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The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy |
Cat Welfare TrustRegistered Charity No. 800719 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR RESEARCH PROJECTS |  |
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The Cat Welfare Trust is the Fancy's own charity, set up by the GCCF in 1988. The Trust Deed was written to enable funds to be used for the widest possible range of activities to benefit cats. Currently the work of cat rescue is undertaken by GCCF Affiliated Cat Clubs and so the Trust has turned to other ways of improving cat welfare. Three projects have been undertaken so far, all of which have been funded because the subjects were of particular interest to pedigree cat owners and were not likely to attract commercial funding in their initial stages. The first of these was a Ph.D. research project to study the preparation of a vaccine for ringworm and was undertaken by Ann Robinson at Bristol University Veterinary School. The second - the Genome Project was undertaken by Dr Matthew Binns of the Animal Health Trust and resulted in the identification and analysis of 211 markers on the feline genome map. Both these studies have provided the bases for more specific work within their fields. We had raised sufficient money by 2003 to offer £50,000 to fund a third project. The chosen proposal was put forward by the University of Liverpool for a study into feline chronic gingivo-stomatitis. A condition familiar to many cat owners, this is a very painful disease affecting the gums and mouths of pet cats causing inflammation and ulceration. There is no cure for this condition at present. The money the Trust could offer for this project was barely sufficient to fund a two year Masters degree study but our funding has attracted a scholarship from the University for a three year Ph.D. study and an extremely generous grant from the British Veterinary Association's Animal Welfare Foundation, which has transformed this project into a very comprehensive study. During the second year of the study it is hoped to involve pedigree cat owners, we will keep the Clubs informed. Meanwhile the project has started and the Trustees have had their first progress report from the Liverpool team. The project is now coming to an end and we have an update which you can download here. The Trust is dependent on donations from the Clubs and members of the Fancy, our only certain funding is £2500 a year from GCCF and so it is easy to see that in order to be able to make grants large enough to make a difference to cats' lives we rely on you for all the financial support possible. Donations and legacies to the Trust will ensure the continuation of this work. Please remember the Trust when you or your club consider welfare donations. Please send donations to The Treasurer, Mrs Eileen Fryer, c/o GCCF, 5 King's Castle Business Park, The Drove, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 4AG. Further information also available from the GCCF Office. You can help us maximise your support by enabling the Trust to reclaim tax on your donations under the Gift Aid scheme. All you need to do is to state that you pay Income Tax and wish the Cat Welfare Trust to treat your donation as Gift Aid. Registered Charity No. 800719
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| GCCF, 5 King's Castle Business Park, The Drove, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 4AG, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1278 427575 email: info@gccfcats.org | |