C4 was originally called the "Cat Care and Control Consortium" and was set up in 1999 by four charities - RSPCA Central London, SNIP, Animal Aid and Advice, and Cats Protection, who came together in order to use economies of scale  in tackling cat overpopulation.

We were outliers in the animal charity world at that time - joint working in this way was unheard of and the idea of free neutering for cats was greeted with skepticism in many quarters. Getting the scheme running required intense work by a group of dedicated volunteers (many of whom are still involved today) and tapping into the financial support of our benefactor charities over the years. Since 1999, over 25 RSPCA local branches and more than 10 other charities have funded into the scheme at various points.

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In the decades that have followed, we have been instrumental in supporting cat owners who need help to neuter their pets, and have also been able to intervene to help long term strays too. The scheme has expanded across London and includes areas beyond the M25 in some instances. In 2024 we became known as the Capital Cat Care Campaign, keeping a nod to our C4 name but better describing our wider approach.