One rescue cat in one pen costs us £400 in care. A litter costs over £2,000.
Unneutered cats are filling rescues like Woodlands across the country. Help us be there for the ones who need us most.
The Crisis
Run at capacity with a single rescue cat being cared for in them, our 27 pens cost just over £10,000 to provide everything they need during the lifetime of their rehabilitation.
Fill them with adult cats and their unplanned litters and that rises fivefold, but funding doesn't keep pace. That gap shapes every decision we make.
Behind the numbers
Jackie and Jill were found living up a tree, their littermate already gone. Underweight and undernourished, they were on the brink. Urgent care saved their lives.
Cats like these often arrive without a proper diet or antenatal care. That means urgent help, and urgent help costs.
Stopping it at the source
When unneutered kittens are given to friends and neighbours, the problem rolls on. The only way to end it is to tackle the breeding itself.
Three ways to help
- Pay for a neuter. £120 subsidises one operation in our community neutering programme, and prevents an unwanted pregnancy before it reaches a rescue.
A realistic solution to a difficult question
Using average breeding statistics we estimate that this investment has prevented in excess of 4,000 unwanted births which would likely have landed at rescues like ours in the future.
At the same time we have found more pregnant mums and unwanted litters at our door.
It is a balancing act. A question of the best use of our finances to provide the best animal welfare outcomes.
The rescue world is one of constant and diffcult decisions with animal welfare outcomes at the heart of it all. We have limited capacity of 27 pens. So are six lives from a pregnant cat, in reasonable health, as deserving of a pen than a severely abused single adult cat who will take months of socialisation before they are ready to trust, and live again?
The impact of uncontrolled breeding on rescues
The impact of Prevention on population
What your support means
Behind that question about animal welfare decisions is always a budget. Or often, a lack of budget.
Most people probably see and associate us through our welfare work with cats - but that's simply because that is where the biggest volume of the animal welfare problem is in our area.
Grants and donations don't rise at the same speed as demand though.
On average, caring for one cat costs us about £400, so 27 pens with one cat in each comes to around £10,800. Fill those same pens with mums and litters and the bill rises fivefold, because a litter means more vaccinations, more treatment and more food, and can cost well over £2,000.
This is all notwithstanding that we are a multi-species rescue - the only one in West Lancashire - and this all impacts our resident equine, goat, wildfowl and many other needs, let alone those species in need of future rescue
So we need to constantly have three main tracks of support feeding into us.
The financial juggling act
Support our residents
Our mission is more than saving vulnerable cats.
Unwanted, unloved, neglected or about to be sent for slaughter. Our residents found their sanctuary with us, and now live out their days with companionship, happiness and love. Thanks to the generousity of compassionate animal lovers who support their living costs and veterinary costs through regular donating to, or sponsoring them.
Our rescue's Amazon wishlist
Buy essential supplies for our rescues - direct from Amazon
We connect animal welfare with human & community welfare
Upcoming Events at Woodlands
Saturday 17th October
Quiz Night
Get your family and friends together for a fun-filled evening, which will test the old grey matter. Ticket price also includes nibbles. The venue also has a fully-stocked bar.
Book your tickets here!
Throughout the Year
Tea & Tours
You can still book your VIP visit with drinks & cakes!
Your hour and a half visit includes a full tour of the sanctuary, learning all about what we do as well as meeting the animals, of course. The tour is then rounded off with a spot of tea (or coffee!) and a slice of cake. We can cater for all dietary requirements.
Book your tickets now!
Saturdays 10am-2pm
Children's Birthday Parties
We are delighted to announce that we now host birthday parties for groups of children aged 3-10 years old, each Saturday between 10am-12pm.
Learn More...
