Mr Todd

Painful mouth

Mr Todd was originally homed in 2008 from our centre. At the time he was called 'Gallileo' and he stayed with us for a few months in isolation because he had ringworm. 

Sadly Mr Todd or Toddy as we call him had to come back due to ill health. On arrival we checked him over and noticed that he mouth was very sore. He cried and hissed when we tried to have a good look, he was clearly in a lot of discomfort. Today Toddy has been to the vets for a dental and has had four teeth removed. He is on a course of anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications. 

Because of the problem with his mouth, Toddy started to associate food bowls with pain. His previous owner told us that he would hiss and growl at the food bowl, but he clearly wanted to eat. We have now started feeding him soft pate type food on a plate, he seems to manage this well. Due to his eating problem Toddy has lost rather a lot of weight and his general condition deteriorated, since being back with us he has started to improve.

Toddy really is a lovely boy, he is now around seven years old. He loves a fuss and is real people cat, he will soon be ready to go to a new home. He is very special to us as most of us remember him when he was here a a few years ago. It is always very sad when a cat has to come back to the centre. Due to his ill health his previous owners were unable to cope, now he has had the required treatment he will be ready to go to a new home.

Lucy

Abandoned in a cardboard box

Working for Cats Protection sometimes questions your faith in humanity and this particular case is one of those times. Poor Lucy was found abandoned in an alley in a cardboard box, cold and alone with another box on top of it so she couldn't escape. 

She is now recovering from her ordeal with us at the centre. She is a wonderful little cat who is enjoying the home comforts here with us. She is so quiet and sweet and this cruel event has obviously traumatised her. 

She will be ready for adoption shortly and is looking for a very special home. So please find it in your heart to give Lucy that second chance she so desperately deserves.   

Sweet dreams Lizzie

Everyone's favourite

Lizzie stole the hearts of everyone who met her, a dear elderly cat found as a stray in Ryde. She was found outside Liz Earle, she knew where to go to get some pampering! 

We always knew that Lizzie was an old lady and that the time we had with her might not be very long. During her stay she was everyone's favourite, she loved to chat to everyone who walked by her pen. She loved a tummy tickle and a brush, we spoilt her right up until her last day. 

Unfortunately Lizzie's health started to deteriorate, she began to slow down and she wasn't her normal chirpy self. We made the very tough decision to have her put to sleep last Friday, we all miss her dearly. 

We will never find out who she belonged too, we wonder what stories she could have told us. All we know is that her final chapter here with us was a good one. She spent the last few months of her life being cared for and loved. Rest in peace Lizzie, we will never forget you.

Beautiful black and black & white cats

Loving homes needed

	Tommy Age: 2 years Reason for admission: Owner allergic Temperament: Loves a tummy tickle, very friendly boy
Amy & Alice Age: 6 months Reason for admission: Owner no longer able to cope Temperament: Playful, mischievous and friendly girls
	Rowan Age: 1 year Reason for admission: Stray Temperament: Shy, gentle girl. Brilliant mum to her kittens
Sooty Age: 2 years Reason for admission: Pregnant Temperament: Fun-loving, gently girl. Very friendly, loves a fuss

We have many more black and black & white cats looking for new homes. So please help us spread the word. They are the least likely to be adopted, over any other colour. They are some what out of fashion and we want to change this.

On Sunday 28th October we are holding a Black and Black & White Cat Awareness Day from 11am - 4pm. To find out more please visit our website, thank you.

Wilma and Bam-Bam

Good progress

Wilma and Bam-Bam are a mum a kitten who were allegedly thrown out of a moving vehicle. They have now been with us at the centre for well over a month. 

We have been keeping a special eye on Bam-Bam after sadly his sister Pebbles passed away. We are happy to say that both mum and kitten are going from strength to strength. Both are lively, happy and putting on weight. Bam-Bam is becoming quite the cheeky monkey!

Here are a few photos of the them captured during the week. We have been photographing Bam-Bam next to a food box every week to see how much he has grown, due to Tim the vets instruction.

Hopefully this positive progress will continue so that they can be available for re-homing soon.

Oscar's Story

One of the most loving cats

At 17 and a half years of age, this dear old boy is in the later stage of life, with no tail and a lot of tufty old fur he was being passed by at cats protection Ryde. Naturally he had become a little depressed, moved from the great outdoors into a white four walled pen I think you'd be pretty sad too. Having just given up the tiny kitten I was hand rearing I was more than happy to offer Oscar a foster home to get his spirit up and to be honest mine too.

It was quite a difference, from a bubbly energetic kitten to now bringing home dear old Oscar, at a much slower pace, this calm and collected boy was now in mine and my families care. 

Within hours Oscar's mood had changed he was perky and clearly very happy to be in a home environment. He was grateful and made himself comfortable in a sunny window sill where he spent the next few hours.

Now three months on Oscar has been on quite the adventure. Living with a cat like Oscar is wonderful, learning how he works has been equally as fun and exciting as having a little kitten dashing around. I took the furminator (no, it is not a dinosaur, nor is it half as scary as it sounds), basically it is a hardcore comb which really helps remove old hair and goes deeper than regular cat brushes, it must be used wisely and it certainly was on our Oscar. I tell you it knocked years off of him, revealing quite the shiny coat, making him look all young and spritely and probably making him feel a bit lighter and brighter too. All this happiness aside there is something Oscar couldn't tell us.....

On Monday the first of October I took Oscar to vet Tim as I was worried about the state of his left eye. On observation I was right to be concerned, Tim had found an ulcer on the eye which he said would have been causing Oscar severe pain and thats why when I bathed it in the week running up to his vet visit he enjoyed having the eye patted with warm water because it would have been cooling. The following day on further study Tim decided the best thing to do for the poor boy was to actually remove the eye altogether, Tim was unsure of the reason behind the problematic area but on removal he was very pleased with how the op went.

Obviously quite distraught I picked Oscar up from Wootton and on bringing him back to the home he had grown to know, although wobbly and tired Oscar found a way of saying thank you in his everlasting purr.

Nearly two weeks on, Oscar is the liveliest he has been, he is quite obviously a happier chap and really enjoys a cuddle, he has even started hopping onto our laps of his own accord.

Why then, if I love him so dearly is he still up for adoption I hear you ask? The simple answer to that is, I feel I have done all I can to bring Oscar's spirits up, he is brilliant and in keeping Oscar here with me I cannot foster another cat who could potentially need my help more than Oscar now. 

This leads me to the subject of Oscar's forever home, of course the one downer of having him live with me at my house is that any potential new owners who are looking for a new friend to take home from cats protection are more likely to give a cat they can physically meet and smooth a home, rather than a cat like Oscar who they are shown photos of. 

Some things you should know about Oscar!

FOOD- Oscar loves felix in lashings of gravy and at a push will tolerate felix senior in jelly! He also enjoy's pro plan biscuits too washed down with a massive bowl of water!

TOILET- Oscar is not blessed with a tail so he enjoys the use of his luxury extra large litter tray.

GARDEN- Oscar has grown accustom to a breath of fresh air and a quick walk around the garden with the chickens and geese.

HIS OWN SPACE- He enjoys his own space and loves a bit of peace and quiet, he'll come for a cuddle when he fancies it. His best spot is sat beside me on the sofa on his own towel, his own area but close enough for a smooth.

A GOOD BRUSH- In his old age Oscar's cleaning habits aren't what they used to be, so a handy brush to help him rid himself of his old fur every day would be greatly appreciated.

SPOT OF SUN- In his foster home Oscar sunbathes in the window sill which he can get to from his own personal chair but in the colder evenings a blanket and pillow is all he needs to keep warm.

CHIT CHAT- Oscar rarely meow's and when he does try all the effort is there but not much sound comes out! However one of Oscar's best assets is his AMAZING purr. Oscar could win a purring contest and this is the way he tells you he is at his happiest.

MOST OF ALL LOVE- Oscar is one of the most loving cats I have grown to know, it took him a little while to settle but he has learnt to love all members of this family and shares his love evenly between us all. We feel we are the lucky ones.

Oscar is just looking for the purrrfect home to spend his days, a quiet boy he enjoys watching the telly and eating so if you do too why not register your interest at Cats Protection IOW, I can personally promise you you won't be disappointed.

By Rowan Lathey (Volunteer and fosterer)

Black and black & white cat Awareness Day

Black and black & white cat Awareness Day

Cats Protection is holding its annual National Black Cat Day on Thursday 25 October to encourage more people to adopt unwanted black moggies.

Following the success of last year’s black cat campaign, the charity aims to raise awareness of the plight of black cats which tend to lose out on homes to more colourful varieties.

The UK’s leading feline welfare charity currently has around 1,300 black cats in its care and says that homes are far less easy to find for black cats than other felines.

 
“People seem to be more taken with torties, tabbies and other colours - perhaps due to a perception that variety adds spice,” said Danielle Draper, Manager at Cats Protection’s National Cat Adoption Centre.

“Although it’s lovely to see these cats finding their forever homes, it’s sad to see black cats left waiting in the wings. They make up about 23 per cent of all the cats in Cats Protection’s care and each one waits around a week longer to be re-homed than the average cat.” 
  
To coincide with this annual event we have decided to have our own. Sunday 28th October we will be holding a Black and black & white cat Awareness day at the centre. Open from 11am - 4pm, find us at 122 Marlborough Road, Ryde.
So come along and meet our lovely black and black & white cats, there will also be a kitten information talk at 1pm. We hope to see you there. 

To raise awareness the charity is encouraging people to upload pictures and stories of their own black cats, and to change their social media avatars to a specially designed black cat version.

Supporters will also be encouraged to share photos of themselves transformed into black cats on the Cats Protection’s social media sites. This is a call to get creative by dressing up, using face paints or wearing the downloadable black cat mask – and then get snapping!

To find out more about the campaign or to adopt a black cat, please log on to www.cats.org.uk/black-cats or call the charity’s helpline on 03000 12 12 12. 

Tatty farm kitties

Abandoned?

On Thursday we set a humane trap in the hope of catching a mother cat and her kittens. They were found at at farm in Havenstreet. The people that reported them were worried for their safety as a near by dog was very aggressive towards them. 

The kittens are approximately eight weeks old and surprisingly tame, but nervous. The mother is very friendly, so this has led us to believe that this little family may have been abandoned. A mother cat and kittens born outside would not be this trusting of people. 

When the kittens arrived they were looking rather tatty and soggy from the rain. We soon settled them into a warm pen. Safe at last, here are a few photos of the family when they arrived. We will update you on their progress.

Smartie's and Sweety's kittens

Giardia

Smartie's and Sweety's kittens have recently been diagnosed with Giardia. They had been poorly for a while and a poo sample confirmed this. They are currently isolated from the rest of the cattery and were are barrier cleaning their pens. This means we are changing protective clothing in between pens and thoroughly cleaning each pen before we move onto the next. Giardia is zoonotic which means it can be passed onto people so we are having to be extra vigilant. We are hoping the the kittens will start to feel better soon. They have been re-wormed and are having tribrissen injections daily which treats bacterial infections.
 
What is Giardiasis?

Giardia lamblia is a protozoan (single celled organism) parasite which is found in the small intestine of vertebrates including mammals. Infection with Giardia lamblia causes giardiasis.

Giardia causes severe diarrhoea, dehydration and stomach cramps.

How do cats become infected with Giardia?

The most likely transmission in cats is direct animal to animal (faecal-oral route). Cats can also become infected by drinking water containing the infective cysts. Once inside the intestine the cyst opens releasing two trophozoites.

There are two stages to the life cycle. Trophozoites are the active motile (swimming) form and it is in this stage that lives in the intestines feeding and reproducing. The trophozoites have flagella, which are long hair like structures which enables toe protozoa to move around. During the feeding stage, the parasite replicates in the small intestine by binary fission, this is the asexual reproductive process where one cell divides into two cells.

The trophozoites move towards the colon where they produce a cyst wall. The trophozoite within the cyst divides once, and this mature cyst now contains two trophozoites. This cyst is carried away by the passing faecal stream and leaves the body. These cysts are extremely hardy and can survive for long periods in water.

What are the symptoms of Giardia in cats?

The parasite has a one to two week incubation period. Most cats are asymptomatic, although they may keep passing on cysts for months or years. Clinical signs are most likely to be seen in younger animals from multi-cat households/environments.

If large numbers of trophozoites develop the cat will develop symptoms which include;

• Foul smelling stools, often yellowish, foamy/frothy.
• Vomiting
• Weight loss   
•  Flatulence
• Abdominal distension

Success Story - Sophie (Willow)

Pampurred puss

Regular visitors to the Adoption Centre may remember Sophie who was re-homed in August. Sophie came into the centre with another cat called Christopher after their owner sadly went into care.

Sophie and Christopher spent the first month of their stay at the centre in isolation. Sophie has terrible red raw sores on her face above her eyes, and on her neck and back. At first we suspected that she might have mange. As Christopher has lived with Sophie he also had to be isolated. 

After a check up by the vet, we found out that Sophie had a severe skin condition probably caused by stress. She also had fleas when she came in so that can't have helped.  Sophie used to scratch at her sores all the time making them worse, she was obviously in a lot of discomfort. She was prescribed some medication to stop the itching and clear up the nasty sores. We also had to bath her with medicated shampoo.

After weeks of steroids, anti-inflammatories and anti-biotics Sophie was finally ready to be re-homed.  We made the decision to separate the pair, it seemed very obvious that they were merely tolerating one another. Both flourished on their own and have since been re-homed. 

Sophie now called Willow is happily settled in her new home. She now lives as an indoor cat. Willow looks like a different cat and has now stopped all medication. She is loving all the attention she is getting from her new owner and she is truly pampered. A very happy ending for a wonderful cat. We wish you a very happy life Willow, you deserve it.

Abandoned, neglected and unloved

Please help - adopt today 

The all too familiar story at the moment. Abandoned, neglected and unloved cats and kittens flooding into our centre. 

We have been utterly shocked by the state of these poor souls that have come into our care. Recently we have seen a lot of malnourished kittens that are flea ridden, full of worms, weak and have diarrhoea. 

This have got to stop, the cat population on the island is at breaking point. This has resulted in cats suffering because they are not being looked after properly. 

Neutering your cat can greatly reduce this problem. Adopting from a centre like ours will mean that your cat or kitten will have already been neutered, vaccinated, micro-chipped and treatment for fleas and worms. The adoption fee is a fraction of the price you would pay if you were to get a cat privately.


So please help us by adopting from the centre. We are open daily from 11am-3pm. We would be delighted to meet you! We cannot stress enough how desperate we are for your help. The cats need YOU.