History

C4 (originally called the "Cat Care and Control Consortium") was set up in 1999 by four charities - RSPCA Central London Branch, SNIP, Animal Aid and Advice, and Cats Protection, who came together in order to use economies of scale in tackling cat overpopulation, at a time when 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). 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 the area inside the M25. Today (2026) our costs are funded by Cats Protection, the national RSPCA, RSPCA Central London, and SNIP; with contributions from the RSPCA London Region Branches.

In 2024 we became the Capital Cat Care Campaign, keeping a nod to our C4 name but better describing our wider approach.

The scheme is coordinated and led through regular planning and update sessions of our management board which includes volunteers and staff from the main charities funding the scheme at any point. The direct contributions fund the neutering costs of the the scheme (in the form of payments to vets). Our data is collected from neutering vouchers returned for payment and figures for current and prior years remain subject to final verification audit.

Cats Protection plays a pivotal role in administering the scheme day to day by supplying and paying vets, and holding the finances for the scheme in a ringfenced budget which can only be used for direct neutering and chipping costs., with staffing support provided by CP, and by RSPCA Central London.

Oversight and governance

We remain grateful to the former charity and trust funders who have joined us at different points along our journey to help make our work sustainable and effective. These include:

Animal Aid & Advice London, ARCH, Cat Action Trust 1977, The Mayhew, Petplan Charitable Trust, Wood Green, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

The following current local RSPCA Branches, either in current form or as precursor/prior named branches who merged, have funded us further during our history in addition to pooled funding:

RSPCA Bromley & District, RSPCA Central London, RSPCA Essex SW, RSPCA Finchley, Golders Green & District, RSPCA Herts East, RSPCA Guildford & Epsom, RSPCA London East & Havering, RSPCA London South East, RSPCA NW London, RSPCA South London, RSPCA SW London

Since 2006, over £1 million of C4's costs have been supported thanks to a very generous fund which continues to support the scheme. The fund arises from a legacy bequeathed by Anna Maria Albekier specifically for the welfare cats in London, spent through the C4 scheme.

We couldn't have done this without the past and present network of vets from all corners of the industry who neuter for us, sometimes at a financial loss to them. To them and the thousands of their staff, we say a massive thank you.

The original C4 scheme was maintained for 25 years by a group of volunteers who handled arrangements for payments to vets and all manner of admin and correspondence. The team changed over the years but special mention should be made of the following individuals who continued to operate the "engine room" of the scheme up until 2023 when the administration passed further to Cats Protection: Les Sutherland, The Late Anne Sutherland, The Late Frazer Wright, Christine Beaumont-Kerridge.

Thank you to you all, very much.