Feline Care, East Harling, NR16 2QN

On 30 October 2015, we visited Feline Care in East Harling. Their three acre site is off an industrial site, and one enters through substantial metal gates which are kept closed but not locked during the day. The site is well advertised on the gates, a sign maker having donated the professional signage which gives a very good first impression.

Feline Care’s purpose-built warm, dry brick buildings were bought from the previous charity in 2011. This extract from a BBC Local News site explains:

“A cat rescue centre in Norfolk faces closure unless it can raise £70,000 by the end of September.Feline Care in East Harling homes up to 140 cats at a time and was set up as a cat retirement home by its owners Cat and Rabbit Rescue Centre in Sussex.

The Sussex charity says it no longer wants the responsibility of running the Norfolk centre and has offered Feline Care the chance to keep it open. This means the management now has to find money for the centre and the land.

Centre manager Molly Farrar said: "This news has hit us hard as we are already working flat out and running at full capacity but we know there must be enough people out there who can club together to save us.

"So far we've had just over £19,000 donated and have been amazed at the generosity of those around us and I can't thank everyone enough for what they're doing to help us."

As well as re-homing domestic cats, Feline Care traps and neuters feral cats.

If the sanctuary does have to close, its cats will be moved to the Sussex centre. “ BBC News, 31 July 2011

Thankfully, Feline Care received a lot of financial support at that time and were successful in obtaining the necessary funding to enable them to continue providing safe, protective conditions for the many cats that come to them for care and protection. 

These cats can probably be divided into two groups: 

Those who are there short-term because they can be successfully re-homed;

Those who are there long-term because they are unsuitable for re-homing such as feral cats or cats who are too old or cats who may have complicated medical problems. All these need care and attention to the end of their lives.

A few rescued dogs and chickens are lucky enough to live in this happy environment which has been created by an enthusiastic team lead by a dedicated, devoted manager, Molly Farrar, and her partner, Paul, who live on site. 

One Trustee deals with the finances, and all other volunteers keep busy with various tasks inside and outside. They work without being monitored as they know exactly what needs doing. An atmosphere of calm commitment and great love for all the animals prevails.

Feline Care requested a grant from The Chapman Trust to buy new purpose-built caging made from a ‘self healing’ resin material to replace the existing 15-year old large metal cages which are noisy on being opened or dismantled. These old cages will not be thrown away but will be lent out to people whose cats need a temporary cage at home during recovery periods.

The new cages, seen at a trade fair in Birmingham last year, when Feline Care won an award, are more hygienic, much easier to clean and will be more easily adaptable to changing circumstances. However, the most important advantage is that they are almost noise-less when opening and closing which reduces the risk of upsetting cats at various stages of their recovery from either medical procedures or harrowing, painful conditions or mental trauma.

This is a well-run charity doing extremely good work with a team of committed volunteers, all helping Feline Care to achieve their goal of remaining successful for the sake of all cats committed to their care. All animals are looked after with immense compassion and dedication.

Feline Care's Facebook page is updated regularly, and generates a great deal of lively comment, interest and support from followers as well as unending enthusiasm for the work of Molly and Peter whose exemplary care of their cats is to be much admired.