Our History
The Cats' Protection League in Canterbury was incorporated in 1973 and was the dream of our founder Ruby Austin.
Ruby originally started rescuing stray cats in Christchurch and did this for some time until she decided that a Cats Protection League should be started.
She put an advertisement in The Star newspaper and was soon inundated with replies and reporters came and took photos giving her much needed publicity.
A meeting was held in 1971 in a church hall in Woolston, which many people attended and a committee was formed.
The early days of the league were very difficult with stalls held every week to raise much needed funds. The stray cats were held in people's homes and in garden sheds built to hold them.
An old house was eventually rented which was used to sell and store goods and also had cages to hold the cats in and a small office.
When the house was demolished to make way for the George Manning Rest Home, a shop was purchased in Worcester Street which today sells donated goods five days a week and houses our office.
By now the cats were also principally held in a cattery built behind Ruby's house. The property was sold to the league in 1998 to ensure that the facility to hold cats remained.
The Aims of the League are:
- to relieve the suffering and distress amongst cats and kittens, including the provision of food, shelter and veterinary assistance;
- To encourage owners of cats and kittens to have their animals speyed and neutered;
- To find suitable homes for healthy stray cats and kittens;
- To provide for the humane destruction of cats and kittens when necessary;
- To give advice and help to owners of cats and kittens and promote public awareness of the need for speying and neutering.
The League is run by a committee and is a registered donee charity with Inland Revenue and the Charities Commission.
Our income is mainly from the sale of donated goods in the opportunity shop, donations, small charges for the sale of cats and kittens, collection boxes, stalls and bequests.
We have many expenses, principally veterinary fees, the provision of board, food, litter and wages.
The Opportunity Shop
The opportunity shop is located at 475 Worcester Street and sells a variety of goods, which have been donated by members of the public.
Is open weekdays 10am to 4pm and is closed on public holidays.
The shop is very successful and contributes a large portion of our income. Donations of saleable goods are very much appreciated and needed and can be made at the shop during trading hours.
The Office
The office of Cats' Protection League is always busy with many calls made every day by people wanting us to take cats or kittens into our care, assistance to get their cats desexed, or just asking for advice.
This can be very stressful due to the nature of the calls and is probably one of the most difficult parts of our work. There are staff members employed in the office with the balance of the time covered by volunteers.
Open weekdays 10am to 4pm excluding public holidays
The Cattery
The cattery is located at 18 Charlesworth Street and can hold up to 40 cats.
The cattery buildings are behind the house and are made up various buildings. The main run has an outside enclosure which allows the cats to run around on the grass.
The other areas provide care for scared or needy cats, a teenage run, an area for old or unhomeable cats, sheds and a run for cats that do not like each other. The latter run also has two isolation pens for sick cats and outside enclosures.
The cattery is staffed by volunteers with the exception of the Cattery Supervisor and is overseen by a sub-committee.
Open Days allow members of the public to look and hopefully give a home to these animals.
Tuesday to Friday 11.00am - 2.30pm
Saturday 11.00am - 3.00pm
Sunday 11.00am - 2.30pm
Closed Monday
Phone (03) 384 0006 for details.
As well as the main cattery, fosterers hold cats and kittens and some are boarded at other catteries awaiting space at our cattery.
