Welcome to the home of hope for abandoned cats

But while some are adored by their owners, thousands more are abandoned, destined to live on the streets.

Rescue homes are bursting with strays and animal lovers have resorted to setting up shelters and adoption centres in their own homes to cope with the demand.

Cat rescuer Sally Edwards, has dedicated her life – and home – to fostering four pawed friends that have been dumped, tirelessly looking after litters and older cats while raising funds and awareness to help re-home them.

The 43-year-old mother of three, runs The Ashmore Rescue for Cats and since opening 15 months ago has helped hundreds of neglected moggies find their forever home.

The shelter is based at her home in Gadsby Avenue, Ashmore Park and currently the centre has over 50 cats, split between her home and with volunteers at foster homes.

Relying entirely on donations, the centre takes in animals, often underfed or flea ridden and looks after them until they are fit and healthy enough to be re-homed.

Miss Edwards started fostering after taking in a heavily pregnant female cat called Flossy and her kitten Titch, who also had four kittens approximately a month old.

Miss Edwards said: "They were all in a very poor condition and the kittens were infested with fleas and were severely anaemic.

• Mary Bale from Coventry was forced into hiding following the public outcry after she was caught on film dumping a cat in a wheelie bin.

• Ms Bale, who blamed her actions on a ‘split second of misjudgement’ received death threats after the footage went viral, and was taken to court where she pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the animal.

• She was fined £250 plus £15 victim surcharge and costs of £1,171 and banned from keeping or owning animals for five years.

• In 2011 teenager Stacey Ravenall, 19, was spared jail after she threw a kitten from the 11th floor of a block of flats in Stechford, Birmingham. She was given a four month suspended sentence after admitting a charge of animal cruelty.

• Earlier this year, five-year-old feline Roxy from Worcester shot in the eye at point blank range.

• The moggie still had a pellet lodged in its lungs after being shot in the shoulder four years ago, had to have its left eye removed after the pellet shattered its eye socket in the second attack.

• This week it was revealed that nationally up to 50 cats a month are killed by anti-freeze poisoning.

• The sweet tasting liquid is being lapped up by cats if it has been used in gardens, in water features, for example, but cases of deliberate poisoning have also been highlighted.

• If anyone has information on animal cruelty they can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234999.[/breakout]

"Sadly and completely avoidable if they had been flea treated by their previous owner, the first kittens passed away the next day. We tried desperately to save them but they were getting weaker by the minute and we had to syringe feed them every hour to try to save them but one by one their organs failed."

The mother cat, Flossy then gave birth to six kittens and thankfully each one found a home. However Flossy had been through so many pregnancies that her body was tired. The rescue home took her to be spayed but because of heart complications she did not survive.

It was because of this cat that Miss Edwards decided to set up the rescue centre and has since helped more than 175 cats and kittens with more abandoned animals arriving each day.

She said: "Without the care they receive here, they would be left on the street, having countless pregnancies and starving."

Miss Edwards admits the voluntary work is an around the clock job.

"I sit up around the clock feeding frail kittens while working endlessly on the computer to try to secure homes or foster spaces for the ones I have no space for.

The centre has both newborn kittens and adults cats up to two years old. She said: "I get more female cats because they tend to be dumped when they are pregnant, most of the males we get come to us as kittens in litters. We have a lot of black cats as they are often the most difficult to find homes for."

The centre is full but the numbers of abandoned cats is not decreasing and unlike dogs, cats can breed throughout the year and with the winter months now here, more need shelter from the cold.

"We are full and more but when you get an urgent plea what can you do? The cats can go to other rescues in the UK, I work with many other shelters when I haven't got the space. Some days I can get half a dozen calls," she said.

The rescue centre does see an increase in the summer and in the weeks after Christmas when pets become unwanted presents.

"We do see a rise in summer for two reasons, people don't want to pay boarding costs and because of holiday commitments people don't want to adopt. Then again after Christmas. Pets are not presents."

The rescue shelter does not rehome during the festive season. Miss Edwards explains: "It is too much for cats. They need time to adjust to a new home. This is to make sure that no animals are given as Christmas gifts and also so that they are not going into loud, excitable environments. Christmas is not the right time to introduce new pets to a family."

With the rise in numbers Miss Edwards spent her savings on building a shelter in her garden. Her 'cat-servatory' allows the cats to remain indoors but have the freedom to roam around.

Once the kittens reach 12 weeks they can be rehomed and all male cats are neutered and all female are spayed.

Anyone interested in adopting a cat is invited to contact the centre and arrange an interview and home visit. A vet reference is also accepted.

A home check ensures that the home is not on a main road and for the rescue shelter to be happy that those wanting to adopt are responsible owners who understand exactly what a cat needs.

To adopt a cat is £65 and a kitten is £75. Before they leave the centre the kittens are blood tested for FIV and FEL and are wormed and flea treated every 2-3 weeks.

The donation ensures a good home and to help the centre to continue to run.

Miss Edwards spends approximately £200 per week on food and said: "We have food donated and that helps a lot. Any help is appreciated. We need to highlight the terrible situation amongst the cat community and rescues which are overflowing with abandoned cats."

For more information call Miss Edwards on 07782 402188