Cats Protection volunteers celebrate brand new pen in Northampton paid for by generous donation

Paula Francis (left) and Delia Lewin with the new pen

Volunteers from the Northampton branch congregated at fellow fosterer Paula Francis' home in Thorplands to celebrate the opening of the new pen today (Tuesday, October 8).

Hilda McNeil from the charity said: "This is very unusual as we get a lot of small donations and we get legacies from funerals and we're always out with collection boxes but to have a large donation like this is unique."

Friendly cat Charlie and shy, three-legged feline Pip were already staying in the pen which has two cages with plenty of space.

Cats Protection Northampton volunteers came together to celebrate the opening of the new pen

Delia Lewin made the donation which funded their enclosure and was delighted to see it for the first time yesterday.

"For all the cats and kittens coming in, it will be cosy for them until they get their 'furever' homes - I think they will be happy and content," she said.

Grateful Cats Protection volunteer Diana Johnson told Delia her donation 'brought a tear to my eye in more ways than one'.

Northampton Cats Protection does not have a main cattery but instead relies on a network of 12 foster families which look after a handful of cats at a time.

Charlie got a lot of fuss in his new cage

As well as Charlie and Pip, Paula also has a mum and litter of kittens indoors - once they are ready, they will be put up for adoption and rehomed.

The queue of cats to replace them is ever-growing though with around 78 moggies currently on the waiting list.

Hilda said: "The need in Northampton is absolutely immense particularly because of the abundance of private landlords that won't allow pets.

"So people who have to move are desperate for a property to they have to get rid of their cats which leads to lots of tears and it's really sad.

"Then there's always the difficulty of people who don't neuter their cats and when they get pregnant, they ring us up to take them and we really could do without it."

Cats Protection Northampton is always open for new volunteers to help with the work, be it fostering cats, collecting strays or fundraising.

Anyone interested should visit www.cats.org.uk/northampton, email cp_northampton@hotmail.co.uk or call 0344 700 3251.

The charity is also holding a Christmas bazaar at St Luke's Community Centre in Duston from 10am to 12pm on November 9.