21/10/2026
🐾 “WE CAN’T HELP.” THREE WORDS NO CAT RESCUE WANTS TO SAY. 💔
This post was written by one of our volunteers who works hands-on with the cats in rescue. These are the people on the front line. The people seeing the reality every single day. And this is what she has to say about the situation right now.
“It’s dire. I mean, it’s so bad at the moment, and all rescues are feeling it.
We’ve barely rehomed anything this year. No one seems to be adopting, and every email brings more requests for help with unwanted cats, strays and ferals.
I’ve never seen so many emails from people who have strays in their gardens. We have a massive problem with stray and feral cats in England, and it’s come to something when we’re handing out food to members of the public to feed strays because there’s nothing else we can do.
We all feel defeated. We’re here because we want to help cats in need, yet all we seem to be saying is, ‘No, we can’t help.’
Then someone dumped four kittens on us when we had absolutely zero space. One of the girls had to put them in her bathtub. Her BATHTUB. But that’s how bad it is.
I have six foster cats in my house alone. The rescue is full.
Everyone at Wellcat is a volunteer. Most of us have jobs, families and responsibilities outside rescue. We’re exhausted, and more and more rescues are closing. I can understand why.
It’s not just about finding somewhere to put these cats. It’s finding the money to pay their vet bills. It’s finding them loving homes so we can make space for the next cat who desperately needs us.
I remember last year, when we all said it was a tough year. But last year was nothing compared to this year.
And every year is going to get harder unless something changes.
We need action to tackle irresponsible and unlicensed breeding. We need people to stop treating cats as disposable. We need more support for rescues because we are absolutely swamped, and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before more rescues go under.
And then what happens to all those cats?
This needs the Government’s attention. This crisis isn’t going to disappear on its own.
Wellcat needs around £30,000 or more to stay afloat.
We never make a profit from an adoption. By the time we’ve paid for snap tests, vaccinations, neutering, treatments, flea and worming prevention and all the other essentials, we’re often hundreds of pounds out of pocket. We try to recover a small amount of those costs through our adoption fees so we can help the next cat.
Right now, we’re doing the absolute best we can with what we have.
The leaking roof feels like it’s about to fall in, we have more cats than we have room for, and our volunteers are tired. Really, really tired.
But then you walk into rescue and see that cat who was once so desperately ill they couldn’t even lift their head. Now they’re purring.
And you melt.
You find that extra gear you didn’t think you had.
Because knowing you’ve helped that cat survive, that you’ve given them a second chance at life, is one of the best feelings in the world. But no rescue can run without public support, without public backing we are finished. Thats why things like pound day and our cat sponsor scheme is so important. We had a donation from Germany the other day. We were all jumping for joy lol. Pat and Christian from Germany, thank you haha."
Ways to help:
●Contact you MP. Let's make some noise until someone listens.
●Check out our amazing wishlist
●Ask us about our cat sponsorship scheme
●Make a donation
• Bank: NatWest
• Account Name: Wellcat Rescue Charity
• Sort Code: 60-09-39
• Account Number: 85254606
