A local cat adoption centre has celebrated its 10th anniversary with a name change that better reflects the wider area it serves.
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00:00 [Cat meows]
00:02 Like the thousands of felines the Leeds Cat Centre has supported over the past decade,
00:10 Loki is looking for a forever home.
00:13 Ten years of cat care and kitten attention is set to continue,
00:17 with the milestone marked with a re-brand from the Guildersham Homing Centre
00:21 to the Leeds Cat Centre to better reflect the region that it serves.
00:25 One thing that hasn't changed is the need for adopters and for volunteers,
00:29 which is where Sarah's journey at the centre began.
00:33 I started shortly after the centre opened as a volunteer and just really loved it.
00:37 And then obviously a few years down the line, a job opportunity came up
00:40 and just happened to be the right timing and makes sense.
00:44 Obviously we're all cat lovers here because, you know,
00:47 the main thing that attracts everyone here to volunteer our work is obviously the beautiful cats.
00:52 A day to general day doesn't really, can be different every day.
00:55 So we're open 11 till 3, ideally for the public, for visits,
00:58 for people coming to meet the cats, looking at adopting.
01:01 In between that, we are obviously feeding, cleaning,
01:05 prepping pens for new cats to come in,
01:07 responding to people, giving advice calls and emails.
01:11 Yeah, not two days are really the same, to be honest.
01:14 Cats Protection aims to prevent cruelty and mistreatment and reduce the need for re-homing,
01:19 but re-homing may be the only option due to an owner's illness or a change in circumstances.
01:24 They've seen an increase in cats being cruelly dumped in places where their safety is at risk
01:29 and would always prefer owners to reach out to them if they are struggling.
01:33 They also advise prospective owners on what to expect when taking on a cat.
01:38 After Covid, a lot of centres, particularly Cats Protection,
01:41 have as well moved towards more of a hands-free homing.
01:44 So you will come in eventually and meet them, but we'd ask you to have a look on the website.
01:49 You will see profiles, you'll see a picture of the cats, a bit about them
01:54 and just find a right match for your home.
01:56 We'd look at your home circumstances,
01:58 you know, kind of making sure that cats are very different,
02:02 are very individual, very much like humans.
02:04 So it's getting the right mix and the right match
02:06 and making sure that it's going to be the right home for them and the right cat for you.
02:09 We do have a fostering option.
02:11 So if they come in to us, I think cats are not going to be happy here.
02:14 They will go into a foster, more natural home environment until they can be adopted.
02:19 But it is obviously our aim is always Cats Protection to get them into a long-term permanent home.
02:24 Obviously it can be the best part of the job.
02:26 Cats, when they arrive and the transformation during the time in care and when they're going home.
02:32 And then amazingly, we get updates from so many adopters.
02:34 We always ask them to keep in touch.
02:36 And yeah, years down the line, we can get lovely updates and pictures.
02:39 And it's so great to see them actually living their best life and yeah, going on.
02:44 So obviously for us, it's such a boost.
02:47 Obviously we work really hard, constantly cleaning, looking after the cats,
02:52 bowing down to their every whim at times and yeah,
02:54 making sure that we're doing everything we can to make them happy whilst they're in our care.
02:58 So it's amazing to see them go on and live happy lives.
03:01 (thud)
03:03 [WHISTLE]