Visit to Cats Protection Adoption Centre and Commentathon.

Earlier this month we had an invitation to visit the Cats Protection Adoption Centre in Cornwall for their sponsors day which was being held as a thank you for our sponsorship.
After refreshments we were arranged into three smaller groups, ours being the first consisting of eight people, and then we were taken by Libby, the Adoption Centre manager to see the cats.

Below are photos of some that are awaiting their Forever Homes and the details that go with them.

Dave: Male domestic medium haired ginger/white. 16 year old Dave is a lovely old boy who is looking for a quiet home to spend his retirement. He needs to be an INDOOR cat as he is a little unsteady on his feet and is really rather deaf! He could possibly live with older cat friendly cats or dogs. He enjoys his food and a fuss so if you have a nice warm spot for Dave to curl up and enjoy his twilight years please get in touch.

Gustav: Male domestic tabby shorthair. is a 10 year old gentleman who is seeking a home where he can relax and stretch his paws out. It doesn't take long before he's padding away and purring whilst giving you head bops! This sweet chap would like a home without other animals, and older children if any. He really does have a charming personality so pop on in to meet him.

 Hazel: One year old female DSH. POSSIBLE INDOOR ONLY Hazel is an affectionate 1 year old girl looking for a loving, quiet home. She has a really sweet and affectionate personality but is struggling to show it off here amongst the hustle and bustle of the centre - but with some reassurance Hazel will soon jump down from her shelf to come and say hello! Hazel loves a fuss and once in the home is sure to come out of her shell even more and show her new owners what a gorgeous personality she has. Understanding owners will be rewarded with a real beauty!

Katie: Tortie and white DSH. Sweet Katie is a 1 year old girl who has a quiet, gentle nature. Give her a minute to build up some confidence and she'll soon be up looking for a fuss. Katie came into us as a stray with her babies, who quickly flew the nest, so now she is looking for a loving home where she can have some peace and quiet on her own! She would prefer to be the only pet in an adult only home.

Melvie: This lovely tabby and white DSH needs a special home as he is diabetic and indoor only.  Gorgeous 10 year old Melvie is looking for a family happy to give him all the love he deserves! He adores attention, cuddles, a lap to sleep on, and a good play with some fun, crinkly toys. If you're looking for a laid back moggie, Melvie will definitely suit you! He would need to be the only feline in the home, but could possibly go with a calm dog and older children. Melvie is diabetic and so requires daily care - please speak to a member of staff for more information.

After we had seen and talked to the cats we were given lunch, and then Lewis Coghlan, the Director of fundraising for Cats Protection nationally gave a very interesting talk.

What we didn't realise is that although there are other independently run centres, this is the only adoption centre in Cornwall and is one of the smaller ones. They have eight paid staff, but only three or four plus the volunteers at any one time, and  we were very impressed with what a wonderful job they are doing.

The two Homing Blocks where the cats ready to be adopted are kept are right in front, and to the right is the holding block. Further down and out of sight with restricted access is the Isolation Block.

The block on the left houses the cats undergoing treatment. There was one poor old ginger boy who had come in with a huge abscess taking up half of his face, but now he is making a good recovery.
They help and rehome over 400 cats a year at this adoption centre alone.
At a national level the charity helped over 193,00 cats and kittens including 28,000 ferals through homing, neutering and education in 2017. That is more than 520 cats a day!

They also have the Cat Guardian's scheme and Flopsy's story is below.

"This year saw us rehome our first “Cat Guardians” cat, beautiful 17 year old, Flopsy. A family member contacted the Cornwall Adoption Centre and signed Flopsy up to the scheme over a year ago as her owner had sadly developed dementia. Within days of her owner going into care and the Cornwall Adoption Centre being contacted, a member of staff collected Flopsy and brought her in to be rehomed .

Flopsy was in need of a full health check and as a result required a thyroidectomy operation, a dental and a dematt. She was also placed onto a special diet, for early renal disease. Being an older girl and deaf as a post the centre advertised for an indoor only home for her, possibly with a calm dog. After just a few weeks Flopsy was offered a loving new home.

Flopsy’s new owner commented on the scheme saying “It must provide current owners with enormous peace of mind that their beloved pets will be safe, cared for and carefully rehomed should they become unable to continue their care”, adding “Flopsy is a delightful cat and already loved by everyone who meets her. She can now put her feet up in her forever home and we feel privileged to provide it for her.” If you would like to know more about the Cat Guardian’s scheme please visit http://www.cats.org.uk/cat-guardians-service or pop into the centre for a leaflet."

The Cats Protection receives no government funding and relies on volunteers, donors and fund raising so I am holding a commentathon.
Please leave a comment even if you usually read and go without leaving one, as I will make a donation of 50p. for each comment to the Cornwall Adoption Centre.The commentathon will end on Friday 5th October at midnight BST so that gives 8 days.

The Commentathon has now ended. Thank you to everyone who left a comment for my donation.