Queenie

Heavily pregnant mum to be

Queenie is a gorgeous black, pregnant girl who is almost ready to give birth. Over the last few days she has looked very uncomfortable and absolutely huge! This photo taken yesterday shows how large she has become. 

This will not be Queenie's first litter either. She came in with two 12 week old kittens. She has now been separated from her kittens as they are fully weaned. 

Earlier today Queenie started to have contractions and before we left she had produced one tiny, adroable black kitten. She seems very relaxed and not worried at all, after all she has done it all before. Here is a photo of her in her maternity bed ready to become a mum. 

Centre Manager Mel will be keeping a close eye on her tonight to make sure that there are no complications during the birth. We are wondering how many kittens she will have. Any guesses anyone? We will let you know shortly how Queenie got on and how many kittens she has. How exciting!

Molly and her gorgeous babies

Growing up fast

You might remember from a previous blog post that proud mum Molly gave birth to four gorgeous babies just over three weeks ago. 

Yesterday we took some photos of them and you can really see how much they have grown up in the last few weeks. Before long they will be walking around, playing and eating solid food. 

Molly has been doing a fantastic job and all of her babies seem happy and healthy. We have been socialising them to help the kittens get used to us and new experiences. So far they have been doing really well and Molly has been enjoying all the attention as well.

The kittens should start to be weaned onto solid food once they reach the age of 4-5 weeks old. Every litter is different it may well take them a few weeks to get used to kitten food. We will keep you updated on how they are doing.

Once the kittens turn nine weeks old they will be health checked by our vet, vaccinated and micro-chipped. Then they will be ready to go to new homes and Molly will too.

Hopefully they will all find homes quickly. Don't forget that Molly needs a home just as much as her kittens do. Sadly the mums often get overlooked.

We are open everyday from 11am-3pm so please come along a view our wonderful cats. Our address is 122 Marlborough Road, Ryde, PO33 1AW. Our telephone number is 01983 562609.

Homing Day

A Huge Success

On Sunday we held a Homing Day here at the adoption centre. At first it was a slow start, I expect everyone was having a lie in! Around midday lots of potential adopters started to arrive. After a very busy few hours we had managed to reserve Dexter, Megan and lots of kittens. 

The whole weekend was very busy and on Saturday we reserved Dolly, another cat called Dexter, Tilly & Spencer and more kittens!  If only all of our weekends were this successful we would be very happy. 

Special thanks must be said to all of our hard working volunteers who helped out on the day. We had small raffle, refreshments and Cats Protection merchandise on sale. 

We still have many cats and kittens in need of loving homes. Some of our cats have been in our care for some time. Often the older cats get overlooked in favour of kittens and are kept waiting for months to go to new homes. Have a heart and consider adopting one of our golden oldies. Kirsty, Flora, Winnie & Molly and Holly are all older female cats. To find out more about these gorgeous girls please visit our website.  

Quiz Night

High Park Tavern- 22nd October

Cats Protection invites you to a quiz night on Saturday October 22nd.

Place: High Park Tavern, Ryde, Isle of Wight

Time: 7.30pm, quiz starts at 8pm.

Entry: £2 per person

We will also be having a small raffle. All proceeds go to Cats Protection

Success Story

Missy and Ebony

The last remaining pair of Ruby's kittens were adopted a few weeks ago. Here is an update on how they are doing.

The girls are going from strength to strength! They are now exploring the whole house and getting increasingly friendly. We have all had lap cuddles Ebby is particularly fond of laps! They are discovering the joys of running up and down stairs and my teenage daughter has two new alarm clocks, brilliant! It was lovely to hear Ruby has a new home my daughters were very concerned about her.

We will see you on Monday for our 2nd jabs!

Steph Warren

Success Story

Catkin - adopted last January

 

Dear everyone,

 

Time, I think, for another bulletin;  an update on my life.  Last Friday was my 4th birthday, Mummy decreed it to be September 9th, as this was the date she lost the last cat she loved.  There was no problem with this as I came off rather well - nearly all the presents were edible!!  Thought you might like to see the photos, I think I looked rather beautiful.  Mummy managed to get some "Hello Kitty" wrapping paper, which I thought highly appropriate, and a Simon's Cat card.  I have to confess I have put on a little tonnage in the last eight months, although I honestly don't eat very much, unlike the previous incumbent!  My main downfall is probably laziness, I do enjoy my sleep and have my own fleece permanently on the bed.  At the outset of our relationship Mummy actually bought me a cat bed of my own - but how can one not spurn something so predictable!!  This may well find its way to you in December.  

 

Now, my greatest achievement - my lizard catching has reached new heights.  Last week I actually ATE one.  I have to say, this was not appreciated by the one who opens tins, but as she was up a step ladder at the time, cleaning windows, it seemed the ideal opportunity for a quick flavour savour.  Actually, I'm not sure the taste was so great and I ended up leaving a head and a tail on the hall carpet - another dubious decision!!

 

Hope all is well for everyone and our love to the cats

 

Catkin

 

and Liz, the servant.

Success Story

Bella - love at first sight

Mick & I had just lost our cheeky little cat Jasper who passed away suddenly in July. He was taken in as a stray by Feline Welfare and we adopted him giving him the best 7 months of his life in a loving caring home.

Mick & I decided that we would like to adopt another cat. After looking on the Cats Protection Website we decided to go & visit Bella at the centre on Sunday 7th August 2011. As soon as we opened her door it was love at first sight for us all. She let us stroke her especially on her tummy when she rolled on her side and her little tail was wagging from side to side.

We went through all the procedure and got the all clear that we could finally collect her on Saturday 20th August 2011.  All the way to Newport Bella Meowed in the car wanting to be let out, when we finally got home she came out of her carry box and explored her new home and found two favourite places that she likes to hide and go to sleep. One is behind the sofa and the other one is upstairs behind the futon.

Within the last three weeks she has settled in really well, we are very pleased that she is eating well to. Bella enjoys catching flies, spiders and insects sometimes chasing them all around the house. She loves her cuddles she even wakes me up at least once during the night for cuddles, how can I resist!! If I stop Bella nudges me with her head, bless her.

We play hide and seek in her tunnel, she loves going out in the garden pretending to be Tigger bouncing around and best of all she loves trying to get in the bath when we are in it or when we are just about to have a shower.

We love her to bits and would like to say that she has given us so much love back including being very cheeky in not wanting to come back indoors at night by playing catch me if you can with us.

It was defiantly one of the best decisions we have ever made to adopt her and give her a loving caring home and return she gives us so much back.

We believe every cat or kitten deserves a chance of what Bella has and what we had given to Jasper.

Polly - The final chapter

Sweet dreams Polly

Today was a very hard day for all of us at the centre. The decision was made that in Polly's best interest the kindest thing to do was to have her was put to sleep. Polly had been detiorating quite rapidly over the past few days and it was her time to go kitty heaven. 

Polly spent her last evening sleeping under my jumper. I thought that the smell of me might comfort her during the night. I found it very hard to leave Polly last night and she purred next to me. She knew as well as I did that the time had come.  She had become very weak and she was refusing to eat anything. I hated seeing her like this.

This morning when I arrived at work the first thing I did when I walked through the door was to check on how Polly was doing. We had a big cuddle and she sat on my lap quite content for a while. I would have stayed with her all morning but unfortunately I had work to do!

Then the time came for Polly to see our vet Fiona. Polly laid herself down on the vet room table as if she was ready. I comforted her and gave her lots of kisses and told her that I loved her and that everything was alright. She then drifted into an eternal sleep, it was very peaceful. Polly was a cat very dear to my heart and I will miss her and never forget her. She has left paw prints on my heart forever.

I took Polly to Sue at Pets at Rest this afternoon to be cremated. Her ashes will come to the centre and then I will decide where I want Polly's final resting place to be. Goodnight my precious Polly, all my love Holly xxx

Education

Assembly and classroom talks

One of Cats Protection's key aims is to educate people about cats and their care. We believe that visiting schools can help educate pupils on this subject. School pupils are the pet owners of the future and Cats Protection's vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs. 

We are offering head teachers of schools on the island a fun, interactive assembly talk or individual classroom talks tailored to your requirements. For more information please view our website.

Please feel free to call us on 01983 562609 or email us on isleofwight@cats.org.uk if you are interested. We will be pleased to hear from you. 

Get your cat neutered

Help prevent the unwanted cat population

Over the past few years the cat and kitten situation has boomed, with explosions of kittens every year. With more and more unwanted cats and kittens coming to us for re-homing all year round, we are finding it very difficult to control the Island's cat population.

Our aim to reduce the amount of unwanted animals, and the most effective and humane way to do this is through neutering. This photo may look cute but every year kittens like this one are abandoned or fall ill and end up at Cats Protection. Every cat that comes into our care is neutered or spayed (if not already done) amongst other vet treatments.

If you are on benefits or on low income we can offer vouchers to assist with the cost of neutering your cat. £20 for male cat and £26 for a female cat. Pop into Cats Protection with proof of benefit or low income (open daily 11am-3pm) and then arrange the operation with your own vet. Please ring 01983 562609 for more details. Please note these vouchers are non-transferable.

Benefits of Neutering

As well as reducing the amount of unwanted cats and kittens, neutering has many other benefits, and can prevent other problems such as diseases and fighting. There are many myths that circulate about neutering. To set the record straight, here are the facts:

• There are around 2.5 million stray cats living in the UK
• One un-neutered female cat can be responsible for 20,000 descendants in just five years
• Cats can become sexually active from just four months old
• It is not beneficial for a cat to have 'just one litter' before being spayed
• Gestation in cats (the length of pregnancy) is only nine weeks, and a female cat can come into season again just six weeks after giving birth
• Pregnancy and motherhood are physically very demanding for a cat. Repeated pregnancies take their toll.
• Cats will breed with their brothers and sisters
• A cat can have up to three litters a year with five or six kittens (sometimes more) in each litter. That adds up to at least 18 caring homes for Cats Protection to find each year, just for one cats kittens! 

Why neuter?

Neutering has many health benefits, as well as helping to reduce the number of unwanted cats in the UK. 
Neutered male cats are:

• Less likely to roam, reducing the risk of them being run over
• Less likely to fight, reducing the risk of them getting injured
• Less likely to contract serious diseases such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) through fighting.
• Less likely to display territorial behaviour such as spraying
• Unable to develop tumours of the testicles

Neutered female cats are:

• Unable to get pregnant and have unwanted litters of kittens
• Not going to call or wail, as un-neutered queens do when in season
• Less likely to contract diseases such as FIV or FeLV spread by bites
• Unable to develop cancer of the ovaries or uterus
• Less likely to develop mammary cancer-especially if neutered under the age of six months

Homing Day

Cats in need of homes - Sunday 25th September

Cats Protection Isle of Wight are having a Homing day on Sunday 25th September.

Please come along and meet the cats and speak to our experienced Cat Care Assistants about the cats at the centre. We are open from 11am - 3pm.

Refreshments available throughout the day, a small raffle and Cats Protection merchandise will be on sale. 

Wanted

Cat carriers and cat beds

Cats Protection are in urgent need of second hand cat carriers and cat beds. If you have any unwanted ones we would be very happy to take them. 

Please drop them off to Cats Protection, 122 Marlborough Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight PO33 1AW.

Thanks very much, every donation is gratefully received.

Fashion Show

5th October - Bon Marche

Cats Protection invites you to join us for an entertaining evening with Bon Marche.

Come along and enjoy a fashion show on Wednesday 5th October 6pm til 9pm with refreshments, raffle and Cats Protections goods on sale.

Only £3 a ticket available from Cats Protection, Marlborough Rd, Ryde or Bon Marche, South Street , Newport.

30% discount on Bon Marche clothes purchased on the night (subject to availability)

All proceeds going to Cats Protection's Isle of Wight Adoption Centre.

Cat of the Month

Kirsty - affectionate, lap-cat

Hello my name is Kirsty. I am such a friendly girl who is just waiting to find a home of my own. I am often overlooked in favour of younger cats and this makes me very depressed. I am still young at heart and healthy. I am very affectionate and I love to sit on a nice warm lap. I would make an ideal companion for someone who lives on their own. I love to sleep so a nice quiet home would be lovely. 

All I want is to be loved and I will love you back. A home with a garden to sunbathe in would be perfect. I am also lucky because I can live anywhere on our lovely Island.

Please come along to the adoption centre to meet Kirsty. If you are looking for a companion Kirsty would be the purr-fect choice. We are open everyday from 11am-3pm. Our address is 122 Marlborough Road, Ryde, PO33 1AW. Or alternatively contact us on 01983 562609. 

Cookie

Cookie's Hernia

In an earlier blog post we promised that we would try to photograph Cookie's hernia. We had better luck this afternoon and managed to capture this photograph that shows how large the hernia is. You can see it quite clearly protruding from her abdomen.

Although the hernia does cause her some discomfort she is not in any pain. When her kittens are old enough she will have surgery.

 

An update on Polly

Polly - treated like a princess

You might remember from a previous blog post that Polly one of our resident cats had started medication for her thyroid and kidney problems. Polly was on the medication for a few weeks and for a while they seemed to do her the world of good. We have been keeping an eye on how much Polly has been eating and weighing her regularly.

We started to notice that Polly had become less interested in her food and she went down to the tiny weight of 1.4kg. The medication that she was on can have some side effects. Poor appetite, vomiting and lethargy were all symptoms that Polly had started to exhibit, a combination of the medication and old age. The decision was made that in her best interest we would stop giving her the medication. 

Polly had also started to refuse to take them as if she wanted us to stop. Polly is a very old cat and we have decided that for now it is kinder for her to live out her days and to take each day as it comes. She might not have long left but she is being treated like a princess and gets whatever food she wants, her favourite is chicken. We have seen an improvement in her since stopping the medication. She seems to have more energy and she has gone back to doing her 'patrols' as we call them. Polly likes to patrol the cattery throughout the day especially during the morning. She loves to say hello to everyone and to check we are all doing our jobs properly! Good news as well she now weighs 1.8kg.

We will continue to keep you updated on how little Polly is doing.

Urgent Appeal

Genie - young, playful, lap cat 

Hi I'm Genie. How could anyone resist me? I'm a gorgeous, sleek, young, black cat. What more could you want? Some people say black cats are lucky too! I am still young at heart and my favourite past time is playing with my toys. I would love a home with a garden and plenty of toys to play with, this would make me very happy. I enjoy lots of fuss as well and I love to sit and purr on a nice warm lap. I would make an ideal companion.

I have been waiting here for a home for far too long an I am feeling unloved. All I want is a home to call my own. I get very upset being in so close proximity to all the other cats. I would love a home as the only cat so I can get all of your attention! Please come along to the adoption centre to meet me. Ask a member of staff if you can meet me in my outdoor run. I will be very happy to meet you and hopefully win you over!

Please contact us on 01983 562609 if you are interested in adopting Genie. We are open everyday from 11am-3pm so please ask to visit her. 

Cookie and her kittens

A lovely mummy

Cookie and her six very cute kittens came to the adoption centre a few weeks ago. On arrival we health checked all of them and found that Cookie had a huge hernia. A hernia occurs when one part of the body protrudes through a gap or opening into another part of the body. This photo shows Cookie's hernia protruding underneath her. When I took this photo Cookie was so pleased to see me that she would not sit still, if I get a better photo I will post it on here shortly.

For the first few weeks Cookie was feeling very upset about being in a pen and we made the decision to separate her from her kittens. We thought that it would be better is she went to the vets to have surgery to correct the hernia. When the morning came of the operation we noticed that poor Cookie had started to develop mastitis. Mastitis occurs when the mammary glands of lactating queens become inflamed, blocked or infected. The decision was made to put Cookie back into the pen with her babies. Hopefully if the kittens started to suckle again her mammary glands would go back to normal. 

We are happy to say that Cookie seems to be much happier and her lumpy mammary glands have gone. She is much more content with her kittens and the whole family are happy to be back together. Of course when Cookie's babies are old enough she will have to have surgery. We will keep you updated on how Cookie and her adorable family are doing.

Found cat

Is this handsome, young male your cat?

This cheeky little fella followed someone home last night (5/9) from Well Street in Ryde.

He is long-haired, black and we have estimated his age at 5 months. He is very affectionate and friendly so we believe that he must be someone's cat.

If you think this is your cat or can give us any information to help us find an owner then please call us on 01983 562609. 

Found cat

Is this gorgeous tortie your cat?

Dolly as we have named her is a young, beautiful girl who was brought into the centre as a stray. She was found in the Carpenters Road area of St. Helens and had been straying around the area for almost a year. We have estimated her age at three years.

She is well socialised so we believe that she must be somebody's cat. We have checked our records and no one has reported a cat of this description missing.  

If you think this is your cat or if you think you might be able to help us find an owner then please contact us on 01983 562609.  

Ryde Illuminated Carnival

Best fancy dress

On Saturday we entered Ryde Illuminated Carnival. This was the last carnival that will we enter this year. What a fantastic way to finish of the carnival season. We are delighted to announce that we won second prize and we were also awarded the Bestival best fancy dress award. 

We pulled out all the stops for this carnival and constructed a car for the 'Cat in the Hat' to drive. We also made the toy box that Thing 1 and Thing 2 jump out off. All of the costumes looked amazing and we are ecstatic that all our hard work has been recognised. Thank you to Gina for making the 'Cat in the Hat' and for decorating the float with paintings of scenes from the book.

Thank you to the Cluitt family for supplying us will the lights for the float they looked fantastic. A big thank you again to everyone who took part in this years carnival entry and to everyone who watched and supported us. We hope to see you all again next year. We will have to think of what we can do to make next years entry even better"

Proud new mum Molly

Four tiny new arrivals

This morning the staff here at the adoption centre came in to find that Molly had given birth overnight to four very tiny, cute babies. Proud mum Molly successfully gave birth to two dark tortoiseshells, one tortoiseshell and white and one ginger kitten. Here is a lovely photo taken earlier of the happy family.

When the kittens are nine weeks old and have had the all clear from he vet they will be ready for re-homing. For now they will stay with mum and we will see them grow up very fast within the next few weeks. We will be spending lots of time with mum to keep her happy and when the kittens reach two weeks old we will start to socialise them. Kittens learn most of their life skills between the age of two to ten weeks. If a kitten misses this crucial period of socialisation it will not be accustomed to being handled and could become aggressive or nervous. Socialising the kittens here at the adoption centre is fundamentally important because kittens can go to homes quicker. 

If you are interested in adopting a cat or kitten from us then please come along to the centre. We are open daily from 11am-3pm. Our address is 122 Marlborough Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 1AW. Our telephone number is 01983 562609. To find out more about adopting from us then please visit our website.

Illuminated Carnival Success

The 'Cat in the Hat' wins third prize

Last night we participated in Sandown Illuminated Carnival. The weather stayed fine for the carnival procession unlike previous years. Our entry won third prize in our category much to everyone's delight. 

We hope to do even better when we return to Ryde for it's Illuminated Carnival this Saturday night. We are pulling out all the stops with even more participants and props than any other parade that we have entered this year.

The procession starts at 8.30pm, please come along and support us and the carnival.