Group marks 100 strays rescued

Members of Gore Cat Rescue (from left) Karla King, Chris Willis, Shona Willis, Angela McFall and...
Members of Gore Cat Rescue (from left) Karla King, Chris Willis, Shona Willis, Angela McFall and group president Kelly Morrison celebrate the 100th cat rescued by the group since its inception in February 2023. PHOTO: GERRIT DOPPENBERG
One hundred cats have been taken off the streets by Gore Cat Rescue, after almost two years of hard voluntary work.

The group started in February 2023 with one goal — to combat the issue of stray cats.

Gore Cat Rescue president Kelly Morrison said it was an important mission.

"Our purpose is to get as many as we can, socialise them [and] get them into foster homes as we don’t have a shelter," she said.

Mrs Morrison said feral cats were an issue as their numbers could skyrocket quickly.

"A lot we get aren’t socialised, they’re wild, often from farms and out of town.

"If they’re left, they produce more ferals. You can get hundreds from just a few cats," she said.

Mrs Morrison said the people of Gore should be proactive when it came to strays.

"If we can get them young enough, it’s a quick turnaround. When people see kittens, get us involved as quickly as possible.

"It makes the socialisation process far quicker and easier. Kittens are quick. When they come to us a bit older, it takes significantly longer," she said.

The group can be contacted through their Facebook page, and food and cash donations would be accepted to help.

Mrs Morrison said every little bit helped.

"Sometimes you’ll think you have enough supplies and then it’s like ‘OK, we need more cat litter, we need more food, more equipment’.

"Last week we had to put a call out for urgent foster carers as we were at capacity.

"It’s very rewarding but I think people underestimate how much work is involved in running a charity like this," she said.

The adoption process is quick and easy, and Mrs Morrison said to sing out if anyone was looking to add a cat into their lives.

"If people are looking for a pet, young families or anyone like that, just come on down. Check us out on Facebook, reach out to us," she said.

The group would also like to thank the efforts of all the volunteers and supporters who have helped out.

gerrit.doppenberg@alliedpress.co.nz