11-year-old Michael Hart from Wigan entertained both cats and Facebook followers to raise £300 for a charity close to his heart

Inspired by the Captain Tom 100 challenge, Michael chose to read to his cats for 100 minutes over the May bank holiday weekend, picking feline-themed titles such as Six Dinner Sid and the Mog collection of books.

Michael had a visit from Archie the cat to thank him for his efforts

Michael, along with this mum Angela, staged the fundraising weekend to promote the work of our Atherton & Wigan Branch, and raise funds at the same time.

He beat his target of £250, bringing in over £300 from supporters who followed his exploits.

Andrea, a volunteer fosterer with the branch, said: “Michael came up with the idea of sharing the antics of our cats with followers of the Atherton & Wigan Cats Protection Facebook page, with one of our cats, Gus, as the star of the show.

“Gus is a lovely cat but he is not the brightest! He’s always getting into trouble, whether it’s falling in a sink full of water or tumbling off a table, he’s always up to something.

Michael's cat Gus admiring his fundraising certificate 

“Michael not only wanted to raise money but he also wanted to use this as an opportunity for people to see what living with cats is like, and to educate people on how to be good cat owners.”

To say thank you for all his hard work, Michael received a visit from a giant furry ‘special guest’ from Cats Protection.

Fundraising manager Rachel Dring said: “We are so grateful to Michael and Andrea for all their hard work raising money for Cats Protection. Their efforts will ensure that even more needy cats and kittens in the Wigan and Atherton area will be helped on their journey to happier and more secure lives.”

Andrea began fostering with the branch on Christmas Eve, having supported the charity since adopting a cat from Cats Protection several years ago.

She added: “It is so rewarding to see how far the cats come along in foster care. When they arrive they often require time and attention to get them to a stage where they are ready to be rehomed. I don’t find it difficult letting go of the cats when they go to their new homes as I want others to get the same joy from owning a cat that I do.”

To find out how you can raise money for the cats in our care, visit https://www.cats.org.uk/support-us/fundraise-for-cats-protection for lots of brilliant ideas and top tips.