Duke-a cat of fine breeding down on his luck

 

 

Meet Duke, our loveable 5 year old ginger and white Persian boy  who is looking for a new home where he will be spoilt rotten.   Duke the day he arrived at the centre       He has a new funky hair cut as his fur was so matted and dirty when he came to us; the vet had no choice but to shave it off.  After his trip to the furdressers!   In a couple of months his fur will grow back and he will look fluffy and handsome once again. He’s very friendly, playful and loves attention; he would really like a home with someone who will be around all of time to keep him company. He hasn't been with us very long but the staff have all found him very sweet natured and wanting affection. He will need extra portions of food to build him up to a healthy weight and regular grooming to keep his existing fur looking good and for the new growth of fur to be kept tangle free. Did you know... It is thought that Persian cats came from Asia and didn’t arrive in Europe until the 16th century. Their long coat needs grooming every day or it gets tangled. There are lots of Persian breeds; including the White Persian, Black Persian, Peke-faced Persian, Cameo Persian and Smoke Persian. They are now amongst the most popular breed of cats and are well known for their gentle and sweet personalities that fit into most types of home as they are such good companions and get along with everyone including children. They enjoy laying around being admired and don't like to jump and climb as much as other types of cat.   How can you resist those pleading eyes!      If you are looking for a fabulous companion and have experience with keeping Persian cats, then Duke is the cat for you!  You could be his 'Duchess' and after the ordeal he has been through, he really deserves to be treated like royalty.

Cats and Babies

Most cats will get on famously with a new arrival in the household but a baby does bring a whole change of routine and lifestyle for your cat. The character of your cat – whether shy or confident – will affect how he reacts to this new experience. It’s important to remember that even though you have a new baby and all the sleepless nights to contend with, you still have responsibility to keep your cat healthy and happy. Your cat will have been used to having your undivided attention before the birth and the sudden change in priorities can be unsettling for him.

A growing family

It’s always best to be prepared, once you know you are pregnant: -

-       Make sure your cat is in good health by taking him for a check-up at the vet

-       If your cat is not neutered, get this done without delay

-       Introduce your cat to any baby items you buy, such as nursery furniture or prams – let your cat investigate but don’t let him climb on them and then keep them shut away. It is important to ensure the items are off limits because some will be very tempting places for your cat to sleep.

-       Begin getting your cat used to the sounds of the baby. Record a friend or relative’s baby or buy a CD that you can play on a very low volume to being with and gradually increase the noise. Crying can be worrying for a cat that hasn’t heard it before.

-       Consult your doctor or health visitor about any other steps that you need to take.

A safe pregnancy

Sadly, some mums-to-be consider giving up their cats over fears of toxoplasmosis, a micro-organism that can affect the foetus if a pregnant woman is infected. However, a major study in the British Medical Journal concluded that contact with cats was not a risk factor for toxoplasma infection, despite many believing this to be so. Although cats are a link in the transmission of toxoplasmosis, the main sources of infection to people are through contact with contaminated soil – from gardening without gloves or eating unwashed fruit or vegetables – or by eating undercooked meat.

It is best to wear gloves and an apron when dealing with your cat’s litter tray – better still, it’s the perfect excuse to get someone else to do it! If you are worried about owning a cat while pregnant, seek advice from your doctor and see Cat’s Protection Veterinary Guide: Cats and pregnant women – Toxoplasmosis.

 

New routines

Cats are creatures of habit and thrive on routine. Introducing a new routine gradually for your cat before the baby arrives will help ease the situation when the big day comes. Begin by:

-       Putting the nursery room strictly out of bounds – this is particularly important if your cat has previously had free rein in the house

-       Reducing the amount of “lap time” your cat gets – you won’t have time to give your cat as much attention once the baby arrives

-       If you need to move your cat’s feeding or toileting place, do it gradually so it will not upset your cat’s routine too much.

Once baby arrives

It’s never too early for children to learn the respect, love and understand animals and it’s important they feel confident around them. It’s the basis of true companionship. Your baby will be around three months old before he or she first notices that there is something not human in the house. Your cat will have noticed the baby from day one and may be curious about the new arrival, so don’t panic if your cat sniffs the baby’s feet or hangs around the pram like a guard-cat. Not all cats are baby lovers, many will just ignore the new infant and keep a wide berth.

Do:

-       Use a safe cot or pram net to keep the cat at bay – pull it taut to deter your cat from using it as a bed

-       Keep the nursery inaccessible to your cat while the baby is asleep and make sure any open windows are cat proof

-       Keep all of the baby’s feeding utensils out of the cat’s reach

-       Keep the baby and cat food separately, you don’t want to get them mixed up in a sleep-deprived moment!

-       Try and set aside a part of the day to make a fuss of your cat as it’s important that his normal routines are maintained – it will give you a chance to grab a quiet moment and relax

-       Remember your cat should be regularly treated for fleas and worms and his litter tray kept clean

And Don’t:

-       Leave a baby and a cat together unsupervised, even if you trust your cat 100%

-       Leave any children’s sandboxes uncovered in case a cat is tempted to use it as a litter tray.

If you have concerns about your cat’s behaviour once the baby has arrived, please seek advice from a qualified cat behaviourist who may easily be able to pinpoint a trigger factor and help you to get back to harmony you previously enjoyed.  (Courtsey of Cats Protection)

Please help our Open Day/Easter Eggstravaganza 2014

Calling all Cat Lovers – Yes you, we need you !!!!!!!

 

It’s that time of year again and we are asking all of you fantastic people who have adopted from us, supported us or just even liked our pages for help.

We have decided to combine our two major events into one making for a very big, high profile fun day for all. Our Easter Eggstravaganza and Annual Open Day will be held on Friday 18^th April 11am-4pm here at the Adoption Centre.  The main aims of this day still remain the same to re-home as many cats as possible, increase awareness of the centre and raise vital funds for the cats in our care.

The event will begin at 11am till approx 4pm and there will be plenty of fun for all to be had including Easter Egg hunt, magician, bird of prey display, dog  fun dog agility show, cream teas, ice cream, BBQ, raffles, tombola’s, many many stalls and much more. This year our need for help is greater than ever. Are you able to spare us a few hours to run a stall, sell draw tickets, help with car parking?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are unable to give your time, then perhaps you could help in other ways. Maybe you could bake a cake or two. If you are a keen gardener with cuttings and seedlings you would like to put to good use, then we can sell these. We will also need plenty of items that can be used for various stalls, games, tombola’s, competition, such as chocolate (including easter eggs) toiletries, wine, toys, Bric a brac etc anything however large or small.
 

If you can help in any way please could I ask that you call Louise Bradbury or Phil Punnett as soon as possible on 01395 232377 or drop us an email on exeteraxhayes@cats.org.uk .  Without a large amount of help from the general cat loving public to make this a successful day, many cats will miss out on the chance of a home.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you on the day. Please share this with family and friends

 

Success Story - Sark

Sark was one of thirty cats which were rescued from the RSPCA back in August 2013. Many of these guys were very shy and timid due to the sheer number of cats; sadly some of them didn’t get enough attention from their owner to make them confident cats. Sark was eventually adopted January 2014, after patiently waiting and becoming a little more confident thanks to our CCAs and volunteers.

 

Sark’s owners have been in touch via our email with an update on his progress. Sark started life in his life in his new home in the bottom conservatory where he managed to make a bed inside the underneath of the sofa (yes inside the sofa). His owners thought they lost him or he had escaped. Every night they encouraged him out with treats, although he was very scared, he gradually started coming out more and more. His owners other cat Jelly did not except him very well but just recently after she became poorly they have become good friends, but Sark knows Jelly is the boss. Sark decided to gate-crash his owners Valentine’s Day meal by stealing the steaks off the kitchen work top and hiding in the sofa with them. He has learnt very quickly that he gets fed and no longer steals food from the work tops.  He loves the kids and loves sitting on our laps in the evenings also has mental moments like chasing things on the TV; which their kids find very funny.

 

Sark hasn’t been outside much, the cat flap is open all of the time for Jelly, but Sark is not interested in the great outdoors. He did put two paws on the patio the other day but he ran straight back inside bless him. His owner thinks this will change with the summer coming. His owner said he is a real joy to their house and thanked us for helping him build up his confidence.
We would like to thank his owners for giving him the time and patience to bring him around. He sounds like a very happy and settled boy. We would also like to thank them for the update and photos. We are so pleased he is doing so well.

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)