By Heather Ryce

JANICE KENNEDY was a lecturer of Chemistry and Forensic Investigation at UWS, but gave up full time work to focus her time and energy on the animal charity she founded, CatFlap.

CatFlap is a Scottish charity run from Janice’s home in Bearsden and is responsible for rescuing and rehoming over 4000 cats to date. The charity receives no Government funding and depends on help from volunteers and donations from the public.

Volunteer duties include fostering cats, home checks, fundraising events and cleaning out and socialising with rescues. The people who volunteer for CatFlap range from students, who are missing their own pets at home, full time workers who generously give up their weekends to help out and retirees who opt to open their homes and foster a cat in need.

A former rescue, ‘Benji’ has now found his forever home

As the rescue centre is run from home by a close community of people, CatFlap really feels personable, with the volunteers involved understanding the needs of all the cats under their care.

Janice was previously involved with Cats Protection League, but decided to part ways from the organisation to pursue her own charity where she would have full control of how things were run.

I would be the one that decided what would be acceptable and what wasn’t.

The former lecturer’s love for cats initially formed years ago when she was given one from her father when she was a student as the accommodation she was staying in was ‘riddled with mice’. When asked about her first cat she remembers fondly that:

She was a big character and a rescue cat…..And it just kind of went from there.

Giving up a career in education to fully pursue her passion has worked out well, not just for Janice, but the thousands of cats who have been rescued and rehabilitated and now have their forever home.