Cats on camera: Cat Action Trust 1977 Leeds launch kitten livestream to raise rescue awareness
Cute kittens caught on camera - what’s not to love? 🐾
A Leeds-based cat rescue charity has launched a live kitten camera to show how a rescued cat and her kittens are developing.
Cat Action Trust 1977 Leeds is broadcasting footage of Erica and her kittens for just under 12 hours each day on YouTube as the cats settle into their new foster home.
Feral tabby cat Erica gave birth in a stranger’s garden before she and her four kittens were rescued by Cat Action Trust 1977 Leeds and placed into volunteer Heather Byrne’s care on June 13.
Rescued and cared for, Erica and her three-week old kittens are now gaining their confidence.
“(Erica) has come on so well because she was so scared when she came,” Heather told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“After a week, she got so friendly and every time we came in she’d come up to us flop beside us. She’s a completely different cat now that she knows she can trust us.”
The kittens meanwhile are becoming more playful and curious each day.
The idea for the kitten livestream came as Heather and her partner needed to give Erica and her kittens space so they felt comfortable, but equally wanted to keep a watchful eye over them.
When friends and family started to ask to see videos, Heather felt that broadcasting a live kitten cam could show the general public how a rescue adapts to a foster home.
Heather said: “I just think it’s a good way to raise awareness and see how the kittens grow.
“On social media you pick and choose what you show but this shows what it’s actually like. It’s not cherry picked.”
The volunteer also said that sharing the videos will shine a light on Erica’s story as a young cat who was struggling in the street before she was rescued.
“She gave birth on the street, she’s got no home and I don’t even know what she would’ve done in the heatwave,” Heather said.
“I don’t think people are aware that there are cats out there who’ve been (on the streets) their whole lives.”
Cat Action Trust 1977 was recently forced to limit its rescue intake due to rising veterinary costs.
Their online fundraiser has raised over £4,000 as the charity continues with its mission to support the most vulnerable cats and kittens in Leeds.
For Heather, choosing to volunteer was easy after seeing the dedication the charity show to stray and feral cats across the city.
Heather said: “They are amazing - they’ll drop everything to help a cat.
“They take on the cats in bad shape and they just care so much. They’re always checking in and there’s constant support.”
On the live kitten cam, viewers can see Erica and her kittens, who have yet to be named, in their day-to-day environment as they sleep, play, and adapt to the new world around them.
In the future, Cat Action Trust 1977 Leeds plans to make the stream more interactive by including weekly weigh-ins and naming competitions, and the charity is open to suggestions on what the public wants to see.