The £100,000 donation from pet care company Purina is part of its ongoing commitment to support pet adoption and will help Cats Protection look after moggies in need across the UK, while they await new homes.

Cats Protection’s Corporate Partnerships Manager Richard Howard said: “Whether it’s receiving veterinary treatment, behavioural support, making sure they’ve got a warm and cosy bed or enabling members of our socialisation team to spend time playing and interacting with cats in our care each day, we’re incredibly grateful to Purina for this donation, which goes a long way to ensuring we can help as many cats in need as possible.”

Among the cats helped by Purina’s donation is Puddin, who was handed into Cats Protection’s Warrington Adoption Centre in March after her previous owners struggled to manage some of her aggressive behaviour. 

Once at the centre, Puddin was neutered and had blood tests to rule out any potential medical causes that could be behind her issues. When the results came back clear, staff began working closely with her to modify her behaviour. Thanks to the patience and expertise of staff, supported by Cats Protection’s dedicated Behaviour Team, Puddin turned a corner and eventually started to enjoy fuss and interaction with people. After months of care and attention, Puddin found a new home in November.

New owner Bryn Evans from Lancashire said: “I believe every cat should be given a chance, but the right home is so important for each individual cat. I met Puddin a couple of times to ensure we got on and that we could hopefully give her a suitable new home. Having experienced nervous cats come out of their shells previously, I hoped we would be a good match. 

“The first evening she was comfortably wandering around all the rooms in turn and even chilled out in the sitting room with the TV on. I was expecting this to take days not hours! My wife said hello and within five minutes, no joke, was comfortably picking her up. I'm still amazed how relaxed she's been.

“She's so well-natured and I was well prepared for her going back a few steps. It's still early days but all seems to be going extremely well so far.

“I have to say such a big thank you to the team at Warrington as the work they've done to support Puddin, but also to stick with it, is so commendable. She's a lovely feline but this couldn't have been without the help of the centre.”

Calum Macrae, Purina’s Regional Director for the UK & Ireland said: "At Purina we are passionate about helping to create and strengthen as many bonds as we possibly can between pets and their humans. That’s why we’re delighted to be a long-term partner of Cats Protection and are so pleased that this donation will continue to support the vital work they do – giving many thousands of cats the best chance to live happy and healthy lives in their new homes."

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For more information or a photo, please contact Cats Protection’s Media Office on media.office@cats.org.uk or phone 01825 741 911