Introduction to Victoria

In August 2015, we welcomed a new committee member to our team.  Here is a little introduction from Victoria, our new treasurer. 

In October 2014, following obtaining my ACA qualification, I decided to take a break from the world of finance.  I have always loved animals but sadly was never allowed any growing up, so this was the perfect opportunity for me to fill my time doing something I loved.  I heard about cat fostering online and it sounded perfect.  I could help cats in need, while fulfilling my own dream of having an animal in my home.  I met with Chris, the branch co-ordinator, one morning and by the afternoon I was set up with a room full of supplies, just waiting for that phone call.

My first foster cats were Danny and Arnold, two eleven week old kittens.  They were two frightened little balls of fur at first, but before long they came out of their shell and were bouncing around the flat.  I enjoyed the experience immensely, and I also learned a lot.  We had the kittens for six weeks before a lovely family took them into their forever home.  It was sad to see them go, but I felt proud that I had provided a shelter when they needed it.

My second foster cat was Joseph.  I had been warned beforehand that it may end up being quite a long term foster as Joseph was an older cat, and a cat flu carrier.  Well as it turned out, my partner and I fell in love with him, and when after two months he had not had any interest, we took the decision to adopt him ourselves.  

While we were over the moon to have Joseph in our lives permanently, it did mean I had to stop fostering as we just didn’t have the room.  I was very keen to continue helping out in any way I could, particularly with the finance side of the charity, and soon I was in discussions with the Cats Protection Camberley team about me taking over as Treasurer for the branch.  I am very proud to have been given this role, and I look forward to many more years of helping cats, both directly and indirectly.

As well as Cats Protection, I also volunteer for a dog rescue called Rescue Remedies.  My main role is as a dog walker, which I try to do a few times a week, but I also take dogs out of kennels for a day or a few days break.   The dogs really respond to time away from the kennels and it is lovely to see them in a more relaxed environment.  Once we have a house and we have more room, and with Joseph’s permission of course, we are hoping to give a home to a lovely doggie too.

 

Victoria with handsome Joseph

Introducing our new fosterer, Kate

Here is a little update from one of our new fosterers, Kate.

A phone call from one of the Camberley Cat’s co-ordinators, Chris, signalled the arrival of my first foster cat for Cats Protection,Tia.

Tia had been taken into the local vets by her owners because she was urinating around the house, outside the litter tray. They hadn’t been able to change her behaviour and decided to have her put down. The local vet recommended that Cats Protection got involved and the owner left Tia with the vet until I could collect her.

She’s a beautiful tabby grey pedigree type, probably a British Blue.  Anxious and initially shy, over a few quiet days in my studio at the end of the garden it was clear that Tia was an affectionate little lady. She used her cat litter consistently and didn’t once urinate anywhere else, so whatever was causing this stress-related behaviour was no longer evident. She is quietly friendly and enjoyed some playtime, even venturing out into the garden briefly. At 8 years old, she is more difficult to rehome than a younger cat. After 2 weeks of living with me she was collected by the Cats Protection Newbury as they had a found a wonderful forever home for her.

Gorgeous Tia

 

Next came along the lovely Blackie. Blackie was a stray, tomcat with beautiful long-haired black coat. First thing was for him to be dashed off to the vets to be neutered. He then came to stay with me for a couple of weeks before staying at another foster home, and then on to a forever home with a new family. He’s a great family cat, confident and cheeky and chatty too.  He loves people-time and was immediately affectionate and forward with me. He is certainly an outdoor cat and likes to explore, so it was hard to keep him indoors.  

Blackie is settling in well with his new family and although he was initially nervous of the toddler, he was very pleased to meet him.

Beautiful Boy Blackie

 

Funny Feline Sayings

When out and about on Cats Protection business I hear some brilliant cat stories and some great cat sayings so thought I would share some...

• Some people have cats and go on to lead normal lives.
• There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast.
• I got rid of my husband. The cat was allergic.
• Never feed your cat anything that doesn't match the carpet.
• Cat's motto: "No matter what you've done wrong, always try to make it look as if the dog did it."
• Dogs have owners, cats have staff.
• For a man to truly understand rejection, he must first be ignored by a cat.
• These aren't my thoughts, they're my cat walking on the keyboard.
• Cats are better than any vice. They're not fattening, dangerous, or expensive. However, they can be addictive.
• I have noticed that what cats most appreciate in a human being is not the ability to produce food which they take for granted, but his or her entertainment value.

I don't know where any of these came from (and I am too lazy to find out) but most cat owners will relate to all of them!  Number 6 is my favourite :-)

Top 10 Cat Quotes

Apparently, cats are the rulers of the internet.  They have completeley taken over YouTube and there are hundreds of cat-owned Twitter and Facebook accounts.  That is not really new though, cats have been the subject of conversation and debate for many, many years! 

Here are my favourite 10 cat quotes, which I found....on the internet of course!

1. "One cat just leads to another." - Ernest Hemingway

2. "Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow." - Jeff Valdez

3. "As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat." - Ellen Perry Berkeley

4. "Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia." - Joseph Wood Krutch

5. "People who hate cats, will come back as mice in their next life." - Faith Resnick
 
6. "I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior." - Hippolyte Taine

7. "There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats." - Albert Schweitzer

8. "The cat has too much spirit to have no heart." - Ernest Menaul

9. "Time spent with cats is never wasted." - Sigmund Freud
 
10. "Managing senior programmers is like herding cats." - Dave Plat

A good name more desirable than riches

I was talking with one of our supporters the other day about cat names and how hard it can be to choose the perfect name for your pet.  I just love thinking of names and I have always been the pet-namer in my family....

When I was about 5, I had a rabbit who I very proudly named Kevin.  My next pet was a lovely grey tabby tom cat, who I chose to name Peter (yes I know, really the rabbit should have been named Peter right?).

Peter and I in 1989

Next, sometime in the 80's, we found a stray in the garden which we ended up taking in (he was a handsome brown tabby cat with no tail and 3 legs).  I called him ET because my Mum kept telling him to “go home”.

ET & I in 1990

Later on, my parents got a gorgeous Springer Spaniel puppy and I said we should name her Rapunzel, because her long curly ears were like hair.  That was the first time my dad said no…he didn’t fancy calling “Rapunzel” when he took her for a walk, so we settled on Penny.  Girly enough for me, and not too girly for my dad – everyone was happy.

Since then, as an adult, I have had lots of cats, Thunder (remember the 80's TV show Thunder Cats?), Bailey (Baileys was my favourite drink), Chandler (after my favourite Friends character).

Now, I have the darling Melly, who was already named when I adopted him from Cats Protection.  The names suits him well, but sometimes I call him Melvin or, Melv, which I think suits him even better!

We ran a competition on our Facebook page a while back, to name a very cute black and white kitten.  We had lots of submissions including Jasper, Leeloo, Minah and Cherie but the winning name was Molly!

With so many options, how do you choose your cats name?  I found lots of websites listing great names for cats.  This one has the Top 100 names - http://www.youpet.com/cat-names/

 
It would be great to hear from you with stories of how your pets came by their names

Thunder Cat and I in 1994

Beautiful Bailey

Cheeky Chandler

Meet Debbie

Next in our Series of "Meet the Volunteers" is Debbie...

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

I make tea-cup candles and sell them in our Blackwater Valley Veterinary Surgery, Camberley.  I was inspired to get involved in fundraising for Cats Protection as our surgery has a great relationship with Cats Protection and I love cats so I was keen to get involved.  I really enjoy spending time hunting down beautiful tea cups to fill with candles and it is immensely satisfying to be able to raise money for a worthy cause, I have raised £115 so far and I have plenty more tea cup candles to sell!  

What is your job outside Cats Protection?

I am a Veterinary Receptionist which I have been doing for 9 years.  I am also a Feline Behaviour Advisor which I have been doing since taking my qualifications 6 years ago.  Being a Cat Behaviour Advisor is really challenging but also very rewarding.  Some of the common behaviours I see are inappropriate soiling, over-grooming and aggression.  Working with cats and owners can be time-consuming and complicated but I love what I do!

Do you have any cats?

I have had cats all my life and I currently have two cats.  Musette is a very nervous girl who is not too keen on men.  Marmaduke was a rescue cat and is completely mad!

The moment you knew you were a cat person…

I knew as soon as I got my first cat at 8 years old that I loved them.  His name was Smokey and we had a very special bond.  Some years later he disappeared and I am still sad that I never knew what happened to him.

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

I would sleep and dream of eating Dreamies!

Two interesting facts about yourself?

I love meeting people, I have always had careers which involved working with the public.  I used to work in banking and I saw that as my career but now, I am loving my job which feels like a vocation. The second fact is that I love cats!

Cats Protection Camberley & District would like to thank both Debbie and Chief Vet at Blackwater Valley Vets, Djordge Vuckovic, for all of their support.  Not only does Djordge allow Debbie to display her lovely teacups in the waiting room, he also supports Cats Protection by caring for, and providing veterinary support for, many of the cats in our care.

Debbie Turner, Feline Behaviour Advisor offers friendly, professional advice and consultations.  Contact Debbie to discuss your feline behaviour questions on debbie@blackwatervalleyvets.co.uk

Find out more about Blackwater Valley Vets

 

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