Hello Friends
Another year draws close to its end, and it’s been another year of your support enabling the sanctuary to continue to help our furry friends. Here’s our thanks in the form of the Christmas photo edition newsletter.
My gratitude goes to our great volunteer team who work so hard on the summer stalls, and those who donate items - it can only happen due to all of you. Caterham Carnival in June had poor weather putting people off, but a very helpful £386.96 was still raised. Chaldon Fete raised £136 on the day, while the Fete Committee raised a marvellous total for the local groups they support, meaning we received an amazing £743.33 on top of it - thank you.
We also had a stall at Quality Street in Merstham as they kindly invited us again to be the recipients from their lovely fete in September. We are very grateful to them for their support for the sanctuary - an incredible £1800 was donated, thank you. These events are such an astounding help to us.
<<< This is the new “Guess my name” game photo board that we introduced at our stalls this year - and no - I’m not giving you the answers, though you should recognise many of them !
Dog friendly dog trainer, vet and behaviourist Ian Dunbar, founded off lead puppy training back in the 1980’s: a now well recognised part of having a pup but revolutionary back then. He lives in USA but toured UK this year doing seminars, and was in Kent with Barking Up The Right Tree. That was near enough for me to attend for a few hours and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him as he championed our dogs and their point of view - someone who has spent his lifetime making a difference for dogs and their humans.
The security fencing is basically done - foxes can’t dig in and cats can’t jump out - so it’s 99.5% successful, except for any weak spots the most adventurous cats find, with over the bungalow roof the latest - and dare I hope - last one !
I’ve been asked why it is important, and my reply is that there are 3 acres here which is more than enough to keep them happily amused, and when the risks of roaming off our land are so great, of course I shall protect them. Not only the obvious dangers from traffic and the public footpath at the back of the sanctuary, but recently horses in a field near us were shot with an airgun rifle ( severely traumatised though recovered from their injuries ). There are some nasty people in the world sadly.
<<< This is the main Houdini who is too confident for his own good - Broom watching as the saw is taken to a post he was using to access the roof !
The lefthand picture echoes the photo of Broom crossing the lane - he might think it important, I see it as dangerous !
Yes, let’s have you all safely tucked up at home, with freedom to behave naturally while not putting yourselves at risk.
As we all know, things are worse than ever for neglected, dumped and abused animals and this has meant that in my effort to help a few of them, I’ve been cat juggling ! My bathroom is also the isolation for new cats - a quiet and safe place for them to adjust to their move as we get to know each other. A problem rarely encountered is if another emergency needs to arrive - this is when cat juggling occurs !
This happened when Peter ( Egan ) our patron contacted me with “ I expect you’re chockablock but…..” - so although we are full, I didn’t say no to two little feral kittens from someone’s back garden. The skinny, fearful scraps arrived with thanks to all those involved in their rescue.
At the time of writing, although still small, their condition is much better, with shiny coats and tummies full of only food - not worms! They ( Marsh & Heather ) are still wary of being handled, which is a work in progress, but are playful and now able to enjoy a secure future instead of continuing to try and survive living rough - a tough and usually short life for the poor cats condemned to live that way.
As you know, Nikki will often lay with Wizard, which he quietly accepts, without acknowledging her in any obvious way - he’ll even give up his bed and move off altogether if she wants his bed, not his company.
One very hot summer night, I put the wire barrier up ( with cat sized hole ) so the door could stay open without dogs going for a midnight wander. Not long after we’d gone to bed, Wizard woke me up, not with his usual gentle request but a determined insistent - “wake up now”. I turned the light on to see Nikki standing outside the barrier ! Never having done so in all her years, she had squeezed out through the cat hole. It’s a step down to go out, but to come in, is a step up, which is impossible for her old legs to manage. I moved the barrier, she strolled in and tucked into bed, so I turned to Wizard to let him out - and he was back in bed and just ignored me. He’d seen his friend in need and helped - which was very touching, clever lad.
“Is it STILL raining?” ask Wizard, Zeena, Taxi and Heidi - and this wet summer, the answer was frequently “yes”.
As you know, dear gentleman Muffin died a few months ago. The next day, dirty bedding which included Muffin's collar, was in front of the washing machine. I thought that he’d left with barely a ripple of reaction, but when the dogs came past for their breakfast, I was touched by how many stopped and sniffed his collar as they had indeed noticed him slipping away.
After a couple of cold nights when the fire had been lit, the following day it was warmer and not needed, but Wizard and Bumble made their feelings known that they would like it lit again !
Possession is everything - same bed ( faded with washing ) - - different cat !
<<< Katie Cinders >>>
And Mason and Fagin having a snooze too.
Twiggy & Rosa Heidi & Sparkle
Tarzan
Nikki
Broom <<< Bumble >>>
The cctv cameras give me an extra view on the world around us, and one day, I was lucky enough to see this sparrowhawk on the field gate.
Luckily for them not at the same time, but I’ve also seen a wood pigeon, wren and robin there.
I often hear owls though haven’t seen any on cctv footage, but there are bats that flit around at nighttime.
It’s a cardboard box - of course it has a cat in it, or two !
Sparkle Cinders & Boo
I’m saying nothing about how many cat beds there are here ( plus one human shared one ! ) - but talking of boxes, when you have a box of hay open for the guinea-pig pair Minto and Mousse ..... ...... it will be found by cats of course - Broom and Iris.
Tale of tin openers
Tins of cat food with ring-pull cans are awkward to pop open if your hands are a little sore, especially on the large double sized 800g tins. I tried various tin openers but they kept slipping, so would only partly open the tin but not enough that I could get the food out … while the cats are impatiently waiting for their meals and I’m trying not to cut myself on a sharp edge. I did some online research and discovered that this is a common problem due to the tins changing ridge depth to allow the ring pulls.
However professional kitchens use what I will describe as a ‘stab and turn’ type opener, and one UK brand caught my eye so I contacted them and explained my issue: “Do your tin openers work on ring pull cans? “ To my delight, the reply was “yes, they do” and they went above and beyond to check that it would do what I needed, and then donated one! It is a wonderful piece of equipment - thank you Mitchell & Cooper - and I now feed the cats with a big smile on my face as I happily open tin after tin without problems. Who knew tin openers could be so interesting? Probably not you, and perhaps it isn’t generally interesting, but there you go ... it’s part of day to day life here that has just got a lot easier and less frustrating !
I tripped down some steps and banged my knee, no major damage done but it needed strapping for support and to reduce swelling. A friend suggested a knee support and my reply was “ I do have one in the cupboard but it is dog size ! “
So perfectly logically my friend went “ Vetwrap bandage then” which of course, yes I do have and did the job admirably. Gives a new twist to the “what’s yours is mine and vice versa!”
A couple of dogs were helped this year when their loving owners had serious health problems. I’m fostering a loving deaf 4yr border collie girl who would like to live without other dogs. If you’d like to know more, please contact Arundawn Dog Rescue - 07736 049390 / 01403 891687 Mon - Sat 11am - 6pm
The other dog helped, sadly had to leave one friend of mine, but serendipitously other good friends were able to offer the right home for her, and she is happily settled in time for her first Christmas with them.
Pictures from the internet on the left - the Chaldon version on the right !
Thank you for another year of making a difference to the sanctuary residents - it means the world to them and me.
It’s not what is under the Christmas tree that matters - it is who is around it - and all of you are the circle of support around our family tree, thank you.
Since we joined Easyfundraising in 2021, a wonderful total of £1,033.94 has been raised by you all, thank you. Also thanks for using the Amazon wish list which is an enormous help for all sorts of items needed at the sanctuary, not just the important pet treats !
Click logo to go to page
Click logo to go to page
Thank you for continuing to send used stamps as we still raise funds with those, and I now also collect Canon and HP used ink cartridges, with genuine ones raising more than compatible.
With enormous gratitude and purrs and woofs from all of us,
Liz & Furries
All images used, are either my own ( photos, logo ), are credited or available freely on the internet.