RSPCA East London and Havering branch in 50 cats campaign

The RSPCA East London and Havering branch has launched a crowdfunding bid to raise £20,000 in March to provide basic necessities, veterinary expenses and enrichment for cats they often find abandoned in tragic circumstances.

The money, the charity said, will pay for their food, shelter, medical expenses as it says it costs an average of £12.50 a day to deliver essential care for each cat.

The target of £20,000, it added, will enable it to look after 50 cats for four weeks before any major medical intervention.

Julie, one of the cats under their care (Image: RSPCA East London and Havering Branch)The group’s trustee Natalie Chopra told this paper that the cats are often collected in desperate conditions by their inspectors who are out and about everyday receiving calls from people.

Read More: Bikers take part in Easter convoy from Romford to Canning Town

Many of these, she said, are dumped by the owners due to the cost-of-living crisis or other reasons.

She revealed: “Sometimes these cats are abandoned as people move away."

One example, Rolo, was left in a flat for weeks with no food or water, according to Natalie.

"By the time he came to us, he was extremely underweight and had serious issues with food.

“He would get very agitated if you wouldn’t feed him. So, we had to give him several meals a day and feed him consistently."

Natalie pictured with Hetty who was found dumped with her brother Harold in a carrier, left by a busy country road (Image: RSPCA East London and Havering branch)Her other favourite of their cats, she said, was beaten by an owner who was angry about the cat not using the litter tray and instead feeding off the recycling bin.

Natalie, who has been volunteering with the RSPCA for more than five years, said nobody at the charity gets paid and they all devote time from their busy lives to the cause purely out of their love for the felines.

She added: “It's soul-destroying sometimes to see a cat that’s been mistreated.

“But when you see them start to turn around a little bit, take a treat from your hand and not walk away from you, that keeps you going. It makes it all worthwhile.

“It's amazing to see how animals have the capacity to trust people again even after all they have been through."

The money from the campaign, Natalie said, will be fully used towards the welfare of the rescued cats (Image: RSPCA East London and Havering branch)

The money from the campaign, she said, will all be used towards the cats’ welfare. While the RSPCA is a big name, Natalie clarified that they are an individual branch and a separate charity that does not have any other income other than fundraising and the money they charge for cat adoptions.

As well as Havering, it also works in Newham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney.

She added: “Everything is so expensive, and we just want to be able to keep doing this. Having to turn away cats in desperate need because we don’t have enough space or resources is horrible."

Money can be donated to the charity's campaign on this link: Give 50 Cats a Chance - #EveryoneForEveryAnimal - a Charities crowdfunding project in London by Natalie Chopra (crowdfunder.co.uk)