Woodgreen unveils landmark new Snowden Cat Care Centre

Following years of planning and disrupted construction during a pandemic, the Snowden Cat Care Centre is now operational and enabling the charity to provide even better care to thousands of cats in need.

With 60 units, the Snowden Cat Care Centre has increased Woodgreen’s on-site capacity by 50%. It is constructed with seamless PVC and features solid walls, separate sleeping areas and climate control in order to give cats a quiet and comfortable stay, all year round. The large, adaptable units have sliding doors in order to create double or triple units for pairs of cats, and a number of secure areas called ‘catios’ allow vital outdoor access for cats to exercise and display natural behaviours like climbing, jumping and exploring.

These improved amenities elevate the quality of care that Woodgreen is able to provide, tailored to each cat’s medical and behavioural needs. By improving overall welfare, cats can be rehabilitated and rehomed more quickly – decreasing the average length of stay by an estimated 10%. This means the charity can be there for even more homeless cats with nowhere else to turn.

Woodgreen can have up to 500 cats, dogs and small pets in its care at any one time. Some of these are from owners who can no longer care for them, and others are strays with nothing known about their history. The charity is often required to respond quickly to emergencies, with pets in critical conditions requiring life-saving treatment. Around 3,500 pets are rehabilitated and rehomed each year, more than half of which are cats, but the existing on-site cat accommodation was becoming increasingly outdated.

In order to meet the demand on Woodgreen’s services and cater to the changing needs of the cats coming through their doors every day, it has now been replaced. The Centre is named after Ms. Sheila Snowden, who left the charity an incredible legacy donation of almost £900,000, providing around 40% of the project’s total budget of £2.4 million. The remaining funds were donated by individual supporters, as well as gifts in kind from valued partners like the pet technology company Sure Petcare.

Vanessa Cunningham, Director of Care & Veterinary Services at Woodgreen, said: “Since we opened our doors as a charity 1924, two things have remained true: the UK is a nation of pet lovers, and there have always been pets in need of our help. However, we now have a much greater understanding of their needs and we must continually adapt to provide the right care, and the right services, in order to fulfil our purpose.

“A new Cat Care Centre has been a part of our plans for a number of years, and I couldn’t be happier that we have been able to go ahead, despite the impact of COVID-19 on the charity and thanks to the generosity of our supporters. This project is incredibly close to my heart and I’m delighted to see the first residents settling in so well and benefitting from the space as we had envisaged they would.”

Find out more about the Snowden Cat Care Centre.