By Jennie Hurley - Warden of PussyCat Lodge
It was over 30 years ago while living in London's East End that I first got involved with cat rescue, my son Jason, age 7 at the time, came home with a box of kittens; the box had been tightly sealed and the kittens left to die. I hand reared and nursed these kittens back to health and found them all responsible, loving homes.
Word soon spread that I cared for cats and soon I was being contacted by members of the public, the police if they found injured or abandoned cats and also by local veterinary surgeries if they had cats in need of homes.
In the early 80's my family and I moved to my present home here in Ingrave, Brentwood and I continued to rescue cats; as I had a bigger home I could now take in even more cats and kittens. Soon the cats were occupying more of our home than we humans! We decided to call our home PussyCat Lodge.
Someone very kindly donated a cat pen to me which my husband set up in our back garden. Then he built another; and another ... ! PussyCat Lodge was really taking shape and growing fast. Thankfully I was contacted by some cat loving people offering their help and soon I had a small group of volunteers helping with the day to day care of the cats.
Over the years pens have been replaced. We currently have 6 insulated, heated pens of varying shapes and sizes which when full can, family groups permitting, accommodate up to 25 adult cats. There is also the fully heated specially built mum and kitten unit; just in case we happen to have a hot summer it is also air conditioned. This block can accommodate 4 different families at a time, giving the mums the safety and privacy they deserve to raise their young. We even have a large heated shed at the end of our drive that has been adapted to accommodate the garden cats; they are the ones who do not want to live a fully domesticated life, they came to us feral and we have been unable to re-home them. I have never liked to keep feral cats confined for too long so am pleased to be able to give them their freedom yet still keep an eye on them. They rarely stray far from PussyCat Lodge fully aware of where their meals are regularly provided and where they have a nice warm bed to curl up in.
As well as the cats accommodation we have a utility room, a combined storage and feed shed; and we mustn't forget our chickens, they have their own house and run. I always thought that once I had enough pens in the garden I would reclaim the house purely for humans and family pets. No chance.
At times cats, and occasionally kittens, have come in to my care that I have been unable to re-home due to various reasons such as behavioural, special needs or medical. These special cats become PussyCat Lodge sponsor cats and live out their days with me in my home; and very pleased I am to be able to give them the love and special care they so deserve.
My success at hand rearing many orphaned kittens over the years has earned me quite a reputation and I have been approached to help in some rather unusual cases. I have now hand reared and/or nursed, to recall just a few, a kestrel, pigeons, hedgehogs, fox cubs, snakes, chinchilla's and puppies. Oh yes, I have also raised one son and help out with 4 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
The last decade has not been particularly easy; 9 years ago my beloved adoptive mother died, I nursed her here at home for the last two years of her life. 6 months after her death our family was devastated to learn that my husband had inoperable cancer; he wished to stay at home throughout his illness, sadly, I was again nursing somebody I loved so dearly. George died 7 years ago. Since then I have really struggled to keep afloat as I am unable to work due to illness but have somehow managed to make the mortgage and household payments without falling behind too often. The cats have always come first with me and over the years they have repaid me over and over again; to be constantly surrounded by such beautiful animals is a joy and throughout many painful times they have been a huge source of comfort.
It still amazes me every night when I do the final check of the cat pens that from that one donated pen all this has grown.
Jennie. X
P.S.: The cat's accommodation is really top class but my house now needs lots of TLC, so if you fancy giving a hand with anything please get in touch!
