meet the resident cats

The House Cats

The numbers of house animals are limited as there aren't a lot of rooms but the elderly felines and the effete Persians have to be indoors at least through the winter.

Bagpuss

Bagpuss is an elderly Maine Coone who came to us after his owner’s engagement broke up and she was forced to leave her home. For a time he occupied a cattery but at a certain point he started limping. The vet took X-rays and announced that he had what amounted to a sports injury and would have to live a quieter life. He now lives in the house.

Teddy - is an apricot coloured Selkirk Rex . He came from a breeder and was very unwell as he had been fed on raw contaminated meat. After stool tests we discovered he had Giardia - intestinal parasites - he had to be treated with two five day courses of Panacur Granules before his stools were normal. Then he was given a spot-on treatment for fleas which brought him out in scabs and made him scratch for hours (which can be a side effect of the treatment). He subsequently was diagnosed with ringworm which is very hard to get rid of.

The prescribed medicine nearly killed him and he developed epileptic fits before he finished the course. We then treated him with Betadine baths and occasionally Daktarin and internally with sulphur and garlic. When that was cured the poor mite became extremely allergic to all chemicals which made treating fleas very difficult. Twice he ended up on a drip at the vets so it has been uphill work to keep him alive.

Finally they also diagnosed parasites in his blood and after being treated with heavy antibiotics he pulled through. His flea allergy was cured by giving him homeopathic sulphur 30 twice a day for 10 days and half a Brewer’s yeast tablet a day. Touch wood he is now normal but it has been an uphill battle. He has to be on Hills Hypo-allergenic food, is groomed daily with an old-fashioned flea comb and is give Johnson's 4 for Fleas which is an excellent herbal flea killer. However we are constantly on the alert as any chemicals can set him back.

Alfie - aged 26 moved into the house after being part of the barn cat community. He came as a kitten when he was found in a carrier bag hanging from a tree. He was a very poorly kitten and it wasn't until the homeopathic vet Mark Elliott discovered he was allergic to chicken that he started to get better at the age of 6 months. At the age of 20 he went to the vets for a dental which unfortunately resulted in him having all the teeth removed and having a metal wire inserted to support the jaw. There was an 8 week recovery period so he had to come into the house. Now of course he won’t live anywhere else.

Whispa - was such an obese white cat on arrival that we nicknamed her PUSSY GALORE. She had been in cat rescue for a year but nobody had wanted her as she needed a special diet. As most of our oldies have a special diet of Walthams Sensitive Diet or Hills ID or Trovet it seemed logical to take her on. She started off in the barn cattery but as she got older decided to move into the house with Alfie and Otto.

Otto- came to us when a breeder decided to shut down. He is a lovely Tonkinese who has to leave a very quiet life as he is prone to epileptic fits. He has to be sedated if he needs to go to the vets.

Ollie - is a white, blue-eyed Persian. When he arrived he was so light at first we thought the cat carrier was empty. He was full of worms and parasites but after a course of Panacur Granules followed by some Metranidazole he slowly recovered .He now needs to be on a very pure diet for life but is finally a normal weight. His ears, eyes and coat were a mess but with antibiotic drops and laborious cutting and combing he recovered. Unfortunately he is deaf as can happen with some white cats and needs to be kept in a safe environment.

Amelie - has been returned to us along with Tamsin after the couple we had homed her with split up. She came back very matted and spitting and hissing. Fortunately she settled down and we can now do any grooming we like but initially she was so aggressive her knots had to be sorted out by the vet while she was under sedation. Her ginger coat is now luxuriant and glossy.She originally came from a small terraced house where there were 30 others. We rescued all of them and found homes for most of them keeping the difficult ones.

Tamsin - is Amelie's friend and was returned with her. As she is easy to handle we were able to sort out her pretty white coat ourselves so she too looks very healthy and shiny. We need to find a PERMANENT understanding home for both of them. They require 5 minutes grooming a day but are both great characters, love to play and are very affectionate.

Caspar. A lovely old ginger boy came to us from the vets. After spending a lot of money on him at the vets the owners decided they didn't want him back. We were warned there might be slight kidney problems but on a diet of Sensitive Diet by Walthams and absolutely no biscuit he is doing very well.

The Top Cattery

This consists of six interconnecting chalets.It is now used entirely for cats that need to be rehomed . The turnover is constant so they are visitors rather than residents. At present they are occupied by17 cats.

In the barn cattery there are:

Oliver - was rescued by us with his companion Charlotte the day before they were to be taken to the vets to be put down. Their owners were moving abroad. Astonishing really as Oliver looks like a Maine Coon and is a gorgeous cat who joins in the poo-picking every morning, following the wheelbarrows around and talking to the volunteers. He is a good hunter and definitely enjoys the country.

Charlotte - came with Oliver and is short-haired tabby and white. She is extremely pretty with lovely turquoise eyes and loves a cuddle in spite of being an excellent night hunter.

Simba - is the cross between a Devon Rex and a local Tomcat and was therefore unwanted. He is tabby and white and looks like his dad but is very agile and has proved to be a major hunter. His favourite position is being draped around people's shoulders. He recently had a number of teeth out and is doing well.

Duke - is pure white and Simba's best friend. Both Duke and Simba will be on Waltham's Sensitive Diet food for the rest of their lives.

Duchess - 25- she is Duke's mother and along with her son Duke was desperately poorly when we took her on. She still has a vulnerability and is prone to cystitis but we manage to keep it at bay with the homeopathic remedy Cantharis, a pure diet, and very regular worming.

Tigger - is a really macho tabby cat who was an entire Tom when we took him on. His owner said he couldn't keep him as his sister had an allergy to cats. When we went to collect him they said he wouldn't be home until the rush-hour traffic was over as he waited to cross the road. It took him a while to adjust to the country and to not being a Tom cat but now he is a well-adjusted rural feline.

Sebastian - is a beautiful grey cat who is lucky to be alive. He came from a tiny house where he was an indoor cat along with 30 others (all of whom we rescued and rehomed). When he arrived his mouth bled the entire time and cancer was suspected but after removing most of his teeth he was fine. Shortly after being let out he was attacked by the resident fox with her cubs but fortunately the fight was interrupted as we do our last check at 10 pm and he survived.

Archie - a lovely white cat is Sebastian's best friend. He came with him and Candy but was in better condition. Being white he needs sun cream on his ears in the summer. He is very agile and needs somewhere where he can roam. He needs a special diet and turns his nose up at the usual foods.

Candy - A pretty tortoiseshell feline came with Sebastian and Archie. She is more delicate with a lovely friendly disposition but spends most of her days up trees. At night in winter she prefers the company of her mini electric blanket to the others. She is very affectionate and. like the 2 she came with she also needs a hypoallergenic diet.

Gypsy: An older black cat hates other cats and isn't very fond of people either. She is living in a pen on her own with a cat flap and goes out at night when most of the others are all tucked up in bed.

We remove the names of cats that have died the majority died of old age and natural causes.

The New Extension- One cattery is occupied at present by young William, Kate and Felix all friends who would rather be homed together or go to a home with other cats. Horace is a fluffy cat whose owner has died who could be a stable cat as he loves hunting.Next door is Simba number 2 who is diabetic and is permanently on a special sugarless diet. Another cattery is occupied by Mimms- a tabby- and Socks-black and white- whose owner also died. However the extension is a rehoming cattery so the residents will vary.