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The following is an extract from the April 2008 newsletter (Issue 62). Hello cat lovers Well, it’s too late to wish you a happy Easter, but we hope you enjoyed the break and received the usual array of eggs and chocs from the good old Easter Bunny. As usual at this time of year we have pregnant cats, and litters born in gardens - or in one case a stray allowed in for some food went straight upstairs and had kittens in the kind lady’s daughter’s bedroom! So the pressure on our resources of foster care is great at present. Do consider whether you could foster - talk to Rita or Mary about what it entails (numbers on page 8). Cats Protection now has new Veterinary Standards to meet for every cat in our care. All our cats and kittens are fully health checked by our vets prior to rehoming. They have at least their first vaccination, are wormed and flea treated, and if older than six months are neutered and microchipped. Soon we hope to pay for six weeks PetPlan Insurance giving the new owner the option to continue or not without obligation. Wanted! We were sorry to lose our new PR Officer to her busy life, and we now urgently need someone to take over her role. Ideally we need someone who has contacts with the local press, by working for one of the papers or with some other connection. We do find it difficult to get our news into the Echo or the free papers. Of course, we realize that all publications are short of space, and they have to consider the submission to be newsworthy, but given that over half the population own cats and most of them actually care about their welfare, you would think that CP deserve a bit of space from time to time! Membership Many more articles needed for the newsletter.
Write in and tell us about your cat. Stories, poems, illustrations,
jokes, photos, all make the newsletter more interesting for everyone.
Deadline is 15th June Gina
Southend & District Branch of Cats Protection is pleased to welcome the following new members: Lisa Burgess, South
Fambridge Laura Butcher, Eastwood Mrs Pat Channon & Elizabeth
Chiesa, Ashingdon Maddie Cole, Westcliff Mrs Freda Croft,
Southend Stuart Czuba, Westcliff Adam Fitzgerald, Westcliff Mrs Hanna, Rochford Denise Hewitson, Eastwood Jo Mr & Mrs G Ilott, Rayleigh Mary Laverty, Leigh Mr & Mrs Stanton, Westcliff Graham Thomas, Leigh Mrs C Utton, Leigh Helen Walkling, Rochford Sharon Walton, Westcliff Natalie Westgarth, Westcliff Dawn Westgate, Westcliff
Thanks a million for all your donations! To all who add to their subscription fee and to: Mrs I M Adams, Mr & Mrs J Allen, J Bancroft, Lois & Ray Beadell,Janice Beech (for Tiggy), Sue Bennett, P Bissell, Heather Canning, Mr Catterick, M S Clarke, Mrs F Coutney, Mrs Freda Croft for a particularly generous donation, I Crussell, Miss E Daniels, Hélène Da Silva, Mr & Mrs Dykes, Lee Enyon, G Faulkner, Mrs M C Flynn, S Ford, J Gerreli, Mrs S Gibson, Mr & Mrs Gildea, C & J Goodchild, Sarah Hammond, May Jarman & Shandy, Marie Know, L I Lawson, Mr & Mrs L Manzi, Mrs D J McDonnell,Oysterbed Cattery, R Patston, Mrs Carol Pearce, Jeff Perry, Sheila Potter, Mr & Mrs Riley, Linda Roberts, St Cecilia's Church Prayer Group, T Scofield, Leon Stevens, Mrs M Stockings, Sue Taylor, K Tranded, C Trunley, Mrs Trussler,Mrs B Wagstaff, J Walmsley, Evelyn Wallace for items donated, Elaine Warrior, Debbie Whitcomb, M C White, Mr & Mrs Whiting, Mrs J
Willsmer, In memoriam: in memory of the late Joan Filmore; in memory of the late Mrs Joan Kemp, B Armitage and L Oldknow in memory of the late Betty de Neumann
As I write this the weather has turned quite spring-like, prompting me to scurry out into the garden and take stock of the plants and seeds needed for the Plant Sale & Bazaar in May. Do come along then and grab some bargain plants to make your garden beautiful this year. A dedicated number of helpers put in many hours of toil to produce plants for sale at our events, for which we are very grateful. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us for Chris’s Garden Party in June. The new catering team have made a good start; refreshments are an essential part of any event and we always need people to make cakes or savoury items to sell. Unfortunately we are unable to have our usual collection at ASDA this year. Apart from the cash collected we also used to get a large number of tins and packets of cat food. If you can spare a tin or packet of dry cat food, please bring them to any event, but don’t let your cat know! As always we would appreciate any unwanted gifts for raffle or tombola, and items for the food tombola, see page 8 for the full list of items wanted. Only with your support can we continue to help the needy local cats. Monies raised at our events:
Sue Gregory
SOUTHEND CP ‘100’ CLUB Anyone can join, each ticket costs £10 for an annual subscription and you are then entered in the monthly draws. More than one ticket is allowed! All profit goes to the Branch. Draws take place at Committee Meetings. We have 120 members. We need many more to make a good profit. PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION or join now and get others to do so. The cats depend upon us! Winners:
Cats homed:
When I started writing this article we had three litters of kittens, who will probably be ready to rehome in early April. By the time you read this I expect there will be more, but nice friendly kittens are easy to find homes for.
The Homing Day in January went well and we have
three more coming up over the year. Recently we have
taken in two cats who proved positive when tested for the Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). They are lovely friendly cats, both five
years; they have come in separately
and do not need to go as a pair. Tom is white & black whereas We still have some
older kittens between five and 11 months who need very special homes as
they are timid. Their previous owners didn’t stroke them or pick them up
so they missed out on the socialisation/playtime kittens should have.
These poor young cats didn’t even have a name when they came to us. They
need to go to an experienced adults-only household. They can be homed
with other cats, and indeed may benefit from their company.
Ideally the new owners should have lots of time and patience to interact
with them, playing games and letting them get used to their new
surroundings. Johnnie is a neutered white & black male about nine
months old, and his sister Georgie is a spayed tabby female about
nine months old. They can be rehomed separately. Jo, Fred and Sid
are brothers, all five months old and due to be neutered soon. One is
black, one black & white and one tabby. They can be rehomed separately .
Some of the adult cats
looking for new homes are:
Grainger an elderly
ginger, neutered male who came to us as a stray. He has a lovely
temperament and just needs a quiet home to spend his last few years
being loved. When he came in his claws were so long they had bent over
and grown into his pads causing an infection in his feet. This has now
cleared up and he is fit to rehome.
Felix and Fluffles
are 10-year-old, neutered males, one black & white and one black.
Fluffles is semi-longhaired and the pair have always been together as
indoor cats. Their owner had them from eight-week-old kittens, then her
circumstances changed and she had children. Two cats and three children
in a 12th floor flat is a bit much for anyone and, sadly, the cats had
to go.
These are just a few of the 43 cats in care. In
accordance with the new Cats Protection mandatory requirements they have
all have been given flea/worm treatment, been checked by a vet, have had
at least their first vaccination, and will have been neutered and
microchipped if over six months old. This is expensive, although Downes
Veterinary Practice do give us a special reduced rate for vaccination
and neutering. If you can adopt one, or more, it would leave a spare
place for me to bring a needy cat into our care. There are currently
over 20 cats waiting for us to bring them in, only lack of space
prevents this.
If you are interested in either adopting or
fostering any of these cats or kittens, or want more information then
give me a ring. My phone number is: 01702
467001,
please leave a message if the
answerphone is on. I will get back to you.
Email: ritarob@hotmail.co.uk.
Rita Roberts
What dreadful weather we’re having for spring. The poor strays are not getting a break from the cold and any poor little nursing mums are going to find it difficult keeping their offspring warm and snug. Talking of mums and kittens we were called out to bring in a mum and three kittens at the beginning of February. A man had managed to entice a heavily pregnant female into his conservatory to have her kittens. We were contacted once the kittens were about 10 -12 weeks old. They had been fed really well but they hadn’t been socialised so we had fun catching them! Mum is a feral cat and now she is spayed we will be looking for a suitable place for her to live. We are working with the kittens to bring them round; they are now strokable and although they can be picked up they prefer to get away. But they are getting there and they are very cute. We're happy to report that since the last newsletter we have found a wonderful home on a farm for the five ferals. They were required because the farm was down to its last elderly feral cat who is 22 years old! We had a good Easter Bazaar last week (which unfortunately I couldn’t attend due to a stinking cold) but it was a great success and raised nearly £700 for our coffers. So, well done to all! Let us hope that the weather
will become more clement by next time so until then do take care. Helene Miller & Sue Ingram
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