The History of Lothian Cat Rescue
Lothian Cat Rescue is a registered charity formed in 1978 to help cats and kittens that have been abandoned, ill-treated, neglected or are unwanted for whatever reason.
When LCR started, all the cats and kittens were cared for in foster homes. In 1993, a property was purchased as a cat shelter and rescuing and homing soon began, using one room as an indoor cat room. As soon as sufficient funds were raised our first row of pens was erected and in May 1995 the Lady Provost officially opened the Shelter. As more funds became available, further pens were erected and we now have 7 rows of pens plus one large open pen area.
We now re-home hundreds of cats and kittens every year, incurring costs in excess of £70,000 per year for food, litter and vets fees. By the very nature of our work most of our cats require veterinary attention and in some cases major treatment. We also neuter all our cats before they are homed; hence vet fees are a major expense. Fortunately our vets give us special concessionary rates.
We are also fortunate to have a group
of fosterers who look after kittens, pregnant cats, and cats
with problems requiring individual attention. Kittens are kept until they
are at least 8 weeks old before good homes are found for them. We are very
selective when homing kittens and only home to people who agree to have the
kitten neutered at six months old.
Lothian Cat Rescue also aims to resolve the issues of feral cats by catching, neutering/spaying them before releasing them back to their previous location. Frequently, we are informed of feral cats in areas planned for building works and asked to relocate them.
Our main funds
are raised from our shop (at 23 Easter Road, Edinburgh), our monthly bazaars, an annual raffle, subscriptions and donations. Many of our Supporters collect goods for resale, produce craft items, bakery and more for our bazaars.
There are many sad stories to tell in rescuing animals. We're happy to say that many have happy endings with our cats and kittens going to good permanent homes and at last landing on all four feet!