BELLA & PUDDING BIRD FLU BITS 'N' BOBS CHIPPING COLLAR DANGERS CONTACTS DONATIONS EVENTS FERAL CATS FOSTERING GALLERY GOLDEN OLDIES GONE AWAY TO DIE HOMING INDOOR/OUTDOOR LOST & FOUND MEMBERSHIP PASSIVE SMOKING PET BEREAVEMENT POEMS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS RAINBOW BRIDGE SHOP SILENT MEOW SPONSOR PAGE TOXIC PLANTS TOXIC SUBSTANCES TIPS WHY NEUTER/SPAY Newsletter Newsletter Spring  07 Newsletter Autumn 07

All the  cats in  our  care have  every  luxury  that  they could  ever  want (except a purrfect home),  they  have  heated pens, radios, good quality cat  food and most    importantly,  as much TLC as their hearts desire.

 

As we have a no destruction policy (unless we are advised by our vet that  a cat  is  terminally  ill  and suffering) our vet’ bills are huge, in any one month it can be more than £3000,  which for a small band of volunteers  is an enormous amount.

 

We can give advice  but please remember we are not vets and if you are concerned your cat is not well you must call your vet,  all vets are on call 24 hours a day and a timely visit could save your cats life. LEAVING IT TILL TOMORROW COULD BE TOO LATE. Also there is no point in phoning me at midnight e.g. to say you have found a flea on your cat or you cat is gazing at the skirting board and then running around the room. Nor is it appreciated when someone comes goes home at 2.30 am  and decides they will ring for a kitten.

Can you help; all the money raised is used to rescue and care for cats and kittens, do you have any hidden talents?  We are desperate for dedicated cat-lovers who have time on their hands (preferably between the ages of 16 & 100) who can commit a few hours a week/month or even occasionally to helping us with all aspects of cat rescue.  Fostering, cat cuddling, help cleaning pens, home visitors, transport to vets or perhaps you  can  collect bric-a-brac etc for us, good quality items are always needed. Do you have any unwanted gifts etc for tombola/raffle prizes? Can you publicise our work by putting up posters?   Are you a builder, electrician or carpenter who could help with the building & upkeep of cat pens? FUNDRAISERS, we have the comparability and knowledge to save many cats however without funds we can do nothing. You, yes you can help save a cats life, without you  there is no us. Please  pass our website address to anyone you know who might be interested. These are some of the many ways that you could help your local branch, please give us some thought and call    Please see contacts page for the appropriate phone numbers. Volunteers for our shop are also needed a few hours to spare every week or even occasionally, we simply cannot man the shop and take care of the animals at the same time, so more time in the shop automatically means less animals helped. Also it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the shop open at all due to lack of volunteers. We need people to serve behind the counter, to sort clothing when donations are brought in, to steam or iron the garments before they are put out on the rails  and keep the rails fully stocked.  All this isn’t just down to us poor women…oh no, all you men out there who have a little spare time, how about coming along and helping us girls shift all the heavier stuff !  We do our sorting away from the sales area so we need you burly guys to help as well, and if you are really good we will even make you a cuppa.  Seriously though, we do need your help urgently, please call us instead of in perhaps a few years time saying I would have, could have & should have. This will enable the fosterers who are helping to run the shop due to lack of volunteers, care for the cats once again full time and perhaps save a cats life that may be in danger if we do not have the time.

URGENTLY NEEDED, SOMEONE WITH EBAY KNOWLEDGE • ABILITY TO CROP, RESIZE AND OPTIMISE PHOTOS FOR THE WEB
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE NEAR US IN CHESTERFIELD WHO COULD ORGANISE OUR eBAY SALES FOR US (BOTH ENTERING UP THE ITEMS AND POSTING THEM OUT TOO!). WE HAVE A HUGE STACK OF STUFF HERE TO SELL,  IT WOULD ONLY BE PRACTICAL FOR SOMEONE LOCAL OR LOCAL-ISH.

We recommend that your male neutered at 5 months and you females spayed at 6 months, please do not leave it later than this as this can lead to various cancers in later life due to the onset of hormonal developments, which happen after 6 months.  So despite all those 'old wives tales' it really isn't best to leave your  female kitten to have a litter or her first season prior to neutering, nor is it best for a male kitten to keep his genitalia, as not only will he roam and spray, he could be a victim of prostate cancer later in life. See why neuter/spay

Please also don't give up or let your family do so at the first hurdle e.g. I received a call from a Vet on a Sunday afternoon to see if we could help as a kitten have been brought in after being involved in a RTA and had a broken leg. (What a kitten was doing outside at a young age is another story) the owner was on holiday however, her father asked the Vet to PTS. How cruel when there is 100% chance of a full recovery. Of course the owner can easily get another kitten (not from us) as there are so many available. Also the fact that someone may pay £100s for a kitten/cat does not ensure a good home as pedigree rescues are as much under pressure as us and full to bursting.

The information & guidelines on our pages are the opinion of the writer and are not a substitute for professional veterinary advice  We are not allowed to recommend vets however, our Vets Carrick Veterinary Group Ltd have a Surgery at  93 Newbold Rd, Chesterfield  01246 273292, 34 Mill St, Clowne 01246 811223 & Lime Grove Walk, Matlock 01629 581234  they have saved the lives of many pets a year who you would not think stood a chance. Consultations are by appointment.

DO YOU HAVE OR KNOW A BUSINESS OR COTTAGE INDUSTRY THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO SPONSOR AN ADVERT FOR A CAT IN THE CHESTERFIELD ADVERTISER (YOUR BUSINESS DETAILS AT THE SIDE OF A PICTURE OF A CAT LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME) ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR? IT WILL COST ABOUT £47 PLUS VAT. USUALLY WHEN THESE ADVERTS ARE PLACED WE HOME NUMEROUS CATS AND IT ENABLES US TO BRING IN MANY MORE THAT ARE LIVING IN DESPERATE AND OFTEN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. PLEASE RING ELAINE 01246 270056

BISHOPS REST

This fascinating book (see below) can be purchased from our shop for £4.50. The publishers will kindly donate £2.00 from each sale to us. If you wish we can post copies for an extra 90p please contact Elaine for details.

SYNOPSIS

"Bishops Rest" is the first of a trilogy from Flora Dysart. Set mainly in Yorkshire in the 1920's, it is a story of love and hate interwoven with interesting titbits about life in New Zealand and Ireland before WW1. Unwanted as a child by both her parents and grandparents, Prudence Wetherby has found it impossible to find suitable employment since the war, and in desperation she travels to the Yorkshire moors to ‘Bishops Rest', home of her aristocratic great aunt Bella in the hopes of gaining employment without revealing her family ties to the eccentric old lady. Prue falls in love, only to discover that he has set his heart on marrying someone else so  it seems that she is destined not to find permanent happiness at "Bishops Rest". A technicolour of fascinating characters fill the stately home, bringing with them both happiness and sadness in equal measures.

 

A story of love and hate cleverly stretching across the generations of the many colourful characters at Bishops Rest. I'm looking forward to the next in the trilogy.'Mary Barker

Set mainly in the 1920's, the book skillfully encompasses numerous historic titbits ranging from the aftermath of Ireland's potato famine, and the 1877 Land Act in New Zealand, to the Gallipoli campaign. A fascinating read.' Janet Webb

I would like to thank my son in law the webmaster of www.greasyjoe.co.uk for making the initial site for us (saving us hundreds of pounds) and teaching me how to add additional pages and amend the site, if I had £1 for each time I have mailed him and said help I have done something wrong, or more usually something's happened (not my fault of course) can you sort it out for me I would be a very rich lady indeed.

Re the music on this site, please forgive me if I indulge myself a little, you may not care for it but I think some is apt for the page, (although will not hear the Birdie song on the bird flu page)  some reminds me of my youth and some reminds me of events in my life, happy and  one very sad, the rest I just like (not necessarily the instrument used or quite how it is played)  

THIS SITE IS UPDATED DAILY, HOLIDAYS PERMITTING.