About RSPCA Awareness Week
The RSPCA — the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — is the UK's oldest and largest animal welfare charity, founded in 1824. Awareness Week is the charity's flagship annual public campaign, combining media activity, fundraising, adoption drives, and community events to highlight animal welfare across England and Wales.
Cats are consistently among the most commonly reported animals in RSPCA cruelty and welfare complaints. The 2026 campaign data shows that a significant portion of cases are preventable through owner knowledge — feeding errors, missed vet care, and inappropriate introductions of new animals are among the most frequently cited factors.
2026 focus: prevention before rescue
This year's campaign is structured around four prevention messages, each backed by RSPCA welfare data:
Know what to feed and how much
Obesity is now present in over half of UK cats and contributes to multiple serious health conditions. Use accurate portion measurement from day one. Our how much to feed guide and feeding calculator provide the method.
Keep vaccinations current
Preventable diseases — particularly panleukopaenia — still account for a proportion of cats treated in RSPCA centres. A current vaccination schedule prevents most of them. See our cat vaccinations guide for what is due and when.
Prepare the home before a cat arrives
Hazard removal before arrival prevents emergency vet visits. Work through our room-by-room cat-proofing checklist before any new cat enters the home.
Introduce cats correctly
Multi-cat conflict is one of the most common reasons cats are relinquished to shelters. A properly managed introduction over 2–4 weeks prevents the majority of lasting conflict. Our cat introduction guide walks through the protocol step by step.
How to take part
- Donate: Support the RSPCA's rescue and rehoming work directly at rspca.org.uk/donate
- Volunteer: Apply for local volunteering roles through the RSPCA volunteer programme
- Share: Share the campaign's education resources on social media using the official week hashtag
- Adopt: RSPCA centres run adoption events throughout the week — check your local centre's schedule
- Welfare check: Use the week as a prompt for your cat's annual health review — see our signs it is time to call the vet guide for what to look at