There is a place deep in the Sussex countryside where the four-legged residents reign supreme. They’re dozing in flowerpots, stretching in shady spots and exploring local woodlands; at first glance, it seems like 100 acres of feline paradise. But the path to the Celia Hammond Rehoming Centre and Sanctuary has not been easy for the 120 cats who now roam free across the grounds, rescued as they were from often appalling conditions.
“It all started during my modelling career, when a group of houses near us were threatened with demolition,” explains founder Celia Hammond, who graced the covers of Vogue during the 1960s. “There were cats inside, so obviously we had to do something. Some friends and I got some equipment together and saved them. Then people started calling me about other rescues, first every week and then every day, until it really started overtaking my work.”
Celia first had the idea for a cat-friendly country house when she needed to move – accompanied by the rescue animals she had accumulated. It took her two years to find it: “We needed somewhere that was totally on its own. And then I found this place.”
As the number of cats grew, Celia started looking for somewhere they could truly make themselves at home. Aptly known as Greenacres, the site took two years to find and includes stables, ancient and replanted woodland, a range of local wildlife including foxes and badgers, and (perhaps surprisingly) a wide variety of birds. At its heart is the 40-pen cattery, which currently holds around 150 cats waiting to become someone’s pet, and the main house, which live-in staff share with as many of the feral and semi-feral residents as want to join them – this central section is enclosed by a fence, designed to let cats through but keep other animals out.
“The bulk of our work goes on in the rehoming centre,” explains Carolyn McBeath, the assistant manager at Greenacres. “That’s always our goal. It’s only when cats have multiple or chronic conditions and we haven’t been able to find the right place for them that they might get released into the sanctuary.” This is done slowly, first by housing a bonded group of cats in their own special “chalet” then setting them free once they’ve acclimatised.
So what’s the secret to keeping the peace among this furry legion? “Primarily it’s only having cats here who are used to other cats, and using our intuition and expertise to know which ones will suit this environment,” says McBeath. “But another key consideration is space, so if they want to go off on their own and not see anyone they can. I think we all have days like that.” Neutering reduces their impulse to fight, and having adequate resources such as feeding stations, scratching posts and resting places ensures there’s nothing to fight over.
There are those who believe cats are naturally solitary animals but, from its years of rescuing and rehoming family groups, the Celia Hammond Animal Trust has developed its own point of view. “All we can say is that our experience is very different,” says McBeath. “And while you can never generalise, we do find that most cats would like the opportunity of a mum or sibling playmate.”
One such group is a young family brought in by their owner, who was facing eviction and unable to keep them. “The little ginger baby is just besotted with his dad and his dad is besotted with the mum, and they’re just so gregarious and happy and normal. We couldn’t split them up: we’re looking for a very special home that is able to love all three.”
Caring for a clowder: multi-cat questions answered
Clinical animal behaviourist Helen Greenley and Royal Canin scientific communications manager Vikki Anderson share their advice for a harmonious feline household.
Are cats naturally sociable?
“Research has found that cats will choose solitary or group living depending on availability of resources in their environment,” says Greenley. “In this way, the cat has become an amazingly adaptable and successful species – a sort of Bear Grylls among domestic animals.”
How can I tell if my cats have bonded?
“The group scent is the glue that bonds cats together and helps them feel relaxed in each other’s presence. This is transferred by touch against one another, so you may see them grooming or sleeping next to each other,” says Greenley. “Other affiliative behaviours include a chirruped greeting, bunting (bumping faces) and twining their tails together.”
And how can I tell if they haven’t?
“Non-bonded cats can live together in apparent harmony, but if you look closely, they do not display any of the scent-sharing behaviours. They have learned to tolerate each other – not ideal and can be a potential source of chronic, low level stress,” says Greenley.
What’s the best way to manage feeding time?
“It’s important to realise that in most group situations cats are not comfortable having to share water stations, food and litter trays, so it’s essential to have enough for each cat,” says Anderson. “It might be tempting to have their bowls in a neat row in the kitchen, but they should be an absolute minimum of one metre between them. Different rooms are even better.”
What if one of my cats is eating all the food?
“It can help to understand natural cat feeding patterns,” says Anderson. “They are natural grazers, eating lots of small meals throughout the day, but having multiple cats in the household can lead them to eat as much as possible in a sitting, leading to weight gain. To remedy this, activity feeders are great for encouraging cats’ natural grazing habits while meeting their need to play and hunt, making sure cats’ feeding stations are in low-traffic, possibly raised areas allows them to relax and eat their own food undisturbed.”
Whether you’re the proud owner of a single pet or a burgeoning cattery, Royal Canin offers tailor-made breed-, age- and lifestyle-specific cat food, in wet and dry form, for optimum feline health. Visit royalcanin.co.uk to find out more
