PUSS IN BOOTS Visits Battersea Cats Home for Charity

This week the world famous Battersea Dogs & Cats Home received a slightly larger feline visitor than usual. Kat B, who will play Puss in Boots in the renowned Hackney Empire pantomime this year, got into character with the Home's feline residents on Wednesday after visiting the London rescue centre, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary of rehoming cats this year.

Hackney Empire and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home have joined forces this year to help raise awareness of the two London charities. Hackney Empire will also be helping find homes for Battersea cats by featuring some of the rescue moggies in its pantomime programmes. With around 190 cats across three centres looking for new homes, Puss in Boots' visit to the London cattery also showed support for the animal charity's recently launched Cat Takeover campaign which aims to raise awareness that Battersea rehomes cats as well as dogs.

Hackney Empire is an independent registered charity, founded by the local people in the mid-eighties. Its annual pantomime is vital in generating the funding needed to allow the charity to continue its work with and for its local community. Puss in Boots will preview from the 23 November where Kat B will be joined by Sharon D Clarke as Queen Talulah, Josefina Gabrielle as the witch Evilena and Stephen Matthews as Dame Nettie Knowall. In true Hackney style this rarely performed classic Perrault pantomime will be reimagined for today's audience, packed with show-stopping songs, dazzling dance routines and side-splitting comedy. Tickets are on sale now and further information can be found at www.hackneyempire.co.uk/panto.

Hackney Empire's pantomime Puss in Boots is sponsored by international law firm CMS Cameron McKenna supporting global and local business www.cms-cmck.com

Public subsidy provides less than 20% of the Hackney Empire's turnover with the remainder needing to come from earned and fundraised income. Hackney Empire is driven by its core values of Quality, Diversity and Engagement, which underpin everything the Empire does.

Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ
Registered in England No. 2060996
Charity Reg No. 1062085/0
VAT Reg No. 100 1879 55

• The Cat Takeover campaign will be promoted on Twitter using the hashtag #CatTakeover
• Our rehoming fee is £75 for cats (over 6 months), £85 for kittens (under 6 months), £120 for pair of cats or £130 for a pair of kittens.
• The cattery will open late until 8pm on the last Thursday of every month. The late night 'Purrsdays' will begin on September 26.
• Battersea started taking cats in in 1883, and this year Battersea is celebrating its 130 year anniversary of taking in cats.
• Since it was founded, Battersea has rescued, reunited and rehomed over 3.1 million dogs and cats.
• In 2012 the Home cared for 5,880 dogs and 2,760 cats.