Welcome to the first edition of this quarterly newsletter. It will tell you about the cats we look after, the ways we can help them, and the activities of our many volunteers, as well as keep us all in touch.
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Contents
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1. Willum: a cat of great character, still looking for a great
home!
2. Appeal for unwanted Christmas presents
3. Winter warning about antifreeze and the dangers to cats
4. Wanted – enthusiastic car booters!
5. Puzzle time – solve the anagrams to find some of the ways we
volunteer
6. Vet’s Corner – The low-down on vaccinations
7. Memorable moments – Volunteering in 2011
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1. Willum: a cat of great character, still looking for a great home!
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Willum arrived one evening in a cat carrier from the vet. He was under a year old, black, but with wonderful amber eyes. He was going to be put to sleep when Farnham and Wey Valley Cats Protection, in the shape of Diane Chessell, rescued him. He had been treated for fleas and worms and neutered when he arrived
here, and was quite frightened. He was unsure that any food bowl put on the floor was for him, where he should pee and why he was trapped in one room.
Five weeks later, we knew he didn’t like to eat and pee in the same room. We knew he didn’t like cars because he went flat on the floor and growled when he saw one. We knew he was terrified of brooms because he went into hiding for hours when we swept up the cat litter in the bathroom.
He is a master of the art of disappearing cat. One of his favourite hideouts is under the drawers in a kneehole desk – the only trouble is that he has grown and it’s becoming a squeeze to fit in there. Now he is getting braver, he likes to sleep on the back of the sofa bed, but any unusual sound can send him behind the chair, under the display cabinet, or any of those mysterious places we know he goes when we can’t find him.
We had a houseful at Christmas and he had to move to a different room. After three weeks in there, he has at last jumped onto the windowsill. How do we know? Because the cat treats we put there keep vanishing.
He is now a sleek mature cat. When he knows you, he is the friendliest cat and rubs around your legs, takes rides on your shoulders and kneads your lap. When he doesn’t know you, he simply disappears.
What he needs now is a new owner with patience and a quiet home without any other animals. He is happy to play with sensible children who can recognize the signs that he has had enough.
Can you offer gorgeous Willum a home?
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2. Appeal for unwanted Christmas presents
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Our appeal this time is for unwanted Christmas presents that we can sell on stalls in 2012. We would like those scarves, socks, perfumes, cosmetics, books, stationery, china, glass, jams, preserves, plants, chocolate (who isn’t going on a diet in January?), alcohol, etc. that you just don’t want.
But please, no second hand goods, we have too many of those. These must be brand new goods. They will be re-sold and all the money will be spent on food, litter or veterinary treatment for the cats in our care.
Please email us at weyvalleycats@gmail.com to arrange collection or delivery.
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3. Winter warning about antifreeze and the dangers to cats
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Antifreeze, screen-wash and some de-icers may contain ethylene glycol, which is toxic to cats.
It is sweet tasting and attractive to animals but even small quantities can be life-threatening so ensure they are stored out of reach and clean up any spillages straight away.
If antifreeze must be used in water features, be sure that animals can’t get close enough to use it as a drinking source.
Signs of poisoning may include depression, lethargy and vomiting. If you think there is a chance your cat may have ingested ethylene glycol, veterinary attention should be immediately sought.
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4. Wanted – enthusiastic car booters!
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We are often given goods to sell to raise money. You know the sort of things, records, CDs, china, toys, books, bags, clothes and generally the things known as bric-a-brac. We store these in our branch lock-up, and it would make an ideal basis for any car boot sale. Sadly, we don’t have a volunteer on our lists that
would run one for us.
So, if you are a keen car booter, prepared to choose your location, search the lock-up garage for your stock, get up early enough to get a good pitch and make some money for us please contact us at weyvalleycats@gmail.com
Your help could make a real difference to the cats in our care.
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5. Puzzle time – solve the anagrams to find some of the ways we volunteer
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EEFORRST
ADEFINRRSU
AEERRRSTU
ACEERRSTY
EHIIMOORSTV
EELNORTUV
AEPPRRT
ACDINOOORRT
Answers next issue!
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6. Vet’s Corner – The low-down on vaccinations
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Vaccinations help your cat stay healthy and stop the spread of disease. Vaccinations are available against:
Feline infectious enteritis
(also known as feline parvovirus or Panleucopenia) – a severe and potentially fatal gut infection
Cat flu
a common type of respiratory disease that can have lasting effects.
Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)
a devastating fatal disease that damages the cat’s immune system and can cause cancer
Chlamydophilia
a bacteria that causes severe conjunctivitis, along with mild sneezing and nasal discharge
Kittens need their first vaccine at nine weeks old and a second dose at twelve weeks. It is also recommended that your cat receives annual booster vaccinations throughout his life to help protect him from these diseases. Contact your vet for further advice.
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7. Memorable moments – Volunteering in 2011
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The hard effort and blisters involved in training for and then walking the 40km around South Downs Way to raise £800 for Cats Protection!
Amanda
The phone call from a soldier who had heard meows coming from a holdall in the Canal. I went down to rescue the three canal cats from it. They were all rehomed happily.
Diane
The bouncing cheques, but even more annoying to me are the people who promise to pay on line then don’t, and especially the people who do this and have taken more than one cat!
Anne
Proving the “experts” wrong by taking two feral kittens and socialising them into much loved pets for a lovely lady in Aldershot.
Len and Pauline
It would be so difficult to pick one memorable moment from the year. I’ve loved photographing every one of our furry feline friends 
Charlene
Getting an email from one of my teenage idols, musician Robert Smith of The Cure donating his royalties from our charity cover version of his song, The LoveCats (still available for purchase from www.TheLoveCats.co.uk !)
Louisa
Christmas morning 9am; rescuing a kitten hangng from one claw which was stuck in the spring under a bed. No ill effects on the kitten, but it took three of us to do it.
Tandy
My memorable moment would be receiving my first ‘mum and kittens’ into foster care. they were tiny, some were only just opening their eyes and watching them progress, open their eyes, learn to pounce, right until they left for their forever homes, was something I’ll always treasure.
Charlie
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weyvalleycats@gmail.com
http://www.farnhamcats.co.uk/
**01252 334 644**
Homing Officer: Christine Francis
Welfare Officer: Diane Chessell
Treasurer: Anne Rowlands
Publicity and Website: Louisa Bird
Volunteering: Tandy Murphy
