Sam EmanuelCat lovers across Norfolk are being asked to help a cat charity which has been inundated with calls about pets in need.Sam Emanuel

Cat lovers across Norfolk are being asked to help a cat charity which has been inundated with calls about pets in need.

The Norwich branch of The Cats Protection League, which opened in 2008, has seen a big increase in the number of calls about cats needing care, and currently has 22 on its waiting list, but in order to help them, it needs to raise funds to buy cat pens so the cats can be fostered.

At the moment, each cat is accommodated in an outdoor pen with heating, lighting and an enclosed sleeping area, or in a foster carer's spare room.

Claire Williamson, the voluntary fundraising co-ordinator for Norwich Cats Protection, said: 'With the amount of calls we are receiving asking us to take cats in for care, we desperately need to raise enough funds for further pens.

"During last spring we were receiving between 30 and 40 calls a week about all cat-related issues. We are already at that number and the breeding season hasn't officially started, so we are not yet getting the many calls we receive each year about unwanted or abandoned kittens.

"We don't just receive calls about cats needing care or from people wanting to adopt. We also take calls asking for help with feral colonies, neutering, and general cat care advice."

As well as foster carers, transporters, home checkers and financial donors, volunteers are also needed to help at fundraising events, including the charity's first homing event later this month.

Mrs Williamson added: 'There is currently a shortage of volunteers who can offer a few hours to help with fundraising. We have a lot of events, such as street collections arranged for this year but only a small team who can offer their time."

The aims of the charity are to rescue stray and unwanted cats and kittens and rehabilitate and rehome them where possible, to encourage the neutering of all cats and kittens not required for breeding, and to inform the public about the care of cats and kittens.

Maggie Wardynec, who lost her cat Megan when she moved from Drayton to Thorpe St Andrew, is one of the people helped by the league.

She said: 'I am disabled so it was difficult for me to go backwards and forwards to my old house and find out if Megan had gone back there, so the Cats Protection League went round there and got her for me. They do excellent work.'

The rehoming event will be held at The Giant Pet Store off Fifers Lane in Hellesdon on Saturday, February 27, from 9am. There will be some cats that need rehoming there, as well as an information stall, a bric-a-brac stall and a raffle.

To see the cats currently waiting for adoption, visit http://norwich.cats.org.uk/index.asp

People interested in any aspect of volunteering can call Claire Williamson on 07884418943 for more information, and anyone needing help with a cat or wanting to adopt one can call 0845 4941900.