CATS PROTECTION

Registered charity 203644 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE CATS' PROTECTION LEAGUE · also registered in Scotland as SC037711 (OSCR)

Homing, neutering and the provision of information. Cats Protection operates through a network of around 250 volunteer led branches throughout the United Kingdom. We are also registered with OSCR. In addition to the branch network we have 32 purpose built cat adoption centres. Branches and adoption centres work side by side to deliver cat work.

Causes: Animals · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£105.6m
Latest spending
£96.7m
Registered
1962
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity returned to a surplus of £8.9 million in 2025 after significant deficits in previous years, with total income rising to £105.6 million. Free reserves were reported at £46.5 million, which is £23.3 million above the minimum level required by the charity's own reserves policy. The trustees confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis, citing sufficient liquid funds and reserves to support operations for the foreseeable future.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months’ operating expenditure (£23.2 million) (held: £46.5m)
“The Board reviewed the Reserves Policy in 2025 and agreed that a minimum level of unrestricted general funds, also known as free reserves, equal to three months’ operating expenditure (£23.2 million) is appropriate”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Owing from charity to subsidiary
“As at the balance sheet date, a net total of £249k was owing from Cats Protection to Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd for income collected through the charity on behalf of Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd.” — page 37
“At 31 December 2025 Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd owed Cats Protection £110k.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Owing from subsidiary to charity
“As at the balance sheet date, a net total of £249k was owing from Cats Protection to Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd for income collected through the charity on behalf of Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd.” — page 37
“At 31 December 2025 Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd owed Cats Protection £110k.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee donations
“As at the balance sheet date, a net total of £249k was owing from Cats Protection to Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd for income collected through the charity on behalf of Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd.” — page 37
“At 31 December 2025 Cats Protection Enterprises Ltd owed Cats Protection £110k.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Governance: The document states: 'We recorded one serious incident in 2025 which was reported to the Charity Commission; the matter was appropriately managed in line with our procedures.'
“We recorded one serious incident in 2025 which was reported to the Charity Commission; the matter was appropriately managed in line with our procedures.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Cats Protection Enterprises Limited
“Cats Protection Enterprises Limited is the trading arm of the charity and is a wholly owned subsidiary.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Cats Protection (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

86 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (33 freehold); recorded price paid £1.9m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Trustpilot: Cats Protection scores 3.0/5 from 462 reviews (source) — reviews usually concern the charity’s shops or services, not its charitable performance.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (665,633 likes) · instagram (218K followers)

Advertised salaries (public job ads)

Roles this charity has advertised on CharityJob, matched on the exact employer name. A different source from the statutory pay bands above: these are asking salaries for vacancies, not what anyone was paid.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income
£105.6m
Total spending
£96.7m
Cost of raising funds
£34.0m
Reserves (reported)
£46.5m
Employees
1,199

Reported reserves equal ~5.8 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 2.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 32.2% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 2.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£105.6m£96.7m
31/12/2024£96.9m£98.7m
31/12/2023£89.3m£103.5m
31/12/2022£86.0m£87.4m
31/12/2021£78.2m£70.7m

Common questions

Is CATS PROTECTION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity returned to a surplus of £8.9 million in 2025 after significant deficits in previous years, with total income rising to £105.6 million. Free reserves were reported at £46.5 million, which is £23.3 million above the minimum level required by the charity's own reserves policy. The trustees confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis, citing sufficient liquid funds and reserves to support operations for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

Who funds CATS PROTECTION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name CATS PROTECTION as a grant recipient include THE PETS AT HOME FOUNDATION, MYRISTICA TRUST, THE ROSE ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST CIO, THE FRANCIS WINHAM FOUNDATION, THE GERRICK ROSE ANIMAL TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE PETS AT HOME FOUNDATIONFY2024£197kGrant Programme - Pets
THE PETS AT HOME FOUNDATIONFY2025£153kPet Rescues
THE PETS AT HOME FOUNDATIONFY2023£151kof which £7,710 (2022: £33,915) is restricted
MYRISTICA TRUSTFY2025£100k
THE ROSE ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST CIOFY2023£40k
THE FRANCIS WINHAM FOUNDATIONFY2023£40k
THE GERRICK ROSE ANIMAL TRUSTFY2025£39k
RJ AND AH DANIELS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£15k
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITEDFY2023£15kAnimals
THE ROSE ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST CIOFY2024£10k
THE HISCOX FOUNDATIONFY2025£10k
THE GEOFFREY AND PAULINE MARTIN TRUSTFY2025£10k
THE A AND R WOOLF CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£10k
THE ROSE ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST CIOFY2021£10k
THE ROSE ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST CIOFY2022£10k
THE ROSE ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST CIOFY2025£8k
RJ AND AH DANIELS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£8k
THE FRANCIS WINHAM FOUNDATIONFY2025£6k
THE FRANCIS WINHAM FOUNDATIONFY2026£5k
THE FRANCIS WINHAM FOUNDATIONFY2024£5k
BETTY PHILLIPS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£5kfunding for its Forest of Dean branch urgent work
THE PHILIP AND CONNIE PHILLIPS FOUNDATIONFY2022£5k
THE GEOFFREY AND PAULINE MARTIN TRUSTFY2024£5k
THE JEAN SAINSBURY ANIMAL WELFARE TRUSTFY2023£5kAnimal welfare
PETPLAN CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5kProject neuter
THE FRANCIS WINHAM FOUNDATIONFY2022£5k
THE BEAVERBROOKS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2026£5k
RJ AND AH DANIELS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£4k
THE GEOFFREY AND PAULINE MARTIN TRUSTFY2023£4k
MILLS AND REEVE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£3k
PETPLAN CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£3kPaws Protect Fostering
MARJORIE COOTE ANIMAL CHARITY TRUSTFY2022£3k
THE ANNANDALE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£3k
THE HARDY FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2023£2k
The Crerar Family TrustFY2025£1k
SSP FOUNDATIONFY2025£1k
SSP FOUNDATIONFY2024£1k
MARJORIE COOTE ANIMAL CHARITY TRUSTFY2023£1kOne-off grant
Evelyn Partners Charitable TrustFY2025£700Employee charitable collections
SSP FOUNDATIONFY2022£500
THE GROCERS' CHARITYFY2023£180Environment
THE PETTIFOR TRUST CORPORATIONFY2022£0
MARJORIE COOTE ANIMAL CHARITY TRUSTFY2024£0
THE ANNANDALE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£0
THE HISCOX FOUNDATIONFY2024£0
THE GERRICK ROSE ANIMAL TRUSTFY2023—
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY, WEST CHILTINGTONFY2023—
THE SEABY FOUNDATIONFY2025—

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
Postcode Lottery07/03/2025£30kMillionaire Street 2025 03w2 - Stafford & District
Postcode Lottery28/02/2025£15kMillionaire Street 2024 07w5 - Mid Sussex
Postcode Lottery18/02/2025£2.5mRegular Grant 2025
Postcode Lottery20/12/2023£30kMillionaire Street 2023 12w3 Year 1 - Andover
Postcode Lottery20/12/2023£20kMillionaire Street 2023 12w3 Year 2 - Andover
Postcode Lottery01/12/2023£2.5mRegular Grant 2024
Postcode Lottery29/03/2023£2.6mRegular Grant 2023
Postcode Lottery16/03/2022£2.5mRegular Grant 2022
The National Lottery Community Fund23/06/2016£2kCommunity Action Group Blaenymaes

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
OLSEN ANIMAL TRUST1£922k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CAT ACTION TRUST 1977.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
CATS PROTECTION£105.6m——unclear—no doubt
CAT ACTION TRUST 1977 FY2025£1.1m—0unclear—no doubt
THE COLCHESTER AND DISTRICT CAT RESCUE AND HOMING SOCIETY FY2024£312k——unclear—no doubt
SHROPSHIRE CAT RESCUE FY2024£384k—0unclear—no doubt
CAT RESCUE WEST WALES FY2025£142k—0unclear—no doubt
HERE FOR CATS FY2024£105k—0unclear—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.