celia hammond animal trust
Animal Rescue Charity
Celia Hammond Animal Trust is a unique non destruction charity providing essential low cost veterinary services for sick and injured pets as well as a rescue and homing service for unwanted, abandoned and stray cats in London and the South East.
Please help us build a dedicated rescue and rehoming centre, and secure the future of our Lewisham hub for decades to come
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A NEW RESCUE AND REHOMING CENTRE IN LEWISHAM
In October 2023, we were granted planning permission to redevelop the Friendly Street warehouse and former shop at the rear of our Lewisham site into a new rescue and rehoming centre.
Phases 1 and 2A of the project have been funded by legacy gifts. Phase 1 of the building works has already been completed and phase 2A works are to commence shortly. We are now fundraising to pay for phase 2B, the construction of the main two-storey building, and we really need your support in funding the next stage of this project.
Please donate whatever you can afford and help us continue caring for animals who need us most.
Celia Hammond Animal Trust
OFFICIAL PAGE Celia Hammond Animal Trust, UK. We rescue rehabilitate and re-home abandoned animals.
❤️ A MASSIVE THANK YOU to our amazing CHAT community! ❤️
There has been so much going on lately, with our wonderful supporters and volunteers finding all sorts of ways to help the cats in our care.
From races and challenges to bake sales, a fantastic yard sale organised by one of our lovely Canning Town volunteers that raised £394.25 for CHAT, a beautiful plant sale held by a Lewisham supporter, and of course our Greenacres Open Day.
We’ve also got some incredible supporters putting their legs to the test for CHAT!
Zita will be taking on the Chiltern 50 Challenge on 26th September, walking an incredible 50km to raise money for our cats.
Support Zita here:
www.justgiving.com/page/zita-balogh-1
Then on 10th October, father and daughter Vicki and Lawrence will be taking on the Kent Downs 50 together. Vicki adopted a senior cat from our Lewisham centre last year, and after the care he received from CHAT, she wanted to find a way to give something back. Now she and her dad are taking on 50km for our cats!
Support Vicki and Lawrence here:
www.justgiving.com/page/lawrence-green-2
And on Saturday 19th September, our Lewisham team held a lovely evening for their volunteers, organised by Volunteer Coordinator Verena and Animal Care Manager Georgina as a thank you for everything they do.
With homemade vegetarian snacks and drinks, there was time to relax and catch up before everyone got creative making toys and enrichment for the cats they care for every day.
Seeing our community come together in so many different ways really does mean so much to us.
Every mile walked, cake baked, bargain sold, plant bought, event supported and hour volunteered makes a difference.
Thank you to every single person who gives their time, energy and support to CHAT and our cats.
We truly couldn’t do what we do without our wonderful CHAT community! 🐱 💕 ... See MoreSee Less
Update 22.9.26
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated
Gunston and Blake were rescued by CHAT having been found with their mum, living under a garden shed, as is so often the case. No owner has come forward. They are just two of many currently being tube or supplementary fed by our veterinary team at Canning Town because they're simply too poorly to eat by themselves.
Yet, in between feeds, they're still trying to play. They're climbing over each other, batting at toys wanting fuss and causing mischief whenever they can. Despite feeling awful, they're still determined to be kittens.
Like most of the kittens arriving with us, they haven't had the start in life they deserve. They've been abandoned outdoors and found struggling to survive alongside their mum. Most of our rescues often arrive already fighting illness and the effects of living rough.
For some of our tiniest arrivals, cat flu can quickly take hold and they can become very poorly very quickly.
That's where our fabulous veterinary team comes in! Right now, they're caring for 57 cats and kittens requiring treatment at Canning Town, while our animal care team continues looking after the huge number of cats on our homing floor waiting for their forever homes.
Caring for cats this poorly is incredibly intensive, and the costs quickly add up.
At the moment, we're getting through three trays of specialist recovery food every day for just some of the cats and kittens receiving treatment. That costs £209.52 a day - almost £1,500 a week.
And that's just the specialist food for some of our sickest patients.
Our nurses celebrate every few grams gained, worry about the ones that aren't eating and come back the next day hoping to find a brighter little face looking back at them. No cat is ever just a number to them.
Today we're asking for your help towards the cost of the specialist recovery food these kittens are relying on right now.
We're incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful community of cat lovers supporting our work. The care shown in these photos is only possible because people continue to dig deep and help when they can. Please donate via the link in our bio or the donate now button on this page.
If you're unable to donate today, please, please share this post far and wide. The more people who see these kittens, the more support we can raise for them. ❤️🐾. ... See MoreSee Less
🐾 Happy Adoption Thursday 🐾
“We adopted George & Mildred in July 2020, after sadly losing our beloved cat The Fonz, who had been part of our lives for 18 years. We had always grown up with cats and felt bereft without a feline in the flat, and lockdown only made that feeling stronger. So, while Rachel was working as a key worker and I was retraining as an occupational therapist from home, I started looking online for cats to adopt. Enter George and Mildred!
We were told they had been handed in together after being fed in a garden for months. They were around 4–5 years old when we adopted them and both quite skinny and frightened at first, but it didn't take long for their very different personalities to emerge.
Mildred is the brave one, despite being significantly smaller. George took a little longer to settle, but once he did, he became a wonderfully friendly and affectionate ball of fluff. He follows us everywhere, has fans on the street and likes to steal other cats' - and humans' - food whenever he gets the chance!
We love them both so much and are so glad that we came to CHAT to adopt them. We have nothing but respect and love for the work you do, long may it continue!” - Laura & Rachel
Laura & Rachel also chose to do something incredibly special when they got married. Instead of asking their guests for wedding gifts, they asked them to make a donation to Celia Hammond Animal Trust! Their donation was their way of saying thank you to the Trust for bringing George & Mildred into their lives, we honestly can't think of a more beautiful thank you. 🥹🐾
Thank you so much, Laura & Rachel, for giving these two special cats a loving home and for choosing to share your wedding celebrations with animals in need. ❤️
➡️Have you adopted from Celia Hammond Animal Trust? We’d love to hear from you! Send your photos via DM using the words “HAPPY ADOPTION” to share your update.
#rescuecat #happyadoptionthursday #celiahammondanimaltrust #adoptdontshop #happyadoption #cat #foreverhome ... See MoreSee Less
🏡 Lucie Needs Her Forever Home 🏡
Today we want to introduce you to lovely Lucie, a very special girl who is hoping that her forever family is out there.
Lucie was reported as a stray after being found in someone’s garden last year. When she came into our care at Canning Town, she had a horrendous prolapse and sadly still suffers with a sore and sensitive bottom.
Lucie has been in our care since March 2025, and she has needed time with us to get well and, importantly, to find a way of managing her ongoing tummy problems before we could start looking for the right home for her. She has struggled terribly with diarrhoea, and we tried various foods and dietary changes, but nothing seemed to settle her tummy.
Thankfully, we have now finally found something that works - TROVET Hypoallergenic! 🥣
It is the only food we have found that significantly reduces Lucie’s diarrhoea and keeps her comfortable. Because of her history, she will need to remain on this specialist diet long term.
One tray costs £33, so this is an ongoing commitment that any potential adopter would need to be comfortable with. Lucie has some ongoing needs, but her new family won’t be alone. When you adopt a CHAT cat, we’re here for life with advice, guidance and support.
But Lucie is so much more than her dietary needs. ❤️
She is an incredibly loving girl who absolutely adores cuddles. Give her the chance and she'll immediately climb onto your chest, nuzzle herself into your neck and settle in for some serious affection.
I’m Georgia, CHAT’s Social Media Officer and as you’ll see from the videos, I recently spent some time with Lucie at our Canning Town centre. When I was cuddling her, I couldn't stop giggling because she was so ticklish. I'm pretty sure she realised, because the more I giggled, the more she kept nuzzling into my neck! 😂
If you could offer her a loving home and commit to providing her specialist food long term, please get in touch with our Canning Town adoption team:
📧 adoptionscanningtown@celiahammond.org
Please share Lucie’s appeal. Her special someone could be out there, and we just need to help them find each other. ❤️🐾
#adoptdontshop #catrescue #catrescueuk #rescuecat ... See MoreSee Less
🌙 Around 230,000 cats are involved in road traffic accidents in the UK every year - that’s around 630 cats every day.
As the evenings get darker, could bringing your cat in earlier help keep them safe?
Research from the Royal Veterinary College also found that autumn is when cats are most likely to be involved in road traffic accidents.
Sadly, this is something we see far too often at CHAT. Through our rescue team and clinics, we regularly witness the devastating consequences of road traffic accidents involving cats.
Some are killed on the roads. Some suffer serious injuries and are left unable to get help. And some are never found at all. 💔 For the families who love them, that can mean hours, days, weeks or even months of worry and uncertainty.
That’s why we encourage owners to consider bringing cats indoors before dark and keeping them in overnight where possible.
We recognise that every cat, household and local area is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to outdoor access at any time day or night. Our aim is simply to share guidance based on years of first-hand experience. From what we see, reducing outdoor access after dark may help reduce the road accident risks many cats face during the darker months.
If your cat is used to being outside in the evenings, small changes can help. An earlier meal, extra playtime or some indoor enrichment can make the transition easier. 🐾
Does your cat have a different routine during the darker months? Share your tips with us below. 👇And if you know someone whose cat spends half the night roaming the neighbourhood, give them a little nudge and share this with them.
The road traffic accident figures are from @catsmatteruk, whose important work we’re proud to support.
As we see the impact first-hand, helping keep more cats safe is very close to our hearts at CHAT.
#catsafety #catwelfare #catrescue #rescuecats ... See MoreSee Less
Do you know what the hardest group of cats to rehome are? The middle-aged cats. 💔
They’re no longer the tiny kittens everyone falls for, but they’re not old enough to be considered ‘seniors’ either, so they can get easily overlooked. Which is such a shame, because these cats have so much to offer. They have their own personalities, they know who they are and they still have so many happy years ahead of them.
We have quite a few middle-aged moggies in our care at the moment, so for #middleagedmoggies, we’re going to introduce you to some of them and share their stories.
First up is Matty! 🐾
We brought Matty into our care in Lewisham in mid-July and he arrived in quite a state. This friendly ex-stray had extensive bite wounds to his neck and head, so it’s safe to say he hadn’t had the easiest time of things.
Our vets have treated his wounds and he has now been neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, flea treated and wormed.
He’s been through a lot but he’s looking better and better every day. Honestly, just look at those eyes! And that little goatie! 😍 He’s got such a handsome little face and a real character about him.
Our vets estimate Matty to be around 6 years old and, after a couple of months waiting for his chance, he’s more than ready to swap rescue life for a proper home of his own ❤️
He’s a curious boy who loves being close to people. He’ll give you little headbutts for attention, wants to be wherever you are and is generally just a lovely, affectionate boy. He really would make a great companion 🥰
Matty is looking for a home with a garden where he can settle in, be comfortable and show off his lovely personality.
To become Matty’s furever home, please email:
📧 lewisham@celiahammond.org
#celiahammondanimaltrust #middleagedmoggies #rescuecats #adoptdontshop ... See MoreSee Less
🐱 40 FACTS FOR 40 YEARS - PART 5 🐱
As CHAT continued to grow, so did Celia’s vision for making affordable veterinary care available to more animals and the people who cared for them. ❤️
The opening of our first clinic was a really important moment in the Trust’s story. What started with a focus on affordable neutering grew into something much bigger, with our clinics becoming such an important part of the work we do today.
Of course, we couldn’t talk about the clinics without mentioning where it all began… Lewisham, before CHAT later made its way to Canning Town. 🐾
🎬 In Part 5, we’re looking back at how our veterinary clinics grew and became such a huge part of CHAT.
There’s still plenty more of our story to come… ❤️
#celiahammonanimaltrust #40factsfor40years ... See MoreSee Less
This week, we were alerted to the sudden appearance of a young mum and her 8-week-old kittens in Puddle Jumpers Day Nursery’s garden in the E14 area.
When Matt, our newest rescue worker, asked if I wanted to come along and help, I jumped at the chance.
I’m Georgia, CHAT’s new Social Media Officer 👋 , and I’ve recently been spending time with our rescue teams to see first-hand what goes on behind the scenes. This rescue was a real eye-opener, showing just how much patience, searching and determination can go into getting a little life to safety.
When we arrived, it wasn’t long before mum appeared, perhaps sensing that we were there to help. She immediately walked into the carrier with a little shadow in tow. 🐈⬛
Matt said it was his easiest rescue so far! Little did we know, the rescue was far from over.
The nursery staff were adamant there had definitely been two kittens that morning, maybe even three. We searched the playground from top to bottom, then the pub garden bordering the nursery, checking every little crevice where a tiny kitten could have disappeared into the park behind, potentially towards a busy road.
We spent around two hours searching, trying everything we could to find the little one and bring him back to his mum. There had also been sightings along the canal that morning, so we searched there too.
All of a sudden, I heard a tiny little squeak coming from inside the locked bike shed in the school car park next door.
The poor little thing was so frightened. Once we eventually caught him, he was shaking and cowering in the corner of the carrier. I desperately wanted him to understand that he was safe now, that he was no longer alone and that he would soon be reunited with his mum and siblings.
As the rescue unfolded, another tiny face appeared in the nursery garden.
Where he had been while we were searching, we’ll never know. But he must have been so alone and very hungry. Mum was no doubt hungry too, with three babies to care for.
Once reunited, the kittens were cuddled up on a blanket, with mum fast asleep beside them, head in the litter tray! I remember thinking how exhausted she must have been and that, now her babies were safe, she could finally relax. ☺️
Because of the name of the nursery we rescued them from, we decided to name them River (Mum), Puddles, Splash and Harbour. 🌊
They’re now at our Canning Town clinic, where mum has already been neutered and they will receive all the care they need. Whenever we’ve been to check on them, they’re all snuggled up together in the warm, with a fresh bowl of food and water, safe and sound.
After all the searching and worrying, seeing River settled with all three of her babies safely back by her side really brought home to me why we do what we do. ❤️
#celiahammondanimaltrust #rescuecat ... See MoreSee Less
🐾 Happy Adoption Thursday 🐾
“We adopted Martin and Radio last June after years and years without a cat due to allergies. So we got rid of the allergic man and got a pair of kittens. Radio was too timid to come out of the carrier for 2/3 days and only came out to eat. Now he is the friendliest of the two. They enjoy fighting with the local big cats, stealing from the bread bin and actual bins and attempting to catch anything that moves but only actually catching worms. We all couldn’t be happier.” - Kerry
Martin and Radio sound like they have grown into quite the characters, and it’s wonderful to hear how happy they are (and how much mischief they’re getting up to!).
We’re especially pleased to hear that Radio has come out of his shell and is now the friendliest of the two. It sounds like they’re both living a very full and entertaining life. 🐱
➡️Have you adopted from Celia Hammond Animal Trust? We’d love to hear from you! Send your photos via DM using the words “HAPPY ADOPTION” to share your update. 🐾 💙
#rescuecat #happyadoptionthursday #celiahammondanimaltrust #adoptdontshop #happyadoption #cat #foreverhome ... See MoreSee Less