This is what the finished pens will look like...

Maybe not exactly like these, but not far off. These are the current modern indoors pens.

Here you can see inside the indoor part of the pen, with a heated tiled floor, a cat genie (replacing the need for a litter tray in many instances), to the right of the picture is a plastic table and 'fort' where the cats have their bedding, below this is there food and water. At the back, to the right is another small bed they can use, and a couple of toys on the floor. To the top left is the door to the outside section of the pens, accessible for the cats through a cat flap 24/7.

Here is a better view of the back of the pen with exit door to the outside area. You can see some more furniture and a better view of the furniture which is the same as the items inside the pen...

This is the pens from the outside, where you can see the run of outdoor areas, side-by-side. The mesh at the back of the pens is completely open and exposed to the elements. Obviously the cats rarely go out there in bad weather, but it does mean they can get fresh air and 'see' the outside world when they want too rather than having to wait to be 'let out'.

You have admit the pens are really nice, the cats have a safe, warm, indoor area and then an airy outdoor area if they want it.

Progress on new cat pens

A couple of weeks in and the foundations are starting to go down for the new pens.

Big respect to the builders, it was bitterly cold there today, AND sleeting, as you can see from the pictures, but slow, steady progress is being made on the new shelters.

We can rebuild it....better than it was before. better, stronger, well, perhaps not faster

Work began on Friday the 2nd of January on replacing the 2nd batch of wooden shelter pens at Yorkshire Cat Rescue. At huge expense, and thanks to a grant, these old wooden pens, whilst warm and cosy for the cats with an indoor and an outdoor area in each pen, are getting stripped down to be replaced by brand, spanking new, glass and plastic pens, with underfloor heating and a better indoor viewing section for potential adopters. They are allow alot more light in for the cats and are really nice.

These old pens allow the cats to see each other, and this isn't always a good thing as it can stress some of the cats out. the new pens are fully screened and segregated which allows for more privacy. There is already a new pen area erected and I'll get some photo's so you can see what the finished building will look like. Work will take around 3 months for all the electrics and plumbing to be finished. This will see most of the site converted to the newer pens with just 2 blocks of 2 pens left, which they are hoping to complete later in the year, funds willing.

I was really impressed with the guys taking these pens down. I thought there would be alot of noise and disruption for the cats, however the pens are all screwed together which made taking them down fairly easy and not too noisy at all.

The down-side to the work, at least short-term, is the site has had to reduce the number of cats it can hold as these pens are dismantled, and have had to juggle existing cats with fosterers, as well as look at restricting in-coming numbers. However they will almost NEVER refuse an emergency case, and on the day I was there, 5 grown cats arrived the night before from an elderly gentleman who had a fire at his home. he is in hospital and the center has taken the cats in, in the meantime.

That's the way they roll!