News
Some excellent signs of Spring weather after a very cold winter but, as every season brings its own problems, we are awaiting the arrival of this year's first kittens. I visited a branch in the North West at half term – I was staying with my son for child minding duties, but this also gave me an opportunity to have a look at their pens. Anyway, they already had a litter of six week old kittens (my step grand-daughter was entranced) and four babies, just two weeks old, with a little Mum who was only a kitten herself.
Fortunately we have only had older kittens so far, all born last year, but into our foster care for a variety reasons. Some of these kittens have already managed to lose a life or two, having strayed from their original homes, suffered an accident, or received
rather over enthusiastic amounts of attention from small children, leading to the inevitable scratches and bites, so that the kittens then come to us, traumatised and rejected. However, it does mean that, after care and attention from our fosterers, we can then send healthy, lively, friendly kittens out to good new homes after they have been neutered, fully vaccinated, and micro chipped.
We are not intending to run a free neutering campaign this year, but are instead trying to advertise 'help with neutering' as widely as possible. That may mean full cost vouchers for some people on very limited incomes or with large numbers of semi-feral cats, but we do know that many people are just grateful for one of our blue or pink part-cost vouchers. Do please remind people that help with neutering costs is available throughout the year – just ring Sheila on our new neutering number – 0845
3711 850.
One piece of sad news – Joan Walton's husband, Frank, died in February. He played a major part in setting up the Barnstaple branch with Joan nearly 20 years ago, and acted as our first treasurer. Frank was a real cat lover and gained enormous pleasure in his last months from Toby-Tom, a large, handsome and very affectionate tabby cat who we homed to them last year. I am sure you all join us in sending your sympathy and best wishes to Joan, and, as a typically thoughtful gesture, Joan asked for donations for the branch instead of flowers. We are always very touched when this happens, as it just shows how important cats are to their owners. I think we also all know how very sensitive cats can be and how loving and supportive they are when they sense that we are distressed or unhappy.
Fund raising has already started for 2010! We always hope to see many members and supporters at our various fund raising events through out the summer months – please come and introduce yourselves, so that we can link names and faces.
Lydia Shelton – Coordinator - 11 Rooks Farm Road, Yelland, Barnstaple, EX31 3EQ – 01271 860787
FUNDRAISING 2010
Fund raising for 2010 has already begun with the first event a coffee morning at Fremington Village Hall on March 18 with £78.05 raised.
Jess has also been out and about and she attended the Soroptimist International of Barnstaple event at the Barnstaple Pannier Market on Sunday 28 March with £137.82 raised.
We are hoping to attend the following events in the coming months:-
Saturday 24 April - Breakfast in Braunton at the Vivian Moon Centre from 9 am to noon.
Sunday 16 May - Axhayes Open day near Exeter.
Thursday 20 May - Fremington Village hall Coffee Morning 9.30 till 11 p.m.
Monday 31 May - Braunton Village Fair at the Recreational ground.
Sunday 11 July - Dogs Trust Fun Day Braunton at the Recreational ground.
Saturday 17 July - Pilton Green Man.
Sunday 25 July - Braunton Wheels event at the Recreational ground.
Wednesday 28 July - Chumleigh Fair.
Wednesday 4 August - North Devon Show
We are also aiming to start our car boot season on Easter Monday but this will be weather permitting. If anyone has any items (Bric a brac, books, CDS, DVDs, videos, clothes etc) they do not require we are only to glad to take them off your hands. Please give me a telephone call on 01271 812121 and we can arrange collection.
The fund raising team look forward to meeting you at these events and let’s hope the weather will be kinder to us this year after rain stopped play at some of last years events.
Thanking you all once again for all your support at our fund raising events.
Beryl Lloyd - Fund Raiser
01271 812121
TREASURER'S REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 2009
Here is a summary of the income and expenditure for the branch for 2009.
Income: We are delighted to report that donations, membership and fundraising income have increased despite the recession and the miserable summer weather. This is due in no small part to the hard work of our team of volunteers who have regularly manned stalls and carboot sales, not only selling goods but recruiting new members and accepting donations both of money and goods for tombola, raffle prizes etc. Expenditure: Fostering costs and veterinary charges have increased as more of our funds are rightly spent in caring for cats and kittens prior to re-homing and to provide support for those homed with an ongoing condition and for elderly cats homed under our Golden Oldie Scheme. New pens were erected in 2008 and the cost is shown here was matched by a considerable reduction in maintenance
costs. With careful management we have kept the cost of post etc to the same level as in 2008.
There was an overall loss of nearly £14k but if the expenditure for pen modernisation 2008 billed in 2009 is excluded this is reduced to a loss of nearer £5k.
The branch:
· carried out 180 home checks;
· found homes for 131 foster cats and kittens;
· arranged for 15 cats to be homed directly from their original home to their new home without coming in to foster care
Average running costs : £425 per week
Average donation for each cat homed: £28
Average cost to the branch per cat homed: £140
A full copy of the accounts are available from Sheila Masterman - 01237 420755
MEMBERSHIP
Many thanks to everyone who has renewed their membership this year, especially to those who have added a little extra to their cheques. These additional sums are recorded as donations and to date almost equal the sum raised by the subs received. We are grateful to those of you who have switched to receiving the newsletter via email and must apologise to all users for the problems you have experienced opening the
membership renewal form this year. It is the first time we have sent them out by email. Angela has kindly changed the format so the problem should not occur in the future.
To those of you who have not renewed their subscription, due to email problems or mislaying the form etc, I am quite happy to receive your cheques with just an
accompanying note of name and address. Please send cheques for £5 payable to Cats Protection to me at the address shown below.
Sheila Masterman - 19 Riversmeet, Appledore, Bideford, EX39 1RE
SUCCESS STORY
When we manage to find a cat in our care the purrrfect new home, we ask the new owner to send us an update, to let us now how they are doing. This is then put onto the "success stories" page of the Barnstaple branch's website. Some cats are with their fosterer for several weeks and obviously we get quite attached to them, so an update and a photo is very much appreciated.
A recent "Success Story" was Tabitha, she is 7 years old and came to the Cats Protection because her owner had moved and left her behind. The new owner of the property fell in love with her and wanted to keep her but unfortunately her own 4 cats didn't take to Tabitha and bullied her. We found her a lovely new home and the family who adopted her, also adopted a 4 month old kitten from us, who's original owner was seriously ill. The two cats are getting along very well and have settled into their new home. Their new owner says " We are so very delighted to have been able to
adopt both Tabitha and Ziggy and we love having them both as part of our family and like to say a bthank you to the cats protection league for making this possible".
THE CAT WHO LOVES HIS FOOD
When I went to collect Billy to take him to his new home, he was busy eating his breakfast. When his bowl was taken away from him, he went to grab it as though to say “hey, I haven't finished yet”. So his bowl of biscuits was put in the cat basket with him. Billy carried straight on eating his breakfast and did not bat an eyelid when the basket was closed and he was carried out of the house. He did pause to look up when I started the car engine but decided his biscuits were more interesting and carried on eating until the bowl was empty. When we arrived at his new home, I told
the gentleman what had happened and he decided that Billy might still be hungry. When Billy was let out of the basket, he had a cursory look around but as soon as he realised that some more food was in the offing, he stuck his tail in the air and followed the gentleman to the kitchen, where he promptly got stuck right into his second course! He was home!!!!
SUCCESS STORY
Kay Twine - Welfare and Direct Homing
