As May comes to a close, it’s been another incredibly busy month here at Cats in Distress. Alongside the usual challenges that come with rescue work, this month has also given us a chance to reflect on just how far the rescue has come over the last decade. From wonderful rehoming updates to some of our longer-term residents still patiently waiting for their chance.
May 2026 marks an incredibly special milestone for us as Cats In Distress officially turns 10 years old.
What started as a conversation over a glass of wine back in 2016 has grown into something we could never have imagined. From helping just 39 cats in our very first year, to supporting more than 400 animals last year alone, Cats In Distress has now helped over 2,700 cats in need.
Founded by Ginny Parratt, Cats In Distress was created with the vision of offering a more compassionate and accessible approach to rescue; supporting not only the cats themselves, but also the people trying to help them. From very humble beginnings with just a shed and a handful of volunteers, the rescue has grown into an incredible community effort that continues to change lives every single day.
None of this would have been possible without our amazing volunteers, fosterers, adopters, supporters and followers who have stood by us over the last decade. Every donation, share, adoption and kind word has helped make this journey possible.
To celebrate this huge milestone, we’ll be holding our 10th Anniversary Summer Fair on 13th June from 10am–5pm, and we’d love for you to join us as we celebrate everything Cats In Distress has achieved over the past ten years — and look ahead to the future.
Last month, our “lost but loved” boys; Rusty, Morgan, Bowie, Sampson and Ken captured a lot of attention after we shared their stories and recovery journeys.
We’re so pleased to report that since then, both Rusty and Morgan have now headed off to their new homes, while Bowie and Sampson have both been reserved and will shortly be leaving us to begin their next chapters too.
After everything these boys arrived with; wounds, matted fur, neglect and the challenges that come with life as unneutered strays, it’s incredibly rewarding to see them finally getting the happy endings they deserve.
Ken is the only one still with us for now, as he’s not quite ready yet, but he continues to make progress every day and we’re hopeful his turn will come soon too.
Sadly, as some of these boys begin their next chapters, new stray boys have already started arriving into our care this month, including Rory, Darren and Gary. Like so many unneutered strays, they’ve arrived needing patience, veterinary treatment and a chance to finally feel safe.
Kitten season is now well underway; a period that typically runs from May through to September and is always one of the busiest times of year in rescue.
Fleur and Aero have been particularly popular faces on our social media this month, and we’re delighted that both have now been reserved. Alongside them, we currently have many more kittens in care at various ages and stages, all keeping both us and our wonderful fosterers very much on our toes.
While kitten season brings lots of excitement, it also brings an enormous amount of work behind the scenes, from bottle feeding and socialisation to veterinary care and finding the right homes. As always, we’re incredibly grateful to everyone helping us through another busy season.
Some cats sadly find themselves overlooked in rescue, despite having so much love to give.
Dwayne, our big chunky 11-year-old black cat, is one of those cats. Black cats and older cats can often take much longer to find homes, and despite his lovely personality, Dwayne is still patiently waiting for someone to give him a chance.
Beau is another cat desperately needing his forever home. This beautiful 12-year-old Birman has now been with us for nearly two months with very little interest shown in him so far.
It’s always difficult seeing wonderful older cats overlooked simply because of their age or appearance, when we know how rewarding they can be as companions. We remain hopeful that the right people for Dwayne and Beau are still out there
We also had a very exciting filming opportunity at the rescue this month for an upcoming project that we’re looking forward to sharing more about in the future.
A huge thank you goes to videographer Reece Morrell, who donated his time to volunteer with us and capture some of the behind-the-scenes moments that people don’t often get to see within rescue work.
From our vet nurse carrying out vaccinations and checking neuter sites, to kittens being wormed and volunteers spending time socialising cats, it was wonderful to showcase some of the day-to-day care, dedication and teamwork that goes into helping the cats in our care.
reece.morrell@outlook.com: May Highlights: 10 Years of Rescue and Rehoming
As always, we continue to be blown away by the kindness and dedication of our supporters and volunteers, who constantly go above and beyond to help raise funds for the cats in our care.
This month, wonderful supporter Wren raised an incredible £130 through a sponsored bake sale for Cats In Distress. We’re always so touched seeing younger supporters wanting to get involved and help rescue cats.
Volunteer Maureen also kindly held a plant sale at her home, raising an amazing £132 so far, with more plants still to be sold at our upcoming Summer Fair.
A huge thank you as well to Eve, who raised a fantastic £320 by running the Bath Half Marathon for Cats In Distress, and to Anna Hale, who raised over £100 through a plant and eBay sale.
From fundraising and donations to fostering, transporting and helping behind the scenes, we simply couldn’t continue without the people who give their time, energy and compassion to help cats in need.
Looking ahead to next month, lovely adopter and supporter Jayne will also be taking on a sponsored head shave to raise money for Cats In Distress — something we’re incredibly grateful for and very much looking forward to supporting.
