To mark the start of Wool Week 2018, the feline residents of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home are appealing to knitting enthusiasts to create woollen toys for them to play with. The cats at Battersea have always enjoyed playing with knitted mice and other items kindly donated by members of the public, and as the winter evenings draw in the charity hopes cat-loving crafters will get their needles out for a great cause.
Battersea provides each of their cats with toys to keep them engaged and entertained during their stay and once they are ready to go to their new homes, each cat takes their favourite playthings to help them settle in to their new surroundings.
Rob Young, head of catteries at Battersea, said: “On any given day we have approximately two hundred cats across our three sites in London, Brands Hatch and Windsor, so demand for toys is always high. Knitted mice are a particular favourite for a lot of our cats but they do also enjoy playing with a range of other toys. We really appreciate the time and effort people put in to create toys for our feline friends and cannot thank them enough.”
The much-loved charity is encouraging any knitters to consider creating cat-friendly toys for their next craft projects and to send in their finished items to the cattery. Donations can be sent in the post or alternatively, Battersea have their own knitting club held at their London centre once a month. Knitting Kittens is for animal lovers at all levels of knitting expertise and a chance to get together to create soft, cat-friendly items for the felines currently residing at Battersea, or knit items for their own pets using Battersea cats as inspiration.
To find out how to donate items, knitted or otherwise, please visit the Battersea website. A mouse pattern created for Battersea can be downloaded for free online.
