Young Melton mum launches charity for kittens

Annaleise Bradley, with her two cats, who has started a new Melton charity from her home, called Annie's Kitty Cavern EMN-171108-171112001

Annie’s Kitty Cavern is run from the Kings Road home of Annaleise Bradley.

The young mum began the venture because of her love of cats and her passion to improve their welfare.

She has set aside a room to be able to rehabilitate and rehome ferral and unwanted kittens.

The animals are all health-checked and house-trained before being offered to new owners.

Money she receives is ploughed back into the charity and she hopes to supplement funds for it by milking cows on a local farm.

Annaleise said: “I’ve had cats all my life and my little boy starts nursery in September so I thought it would be a good time to do this.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but not always had the time.”

Each kitten she takes in will undergo a check-up with a vet and they will be fully flead, wormed and litter-trained before they are rehomed.

Annaleise will also vaccinate the little animals and carry out FIV tests for feline aids.

Anyone who then wants to take one of the kittens into their home wll pay £75, after a check is carried out on their home to ensure it is suitable.

Annaleise, who has already rehomed a number of kittens, will not allow anyone who lives near a main road to have one.

She said: “This is a non-profit organisation and I will be covering what costs I can from my own funds.

“Paying £75 for a kitten may seem alot to some people but they will need to get it vet checked and jabbed, and so on, anyway, so it saves them a job.

“The kittens I take in will also be used to other pets and children, which is a big help when they go to a new home.”

Annaleise’s husband, Stuart Bradley, works on a diary farm.

And she has become aware that a number of farmers fail to neuter and vaccinate their cats, which can lead to them spreading disease and inbreeding to produce unhealthy kittens.

She stresses that this isn’t the case at the farm where her husband works but it is an issue in other farms across the Melton borough and beyond.

“My long term pledge is to help educate farmers to take better care of their farm cats, without judging them.

“More of them need to get their cats neutered, vaccinated and vet-checked on a regular basis so we don’t have so many unhealthy kittens.”

Go to www.facebook.com/AnniesKittyCavern to find out more about Annaleise’s new charity and see some of the kittens already rehomed.