What is it like to share your home with 70 cats and kittens?
By Catriona Aitken
BBC News
Can you imagine living with more than 70 cats?
That is reality for Karen Smy and her daughter Lauren Sheldrick from mid Wales, who run a small-scale rescue and are “passionate” about the animals.
They say having so many cats helps their mental health and is an all-consuming way of life.
But demand for cats to be rehomed has become “overwhelming” and the sheer number of cats can be “a living hell” which many people do not understand.
There are cats in every room of the house in Nantmel, Powys including the bathroom and kitchen.
“We’ve always been a multi-cat family,” said Karen, who has previously worked as a nursery practitioner.
“I think there’s about 60 that are rescues, and then if you add Lauren’s eight and you add my 10, you’ve got to be looking at over 70 cats at the minute.”
Lauren, a trained art and design teacher who now works in the charity sector, said: “I have been through a lot of experiences with friends and family, where people have let me down and I haven’t been in very nice situations and that’s what’s pushed me to cats. These guys never really let me down.
“I kind of use it on dating sites as a deterrent and, if someone isn’t going to stick around [after] finding out that I live with this many cats, then they’re not worth my time.”
Lauren (left) and Karen live with more than 70 cats in their home
Karen added: “We’re passionate about cats, more than we can explain.
“I think you’ve got to be a special kind of person to not just love animals, but make animals your world. And a lot of people don’t get that.”
The much-adored animals all have names and unique personalities, and Karen and Lauren can quickly identify each and every one.
“We’ve had them escape, we’ve had them hide in drawers, we’ve had them dive off balconies. They’ll constantly steal food, if they can find it. They love the laser pen, that’s hilarious,” said Karen.
Karen and Lauren say they’re always chasing around after cats who love to chase mice and steal food
“We’ll sit there and watch telly and you’ll see them come in with a random mouse that’s found its way in here and then you have to chase them around.”
Karen’s Cat Community began in 2017, as there was a lot of demand in the area for homes for cats.
It started with people in the community asking Karen for advice on cat care, but soon spiralled “out of control” with the boundaries set by her being pushed by people “eager to get rid” of their cats.
Karen and Lauren spend about £135 per day on food and litter, plus extra for the specialist food some cats need.
On top of that, neutering costs £45 for each male cat and £78 for each female, and all of the cats need double vaccinations for £63 each. The pair say they have about £3,713 left to fork out for these planned medical costs for the cats they currently have.
There are cats in every room of the family home in Powys
Karen, 56, said the main issue is owners failing to neuter their cats which leads to unexpected kittens,as well as people taking on pets during the Covid-19 pandemic that they can no longer cope with.
“[People] took them in lockdown and then, let’s face it, we came straight out of lockdown and we went into a recession. So then everyone went, this isn’t such a good idea, this animal is costing me money,” she said.
Karen said that vet fees have increased and the cost of cat food has “nearly doubled” since before the pandemic.
“Who doesn’t want a mini cat? But the trouble is with mini cats, they grow. Kittens grow. And they’re seen as a low maintenance animal, but they’re not, they’re quite complex creatures.”
She added: “What I find shocking is that Britain is supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, but the situation is getting worse.
The house is decorated to match the women’s passion for cats
“Misconception of cats is that they’re not considered as sentient beings and they are. They’ve got very good memories so they remember the abuse, they remember the neglect.
“It’s not enjoyable any more, it’s got to the stage where it’s hard work and sometimes it’s a living hell.”
Lauren and Karen regularly go to bed in the early hours of the morning, only to wake up just a few hours later to begin their daily feeding and cleaning routine.
Lauren, 26, said: “We make sure they all have breakfast and then sometimes we’ll do a bit of paperwork but then we’ll go round and do the cleaning.
“If you do that nice and early then you can keep up on it for the rest of the day, but what tends to happen is that, by the time we’ve finished all the cleaning for the morning, it is two o’clock in the afternoon, so then you go round and do everything again.”
Image source, Karen’s Cat Community
The cats keep Lauren and Karen occupied from morning till night
Despite the difficult times, both Karen and Lauren say that looking after cats brings them joy.
“My mum has always been my best friend,” added Lauren. “Now we’re both here, as adult women, and this is what we’ve chosen to do with our lives, and this is what makes us happy.
“The positives definitely outweigh the negatives.”
The pair hope to have found forever homes for all of their rescued cats by October, so that they can take a break over the winter, before returning as a registered charity in 2024.
Although raising money can be “like pulling teeth”, Karen says platforms like TikTok have helped them find fellow cat-lovers willing to help.
“People on TikTok are absolutely brilliant. We’ve had compassion, empathy. We’ve met beautiful people on TikTok who have gone to the ends of the earth,” she said.
“Someone has got to have a voice for them. That’s what keeps us going. If we didn’t take them, where would they go?
“I just absolutely adore them, and we’ll just keep fighting until I’m six-foot under probably.”
Video journalist: Greg Davies
