Cat fosterers needed for victims of domestic abuse

Fosterers have all their expenses paid, including food and pet bills

An animal charity is calling for volunteer cat fosterers in south-east England to help families who are fleeing domestic abuse.

Cats Protection said victims often face "the agonising choice of remaining with their abuser or fleeing without their beloved pet".

The charity set up a new scheme, called 'Lifeline', as most refuges are unable to take in animals.

Volunteers are being sought in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.

Lifeline was "an excellent way for cat lovers to not only support somebody fleeing abuse but to enjoy caring for a cat without long-term commitment," said national manager Amy Hyde.

Most cats stay in foster care for about six months and the owner receives regular photos and updates.

Pets can be weaponised by abusers as a way to prevent the end of a relationship and are often harmed themselves, according to Cats Protection.

“We’ve worked on cases where not only are cats physically abused but they are deprived of vet care by the perpetrator and left in pain," said Charlotte Smallbone, Cats Protection’s Lifeline manager for the South East.

Kent County Council recently warned Christmas and the cost of living crisis could pose an "escalation of risk" of domestic abuse.

'Weight in gold'

One woman who used the service said: “The situation was getting so out of hand with the abuse I was experiencing.

"He was throwing things at me, putting holes in walls and breaking things."

After finding Lifeline, she said knowing her cat was being looked after was "worth its weight in gold".

"I couldn’t bear the thought of him going anywhere else, and I would never, ever get rid of him,” she said.

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