A CHARITY cat rescue shelter has rescued a group of feral kittens from a back garden.

Amesbury based Cat Watch Rescue Shelter has rescued a group of kittens from a back garden in Hook.

Due to the distance between Amesbury and Hook, the rescue shelter initially tweeted a request for volunteers to help trap the cats on Tuesday, May 24.

Cat Watch Rescue Shelter founder Marnie Buckland explained: “The lady that had called us came home from holiday and had a feral cat with older kittens in her garden.

“She was feeding them but couldn’t get close to them.

“Because it’s quite a distance from us, I was hoping we could get someone to help us.”

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The rescue centre then sent one of its volunteers to retrieve the cats; in total three of the kittens were captured and taken to the rescue centre to receive aid.

With the kittens now rescued, the centre is hoping to be able to capture their mother.

Marnie said: “We really want to capture the mum, so we can get her trapped, neutered, returned.

“What we do is, we trap them, get them neutered, get them vaccinated, get their ear chipped, and then they get taken back where they were, unless it’s unsafe of course.”

The rescue centre was founded by Marnie in 2019, and aims to rescue cats who have been abandoned, or are stray or feral, providing them with a safe environment and the opportunity for rehabilitation if necessary; every cat receives vaccinations, neutering and micro-chipping prior to being re-homed.

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Cats unsuitable for re-homing undergo ‘TNR’ – Trap, Neuter, Release.

The shelter also provides advice for those who come across stray cats or who wish to rehome their cat, with cats that have been rescued or re-housed through the shelter able to be adopted from the charity.

Since the charity’s founding, it has helped rescue, re-home or re-unite over 1,000 cats and kittens; based in Amesbury, the charity mainly deals with cases in Wiltshire and Hampshire, but occasionally travels further afield to deal with cats if the situation calls for it, with Marnie explaining that she had travelled to Hull to collect 9 stray kittens and their mother.

With 53 kittens and 30 cats currently in care, the shelter is also in desperate need of fundraising.

Marnie said: “We struggle quite badly.

“We have some older cats who need dental treatment; that treatment can cost us £1,500, just for one cat.”

More information about the Cat Watch Rescue Shelter, including how to donate, can be found at https://www.cwwrescue.org/.

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