Friday 29 March 2013

Children learning about cats


Growing up with a pet can be an extremely rewarding experience for any youngster. We all remember our first pet and teaching your children to respect, love and help care for a cat will help them to become responsible and caring adults...

Did you know that we are able to offer tours of our centre to groups of children?

We had two tours a few weeks ago from Mill water School in Honiton and found one of our cats who was a stray was particularly attracted to the sight and sound of children. He was usually curled up in his bed under the covers most of the day but when the children visited, he got out of bed and came to his pen door. He was very happy to let some of them stroke him.


This is Allium who was adopted today

           
In the last couple of years we have also had a Scout tour and given a talk at a Brownie meeting. We find that children are very interested in cat care and always have questions and stories of their own cats to tell us. 

All of the cats in our rehoming section have pen labels on their door stating if they could be homed with children. Many of our cats are strays so we don’t have the usual information about the cats past experiences from a previous owner. Our cat care assistants get to know the cat’s temperament in the time they stay with us and are always happy to provide advice and guidance if you have children and are looking for a suitable cat. 


This is Robinson who has lived with children in his previous home


















                                                    

This is our eye catching van that we use to do home visits & trips to the vets

We also go to primary schools to give educational talks as part of the PHSE part of the curriculum. We even give the children a short quiz and goodie bag containing a bookmark, a balloon, a badge, a notepad and pencil and more…






You can find lots more fun for children while learning about cats on the main Cats Protection website. Just click on this link http://www.cats.org.uk/cats-for-kids or for educational resources, have a look at http://www.cats.org.uk/learn

Please help us to educate the cat owners of the future.  




Monday 18 March 2013

Ella - the chattiest cat at Axhayes!

Meet our latest office recruit Ella! This is her third visit to Axhayes; she really has been an unlucky black cat! She first came to us a few years ago, back then she was a well travelled cat and had moved quite a few times with her first owners. She loved her owner dearly and wanted to be with her all the time and would follow her everywhere. She really started to miss her when her owner went to work and became anxious and unhappy. Her owner felt it was better for her to find a new home where her needs could be better met.




Ella is a very friendly girl so much so that she wants all the attention to herself and does not like to share it with another cat. So she finds herself back this time to find a home where she can be centre of attention. Ella prefers human company; she just loves to be around people! During the day Ella hangs around reception with our managers and CCAs, she loves sitting on our laps and rubbing around your legs churping. She’s very charismatic and the girls here just love her character and find her antics very funny. Her favourite thing to do is to chat to you and tell you about her day.



Last week CCA Gemma and Therese have been trying to video her chattering. On Monday our receptionist Tracy started meowing to her, Ella starting churping a little, we managed to record some of her chatting. Ella has become somewhat camera shy and doesn’t want to chat once the camera starts recording. Her video is now completed and on youtube for everyone to see....




If you would like to give Ella a loving home, please visit our website www.axhayes.cats.org.uk for more information. Thank you.

FIV Appeal - Bishop, Snowy and Chantell

Here at Axhayes people often ask us for 'an indoor cat'.  The only cats we home as 'indoor cats' have a medical condition called F.I.V. This is a virus, similar to human H.I.V., which is present in blood, saliva and other bodily fluids, and it is very delicate and cannot survive for long periods out of the body. This means it cannot be transferred from cat to cat on people's hands or clothes. It can only infect cats, and infected cats can live normal lives for many years. We home cats with the virus as indoor cats to avoid the risk of the cats getting into fights with other cats and passing the virus on. Being indoors also means that there is less chance of catching an illness. There is currently no reliable treatment for F.I.V., and there is no vaccine against it. 
We currently have three F.I.V cats here at the centre looking for indoor homes.... 

Bishop
1 year old male black and white cat

Bishop is a wonderfully friendly boy who just wants company! He was brought to us as a stray, and, unfortunately contracted FIV on his travels, which means that he is looking for an indoor home. he would make a great companion as he loves people and has a lovely nature. Please ask us about adopting him today!




Snowy
8 year old male white and black cat

Dear snowy is looking for an inside home, somewhere where he can be loved for the special chap that he is. Who knows what life has dealt him, but we do know he isn't enjoying it in a pen. He moved from the Midlands to sunny Devon to hopefully find the greatest new home ever. If you are looking for a quiet little man to share your home with then he could be the one for you.



Chantell
7 month old female black and white kitten  

For someone so young it is such a shame Chantell has to have an indoor home. Life can still be good, though, if she is given lots of love and attention. also you can bring in lots of toys and playthings to enrich her enviroment. She is such a little sweetie. If you are looking for an indoor cat then she could be the one for you.



We always have F.I.V. cats looking for homes, and they are purrfect for people who, providing there is enough space and enrichment for the cat, don't have gardens. If you interested in giving one of our FIV cats an indoor home, please get in touch with us. Thank you.

Thursday 14 March 2013

Bilbo enjoying his new life...


Bilbo is a 2 year old male grey and white cat that came to the centre in January. This handsome chap was finding life very confusing after being made homeless when his owners were evicted.
We received a lovely letter from Sue his new owner with an update on his progress.

This is just some of her letter that we wanted to share with you.

“We adopted Bilbo at the beginning of February, and he has quickly become a much loved part of the family.  He has been ideal as a companion to our little black female who seemed to be fretting and lonely after the loss of our other cat last summer.

Bilbo has never once hissed or growled and is fascinated by her, following her around like a puppy. He is friendly and likes a fuss and cuddles and is happy to be picked up. He is a bit big to sit on a lap so tends to sprawl over both sides.

He is however a thief! He has obviously been used to eating scraps and cooked meat from the kitchen or table and will try his hardest to get his nose onto a plate with meat on it. So, we are having to think about not leaving food anywhere in the kitchen, something we have not had to worry about previously.

He was recently allowed out for the first time and was introduced to the cat flap. He had a good look around the garden for an hour or so with our other cat following him, then came back in for a snooze. Since then he has been in and out several times, so has obviously settled here and accepted us.

I think the photos show that he’s happy. In the middle one he is on top of the microwave, one of his favourite places in the kitchen where he can see what is going on!”

We love to hear your success stories and see photos of the cats you have adopted enjoying home life.  Please keep them coming!

You can send them by post to Exeter Axhayes Cats Protection, Little Hill Cottage, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, EX5 2HS or email them to exeteraxhayes@cats.org.uk

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Please help our oldies find retirement homes.

As cats grow older they often turn their attention from playing, exploring the great outdoors or hunting to spending time quietly with their owners. Nowadays, cats live longer than in the past and a great many cats reach their late teens and even early twenties with little or no sign of deterioration. They can glide gracefully into old age simply slowing down their pace of life.

There are many benefits of adopting a mature cat;

-          The mature cat is more placid than a kitten and usually content to spend much of their time watching the world go by
-          Older cats are often more home-loving and settled, making them an excellent companion and often prefer to stay around the house and garden.
-          Older cats often love company and are often real lap cats.

If you are looking for a loving companion who likes to stay around the house with you, one of our loveable oldies could be the cat for you!

Here are some of our wonderful oldies looking for homes –

Merlin
12 year old male black cat

Merlin is a very sweet boy looking for someone to show him all the nice things he’s been missing out on. His owner brought him in when she thought that he wanted more than the indoor flat he’s been used to. We are sure Merlin would love a garden and the freedom to do what he wants to do. If you think you can spoil this beaut rotten then please take him home today.  



Joe
12 year old male grey and white cat

Dear Joe is looking for a new home, somewhere where he can be loved for the special chap that he is. Who knows what life has dealt him, but we do know he isn’t enjoying it in a pen. He moved from the Midlands to sunny Devon to hopefully find the greatest new home ever. If you are looking for a quiet little man to share your home with then he is the one for you.




Welsey and Nanah
11 year old male and female black cats 

This pretty pair of friendly cats were brought in here when their owners had to move and couldn’t bring them with them. They are very loving and calm cats just looking for a nice new forever home where they can feel safe and happy. If you could take them then please don’t hesitate to give us a call or come out and see them.

 




 




Precious
15 year old female grey tabby cat

This is no place for a 15 year old little girl! Precious is a very sweet old lady who deserves more than spending her golden years in a pen. We find that the older gentle cats like precious don’t cope too well in here; they should be sitting on a comfy sofa in a warm house with people who loves and cares for them! If you can spare a seat on your sofa and some of your love then please don’t let her spend another one of her precious days in here.


If you would like to adopt one of our golden oldies please visit our website or facebook page for more details. Thank you

Tuesday 12 March 2013

Jellaby a.k.a Mr Snuggles

If you have visited our centre recently, you may have met Jellaby our handsome ginger boy. He came into Axhayes back in November as a stray; he was very frightened at first. He is a very sweet boy but found life in a pen a bit difficult. Our CCA Carolyne has been helping him build up his confidence by taking him to a quiet area of the centre and socialising with him. Over the past few months Jellaby’s confidence has grown, he loves curling up on a lap and having tickles under his chin. He loves to snuggle into you and head butt your chin, one of our girls has nicknamed him “Mr Snuggles”. He is a very affectionate and loving boy who adores hugs and kisses. If you like hugs and kisses and don’t mind a bit of drool then Jellaby is perfect!

He is much happier now in his pen, our girls and volunteers have been showing him that being in a pen isn’t so bad. He no longer runs away outside when people come to visit him, instead he climbs up onto your shoulder for a cuddle and snuggles up to you. We are so pleased with his progress and we know he’s going to make a great companion. Today he enjoyed cuddles with Carolyne, but he loves cuddling her so much, he didn't want to let go. He doesn’t like walking on the floor, it’s a bit scary for him at first. She has been encouraging him to walk around on the floor and follow her around the corridor. Now he thinks it’s not so bad and happily walked around greeting a few people. Here's a video of him below with CCA Carolyne a few months ago enjoying cuddles.


We are hoping someone will fall in love with Jellaby soon and take him home. Jellaby is looking for a home in a safe area with a nice garden to explore in. He also needs a family who will be gentle and patient with him, and let him take all the time he needs to settle into a new home. If you are interested in Jellaby please get in touch with us. For more information, please visit our website www.axhayes.cats.org.uk. Thank you.  

Saturday 9 March 2013

Mother's Day at Axhayes!

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and our Axhayes mums are hoping this will be their lucky weekend finding a new home….

You may remember our mother from last year Unicorn. She was rescued from under a dual carriageway bridge by our CCAs. After a two day operation, Unicorn and all eight of her kittens were safely rescued and brought to the adoption centre. She had done a fantastic job raising her eight kittens and all of her kittens found homes many months ago. Now Unicorn is desperate to find herself a home too, she’s a very sweet affectionate girl who just wants a quiet home where she will be loved forever….



Fonteyn came into us last month after her owner was evicted and left this poor girl behind along with her two beautiful kittens behind. Luckily her neighbour found them and contacted us. Her kittens have now flown the nest so Fonteyn is looking for a home where she will be loved and pampered forever. She’s a very sweet friendly girl, who loves attention. She will make a lovely companion for someone, please say hello to her this weekend.



Lucky and her daughter Princess find themselves here after owner had a baby and there wasn’t room for everyone. They have always been together and get on so well, they would like to stay together. These girls are both very affectionate cats and quite playful. They have lived with children so we know they will be great family pets. They are stunning and have great natures and will make wonderful additions to your home. Please give this mother and daughter combination a loving home this Mother’s Day!


Interested in adopting one of our loveable mothers? Please visit our official website or facebook page for more information. Thank you.    

Thursday 7 March 2013

Happy Ending - Buttons, Didley and Roberta!

Last month one of our loveable oldies Buttons found a new home! He wasn’t alone and was joined by his new friends Didley and Roberta. You may remember Buttons came to Axhayes after his owner was taken in care. He became very popular with our girls and soon joined us in the office during the day. He loved being around people, walking on desks for kisses/head butts, sleeping on our chairs and getting himself into mischief like hiding in any open cupboards.

Didley is another one of our loveable oldies who had a lot of upheaval in his life. He was originally found in a flat by an estate agent, he had a few homes and somewhere along the line his jaw was injured when he got hit by a car. His tongue and bottom tooth would stick out which our girls at the centre thought was very endearing! This lovely boy has finally found the loving forever home he deserves. They were joined by Roberta our very pretty lady who’s a bit of a princess and loves to be centre of attention. She was also looking for someone to give her a second chance and love her forever.

We were delighted to receive an email from their new owners; all three cats are getting on just fine and all happily settled in to their new home.








We would like to thank their new owners for sending us these lovely photos and giving these guys a home. Another happy ending for our cats! Interested in giving an Axhayes cat or kitten a loving forever home? Please visit our official website or facebook page for more information.