A family-run animal shelter that has been going since the 1980s is full to the brim with pregnant cats who are still kittens themselves. Laura Wootton runs Ark Animal Rescue in North Somercotes and is helped by her nine-year-old daughter Belle Wootton. Together, they are the third and fourth generation of the same family to run the shelter that was set up by Belle's great-grandmother, the late Pauline Rice.
Belle "can't wait" to run five kilometres through a giant inflatable obstacle course on July 13. "She is very proud and excited to be part of something much bigger," said Laura. READ MORE: Humberside Chief Constable’s retirement accepted as suspension would be more expensive Keep up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from Grimsby with our free newsletter So far, they have raised around £750.
The money will go towards poorly stray cats who have given birth, many of them when they were too young. Laura said: "At the minute we've got lots of mummy cats that have had kittens who are due to be spayed. "We always say yes to mummy cats and pregnant cats or kittens at any time we can help because there aren't any other spaces for them.
It's usually a matter of life and death. The mummy cats come in and they are still babies themselves." Belle Wootton, age nine, loves every animal at Ark Animal Rescue (Image: Ark Animal Rescue) Laura said one unneutered cat had birthed three litters of kittens before she was even two years old before finally finding sanctu.
