We are appealing for your help!
We all know what it’s like to have bills hanging over us and we are no different. Like all organisations we budget for the usual bills and a bit extra, but over the past few weeks our vet bills have been considerable higher than usual. A few of the ponies have been suffering from severe asthma, due to allergies. Bert, the goat got an abscess on his leg, Beanie our beloved mummy donkey became fatally poorly with colic, we have a full shelter of cats, and we are also caring for 8 litters of kittens. Three of which are being hand reared. This all-costs money and has contributed to the higher-than-normal vet bill we are trying to pay off.
The bill, currently sitting at £5000 and still growing, is an added pressure as we are an independent self funded charity. It is a daily struggle to raise the funds needed to cover the cost of the work we do. This bil has come, even before what we call our ‘busy time’. We are busy all year round, and this ‘busy period’ or 'kitten season' is simply their pet name for the summer months when things go ‘crazy’! We are expecting the number of calls we get about kittens to increase dramatically over the next few months, as well as the usual requests for adult cats we get. Recently, we have also seen an increase in the number of guinea pigs we are being asked to take in & rehome. As the holiday season approaches, we are bracing themselves for an influx of admittances and the dread of what this will do to our vet bill.
We are therefore asking you, our loyal and caring supporters, if you can spare pennies or pounds, to help us clear the current £5k bill, before the next flurry of admittance's arrive.
If you are in a position to donate you can do so here, on our website, simply click the 'Donate' tab at the top of the page and select the option that suits you best.
Spaying and castrating, are the simplest ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies in pets. Unwanted babies are just the beginning.
It is heading to that time of year again when nature brings new life into the world. The trees and hedges are looking much greener and our gardens are looking much more appealing to spend time in once again.
It is those hedges, and our gardens, that provide so much benefit to the wildlife and insects that live in our area. The more flowers, plants and tress there are, the more the pollenating insects can thrive and build an even healthier and diverse environment. It is these diverse environments that provide suitable habitats and food sources for other wild animals and birds.
As spring well as truly arrives and we get to see the blossom on the trees, enjoy the warmer weather and hear the birds singing again, this also signals the start of wildlife slowly emerging from however they have endured the winter.
In the case of the hedgehog, they may have struggled during the winter months just to survive to this point. Lack of food is one of the main challenges facing hedgehogs at the moment, that is, once they have successfully navigated our busy roads, avoided the strimmer, shimmied out of the bonfire before being burnt alive, struggled out of the pretty garden pond they used for a drink and managed not be get poisoned by the pesticides that now so often coat their food.
Once again we have got a full cattery which means you have a superb opportunity to find the purfect feline for your home. We have pairs, singles, older cats and young ones, those who require a more experienced home and even a diabetic who is finally stable enough to look for his loving forever home.
So if you've been thinking about welcoming a cat into your life or have been tempted by other people’s stories about their furbaby’s please do get in touch. Welcoming a cat into your life, especially one from a rescue centre like us can be incredibly rewarding.
We have been beginning to turn our thoughts to warmer weather, sunnier days and the influx of babies - both of the furry and spikey variety, but we have already welcomed our first couple of kittens and they require round the clock care.At the end of February we were made aware of two kittens living in a garden in Liverpool. It took three rescues all pulling together, but the kittens have now arrived with us and they will be fed by hand every two hours, around the clock to ensure they transition to life away from mum with as few issues as possible.
The adorable sisters are weighing in at four weeks old and have received some medication already, but it is a case of seeing if any symptoms of illnesses develop over the next few days. They both had slightly sticky eyes on admittance and are now sneezing, so they are currently on a course of antibiotics with an eye cream too for flu.
As disappointing as it is that holidays are something of a taboo at the moment – why not use that left over holiday money to boost the work we do. We have just been awarded over £200 in exchange for foreign money!
If you’ve had one, you’ll know, if you work in the veterinary sector you’ll know and if you haven’t had the privilege yet; ignorance is bliss! What are we talking about? The well-used saying of naughty tortie amongst cat owners and vets! There are similar sayings to this for dogs and horses and it is simply a generalisation, a bit like an old wives tale, that encourages you to be aware of, what some may call, naughty behaviour from tortoiseshell cats. However, if you speak to a vet – you will probably find that they say it is very accurate!
Well 2020 has certainly been a memorable year for everyone and in many different ways – unfortunately, not all of them positive. However, we would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every single one of you who has supported us this year.
We are incredibly grateful and proud to have received multiple nominations including all three categories for the Pet Plan & ADCH Animal Charity Awards 2021.