour assessment, cats will go to a foster care and eventually a permanent home. Kittens are kept with the mother if possible, usually in a foster home, before rehoming.
Our website has more information about the work we do, how to support us, and advice for cat owners. Find out more at https://www.hectorshousecatrescue.co.uk/.
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