Last time we asked for help with our veterinary bills, our supporters raised an incredible £2,857.99 after JustGiving fees. That support helped us pay off more than half of our over £4,000 veterinary costs, and we honestly cannot thank everyone enough.

We still have £2,151.99 remaining to pay from our August bill, covering:

the remainder of Jess’ dental treatments and medication

Helena’s veterinary checks, scans and pain medication

Maxwell’s booster vaccinations

first vaccinations for Tammy, Blue and Sasha

We would now love to raise enough not only to clear this outstanding balance, but to help us get a little ahead as we move through September.

We already have several important veterinary appointments and treatments coming up, including dentals for Abigail, Bean and Alvin, second vaccinations for Sasha and Blue, and Helena’s vaccinations.

We also now have concerns about a possible health problem with one of the new cats recently rescued from the colony, which may mean further veterinary investigations and treatment. We do not yet know what those costs may look like, but, as always, their welfare has to come first.

As a small, home-based rescue and sanctuary, veterinary care is one of our biggest ongoing expenses. Many of the cats who come to us are older, have existing medical problems, or arrive needing treatment that simply cannot be postponed.

We are also starting to prepare the sanctuary for another Welsh winter.

After taking in a number of unexpected rescue cats this year, parts of the house and cat areas have taken quite a battering and need repairing and improving. Some of the redecorating we are doing is purely aesthetic, and we will be paying for that ourselves, but there are also essential repairs and improvements needed to make sure the cats have safe, warm and comfortable spaces.

Helena is currently staying in one of our protected pen areas, where the heater has stopped working and will need attention from an electrician. Our boiler also needs its winter service so we can make sure the house and sanctuary cats stay warm as the colder weather arrives.

There are also some less exciting, but very necessary, expenses that come with running a sanctuary every day. Our cleaning equipment and appliances get a huge amount of use caring for so many cats, and some of the equipment we have relied on for years is now reaching the point where it needs replacing. This includes new hoovers and other cleaning equipment, as well as practical admin equipment such as a replacement paper shredder for securely disposing of confidential paperwork.

These might not be the most glamorous things to fundraise for, but they are part of keeping a busy sanctuary clean, hygienic, safe and properly organised. We try to make equipment last for as long as possible, but sometimes, after years of heavy daily use, things simply need replacing.

For these reasons, we have set this fundraiser at £5,000.

Our hope is that this will allow us to:

clear the remaining £2,151.99 August veterinary balance, help cover September’s planned and unexpected veterinary care, and contribute towards essential winter repairs, sanctuary improvements and replacement equipment needed for the day-to-day care of the cats.

As always, if we are fortunate enough to raise beyond the immediate costs outlined here, those funds will remain with Karen’s Cat Community and go towards the cats’ ongoing veterinary care, food, litter, medication and sanctuary needs.

Every donation, whether it is £2, £5, £10 or more, genuinely makes a difference to a small rescue like ours.

If you cannot donate, sharing our fundraiser is just as valuable and helps us reach people who may be able to support the cats.

We are also continuing to fundraise in other ways. Our 2027 Karen’s Cat Community calendars are being sent to the printers this week and will be available very soon, with proceeds helping towards the ongoing care of the cats.

Thank you, as always, for helping us continue to provide rescue, rehabilitation and lifelong sanctuary to cats who need somewhere safe to land.

Karen & Lauren

Karen’s Cat Community