RozMogz cat rescue looks after 24 cats but is struggling to keep the radiators on this winter
A CAT rescue centre in Ely is appealing for volunteers and donations as its heating and electricity costs hit their highest levels ever.
RozMogz Reborn Cat Rescue has started a GoFundMe to help pay for the £1,228 heating bill for the next three months.
“This year has been the most expensive time ever for the bills,” said the founder of RozMogz, Roslynd Thomas.
The rescue centre relies heavily on donations to keep its 24 cats warm and fed while they wait to find homes.
“We’re fortunate, we do have some good supporters of the group who donate food when we are really desperate but for now we buy it ourselves,” said Mrs Thomas.
“Volunteers are very important given my health issues. I have constant dizziness and osteoporosis so I can’t bend over. It’s very difficult to get volunteers and foster mums.”
RozMogz relies on the work of volunteers and “foster mums and dads” to feed and look after the cats at the centre. Some of the cats have lived in homes previously, but many are strays.
The rescue has three days a week without volunteer cover, so Mrs Thomas’ grandson often comes down to “give her a hand”.
“I’m 69 now, and God willing I can go on further, but sometimes I get to a stage where I feel so ill that I think ‘why am I doing this?’ but I look at the cats and it’s all for them,” said Mrs Thomas.
Mrs Thomas started RozMogz in 2015, raising £250 through a fundraiser to get the rescue centre up and running. The cost of heating the cat pens, feeding the cats, and taking them to the vets has meant soaring costs for the rescue.
RozMogz also receives plenty of emails and WhatsApps about taking on cats from struggling owners.
“Sometimes it’s for three cats, the other day it was for 15 cats. We can’t help that amount, so we prioritise the stray cats,” said Mrs Thomas.
“People get them as kittens and then they realise the cost of getting them spayed or neutered, and then they don’t want them. Spaying and neutering is costing the rescue lots of money.”
RozMogz is trying to raise money in many ways. Volunteers sell clothes on Vinted that have been donated to them to fund the rescue, as well as having a PayPal for donations towards heating, electricity and food.
“Essentially we just want to carry on what we’re doing and helping the stray cats. That’s the main priority,” said Mrs Thomas.
You can donate to RozMogz through their GoFundMe page and their PayPal (Rozmogz@hotmail.com). You can find out more on their Facebook page.
