The Edenfield sanctuary is hoping to help more cats like ten-month-old Abba who was in agony before being brought in as a stray.Abba’s eye had what appeared to be a large scratch across it when she arrived and, when Bleakholt took her to the vet, it was discovered that it would have to be removed.
Sanctuary Manager Karen Weed said: “Abba would have been in so much pain already and, if she had not come to the sanctuary, she would have been fending for herself in absolute agony.”Bleakholt is embarking on a scheme, called ‘Project Purrfect’ to renovate and extend their cattery in an effort to try and alleviate some of the suffering.
Bleakholt rehomed more than 500 cats in 2024 but want to help more.There are so many unwanted, abandoned, pregnant, stray and unwell cats in the area, like Abba, and, at the moment, Bleakholt’s cattery can house around 70 cats while they wait for their forever homes – with a waiting list in its 100s.The renovation, which is hoped to start later this year, will transform the existing buildings allowing the Edenfield sanctuary to house more cats – more than 100 – and improve the welfare of the cats at Bleakholt while they await their forever homes.
Karen said: “There is a massive cat problem in the north-west and we need to do something about it to stop unnecessary suffering.
“Each year Bleakholt and many local charities work tirelessly trying to help as many cats and kittens as possible.“However each year our waiting list becomes longer as the number of cats needing our help far outweighs the space available. The conditions cats are coming into the Sanctuary in can be heartbreaking.
“We need to help more cats but we can only do this by renovating and extending our existing cattery buildings.“Initial costs are around £300,000 but it’s vital we do this work to help more cats but also improve the welfare of the cats while they are with us.”
Bleakholt President and Hits Radio Star Gemma Atkinson said: “We want to help as many animals as we can so this is a major renovation for the sanctuary and one we need to do to make sure we help those cats in need.
“It is a lot of money for our sanctuary to pay out, with vets bills already around £40,000 a month, but we know how important it is to help as many cats as we can in the future.”Bleakholt have launched an appeal in order to raise as much money as they can for their vital cattery.
Any contribution is gratefully received as the sanctuary do their best for cats in crisis in the north-west.For a one-off donation go to: : https://bleakholt.enthuse.com/Project-Purrfect There is also the opportunity to sponsor one of our brand new cat pens for £250 which includes having your name on the pen, getting to know who occupies the pen as well as a thank you box and a naming ceremony.For this go to: https://bleakholt.enthuse.com/Cat-Pen
3. Contributed
Abba who had a scratch on his eye when he came into Bleakholt Photo: Submitted
