Our local Cats Protection is co-ordinated by Marion, we laughingly say she knows so much about cats she actually must be one herself! She started out fostering for CP in 1991 and remarkably found homes for 189 cats in her first year!
In 1994 she founded Cats r Us based in Shildon, after the Darlington branch CP re-shuffled, then in 2003 when there was no local CP due to the closure of that branch, she formed our current branch named Wear Valley & Darlington District.She has been coordinator since then.
Marion’s husband Steven helps her, like her he is one of the nicest people you could ever meet, always pleasant.
Yet like Marion he voluntarily puts in long hours caring for cats, ferrying them for vets appointments, collecting food and bedding and putting up with abuse from people who think they have the right to demand their cat is taken in immediately they want rid of them.
They do have volunteer helpers to help with fostering the many cats and kittens and to fund raise, feed some of the ferals, etc, all very dedicated cat lovers who work very hard in their spare time!
You can read a lot more about Cats Protection by following the links on our local CP website.
The recent news of the cash donation by Marc in memory of his dear cat Red has touched us all and will give a much needed boost to the dwindling funds desperately needed more than ever these days to help needy cats and kittens.
THANK YOU Marc and THANK YOU Michael for making this possible via PoC.
The latest news today is that as well as the many adult cats in care, the branch which has 26 kittens already, has 5 more arriving today and 4 more to come in soon.
People on a low income can apply to CP for vouchers to have their cats neutered but too many can’t be bothered to do that, they let their cats breed and then expect CP to take in every resulting litter of kittens.
The waiting list for unwanted cats to come into CP care is getting longer every day.
Where will it all end? When will these people take responsibility for their pets and treat them as family, not as possessions to dispose of when it suits?
We can only be thankful for Marion and others like her, struggling to cope with this problem and also for the kind people who donate to help with this labour of love.
Marion looks so lovely and all those kittens to feed and care for and find homes for must be such a headache.
I’m so glad some of Marc’s donation went to such a worthy rescue I have high respect for the Cats Protection volunteers.
I so happy some of the money is going towards Marion and Steve’s work. That’s just perfect, real hands on immediate use for the donation.
Thanks for writing about them Ruth – it’s nice to ‘know’ them and see the actual people on the ‘front lines’. They deserve all the help they can get.
I have a lot of respect for people who rescue and rehome cats. A lot of people and cats rely and depend on them. They deserve praise and reward.
Great article Ruth, having known her for a lot of years now I have a lot of respect for Marion, she really knows her stuff and isn’t frightened to stand up for cats in any situation, she must have had a lot of joy from caring for cats but also an awful lot of sadness and worry as well, Steven is great, never off the roads, he turns his hand to anything that needs doing and always cheerfully, between them they must have helped thousands of cats over the years. So I’m really glad that following Marc and Michael’s recent fundraiser in memory of Red a donation was sent to Marion’s branch of Cats Protection at a time when the branch has many, many kittens to care for and rehome as well as a waiting list of adult cats needing homes and local feral colonies to support.
Thanks Nancy. There are some great people who do unheralded work to help cats. They deserve praise and reward.
This lady and her husband are real angels.Bless them and the work they do .