THE 10th birthday celebration plans of an East Yorkshire cats home lay in ruins after fire tore through buildings there this week.

A desperate plea for help has gone out from Caring For Cats near Market Weighton after the major fundraising celebration, planned for today, had to be called off leaving the charity badly down on funds for the coming year.

Janet Black, a volunteer at the centre, said the alarm was raised at 3am by a farmer who saw flames coming from the building and alerted North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

She said: “Some straw, which was an integral part of the building, had caught fire. The building housed 15 cats and a lot of kittens. Luckily there was an office between the pens where the cats are, and the fire.

“The flames were moving along the building so the cats were very lucky.”

Mrs Black said the centre had lost equipment such as microwaves and a fridge, as well as outdoor equipment, tables and chairs, making it impossible to stage this weekend’s planned fundraising open day.

“It’s our biggest event of the year,” she said. “It would have made us about £1,600. We have lots of kittens too and a lot of them would have found homes on Sunday. So we desperately need homes for them now.

“We rely totally on donations. It’s jeopardised the number of cats and kittens we will be able to home this coming year.”

The centre is now hoping kind-hearted residents and local businesses will donate badly-needed cash and new equipment, as well as prizes for raffles, to help the centre get back on its feet.

“What we need is donations,” said Mrs Black. “If people have any patio furniture they don’t want or anything which might assist us in raising some money such as raffle prizes, it would be a big help.”

If you can help Caring For Cats recover from the fire, please visit their headquarters at The Stables in York Road, Market Weighton.