On February 20, 2014, I'll be starting my trek across the Sahara desert to raise money for the Blue Cross, a charity that does amazing work helping abandoned, unwanted or sick animals. 

As the sub editor for Your Cat magazine, I get to see first hand what a difference charities like the Blue Cross make to animals in need, every single day. So, as a massive animal lover, I decided I wanted to do my bit too!

I'm aiming to raise a minimum of £2,000, which has the potential to save so many animal's lives and provide much-needed comfort for homeless cats and dogs. Blue Cross say that £5 pays for a pet to microchipped (which could reunite them with their owner should they become lost), £10 buys clippers to trim a dog's claws, £13 buys a cosy cat bed, £25 is enough to pay for a kitten's first vaccinations and worming treatments, £48 buys eight feeding bottles for hand-reared kittens who have no mother to look after them, £85 provides much-needed warmth and shelter to each pet admitted to a Blue Cross centre, and £100 pays for a health check for a litter of six unwanted puppies. 

On my five-day Sahara adventure I'll be hiking through the desert for up to seven hours a day, camping between the dunes and trying to keep cool! Anyone that knows me will know that I spend every day looking for the next adventure but sleeping in a tent, with no morning shower, may be the biggest challenge!

So if, like me, you love animals, please dig deep to support my trek. And for updates on my training (God knows how I'm going to prep for the heat!), how much I've raised and the people who have helped me along the way, keep an eye out in Your Cat magazine and on my website www.chloetreksforcats.co.uk

Thanks for your support and I hope I don't wilt like a flower! xx

*For anyone that's a bit confused, I was supposed to be trekking in November 2013 but decided to push it back so I had more time to raise even more money!