Cats Protection is committed to providing a high standard of service to all supporters, adopters, volunteers and members of the public.
If you think we haven’t met these standards, we welcome your feedback. Your comments about your personal experience are vital to help us learn and improve how we work.
We promise to handle complaints fairly, consistently and transparently.
What to include when making a complaint
- Your full contact details and your preferred method of contact. Unfortunately, we cannot respond to anonymous complaints. But we’ll ensure anonymous comments are referred to the relevant team
- As much information about your experience as possible, including any supporting evidence
What happens after you make a complaint
- Acknowledgement. We’ll let you know that we’ve received your complaint within five working days. This may take a little longer if your complaint is sent by post or is received through one of our regional teams or cat centres.
- Investigation. We’ll look into your concerns with the relevant teams.
- Response. We’ll write to you within 28 days to let you know our findings and any changes or improvements we plan to make as a result. If further action needs to be taken and there may be a delay, we’ll explain why we’ll need a little more time to respond.
If you’re not satisfied with our response
If you’re unhappy with the outcome of your complaint, you can request an appeal.
You may wish to request an appeal if:
- the decision did not adequately address the issues raised
- relevant evidence was overlooked
- there were factual inaccuracies in the response
- the process was not followed correctly
How to request an appeal
Contact us again using one of the methods listed above, explaining why you’re dissatisfied.
- You must do this within 28 days of receiving our initial response to your complaint
- Your appeal will be handled by an independent manager who had no involvement in the original complaint investigation
What the appeal process involves
- A review of the original complaint, investigation and response
- Consideration of the specific grounds for appeal and any new information or evidence provided
- An assessment of whether the complaint was handled in line with the Cats Protection complaints policy and procedures
- A review of whether the conclusions reached were reasonable and supported by the information available at the time
The appeal is not a reinvestigation of the complaint unless it’s identified that relevant evidence was not considered or that the complaints process was not followed correctly.
Appeal outcome
Once we have reviewed your appeal, you’ll be provided with a final written outcome, setting out our decision and the reasons for it.
This may:
- uphold the original decision
- change the original findings
- identify further action or learning where appropriate
If you’re still not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may choose to escalate the matter to an external regulator. We will provide contact details for the relevant regulator where possible, but we are unable to support with the drafting of any correspondence to the regulator on your behalf.
Our complaints promise
We will:
- treat all complaints seriously and with respect
- respond to complaints promptly
- ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in all investigations
- protect confidentiality and comply with data protection legislation
- use complaints to drive learning and improvement across the organisation
- ensure any reasonable adjustments required by a complainant will be made
We also ensure our complaints process meets all relevant legal and regulatory standards and is updated when guidance changes. We ensure that all employees and volunteers involved in complaints handling are appropriately trained and supported.
Persistent and abusive complaints
We aim to deal positively with all complaints. But unfortunately, on rare occasions, a person’s behaviour may become unreasonable.
Unreasonable behaviour includes, but is not limited to:
- repeatedly raising the same issue after it has been fully addressed
- making unreasonable demands, such as excessive time or ongoing contact
- using discriminating language
- refusing to engage meaningfully with the complaints process
- sending large volumes of correspondence across multiple channels
- altering the story or introducing new issues to prolong engagement
To try and manage any unreasonable behaviour, we may:
- set communication boundaries (for example, specific times or a single contact channel)
- assign a single point of contact
- limit responses to new information only
- advise that further contact will not receive a reply unless new evidence is provided
- stop communication entirely in extreme cases
Frequently asked questions
What is considered a complaint?
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether written, verbal or implied, where the individual expects a response or resolution.
Do complaints have to be written?
No. Complaints can be made verbally, in writing, online or in person. All complaints are treated equally, regardless of format.
Can someone complain on behalf of another person?
Yes. Representatives may raise complaints if they have consent or legal authority. Safeguarding and data protection checks may apply.
Can I remain anonymous?
Yes, but anonymous complaints may limit the investigation/response. Safeguarding or regulatory requirements may override anonymity.
What happens if my complaint is about an employee or volunteer?
The complaint will be handled independently of the individual concerned and, where necessary, referred to our HR or Volunteering team.
Do you publish information about complaints?
We regularly review any complaints we have received to ensure we continue to improve our services and fundraising. We publish information about complaints relating to our fundraising activities in our Annual Report & Accounts.
If I need further information on this process, who do I contact?
