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.
Missing or abandoned?
This poor little soul was found in the West Hill area of Hastings after making her way into someone's home last Sunday. She was terrified and spent the entire day hiding behind the sofa before eventually being coaxed back outside. Believing she had gone home, the finder was relieved. They then discovered her well hidden in a corner of the garden late on Wednesday morning.
By this point she was so frightened that the finders could no longer get anywhere near her, so Carolyn from our Greenacres Sanctuary went to catch her and bring her safely into our care.We have no idea how she ended up in the area, but it seems she just hid up where she felt safe amongst the shrubs although spent three days outside in the sweltering heat with no food or water.
When she arrived with us, she was alive with fleas, underweight and generally in poor condition. Our initial plan was to build her strength while we searched for her owner. As she began to settle, it became clear that she desperately wants to eat, getting very excited when food is offered, but simply couldn't because of the pain in her mouth.
On veterinary examination, it was found that she requires extensive and expensive (😢) dental surgery. In the absence of an owner, our vet made the decision to start pain relief to make her as comfortable as possible. We're pleased to say that this evening she has finally started eating, which is a huge relief.
We’re only able to proceed with her full dental surgery once we can establish that there is no owner, which is why this appeal is so important.
She is microchipped, but the details are not upto date. We have also checked the chip number with local veterinary practices, but it is not registered with any of them.
We are appealing for any information about this lovely cat. Does anyone recognise her or know anything about her history? She may have been missing for some time, been abandoned, or her owner may have passed away.
If you can help in any way, please email greenacresrehoming@celiahammond.org
Please share far and wide so we can uncover her story and ensure she gets the care she needs. ❤️
Our focus now is getting her urgent treatment, and once she is well and no owner comes forward, we will work to find her a safe and loving forever home. ... See MoreSee Less
🚨 EMERGENCY APPEAL - WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY 🚨
Right now, we are in the middle of several emergency rescue operations.
This is just one of them.
We have stepped in to help an owner whose number of cats had spiralled completely out of control. The owner left it far too long before asking for help, and by the time we became involved, many of the cats and kittens were already suffering. Among them are these three kittens.
They are trying to cope in this unbearable heat, carrying heavy flea burdens, battling chest infections and, heartbreakingly, many have serious eye conditions that have gone untreated.
The cats are now safely in our care. We are committed to giving every one of them the veterinary treatment, love and rehabilitation they need, and when they have fully recovered and are ready, we will find them the loving forever homes they deserve.
Our own veterinary clinics are already overwhelmed with the constant emergency cases we are bringing through their doors, so to make sure these kittens receive the urgent treatment they need without delay, we have had to use a couple of wonderful independent veterinary practices who kindly fitted them in at very short notice today. Emergency treatment outside our usual arrangements inevitably comes at a much higher cost.
💔 But today, one little kitten simply cannot wait. Meet Toto.
Just 8 weeks old, this tiny black kitten has a ruptured eye. The damage is so severe that he needs emergency surgery to remove the eye TODAY to relieve his pain.
Please note: Toto is the black kitten in the final photo. As the image shows the extent of his injury, we have placed it last due to its sensitive nature.
If you can spare anything at all towards Toto's emergency surgery and the mounting veterinary costs from this rescue, we would be so incredibly grateful. We urgently need to raise £2,900 to help cover the emergency veterinary treatment for Toto and the other cats and kittens from this heartbreaking rescue.
If donating isn't possible, please, please, please share this post. Sharing costs nothing, but could reach people who can help save Toto and his siblings.
#emergency #CatRescue #cat #KittenRescue #kittens
Todays update in the comments below. 🧡 ... See MoreSee Less
🐾 Happy Adoption Thursday 🐾
"We were originally looking for another black kitty to keep our girl, Elise, company. Angel had been at our Canning Town Centre for a few months and was the closest match. When the team said, 'We don't have a black cat exactly like that, but we have this black and white one,' we knew she had to be ours.
We fell for her picture, and even more so when we met her in person. Her shelter name was Electra, but we renamed her Angel because she turned out to be quite a smart, sneaky cat!
Leila has always loved cats, but her bond with Angel is something really special. Angel is now two years old but still has such a baby face. She loves rummaging through her toy box, and her favourite toy in the whole world is a leek. She even plays fetch with it! She's brought so much happiness into our home, and we're so thankful to Celia Hammond Animal Trust for giving us the chance to welcome her into our family." – Beatriz & Leila ❤️
We absolutely love hearing stories like Angel's. It was clearly meant to be, and seeing how loved she is by Beatriz and especially by Leila is so heartwarming. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful update and these gorgeous photos with us.
And finally, we'd like to wish Leila a very happy birthday! 🎉🎂 We hope your day is filled with lots of purrs, biscuits and cuddles from your very own little Angel.
➡️ Have you adopted from Celia Hammond Animal Trust? We'd love to hear from you! Send your photos via Messenger using the words "Happy Adoption" to share your update.
#cat #AdoptDontShop #HappyAdoption #RescueCat #ForeverHome ... See MoreSee Less
APPEAL FOR INFORMATION – BELLINGHAM, SE6
On Friday afternoon, two tiny kittens, estimated to be just one week old, were found abandoned in a cardboard box left on a resident's doorstep in Grangemill Road, Bellingham, London SE6.
The kittens were cold, dirty and vulnerable. One kitten has suffered a bite wound to a leg and is currently receiving antibiotic treatment. Both of the kittens are now safe in our care and are being hand-reared around the clock.
We believe they may have been born to a stray mother cat and that someone may have found them but did not know how to help. Our greatest concern is that their mother cat and possibly other siblings may still be in the area and in need of assistance.
We have placed posters around the local area and are appealing to anyone who may have seen a nursing mother cat, other kittens, or who has any information about where these kittens came from.
If you have any information, no matter how small it may seem, please contact us at:
📧 lewisham@celiahammond.org
Please share this post to help us reach the local community and reunite us with any information that could help locate their mother and any remaining siblings.
Thank you for your support. ... See MoreSee Less
🐾 Happy Adoption Thursday 🐾
“Sixteen years ago, I fostered a mum cat called Silver, her six-month-old kitten, and Silver’s newborn kittens after they were found abandoned in a box outside Celia Hammond’s Canning Town Centre.
Silver was emaciated and deeply traumatised. Her six-month-old kitten stepped in to help care for the newborn kittens, guarding them and looking after them when Silver simply couldn’t cope.
I was fortunate enough to foster the family until the kittens were old enough to be returned for adoption. In the end, I couldn’t part with Silver and her teenage kitten. Silver was renamed Bessie and her daughter became Minnie, and both girls became part of our family.
They grew up alongside our son, and watching their special bond over the years brought us so much joy.
A few months ago, we sadly lost Minnie to lymphoma at the age of 15. We miss her every day. Bessie is now 19 years old and enjoying her retirement. After speaking to the charity following Minnie’s passing, we decided not to introduce another cat and instead let Bessie enjoy her time of dotage, which turned out to be the best advice we could have received.
I will always be grateful to Celia herself, who showed me around the Canning Town rescue all those years ago. It is a memory I have never forgotten.
The joy these two special cats have brought to our lives is beyond words, and I will always feel indebted to the charity for everything they do.” – Kate x
What an extraordinary story. From being abandoned in a box to spending 16 years surrounded by love, Bessie and Minnie’s journey is a wonderful reminder of why rescue matters.
We are so sorry for the loss of beautiful Minnie, but delighted to hear that Bessie is still enjoying life at the grand age of 19.
Thank you, Kate, for opening your home and heart to this very special family and for sharing their story with us. ❤️
➡️ Have you adopted from Celia Hammond Animal Trust? We’d love to hear from you! Send your photos via Messenger using the words “Happy Adoption” to share your update.
#cat #AdoptDontShop #HappyAdoption #RescueCat ... See MoreSee Less
❤️ Elsa Update ❤️
Last week, we shared Elsa’s story - a young cat who came into our care covered in urine and suffering from a severely infected kidney that had to be removed in emergency surgery to save her life.
We often talk about the life-saving veterinary treatment our cats receive, but this update highlights the lengths our wonderful nurses go to in helping rehabilitate the cats in our care, with Elsa proudly helping our Head Veterinary Nurse, Nicky, model her uniform! 😻
Our team have been working hard to help Elsa feel comfortable and clean again. She has now had two baths and is looking so much brighter. The urine staining on her coat has already reduced significantly and will continue to fade over time. Most importantly, Elsa is now clean, comfortable and using her litter tray beautifully.
From a frightened little cat living in constant discomfort to a bright young girl enjoying life again, Elsa has come such a long way in a short space of time.
Recovery doesn’t end when the surgery is over. It takes patience, dedication and lots of hands-on nursing care to help cats like Elsa heal both physically and emotionally, and we are so proud of the care our team provide every day.
We are so grateful to everyone who donated, shared her story and supported her recovery. Every donation helps us continue providing life-saving treatment and ongoing care for cats like Elsa, as well as food, shelter, veterinary care and rehabilitation for the many other cats and kittens who have nowhere else to turn.
Thank you from all of us, and from Elsa too. ❤️
#RescueCat #CatRescue #VetNurse #CatCare #cat ... See MoreSee Less
Found in a hospital bin store
Candy and her five tiny kittens are now safe at our Lewisham Centre after being rescued from an industrial bin store at a busy NHS hospital. Honestly, this is the kind of call we’re getting every single day at the moment.
Amanda, who works at the hospital, had been seeing Candy around for weeks. She did everything she could to help, providing food and a makeshift shelter. The hospital porters stepped in too. They all cared, and thank goodness they did.
So when Amanda discovered Candy had given birth in the middle of the bin store, tucked between industrial bins and old medical equipment, none of us were surprised.
Heartbroken, yes. Shocked, no. This is exactly what happens when a cat is left unneutered & left to fend for herself. It’s happening far too often.
With foxes around, weekly bin collections & constant activity, Candy and her newborns were in a really dangerous spot. Amanda & a colleague spent over two hours trying to catch them before calling us. Even though we are absolutely full, we just couldn’t leave them.
Thanks to Amanda’s determination, the hospital staff’s kindness and our rescue team stepping in, Candy and her babies are now safe, warm & being properly cared for. Mum has been named after Camden & Islington NHS Trust, & her kittens are Jellybean, Truffle, Toffee, Biscuit and Nugget. They’re all doing well. Candy is being a brilliant mum.
This is the reality for us now: mums giving birth outside, abandoned cats, cruelty cases, constant requests for help. It’s not seasonal, it’s not occasional, it’s all year, every year.
We’re doing everything we can, but honestly, we’re only just holding it together. Far more cats than adopters are heading our way, and we don’t see it slowing down.
If anyone would like to support our work during this incredibly busy and challenging time, we would be so grateful. Every rescue comes with the cost of food, vet care, neutering, microchipping and ongoing support. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us keep saying “yes” when cats like Candy need us.
Donation link in the first comment below:
If you’re not able to donate, please share. Adopt, don’t shop. Thank you 🙏 ... See MoreSee Less
Chonk and Liya are still waiting for their forever home 🐾
These two have the kind of bond that quietly breaks your heart and puts it back together again.
Both around 3–4 years old, Chonk and Liya had difficult starts in life. Liya was found surviving in a greenhouse, where she gave birth to her kittens. Chonk was abandoned in a carrier in a waiting room, with no note, no history, and no one coming back for him.
When they first arrived, both were terrified.
Chonk was especially nervous and took a long time to trust. Liya kept herself completely guarded and would run at the slightest movement.
And then they met each other.
From that moment, everything began to change.
Chonk became Liya’s safe place. With him nearby, she found the courage to be braver, softer and more open to affection. She presses herself against him for reassurance, and when he is close, she allows herself to enjoy gentle strokes and attention.
Without him, her walls go back up.
Chonk has blossomed too. He is now a sweet, affectionate boy who enjoys company, welcomes fuss and loves curling up on a cosy blanket beside you.
They are not cats who should be separated. Their bond is their confidence, their comfort and their whole little world.
Chonk and Liya are looking for:
• A calm, adult-only home
• An experienced, patient owner
• A garden to explore
• Someone who understands that trust takes time
• A home together, always
We know pairs can be harder to home. We know nervous cats are often overlooked. But these two have already lost so much, and they deserve to keep the one thing that makes them feel safe: each other.
If you can offer Chonk and Liya the understanding home they need, please get in touch with our Canning Town branch at helloadoptions@celiahammond.org.
And if you can’t adopt, please share. The right person may be just one share away. ❤️
#adoptdontshop #cat #catoftheday #cats #animalrescue ... See MoreSee Less
🐾 Happy Adoption Thursday 🐾
"We adopted Ralphie from Celia Hammond Lewisham in April 2025 after he was found wandering alone in a local park.
It didn't take long for us to fall in love with his unique looks and sweet personality, and now Ralphie is very much king of the castle and living the life of a very spoiled child.
His favourite things include naps on his heated mat, chasing flies around the house, and drinking water exclusively from clear glasses. He also has some very strong opinions. Ralphie dislikes his parents having lie-ins past 6am, closed wardrobe doors, and having any sort of curfew!
We couldn't imagine life without him and feel so lucky that he found his way to us." – Alice x
We absolutely love hearing how well Ralphie has settled into his forever home and how thoroughly he has his family wrapped around his paw. ❤️
And finally, a very happy birthday to Ralphie, who celebrated his special day last week! 🎉🎂 Everyone here at CHAT would like to wish you a wonderful year ahead, filled with fly-chasing adventures, clear glasses of water and plenty of cuddles.
➡️ Have you adopted from Celia Hammond Animal Trust? We'd love to hear from you! Send your photos via Messenger using the words "Happy Adoption" to share your update.
#cat #AdoptDontShop #HappyAdoption #RescueCat #ForeverHome ... See MoreSee Less