Brand-new cat maternity room opens at our SPCA Gisborne Centre

Over the past year, 68% of the animals that came to our Gisborne Centre were felines. We urgently needed a dedicated maternity room to care for the steady flow of pregnant cats and their newborn kittens.

Previously, pregnant cats were housed in the animal hospital, which was not ideal as it was a thoroughfare for both dogs and cats coming in and out for vaccinations.

Thanks to the dedication of our team - Centre Manager Kayla, Area Manager Bruce, as well as our amazing staff and volunteers - we’ve transformed an old storage room into a calm, purpose-built maternity haven. With some reorganisation and a lick of paint, the refreshed space now also has custom-designed enclosures to provide a secure space for mothers to give birth and nurse their kittens in peace.

Keeping our cats and kittens warm is crucial, and The Sunrise Foundation generously funded a new heat pump to help regulate temperatures. They also contributed $5,000 towards an additional bank of cat enclosures!

Alongside a $6,000 grant from the Kiwi Gaming Foundation and a kind donation from the Jones Family Trust, we had everything we needed to open the doors and welcome in the many cats and kittens that need our help.

Our new room is already making a difference—Wednesday was one of the first mums to settle in with her tiny kittens.

The official opening took place on Wednesday 5 March, with Kathy Kitchen and Glenda Stokes and from The Sunrise Foundation cutting the ribbon.

A huge thank you to everyone who made this possible. Your support means the world to us and, most importantly, to the many cats and kittens who will benefit from this special space.