The North of England Siamese Cat Rescue is the latest charity to benefit from Petplan’s monthly £500 prize draw.
The charity is a labour of love for founder Pauline Crenshaw who started the rescue more than 20 years ago and continues to do brilliant work in rescuing and rehoming Siamese and Oriental cats.
We spoke to Pauline about what her work entails and her plans for the future…
Hi, Pauline, why did you first get involved with rescuing Siamese and Oriental cats?
“I was given a Siamese cat by my husband just after my son was born 43 years ago and have loved them ever since.
“I used to breed them for quite a while but gave all that up when I started rescuing – I could rehome and help more cats in a year than I could breed in many years, so it seemed the right thing to do.”
Do you have any cats of your own at the moment?
“I’ve got two cats of my own but, with my rescuing commitments, I feel any more would be too much. I can give them all the love and attention they need while still ensuring my work with the rescue isn’t neglected.”
“What is it you love about Siamese cats?”
“They can be hard work – they are very high maintenance and can be a bit hyper – but that’s what I love about them! They are great pets but, like you should with all animals, people should consider long and hard before getting one.”
“How does it feel to win the £500 prize draw?
“It’s great. It’s always hard work to ensure funding keeps coming in so to get an injection of £500 was hugely appreciated.”
What will the money be used for?
“The big thing for us at the moment is ensuring we can maintain the level of care that we currently do, so most of the money has already gone on microchips. We also have four cats scheduled to be neutered soon and that isn’t cheap.”
What are the plans for the future?
“We’re just looking to maintain the premises and ensure we can keep rehoming cats in the area.
“We’ve got market stalls and barbeques arranged to raise funds but it can be really hard ensuring we get the money we need to keep going.
“Any help that people can offer will be of great help and be hugely appreciated by me and everyone involved with the charity.”
Visit Facebook to find out more information about the charity and how you can help