Introducing our volunteers - Meet Sarah

We are so fortunate to have a great team of volunteers who run the Camberley & District branch so I wanted to take the time to introduce you to some of them.  Some of them are a little shy so let's kick off with me!

What is your volunteering role, and the best thing about it?

I am Media & Publicity Officer, Lost & Found volunteer and part of the fundraising team.

It is great to be able to use the skills from my profession and put them to a good use.  I have always wanted to volunteer for an animal charity and to find a local group that were happy to take me in was wonderful!  One of the most fun parts of the role is looking after social media as I get to spend time on the internet looking at cute cats, funny cats, smart card and well, any cats really!  It’s perfect.

I also love the fundraising aspect, it is so inspiring to work with other volunteers who work tirelessly for the cause and meet members of the public who are so generous and supportive of the work we do – I love it!

What is your job outside Cats Protection?

For my day job, I am a Marketing Manager for a software company which I love but I dream of winning the lottery so I can dedicate more time to Cats Protection.

Do you have any cats?

I have a 7 year old cat called MellyBoy.  In fact, Melly was adopted from the branch and he inspired me to get involved.  He had a bit of a rough time before he was brought into rescue but he is now the king of his castle – I do love my little furry friend!

The moment you knew you were a cat person…

My lovely Grandmother had a cat called Tiger who had a little of kittens back in the 80’s.  My parents allowed me to have one, I called him Peter and he was my best friend in the world – he rarely left my side and from that day forward I have been a massive fan of cats!

What would you do if you were a cat for an hour?

I’d like to be a cat for a year to be honest but if it was just for an hour, I would find a lovely sun puddle and have a little snooze

Two interesting facts about yourself?

I love crafting!  Anything from making cards, to knitting, sewing and cross stitching.  I enjoy making things and then selling them to raise money for our branch.

I have a weakness for daschunds and king Charles spaniels.  MellyBoy is not a dog fan so I can’t have a dog but I can admire them from afar and dream of one day having one of each.

Find out more about Cats Protection Camberley & District and how you can help us

Podgy Puss

My cat, Melly, is not a slim boy, he is on a drug to help with his over-grooming (Ovarid) which does cause him to put on weight and I often tease him about his bubble butt!

However, I do try my hardest to keep his weight at a safe level as there are so many health issues with obesity in cats (same as humans I guess).

Now most cats I know, are very fussy eaters…they can spend months on one brand of food and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, decide that they don’t like that food anymore!  Again, Melly is a major culprit here!  However, there are so many brands on the market, it is not usually difficult to find a replacement.  For Melly, anything fish flavoured, in jelly, is usually acceptable.  Unless he particularly fancies asome tinned tuna, then he will repeatedly trip me up and get in my way until I grab the tin opener and serve him his favourite.

Anway, back to weight control!  The key thing is to read the labels, and follow the feeding guide…try not to give more than this.  If you are feeding a combination of wet and dry food, you need to take this into consideration so as not to over feed.  You also really need to factor in any treats you may give your cat as all these calories add up! Cats prefer to eat little and often so a minimum of 2 meals a day is best.

Melly loves treats, his favourite are Dreamies, I swear they are cat drugs – I have never met a cat that doesn’t love them!  So, to make him work for them, I put the treats in a treat ball which he needs to bat around to make the goodies roll out – not only does it give him so exercise, it also releases endorphins (achieved when hunting), so he loves it!  The balls are relatively cheap and cats tend to pick up the hang of it quickly.  http://www.cpshop.co.uk/p-4987-cat-treat-ball.aspx

Mellys best begging face!

Regular weight checks are also worth doing, just to make sure that puss isn’t getting podgy…Melly and I weigh in together every few weeks – we both hate it but hey, it has to be done!  The past couple of weeks have been somewhat depressing for me after Easter indulgence!

You can find more about obesity in cats here - http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat-care-leaflets-2013/EG04_Feeding_and_obesity.pdf