Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

This Christmas, instead of presents and cards, we are asking our family and friends to give a donation in support of the Cats Guidance charity, where Helen, the rescuer and long-term fosterer of our beloved George cat currently volunteers. George was a wonderful gift in our lives for 6 years, before we lost him to lymphoma in August 2020, and this is our way of acknowledging that gift, and helping the Rescue to continue to support as many other cats in need as possible.

George was middle-aged when we adopted him, having spent nearly 18 months in the care of Helen and her partner Mark. Rescued by them as a stray, reported foraging in bins and on bird tables, he was matted, unkempt and missing half a tail when they took him in. Incredibly frightened and shying away from any human touch for several months, George had to be put under cage rest whilst being treated for his injuries, which also included a huge burst infected abcess on his face and an airgun pellet lodged in his chest. After such a terrible time, George truly lucked out with his rescuers. Aside from all his veterinary care, Helen and Mark devoted a huge amount of love, time, perseverance and dedication to his recuperation, working with George for over a year to develop his full potential, and providing him with the time, space and support he needed, to truly heal.

As a result, George was the most loving and gentle pet - he adored his food, loved our company and enjoyed nothing more than a cosy night watching tv and snoozing, tucked up on the settee between us. It is unthinkable to us now that George may never have had the chance to have a forever home of his own and that we may never have got the chance to adopt him. Supporting Cats Guidance, "where every cat has the chance to live and be loved" is the best possible way for us to honour that special bond with George, and to thank Helen and Mark for the gift of that possibility. Thank you for sharing this with us and for helping Cats Guidance to give that chance to other cats in need and their adopters.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.