Cat charity says demand for help 'never greater'

There are always more cats needing help than spaces available, as demand has never been greater, the founder of a cat welfare charity has said.

Ginny Parratt started Cats in Distress (CID) in Frome, Somerset, ten years ago with a shed and a couple of volunteers, and now helps more than 350 cats a year.

The charity works with members of the public to rescue stray and abandoned cats, as well as taking in and rehoming unwanted cats.

The staff and volunteers have been celebrating the 10th anniversary by helping to raise awareness of "the growing need for rescue support".

The charity - which works alongside national organisations such as Cats Protection and the RSPCA - currently has a waiting list and priority is given to the most vulnerable cases, particularly pregnant or feeding queens, and kittens.

A spokesperson for Cats Protection said one of the key ways owners can help rescue and welfare organisations is to ensure their cat is neutered.

"We are currently experiencing the annual increased demands of kitten season," they said.

"Neutering numbers also fell in 2025 to 82% of cats now being neutered.

"This is a drop from 85% in 2024, meaning 1.5 million cats nationwide are currently not neutered, which is part of an ongoing downward trend," they said.

One of the adopters, Alison Churchill, said she took in a one-eyed tortoiseshell called Marmite after suffering a family bereavement and losing her elderly cat in the same month.

"I stopped being miserable and spent joyous evenings rolling ping pong balls down the hall for her to chase," she said.

When Marmite died four years later, Alison was able to adopt a second tortoiseshell, Pickle.

"Ginny once said she doesn't run a rescue centre — she runs a human/animal dating service — so I knew she'd find me another good match," Churchill said.

"My life has been filled with love and laughter every day thanks to [Marmite, Pickle] and CID."

Parratt, 62, from Berkley, said she was able to find homes for the majority of the cats brought into the centre.

"Rehoming is definitely at the heart of what we do," she told BBC Somerset.

"Cats are so individual, in some respects, they're quite like humans; they know what they like, and they're not afraid to show us what they want.

"But some cats are lap cats, some are very indifferent, some don't want to be around humans; they're all individuals, just like us.

"It's that approach that has made us so successful in the 10 years, doing things a little bit differently."

Parratt said that the charity had changed a lot in 10 years and had become very involved in the community.

"We hold pet care parties for youngsters, we do working cat programmes with farms and stables, and neutering ferals," she said.

"But we're getting an increasing number of domestic cats coming to us as people can't afford vet fees, or have allergies, etc.

"There are just so many reasons and so many animals that need help."

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