Monday 16 April 2018

Tabby Tom Appeal


Last month we launched our Tabby Tom Appeal – we thought we’d share Tom’s story and recovery all thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

Tom is a handsome long-haired tabby and white boy who came into our care after he was found starving and living on the streets of Birmingham. He was too hungry he resorted to eating the bread put out of the birds. Our adoption centre has been helping a local cat charity in Birmingham so Tom came down to Exeter to start a new life. During his routine veterinary examination, our vet discovered that Tom had a very badly infected ear and will need a life-saving surgical TECA operation (Total Ear Canal Ablation) which will cost £700. Following the operation Tom should be able to live a normal life, albeit deaf in one ear. Our deputy manager Phil launched the Tabby Tom Appeal on our JustGiving page in the hope we would raise the money for his treatment.


Tom before his operation


Everyone has been fantastic! We smashed our target within 24 hours. In total we managed to raise £778.50, we would like to thank everybody who donated towards his treatment. On March 27th Tom went to our Veterinary Hospital for the surgical operation on his ear. His operation was very successful and he spent a few days recovering at the Veterinary Hospital. By the 7th March he came back to Axhayes to continue his recovery. He still needs lubricant eye drops in his eye regularly as part of post-op. He is wearing a buster collar to stop him from scratching his ear and his stitches. He is enjoying lots of attention and tummy tickles from our CCAs who are caring for him.

1 week after his op

Two weeks later....lounging around in his bed

We will keep you all posted on his progress over the coming weeks and when he is available for rehoming. Again, we would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who donated to Tom’s operation. For more news about Exeter Axhayes Adoption Centre or Taunton Homing & Info Centre and the cats we have available for adoption, you can follow us on our Facebook @cpexeteraxhayes, Twitter and Instagram.

Wednesday 11 April 2018

Snuggles story

One of the most lovely parts of our job is hearing how cats affect our lives.

We recently received a lovely email from Mandy about a cat that was adopted from our centre 20 years ago.

This is the wonderful story of Snuggles....



On 19/9/1998 my life changed forever. My sister bought a kitten from you for myself and my son to join our family. My sister was his registered keeper, but I was his human mummy. He was a little ginger kitten 8 weeks old, his fur mummy and siblings were shades of black and black and white. You had called him Knave.



Snuggles with Mandy's Son


My son chose him because he walked in the opposite direction to the rest of his family. There began the most amazing, pure love relationship I have ever had in my life. We renamed him Snuggles, Snuggles Frankie Sox was his full name. He was called Snuggles because my son thought he was snuggly. Snuggles had an amazing life, he was free to come and go and had many cat adventures. He was a hunter and and adventurer and a bit of a reputation as a fighter in the neighbourhood too. He was so intelligent, and love to play games, hide and seek was his favourite, he would hide and wait to be found, and then I would hide and he would come and find me. Snuggles chose where he slept and this was by my side under the duvet with his head on the pillow.





                        
Snuggles developed diabetes at the age of 16 years, and then had to have insulin injections twice a day.  I learnt how to do this myself and to test his blood sugar levels, it was terrifying and didn't seem right to stick needles in him at first. Snuggles was so patient and tolerant and gave me the courage and confidence to maintain this for three years. Sadly Snuggles also developed kidney problems and arthritis. From then on Snuggles led a more sedate life, he had access to the garden which was then fenced off to stop him escaping, although he sometimes he still managed to scale the 6ft gate, to attempt escape. 


Snuggles relaxing in the garden

Sadly Snuggles' health deteriorated, and I had to make the hardest decision of my life. Snuggles passed away peacefully in my arms at home with the help of the vet on 5/3/18.

A light went out of my life that day, Snuggles was my best friend, and my soul mate.
I feel truly blessed and honoured to have been his human mummy for the best part of 20 years, and for that I will always be grateful.


 

So thank you from the bottom of my heart, for giving me Snuggles.


If you have a story that you would like to share with us and our Facebook readers, please email us at : exeteraxhayes@cats.org.uk and mark it for the attention of Di or Gemma ( Facebook editors)

Thursday 5 April 2018

The Scratching Post - Axhayes' newest place to be...


We hope you all had a fantastic Easter weekend! During the Easter weekend was our annual Easter Coffee Morning hosted by our Friends of Exeter Axhayes Group. The weather was thankfully dry on the day after week of rain and the threat of the snow returning. It also saw the official opening of our new tearoom – named The Scratching Post. All of this has been possible thanks to your generosity and supporting our events here at the centre. Thanks to the money we have raised over the years, we have been able to buy and set up our own tearoom on site for our future events.   
Just after it was built beginning of March

On our Facebook page we launched a competition to allow our followers to come up with names for our shiny new tearoom. The Scratching Post was chosen by popular vote by our staff members and Friends of Group. The lucky three winners came out for some free cake and goodie bags for them and their cats. We would like to thank everybody who helped get our tearoom up and running for our Coffee Morning we were worried we wouldn’t be able to use it in time. Special thanks to our volunteer Dawn for helping Mark (A/C manager) with painting the exterior when we had some sunshine. Thanks to Jan our new greenfingers volunteer for potting some lovely flowers around the grounds in time for Saturday. Thank you to our Friends of Group volunteer Libby for decorating the interior with lots of Easter bunting and tablecloths. Looked fantastic!

Looking great after few coats of paint

Decorated interior - lots of pretty bunting

Our fabulous homemade Easter cakes

The Scratching Post needs some more work on the interior in the coming weeks and we will share with you in the coming weeks on Facebook. Our Easter Coffee Morning was a huge success and very busy! We managed to raise in total £267 which is fantastic! Thank you to everybody who came out and supported us. All of the money will go towards helping cats and kittens here at the centre.

For more news about Exeter Axhayes Adoption Centre or Taunton Homing & Info Centre and the cats we have available for adoption, you can follow us on our Facebook @cpexeteraxhayes, Twitter and Instagram.