05
Dec
Ripon women to host Christmas fayre in aid of cat rescue
Two Ripon women are to host a Christmas fayre this weekend in aid of stray cats.
Mandy Evans and Ali Edwards set up the non-profit organisation Alley Cats Ripon in August with the aim of neutering feral cats in the city to reduce the number of unwanted kittens and strays.
The pair previously fostered and fundraised for a cat charity and decided to launch their own initiative after a number of strays began feeding in Ms Edwards' garden.
Charlie, the first cat to be rescued by the pair, made them passionate about helping other stray cats in Ripon.
They have now helped around 35 cats and kittens from Ripon, Harrogate and Knaresborough. There are still 12 cats currently waiting to find homes.
On average it costs them over £200 to neuter, vaccinate, microchip and flea and worm the cats, not to mention the costs of feeding and caring for each animal.
Alley Cats charges a £120 adoption fee for each cat, with a discount for pets bought in pairs.
The cats are caught in humane traps and then taken to Claro Hill Vets in Pannal. They are then fostered at Ms Evans and Ms Edwards' homes.
They told the Stray Ferret that there seemed to be an increasing number of feral cats due to cats breeding all year round due to warmer climates.
Kittens rescued by Alley Cats Ripon
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Ms Evans said:
A big part of the problem is the cost of having an animal. People dump cats when they realise it is not a cheap option. Some people also move house and just leave their cats behind.
They have rescued cats from factories, back gardens, and rehomed a cat after its owner had been moved into a care home.
Ms Edwards said:
The issue is that some of the kittens are semi-feral, and a lot of people just want little fluffy kittens.
We found a lot of these kittens could be turned with love and patience into domestic kittens that could live in the family home and turn into loveable fluffy kittens within a matter of days after being adopted.
Kittens rescued by Alley Cats Ripon
Christmas fayre
Alley Cats is not a registered charity, which means it cannot access grants and loans. Funding the rescue missions falls solely onto Ms Evans and Ms Edwards.
Ms Edwards said: “We rely totally on donations and fundraising. As you can imagine, this takes a lot of our time. It all adds up and just one pound a week can make a difference.”
To raise money to buy cat food, litter and get cats off the streets they plan to sell items, host tombolas, and join Santa’s sleigh walks in the coming weeks.
Ms Edwards also volunteers at Ripon Community Toy Library.
The two organisations have decided to join forces to raise funds and will therefore host a Christmas fayre this weekend with all profits going to the toy library and Alley Cats.
The event will take place at Allhallowgate Methodist Church from 10am to 4pm on December 7 and is open to all.
Cats rescued by Alley Cats Ripon
Ms Evans said:
I would encourage people to come and support a local charity, it is great if you love cats and even if you don’t like them just think we are getting them off the streets.
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