How you can help give these Nottinghamshire cats in need a brand new loving home

That noteworthy catchphrase was first coined by the Dogs Trust nearly 50 years ago and became so popular they even had to trademark it.

But, as the Trust would no doubt happily concede, it’s an interchangeable motto that can very easily be switched to ‘a pet is for life’ and apply to any charity working to improve the welfare of animals up and down the land.

It’s a message that is also held dear by one group of Nottinghamshire cat lovers who have been working hard now for a number of years to find new foster homes for stray and feral cats around the county.

It’s a service that Maria Farooqi, one of six admins who run the Mansfield Cat Rescue charity, says is becoming increasingly in demand.

“There’s a massive crisis right now. During COVID so many people got pets, not just cats, and so many realised too late the expenditure that comes with owning a pet and unfortunately cases of abandonment and people not looking after their pets well went through the roof,” she said.

“There are cases of people leaving their cats when they can’t look after them any more because it’s too expensive, then they breed and within a year you end up with a small colony at the back of your house.

“A cat can get pregnant three times a year so it very quickly becomes a big problem.”

The hard-working organisation, which gained charitable status back in 2017, currently have around 90 foster carers in their contacts list all dedicated to helping cats live the best life they can.

It’s not the easiest of roles either with the Mansfield Cat Rescue predominantly focusing on the ‘less fashionable’ who need a loving home.

“We don’t have many kittens,” explains Maria. “The ones we do have are either very ill or very feral. Predominantly we started to help what people call the ‘lost boys’ - the smelly cats and the Tom cats that are misunderstood and need time to come around again.

“As you will hear if you speak to any rescue place, there is a massive need for space for so many cats these days. We try our very best to help every one that we can but we are here for stray and feral cats.

“We do a home check and a video call with new fosterers to give them the expectations of what will happen. We don’t generally have cute and cuddly cats.”

Cats go to live with one of the charity’s admins, including around 30 sanctuary cats who have long term health conditions and can’t be fostered, before they are found new homes.

“We take them in and they stay with us if they need any emergency vet treatment,” explains Maria.

“At the moment I only have three cats because I have just had a baby, but historically I would have lots of cats.

“As admins we tend to take them in first and then they get spread out to fosterers. When you have had a cat in rescue for six or 12 months, initially so shy and shut down, hating people, and then you get to see them through to getting re-homed into a family household. You see them happy with children and other pets, you can just see the potential that they have blossomed into, that’s what really gets us through.

“We take the underdogs of the cat world and the cats that other rescues don’t have the time, space or money to deal with. We all do it for our love of cats.”

The rescue centre, which has no permanent address, also seeks to help vulnerable people in the community by matching them with a new companion who can help enhance their lives as well as that of the cat.

It’s something which dedicated Maria takes plenty of pride in.

“We help them and support them with a cat that may be a bit difficult to rehome for us, such as a cat that only likes men or doesn’t like being around other cats,” she says.

“We support them in a household community and pay for their vet bills and food and everything.

“That is really nice, especially with the elderly, because they can be lonely and this gives them really good interaction.”

For further information on the charity and how you can get involved, visit the Mansfield Cat Rescue page on facebook.