Run entirely by volunteers and foster carers.
English Barn Cats is a rescue based in Darwen, Lancashire. Every one of us is a volunteer, working hard to rescue stray and feral cats from the streets, run TNR across our local colonies, and help sick or injured strays get the treatment they need – giving them a second chance at life.
What we do
We cover Lancashire & Greater Manchester, and there’s no paid team behind us – just volunteers and foster carers giving their time, homes and hearts to the cats who need it most.
Rescue
Getting strays off the streets
We rescue stray and feral cats from the streets and bring them somewhere safe, warm and fed as well as a full vet check.
TNR
Trap, neuter, return
We feed stray colonies across Lancashire & Manchester and make sure they’re neutered and vaccinated, to stop the breeding from getting further out of control.
Sick & injured
Care when it’s needed most
Sick or injured strays recover with our foster carers, who make sure they’re safe and get the vet treatment and care they need.
Rehoming
Ready for a forever home
All adopted cats are neutered (depending on weight), vaccinated, chipped, wormed and deflead ready for rehoming.
100% volunteer and foster run
From the trappers out at night to the foster carers nursing kittens at home, everything we do depends on people giving their time for free. It’s hard work – but every cat we help makes it worth it.
How English Barn Cats began…
It started with a barn cats colony (a group of breeding cats on a farm) and Alice.
“I promised the colony I would stop the breeding but I didn’t know if she was too old to be spayed. Ten years went by and each year my heart broke seeing her struggle out there. A massive colony was bound to spread illness. She hung on in there and she’s one hell of a fighter. Then the barn roof collapsed and she was out of a home. She allowed a touch of the nose with my fingertip and that was it anymore and she would smack you and hiss at you but that was Alice. She’s been born wild.
So the last few years I decided to make a promise to Alice that I would bring her in and she would never ever have to suffer again. In her name and the barn cat family this rescue exists and has helped thousands of cats. Alice was named after Alice in Wonderland by my sister and myself because there was that many cats we chose Disney names and Kings names to remember them by.”
Help us give more cats a second chance
Whether you can foster, volunteer, donate or share our posts, you’re helping a stray cat get off the streets and into safe hands.