Doorset manufacturer Jeld-Wen has supported the rescue and rehoming of a group of stray cats found at its Retford Road manufacturing site, in partnership with local animal welfare charity Save A Stray.
A local stray cat, affectionately nicknamed "Timber" by employees, had become a friendly face at the manufacturing site, with staff ensuring he was fed and cared for every day.
As preparations began for the relocation of manufacturing operations to Bessemer Park, concerns grew about what would happen to Timber once the Jeld-Wen employees had moved. This concern escalated in March when a litter of kittens were discovered in on-site containers, leading employees to launch a full-scale rescue mission to help rehome the cats and ensure their long-term safety.
With support from local charity Save A Stray, Jeld-Wen discovered that Timber wasn't the litter's mother as was initially assumed, but a male cat. The real mother, described as ‘a stealthy white ninja' by employees, had been hiding the litter around the site and sneaking in for food after Timber had eaten.
Determined to ensure the family's safety, Save a Stray coordinated stakeouts and even enlisted a specialist with a thermal imaging camera to track the kittens following several days without sightings. Jeld-Wen employees reviewed CCTV footage to also try and trace where the mum and kittens were hiding out.
Thanks to the dedication of employees and rescue volunteers, all kittens were eventually found, vaccinated, and placed into foster care through Save a Stray, where they are now awaiting rehoming in pairs. Timber has since been neutered, treated for an injured paw and successfully adopted by a new family.
A spokesperson at Save A Stray said: "If Jeld-Wen hadn't taken time to care for Timber in the first place, we might have never discovered the stray litter and its mother in need of help. It's thanks to the kindness and dedication of the staff that we've now rescued all the on-site cats and are actively working to find the kittens and mum a safe home."
Claire Green, Executive Assistant at Jeld-Wen, added: "We're really pleased to have worked with Save a Stray to ensure that all the cats at our Retford Road site were safely cared for as we prepare to relocate. What started as colleagues feeding a stray cat ended up becoming a team effort with a local charity to successfully rescue a whole litter of feline friends! We're delighted that we've helped have a positive impact on these cats' lives."
With no cat left behind, Jeld-Wen will relocate its operations this summer to a new purpose-built facility, where the manufacturer will continue to support local biodiversity.
