Success Story - Dave

Dave came to Axhayes last January as a stray. He was such a wonderful friendly chap and a real character! He was adopted in March last year and we have received a lovely email from his owners a year on….

 

“I can't believe it's a year since we adopted Dave. He's settled in really well. He's a very sociable, and at times, quite a humorous chap. We saw him the other day bunny jumping in the air whilst the dogs were chasing one another round the garden. I think he was quite excited and probably would have liked to join in if he was a little bigger.

 
He's just had his annual MOT which he passed with flying colours and the vet said he was a 'very lucky boy'. I said that I told him that every day although really I think we're the lucky ones! I've attached a couple of photos - one of Dave 'helping' in the garden yesterday, and the other of him with his buddy after a busy night. (Excuse the unmade bed. They didn't give me time to make it!)”

We would like to thank Dave's owners for the update and we're so pleased he is settled and very happy in his new home.

How your donations have helped our cats and kittens at Exeter Axhayes

Our Friends of Exeter Axhayes Group are a group of volunteers who organise fundraising events and activities to raise money for the centre. We cannot carry out our vital work of rehoming and helping hundreds of cats every year without funds, so by becoming a fundraising volunteer you could really be at the forefront of helping cats in your area. If you have passion for cats and can spare some time to fundraise or be an advocate for the charity’s work, then we would love to hear from you. Even sparing a few hours a week could make a huge difference.

Last year our feral garden was constructed and it officially opened in September. This feral enclosure wouldn’t be possible without the support and generosity of the public at our Friends of Group events. In October 2011, 25 people including staff, volunteers and members of the public walked over a 20ft path of hot coals at temperatures reaching 800°F to raise money for this feral enclosure. Our aim for this event was to raise money for a feral garden to be built at the adoption centre. This will make our feral cats stay at the centre much more pleasant. We would like to thank our Friends of Exeter Axhayes Group and all of our supporters. Thanks to our feral garden, we have been able to take in unwanted and homeless ferals and find them outdoor homes.

 

 

We have food donation bins at Sainsburys store in Pinhoe, Jacks Patch Garden Centre and The Cooperative stores in Sidwell Street, Heavitree and Broadclyst. Our bins are emptied weekly for our cats and kittens breakfasts, lunches and suppers. We would like to thank our supermarket shoppers for donating this food. Some of the money donated has been used to buy new toys, scratching posts and beds for our cats. Our cats and kittens have made great use of these toys, these toys really help our staff, volunteers and potential adopters interact with our cats. Of course these toys help reduce boredom!

We thought we’d share a few photos above showing how your kind donations have helped our cats and kittens at our centre. We would like to say a HUGE thank you to our Friends of Group and our supporters who have kindly donated money and have come to our events over the years.

Please keep an eye on our events pages on facebook or our website www.axhayes.cats.org.uk for more details about our future events. From all the cats and kittens here at Axhayes, Thank you.

Deaf Cats - please help Snowy find a loving home.

Snowy is our current deaf cat looking for a loving home. He will need a home with an enclosed garden away from busy roads and traffic. He is a stunning white fluffy cat who finds himself here after his owner’s child developed an allergy. He is a sweet sensitive boy who is hoping to find someone who will take him home and love him forever. If you can offer Snowy a suitable home to meet his needs, please get in touch with us. Here is some information  below written by Cats Protection about deaf cats....

Deaf cats compensate for their lack of hearing by using their other senses more, so much that it may be hard to tell whether or not they are deaf. There are varying degrees of deafness and different causes which may or may not be treatable.

Types of deafness

There are two main types of deafness: -

Where the sound cannot pass into the ear, e.g due to –

-       Tumours

-       Outer and middle ear infections

-       Wax build up

-       Ear mites

This type of deafness (above) may be reversible by treating the root cause.

Where the nerves associated with the ear do not function properly e.g due to –

-       Genetic problems (e.g. in the case of some white cats)

-       Inner ear infections

-       Drug toxicity

-       Noise trauma

-       Age-related degeneration

All of these can produce permanent deafness.

How can I tell if my cat is deaf?

It can be difficult to determine if a cat is deaf, particularly if he has been deaf from birth and is very used to his condition, but signs may include:

-       Failure to respond when called or when loud appliances are switched on

-       Being easily startled

-       Very loud miaowing

-       Signs of dizziness or disorientation

-       Shaking the head or clawing at the ear

-       Pus, discharge or unpleasant odour coming from the ear

How do I help my deaf cat adapt?

Generally, a deaf cat doesn’t need to be treated any differently than any other cat. If your cat is easily startled, try walking heavily to announce your presence. Some cats also learn to recognise hand or light signals. When doing this, you must be distinct and consistent so as not to confuse him.

Deaf cats cannot hear danger signals such as cars or other animals. Cats Protection recommends that they are kept indoors for their own safety unless you have an escape-proof garden or away from busy roads. If you decide to let your deaf cat out, make sure he wears a well-fitted safety collar that states his disability and your details in case he escapes.

If you decide to keep your cat indoors entirely, ensure you enrich his environment with toys, games, climbers and scratchers to alleviate boredom. (Written by Cats Protection)