One of the largest Wiltshire charities looking after unwanted pets is the Cat Watch Rescue Shelter, in Amesbury.
Tristan Ovington caught up with CEO Marnie Buckland to discover more about the latest fundraising activities…

THE cost-of-living crisis and Covid lockdowns have had a major impact on the number of cats seeking a new home, according to Marnie.
“After covid, people were not able to neuter their cats as this procedure was not considered an emergency and only emergency procedures were allowed during that time,” she said.
“This led to a huge amount of kittens coming to us. But this year, we have had very few kittens.”
However, this hasn’t made the job for Marnie or her foster cat carers any easier.
“We don’t ever really close.
“I keep my weekends and evenings free for CWRS but if I get a call after 10pm about an emergency, I always try to answer it, as I don’t like cats to be in pain or distress.”
As for funding, CWRS has received donations from various sources, including KONG dog toys, while fundraising events such as the car boot sales, led each week by Glen Simpson, often make around £300, contributing significantly to supplies needed for six shelters, housing some 20 cats, not including kittens.
These shelters are now in need of repair, with two out of action altogether due to poor condition.
Marnie said the charity had raised £12k of the £16k needed to build two new shelters.
“We are well on our way but we need a little more to house these cats, as unfortunately the numbers of unwanted cats is not reducing,” she added.
The Cat Watch Rescue Shelter is always open to volunteers to play with, clean out and feed the cats.
They are also looking for an administrative volunteer.
For more information on their work and volunteer opportunities, log on to
www.cwwrescue.org