New Year, New Me

Hello friends,

Welcome to 2015!  Apologies for the delay in posting, I actually have some news for you all.  My avid fans and visitors to the centre will know of my long term eye issue, having had my "dry eye" treated with drops for a few years now.  We all knew the drops would only work for so long and I recently developed an eye infection and an ulcer formed. Thankfully my staff here at the Centre booked me in for an operation and I no longer have that eye to worry about!  Yes, it has been removed, hurrah!  Honestly, I look even more macho without it, even if I do say so myself. All my beautiful ginger fur has grown back and I feel fabulous!  My staff are thrilled to see me looking so good, I even reward them with head bumps and purrs when they are working because I can't thank them enough for making me better. I love them all but don't tell them that, I still give the odd nip here and there if they are loving me too much, after all, it's my reputation at stake...  

2014 was a great year for us here at the Wrexham Adoption Centre. We homed a fantastic total of 351 cats, some of whom were reunited with their original owners, which is always great to see.  Thank you to everyone who has adopted a cat from us, every cat we home means another one is helped.  We would also like to thank all those who supported our Mince Pies and Moggies Open Day before Christmas, when over £600 was raised for the cats, and everyone who has sent cards and made donations over the Christmas period - our lucky cats now have plenty of food to keep them going!  I just hope I get a cut of the spoils, pretty sure I deserve it after my recent ordeal!!

Catherine and Dexter Foulkes making their Christmas donation to the cats!

While I am on the subject of donations and fundraising we have also been very grateful to receive your Felix tokens - these can be found on both tins and boxes and can be sent off to claim donations for our Adoption Centre - so please keep them coming. We are expecting to be sent £160 for something that would normally end up in the bin! Likewise we are expecting to receive £11 for a batch of donated used stamps, which may seem a relatively small amount but every little definitely does help!  On a larger scale, Petplan have once again made us an amazing donation of £4,870.76.  This is because each time a new adopter takes out their first full policy with Petplan we receive 10% of the total premium plus a further 10% every year the policy is renewed.  The money is donated from Petplan and doesn't cost you a penny!  We also owe thanks to the staff and customers of our local Pets at Home stores at Border Retail Park and Plas Coch for all the donations we have collected recently.
 
I hope my regular blog followers remember beautiful Neva who I featured in my previous post?  Well she did indeed finally find her dream home on a livery yard.  Unfortunately she managed to get into a bit of trouble not long after leaving our care.  She decided to take herself for an adventure which didn't end too well.  She was found, injured, by a kind family who took her to the vets, where she was scanned for a microchip and her chip we had implanted meant she could be reunited with her owner. Yet another example of why microchipping is so important!  All our cats and kittens are microchipped before adoption and we would urge everyone to have their pets chipped so they can be reunited if they are ever lost and to then ensure you keep your contact details up to date if you move house or change your phone number. Microchipping will in fact be compulsory for dogs in Wales from March 2015. 

My next special cat to mention has to be my friend Alfred, not only because he has a first class name but because he really is in need of a loving and understanding home. Since joining us in November he has spent an awful lot of time hiding in his Feline Fort but thankfully is finally starting to come round.  I do feel sorry for cats with shy personalities coming into the centre.  I'm sure being in a building surrounded by lots of other cats and strange people isn't really his idea of relaxation!  With lots of patience the Cat Care Assistants and Volunteers at the Centre have helped his confidence and he will now come out purring for fuss!  He has come from a rural area so is not used to busy roads and would suit a quiet home with an older person or couple.  If you feel you can offer Alfred the time and love he needs to be able to settle in to a new home, please look at his page on our website or call the Centre on 01978 313574.

Alfred

Just a few things to finish off...  Rita has stepped down from the position of Branch Treasurer.  She has done so much to help the Centre over the years, her hard work and dedication will always be appreciated and we will all miss her!  Our Facebook page currently has 1,894 Likes and we are aiming to reach 2000! Please share our page and tell your friends.  The better our networking and publicity the more cats we can home and the more we can help so thanks in advance! 

We would like to wish everyone all the best for 2015.  If your new year resolutions have already slipped why not aim to support us by holding a fundraising event? You can download a fundraising pack from the main Cats Protection website. 

My final point is a date for your diaries - the Wrexham Cats Protection Charity Shop is holding a Spring Fashion Show on Thursday 26th March at the War Memorial Hall (by Tesco) in Wrexham.  Watch this space for further details and you can Like their Facebook page for updates.  

That's all for now everyone.  I'm going back to sit on someone's paperwork (they love it really) ...

Love and purrs,

Fred x

Holidays are comin'...

Hello loyal fans and all visiting readers of my blog,

 

Since my last update I am please to tell you that our lovely Onyx has found a perfect home! Her new adopter keeps us updated and she is very content and affectionate in her new environment, exactly what we have wanted for her all along! Her she is enjoying her new lounging area...

 

 

 

To get everyone in a festive mood we are hosting a "Mince Pies and Moggies" Open Day on Sunday 7th December from 12noon until 3pm.  Please come along to the Adoption Centre on Madeira Hill to enjoy tea and cakes made by our star baker volunteers (keep an eye out for me slinking round the tables hoovering the crumbs), pick up some reindeer snacks for Christmas Eve (boy must they get hungry!), try a melting snowman drink  (sounds intriguing..) and find some Cats Protection gift items perfect to fill up those stockings.. and maybe a little something for the family feline too??  Don't miss this opportunity to get the Christmas shopping done whilst visiting me, the star of the show, and our cats - I would love to see some cats reserved on the Open Day and have them out into their new homes before Christmas!  Thursday 18th December is the last day our cats can go to their new homes so they can have time to settle in before the madness of Christmas Day! We do not believe in cats being given as Christmas presents but a good present could be bringing that person into the centre to find the cat of their dreams!

 

Raffle tickets will be on sale at the Open Day and everyday to win our Christmas Hamper!! With tickets available for just £1 per strip this raffle is not to be missed!  The very tasty looking items have been kindly donated by our staff and volunteers. The raffle is to be drawn on Thursday 18th December to give the lucky winner a chance to collect it before Christmas. 

 

 

Sadly for us cats this is a human-only hamper and I will take this opportunity to ask you all to make sure your furrier family members (yes, this applies to smelly dogs too) don't indulge in anything they shouldn't, for example:

• grapes
• Christmas puddings and mince pies as they involve raisins, sultanas, lots of fat and sometimes alcohol too
• bones from Christmas dinner
• chocolate
• macadamia nuts
• Christmas trees and plants including holly, mistletoe and poinsettia
• decorations
• batteries
• antifreeze - this is tasty to cats and dogs and can cause fatal kidney damage so please be vigilant when using!

This is not a definitive list so we would always advise you to consult your vet to find out more or if you are concerned your pet has eaten something unsuitable. 

 

If you are a regular donator or would like to make a donation to us this Christmas we have a couple of options to share with you.  Our Amazon Wishlist includes items we can use day to day at the centre with all our cats and kittens  such as food (yum) and toys (whoopeeee!!) and as long as you have an Amazon account you can purchase the item and have it sent straight to me.. erm I mean the Centre!  This might be convenient if you do not live in Wrexham or simply can't make it to the Centre. 

 

Terry modelling the Feline Fort Hide

Alternatively, we would be very grateful for donations towards our bid to provide every cat at the Centre with a Feline Fort Hide.  Please read our Feline Fort website article to find out more about them, why they are so useful and how to make a donation towards them.  We have currently received enough donations to buy at least one more fort and we will add any donations together to buy more for the cats for Christmas. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If there was one cat we would all like to see go home for Christmas it's Neva... She is a beautiful tabby and white lady who would suit living at a smallholding or livery yard where she can have shelter and care but also space for her to romp around and be herself.  Her "cattitude" has proved her quite difficult to home but we are sure there is someone out there with the perfect circumstances for her.  She would like to be the only pet and come for a fuss when she is ready.  Please share her story with anyone you know who might be suitable and point them to her website profile, thank you!

 

Well that's me almost done for today but lastly we would like to thank Karen Jones for generously donating a camera to the centre to photograph our cats.  It will likely make an appearance at the Open Day too so keep an eye out for future posts including photos!

 

Love and purrs,

 

Fred x

 

P.S.  Oh and if you didn't know, the Coca Cola lorry is coming to Wrexham!  It will be visiting Queens Square on Friday 5th December between midday and 8pm.  Maybe one day it will be the Dreamies lorry...

 

Leaves are falling, autumn's calling...

Hello everyone, well there's definitely an autumn chill today but at least it resulted in some beautiful sunshine!  So let's get comfy and have a catch up...

Firstly, I will update you about the success of the Fashion Show we held last month in aid of our Wrexham Branch.  Our staff and volunteers from both our charity shop and adoption centre were thrilled to receive such a fantastic turnout, filling the Wrexham War Memorial Hall with a great atmosphere! Attendants enjoyed browsing the stalls, watching our fabulous models work the catwalk and then bagging those bargains.  We would like to thank everybody who helped to host and those who bought tickets to come to the evening, contributing to the overwhelming grand total raised of £1,150!! Couldn't make it on the night?  Catch the video here - Fashion show video

Our Volunteer Co-ordinator, Emma, looking comfortable on the catwalk!

From my last few posts, we are still looking for volunteers to help with educational talks in schools.  This role would be perfect for retired teachers, group leaders or anyone with an interest in education and cats!  Some talks are held at our adoption centre but others would be held in schools or local group meetings (e.g. brownies, cubs etc.).  Please do get in touch with our Community Education Officer to find out more!

All across Cats Protection we are celebrating National Black Cat Day on Thursday 30th October.  These stunning monochrome moggies often end up overlooked in favour of more colourful cats so we want to raise awareness of their plight and believe they make just as attractive and loving pets as the apparently more interesting individuals.  Black Cat Day promotes the adoption of black and black-and-white cats as, due to their coat colour and related superstition, they are the least likely to be adopted.  Our beautiful Onyx knows of that problem far too well and after months at our adoption centre is still waiting for someone who will understand her and offer her the love and independence she needs. We also have Bruno and Mia ready for homing and plenty more coming along soon - see our website for details.  We have decorated the adoption centre with little black cats in the hope that our potential adopters will see their beauty!  They will have a job to compete with my fabulous fur but their characters are still as fantastic!  Two pairs of our long-stay black and white cats (Holly and Jess, Rocky and Ellie-May) have been homed recently after long waits but they have finally found their happy endings.  If you would like to get involved the National Cats Protection are running a competition on their Facebook page to enter your #BlackCatSelfie for a chance for your rescue cat to be their National Black Cat Day Champion!

Now autumn is upon us it is so important to bring your cats in at night. I know how much I love my cosy bed on these cold evenings and it's just not safe out there for us as chasing mice can lead to us dicing with cars and it doesn't end well...  There are two cats in our care at the moment who have lost legs thanks to being hit by cars, what a horrible thought! We cats are so easily spooked and so many end up running into the path of cars whilst we are focused on something else or even just making our way home.  Also, before we know it there will be fireworks going off left, right and centre!  Look after your furry friend this Bonfire Night (and up to New Year) by using Feliway in your home.  Feliway can help calm your kitties by mimicking the feline facial pheromone, which us cats use to mark areas we feel happy and safe in.  Read more about it on the Feliway website. It is often handy to keep the radio or television on and the curtains closed whilst any fireworks are banging, although most of us don't mind them as much as dogs do...  they have their own product to help, find out more on the Adaptil website! 

And as if it doesn't already feel like 2014 is running away from us, it really isn't all that long until Christmas! We have some lovely Christmas cards and wrapping paper for sale at the adoption centre so go on, don't be in a rush this year and get them now while stocks last!  I myself am not a big fan of the festive season; decorations going up, loud music playing and strange smells of visitors and candles! I reckon that Feliway would come in handy right through the season.  The only thing us moggies do look forward to is the presents, all that paper to rip up and boxes to explore!!  

I will leave you all with some great news from our centre.  We have been awarded a Pets at Home gift card for selling the most Cats Protection Lottery tickets across the Wrexham District during the summer.  This is a fantastic result as it means we can treat our cats to plenty of goodies this autumn, using both the gift card and the money raised from those tickets so we owe huge thanks to everyone who has bought one through us!  You can still join up to play through the main Cats Protection website. I hope they don't forget me when they are shopping, I wouldn't say no to a catnip toy, or maybe some of those tasty Dreamies...

That's all for now folks.  Catch me again next month for more news and views! 

Love and Purrs,

Fred x