All about us

Phibsboro Cat Rescue (PCR) is a voluntary not for profit group, who TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return), care for, and rehome homeless, stray and feral cats in north and central Dublin (and beyond). Since August 2014 we have helped over 700 cats and kittens, and with your help we want to help and do more!

To continue and expand the work we do, PCR have secured premises right in the heart of Phibsboro, on Royal Canal Bank. The Hidden Haven and the Cassie and Glitter Centre will provide us with the opportunity to become more involved in the community which we serve. From the Centre, we can run information days and charity events. We aim to regenerate a derelict area and restore crumbling buildings to create an urban garden, which will not only be for the benefit of the volunteers but for the local wildlife, such as insects and birds.

But we need your help



Committing to this space has been a huge risk for PCR to take. The annual rent is going to be €5,000. At the moment all of our available money, which comes solely from donations from our kind-hearted supporters, goes towards neutering/spaying costs and medical care of our cats and kittens. By supporting this campaign, we will have that rent secure for an entire year and continue to use all the other donations we receive from the public to care for the cats and kittens of north and central Dublin.

As part of this project, we take the regeneration of the space very seriously. €5,000 will allow us to begin this work. The work will include refurbishing the existing two buildings and a shed to make them secure and watertight. We can then install a lavatory and wash room for our traps, which we use on a daily basis. It will also allow us to begin the urban garden with infrastructure such as a water butt to gather rain water, planters, develop a native Irish garden, and build the memorial rockery.

To build on the work we have done so far, we cannot continue to rely solely on the spare rooms and hallways of our volunteers to hold traps, crates, food, and other essential supplies. This Centre will give us a storage area for our equipment, as well as all of the wonderful donations we receive such as food and other cat supplies.

From this new location we can distribute these supplies to our fosterers and carers of feral cats. We can expand the number of volunteers involved, as there will be more varied tasks to undertake. It will expand our focus from caring for cats and kittens solely in the homes of fosterers, to providing a space in which people can volunteer outside of their homes. Such volunteers can help with the cleaning and maintenance of our equipment, tend and develop the garden, and work on educational and outreach projects within the community.

Most importantly, the Centre gives PCR a physical presence within the community. It will return a decaying, unused space in inner-city Dublin back to its community with renewed vibrancy, whilst allowing that community to interact with PCR volunteers face-to-face. Currently, all our equipment and supplies are stored in our volunteers’ homes, and the majority of our outreach is digital or online. We need to extend our reach in the community from digital to more physical interactions.

Here's the plan



Once we know that we have secured the rent for 12 months, and have some capital to improve and regenerate the space, we can focus on using the Centre to promote the work of PCR and educate the community on caring for feral or homeless cats.

The first phase of the regeneration of the space will focus on making the existing buildings and shed watertight and secure. To do this, we will need to replace two windows, re-instate doors, and repair two roofs. This will initially allow us to store the traps we use in our TNR work with feral colonies. It will then give us dry storage in which to keep more perishable items, such as cat food, litter, crates, and other supplies for the cats and kittens being cared for by our foster families. We plan that this work would be complete by October, taking full advantage of any good weather. Concurrent with this, initial work can begin on the urban garden. Clearing away debris and creating beds with new top soil, we can begin to develop a garden which prioritises native species, and a rockery to provide more flowers for insects.

In the second phase, the Wall of Love will be planned and painted within the larger of the two buildings in the Centre. The wall will include the names of those who supported us with €200 and above, and will be designed and completed by our volunteers, with help from the wider community. Work will continue on the garden spaces, focusing on the rockery and the memorial stones, as well as installing our beautiful birdhouses.

The third phase will involve further refurbishment of the rooms for use by volunteers and the community. This will involve painting and general decoration, and making the space pleasant and usable during events such as charity sales, craft fairs, and information days over the winter when the Irish weather will drive us inside until spring!

Rewards

€ 5 A little means a lot. One of our current foster cats or kittens will send you a personal digital thank you via email.

One of our current foster cats or kittens will send you a personal digital thank you via email. € 20 Cats everywhere! You will get an exclusive Phibsboro Cat Rescue digital photo pack. As well as a digital thank you note, you will receive a set of high quality digital photos of some of the cats and kittens in our care.

You will get an exclusive Phibsboro Cat Rescue digital photo pack. As well as a digital thank you note, you will receive a set of high quality digital photos of some of the cats and kittens in our care. € 50 You’re paw-some! With the help of one of our cats, you will receive a one-of-a-kind Paw Thank You in the post. This will be a paw print from one of our more artistically-inclined cats or kittens as a token of their gratitude!

€100 Birdhouse in your soul (5 available). Buy a birdhouse for our urban garden! You can request a particular motif to be hand painted on to it, like ladybirds, flowers, or something more abstract. Once they are installed, you will then receive a high resolution picture via email of the birdhouse in our growing garden! You (and your pet) will also be featured on our online Wall of Fame for helping us, as well as receiving a Paw Thank You.

€ 100 Stone by stone (40 available). A memorial stone dedicated to an awesome pet you have known will be added to the rockery of The Hidden Haven garden. The stone will be hand painted with the chosen name, and you will receive a high resolution image via email of the stone in our new rockery! You (and your pet) will also be featured on our online Wall of Fame for helping us, as well as receiving a Paw Thank You.

€ 200 Feel the love! Your name will be included on our Wall of Love. The Wall of Love will be a mural, hand-painted in one of the buildings, dedicated to all of those kind sponsors who are making this dream a reality. You will also be featured on our online Wall of Fame, and receive a Paw Thank You.

Your name will be included on our Wall of Love. The Wall of Love will be a mural, hand-painted in one of the buildings, dedicated to all of those kind sponsors who are making this dream a reality. You will also be featured on our online Wall of Fame, and receive a Paw Thank You. € 300 No Pressure! (1 available). A pressure washer is just what we need to clean the traps, crates, and carriers that we use on a daily basis. Ever wanted a vital piece of equipment to be named in your honour? Well now is your chance! You (and your pet) will also be featured on our online Wall of Fame for helping us, as well as receiving a Paw Thank You.