Celia Hammond - Just giving fundraiser - Autumn neutering

[Angelina]

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/celia-hammond-animal-trust-cat-crisis?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL

the charity are raising money to enable them to neuter cats. There are so many cats already needing homes and they are at breaking point and in crisis.

 

“We have launched this emergency appeal to raise £230,000 to enable us to neuter, microchip and provide necessary supportive treatment to approximately 3,600 female cats during October, November, and December 2025. The aim is to tackle the cat overpopulation crisis by preventing the unnecessary birth of potentially tens of thousands of kittens in 2026.

Cats are seasonal breeders who give birth to their kittens in Spring and Summer, so it is vitally important that this Autumn and Winter we neuter as many cats as possible before the next breeding season begins in early 2026. 

How you can help 

It costs us £45 to neuter a female cat using our own employed vets working at our London clinics (compared to local private vets which charge £150 - £250), and we are relying on animal lovers everywhere to support our emergency appeal to help tackle the cat overpopulation crisis. 

Whether it is £10, £20, £30 or more, please donate whatever you can afford as we really need your help now, more than ever before.

And if you live within a 30-mile radius of our Canning Town, Lewisham, or Brede centre and can provide a forever home for one or more of the cats and kittens in our care, please visit www.celiahammond.org/adopt-a-cat for details of the animals currently seeking homes”.

Please support them with anything you can. 

[beansprout]

Sorry have I read this correctly? 

Almost£250,000 to neuter3,500 moggies? 

Granted, when neutered a lot less off spring…

That sort of money could help elderly, schools - both for books and food for deprived children, carers, a coach for community use….

I am an animal lover but just seems excessive to me when we read in the press how hard some families are coping.

Is there not a pill that could be given which would have the same result and be cheaper?

What do our European neighbours do?

This has been going on for years - why not have launched an appeal when people were more  prosperous?

 

[Angelina]

That’s around £60 per cat. It costs much more privately and is entirely reasonable.

Since you’re keen on numbers perhaps think about one cat having three litters of five kittens every year, and those 15 kittens each having three litters of five every year from the first year.  It’s exponential and absolutely an emergency.

You can pick your own charity to support, I’m not diminishing other appeals or causes.

I imagine the need is related to people having less money and not being able to afford the fees privately. Perhaps in more prosperous times, more people could afford to neuter their cats. Let’s not wait for the good times to roll back round, let’s do it now, before it becomes an absolute crisis, and help as much as we are able to.

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Angelina

[hellosailor]

I agree that it's important to neuter cats but as I've said on a previous thread a while ago, I only know one person who was allowed to adopt a cat through Celia Hammond. I know at least 15 who have been turned down for reasons including

They live on a road, not a busy road. Just a road. 
They won't commit to not letting the cat go outside for fresh air even in a secure garden. 
They have a job and don't commit to being at home all day every day. 
These aren't reasons given in special circumstances for a traumatised cat, they are just reasons that have ruled out both me and everyone I know from being seen as adequate adopters. 
I think it's incredibly upsetting that Celia Hammond  have 'so many cats needing homes and are at breaking point, in crisis' while still deciding on behalf of the cats that 9/10 times they would rather live in a cage than with someone who couldn't afford not to work or a can't afford a house that isn't on a road. The criteria essentially rule out anyone who isn't landed gentry. 
I know someone will reply saying 'well I was allowed to adopt' or 'my friend has a friend who was allowed to adopt' but I'm simply relaying my own experience and that of many many people I know. It really needs to be examined. 

 

 

 

[Angelina]

I’m not close enough to the charity to comment but they have said this;

“If you live within a 30-mile radius of our Canning Town, Lewisham, or Brede centre and can provide a forever home for one or more of the cats and kittens in our care, please visit www.celiahammond.org/adopt-a-cat for details of the animals currently seeking homes”.

It suggests they are wanting to find good homes.

[hellosailor]

It does suggest that which is why it's such a surprise that it's very rare that someone is deemed to have a good enough home. Perhaps if they didn't turn people down for reasons such as having a job, they would be in less crisis, just think it might be worth them thinking about. 

[IlonaM]

I've adopted two cats from Celia Hammond. They are a fantastic no-kill shelter with dedicated staff and volunteers and provide veterinary care at reduced cost for cats living in families who cannot afford private veterinary fees, thereby supporting families to keep their pets rather than give them up for adoption or abandon them. They deserve our support - not just for the current urgent fundraising campaign, but with day-to-day donations of money for ongoing expenses, as well as food, towels etc.

Neutering cats as a way to reduce unwanted litters is common practice throughout Europe and the US, including for feral colonies (trap, neuter, return programmes). 

If people adopted animals that are in urgent need of homes, whether cats, dogs or others, rather than buying them from breeders there wouldn't be such a crisis.

Edited 21 minutes ago by IlonaM