Meet Trudy: Sharing the Stories of Our Sponsor Cats

 

Hello, my name is Trudy and I am a Cat Sponsorship volunteer based at Wales Cat Centre, photographing and gathering information and case studies about the cat(s) and kittens in the Wales Cat Centre Sponsor pen.

Trudy with her cat Akira 

The material is used by the JustGiving team for national fundraising campaigns and also to enable sponsors to follow the journey of the sponsor cat from admission to adoption.

Following the progress of the sponsor cat makes our sponsors feel closer to the cats they help. It lets them see how their kind donations are being used to help cats in need by providing food, cat care, medical treatment, enrichment toys and a safe place for unwanted cats to stay until they find their new homes.

New sponsors receive a welcome pack, access to the Sponsorship Portal where they can view in real time the latest pen resident, receive regular email updates and three postal newsletters per year.

The sponsor cat is normally a cat that has a story to tell and generally spends a longer time at the centre. Some of the cats that have been in the sponsor pen this year are the handsome Cookie, a cat that was very active and needed a home where he would get lots of attention and stimulation.

Cookie 

Mamma, a shy girl who was found straying with her kittens.

Mamma

Patsy, who didn’t get on with other cats but loved dogs.

Patsy

And the current sponsor cat April who came to us from a multi-cat household 

Our current sponsor cat, April

I enjoy building a relationship with the sponsor cat and watching them become their best selves, especially after a long and difficult journey, and it is my mission to help sponsors feel closer to the cats they help.

I also help by photographing new admissions and working with the Social Media team, taking pictures for campaigns, blogs and for use on various social media sites. When needed, I also help out with fundraising and community events.

Trudy - photographs cats for our website

Why do I volunteer? Well, I have a lifelong adoration and affinity with cats, and I jumped at the chance of joining Cats Protection as a volunteer to help our gorgeous cat friends. I am a keen amateur photographer, and I adore spending time with our beautiful cat companions, so this is my ideal volunteer role. It is so rewarding to see abandoned and unwanted cats receive the care and attention they deserve and go off to loving new homes. I love the way the centre works as a team, and every single member of staff and volunteer has the best interest of the cats at heart.

You can become a cat sponsor from as little as £1.38 a week (£6 a month), and the donations will help cats nationally where they need it most, or you can specify which location you would like your donations to go to. Whenever a cat in the sponsor pen is rehomed, a new cat will take their place. To become a cat sponsor, please visit Cats Protection sponsorship page