Lymington Cat & Kitten
Rescue – a brief history

Established well over 40 years ago, Lymington Cat & Kitten Rescue was founded to take in strays, unwanted cats and kittens, golden oldies, pedigrees and feral cats (when space is available) and to rehome them whenever possible.

Former pedigree breeder Janette Frankland set up the charity at her semi-detached home, backed by a small but loyal band of helpers and supporters. It all began with the odd moggy, yet developed rapidly into a major welfare mission in and around Lymington, the New Forest and far beyond.

At first there were just one or two strays to look after and rehome… but not for long! Before we knew it there was a feral colony to trap near the Lymington ferry terminal – and everything grew from there.

STAR TURN: Susan Hampshire, our cat-loving patron, as she appeared in the 1964 Disney film The Three Lives of Thomasina.

The rescue became a registered charity in due course and its original patron was the celebrated actress and cat lover Beryl Reid, who died in 1997. More recently we have been proud and honoured to enjoy the patronage of another star of stage and screen, Susan Hampshire, who is no less devoted to our feline friends.

The hub of the charity’s operations is the shelter, licensed for 50 cats, which has all but taken over the back garden at 18 Highfield Avenue, Lymington. Over the years virtually every square foot has given way to immaculately-kept pens, runs and stores, plus a small “hospital unit” where new arrivals are assessed.

Lymington Cat & Kitten Rescue has shops in Lymington (established in 2019) and Milford-on-Sea (2010). Our original shop in Pennington closed in early 2017 upon expiry of our lease. Click here for more details of our shops.

Our charity has built a reputation for its dedication to compassion and care, often against seemingly impossible odds.

But as that reputation has grown, so have the demands on our services – especially with the demise of a number of other animal charities in the Bournemouth, Southampton and New Forest areas.

Relying entirely on donations and our own fund-raising efforts, we look forward to your continued support.

* Janette Frankland passed away peacefully on 11 July 2017 after a long, determined and courageous battle with cancer. Her fervent wish was that the charity should continue to function for generations to come – and it will.