Anim-Mates Newsletter Summer2016

Patron
Jenny Seagrove
Registered Charity
No. 1098252
Friends of Anim-Mates Quarterly Newsletter
Summer 2016
Family dog becomes surrogate mum to stray kittens
D
ays after giving birth to five kittens a poorly young mother was rushed from her fosterers’
home to an emergency vet. Without hesitation, the family dog stepped in to be a
surrogate mum to the kittens, cleaning them and keeping them warm.
The vet found that Mead, a stray, was very
Dee said: “When she went back to her
dehydrated, anaemic, and had a severe
kittens, Mead instantly wanted to take on
bacterial infection and diarrhoea. She
her role again, however the kittens didn’t
was put on intravenous fluids, steroids,
recognise her initially and were hissing and
antibiotics, hypoallergenic food and
trying to get away from her.
vitamin B12.
“Because our dog, Neymar, a female
Days later, when fosterers Natasha
rescue Yorkshire Terrier/Chihuahua cross,
McPhee and Dee Potter arrived at the vets
had been their mum for a few days, the
to take her back to their Gillingham home,
kittens didn’t recognise Mead’s smell.”
Mead was happy to see them.
See all our animals at anim-mates.org.uk
The MEWS in BRIEF
WELCOME TO OUR SUMMER NEWSLETTER
As usual our quarterly publication is full of news about the
animals and the charity that you so kindly support.
Our Friends of Anim-Mates now number 750. Will you help
us to make that up to 800? Please ask your friends if they
would like to become a Friend. They can complete and send
in Page 11 or join online at www.anim-mates.org.uk
STIG OF THE DUMP
Olivers
Farm,
Teresa’s
new
property, was once
home to author
Clive King, who
wrote Stig of the
Dump. The book is
regarded
as
a
modern children’s
classic and is often
read in schools.
The dump that
inspired the book still
exists on the edge of Olivers Farm. One of
Teresa’s neighbours recalls playing in the
dump with the author when they were boys.
ONLINE AUCTIONS
As announced in our previous newsletter,
volunteer Nathalie de Chivré is running
online auctions on Facebook with profits
going to the charity.
Auctions held earlier this year were so
successful that Nathalie is planning to
organise future online auctions every couple
of months.
Go to www.tinyurl.com/a-m-auction to join
in the fun and, for all the latest Anim-Mates
news, see our general Facebook page at
www.tinyurl.com/anim-mates-facebook.
VILLAGE FETE
On Saturday 25 June Anim-Mates
volunteers will be running our fundraising
stall at the Allhallows Village Fete at the
Recreation Ground in Shellduck Close
from 12pm
and 5pm.
Our stall
will feature
our everpopular
Teddy Bear
tombola
and
gifts
that have
b e e n
donated
for sale.
PETS AT HOME GIFT
Thanks to Pets at Home who recently
donated a large pallet of food, toys, beds
and treats for our cats and dogs.
Lisa Inns, Anim-Mates’ Pets at Home
l i a i s o n
volunteer
(pictured
on
the
r i g h t ) ,
made quite
a few car
trips to the
Chatham
store
to
empty the
pallet.
RECYCLE THIS NEWSLETTER
After you have finished reading this edition please think about passing it
on to an animal-loving friend.
If you are reading the eNewsletter colour version on your computer or
tablet, you may like to forward it on to people in your contacts list.
Page 2
Anim-Mates’ animal welfare news
Family dog becomes surrogate mum to stray kittens
D
ays after giving birth to five kittens a poorly young mother was rushed from her fosterers’
home to an emergency vet. Without hesitation, the family dog stepped in to be a surrogate
mum to the kittens, cleaning them and keeping them warm.
When Mead’s fosterers found that the kittens
nine months
no longer recognised their birth mother, they
old. It was a
took steps to reforge connections. Dee
very difficult
explains: “We tried to rub the dog’s scent
birth which
on Mead and sat with them for some time.
she could not
“The kittens slowly started to feed from
h a v e
her but we were still supplementing every
managed on
three hours.
her
own.
“Because she had a buster collar on
Without the
Mead wasn’t able to clean them and make
experienced
them go to the toilet, so Neymar retained
help of her
grooming responsibilities. Mead seemed
fosterers, who
happy with that arrangement and we kept
stayed up all
an eye on the kittens’ weight to make sure
night to assist
they were all feeding properly.”
her,
the
As soon as Mead’s collar was removed she
kittens would
was able to resume all the duties expected of
have died.
a mum, which left Neymar feeling unwanted
“The kittens
and a little depressed for a few days.
essentially
Bobbie Bajwa, Anim-Mates’ cat expert,
had to be hand reared. Mead and Neymar
said: “Mead is only a kitten herself, about
did their best but everything had to be
supervised. With feeding times every two
hours, around the clock, our dedicated
fosterers had some sleepless nights.
“Sadly, many people are still unaware
that kittens can reach sexual maturity at
the tender age of only four months, and
that females can become pregnant again
while still nursing their kittens. Just one
female can produce up to 20 offspring in
one year, while a single unneutered male
can be responsible for countless litters. I
really cannot stress the importance of
neutering enough. ”
ANIMALS LOST AND FOUND IN KENT HELPING TO BRING BELOVED PETS HOME
Two years ago Natasha McPhee and Dee
Potter founded a group of volunteers who
reunite lost dogs and cats in Kent with
their owners.
They go to great lengths to find an
owner, especially if the animal has no
identification tag or microchip.
Our own cats volunteer, Bobbie Bajwa,
and Natasha and Dee have a close
working relationship, which sees AnimMates helping to rehome some cats
whose owners are untraceable.
Anyone who finds an animal, alive or
deceased, is asked to get in touch with
Animals Lost and Found in Kent via
www.animalslostandfoundinkent.co.uk,
so they can help identify and trace the
animal’s owner.
Page 3
Anim-Mates’ animal welfare news
Anim-Mates will pay Bubbles’ vet costs for life
B
ubbles was once an emaciated and poorly stray, found in Gillingham. Now, she’s ready
for her forever home.
Whilst in our care,
Bubbles also had
Bubbles has been
two cysts removed,
receiving
vet
one in her mouth
treatment for a
and one under her
number
of
eye, together with
conditions. A lot of
the top of her ears
work has gone
as they showed
into
helping
signs of possible sun
Bubbles recover
damage.
her health and she
The vet took
has
blossomed
biopsies of these
into
a
happy,
areas and the
loving cat who
report came back
loves nothing more than a chat and a
stating they were all clear, which was quite
scratch under her chin.
a relief all round.
Bubbles is now eager to find someone
Bubbles has reacted very well to her
who will give her a loving home.
treatment and has put on weight,
Top of Bubbles’ wishlist is unconditional
complemented by soft and glossy fur.
love and people who will help her to enjoy
Like some cats of her age, Bubbles has a
her retirement. Most of the day she loves to
hyperactive thyroid, for which she takes a
snooze, and is very much an indoor cat.
couple of tablets a day in her food. She also
The vet thinks Bubbles is around 12 years
needs blood tests twice a year.
old, although it was hard to be accurate as
When she is rehomed, Anim-Mates will
she only had three teeth, one of which he
continue to pay Bubbles’ vet costs for the
had to extract.
thyroid problem for the rest of her life.
lar
y popu
Back b
d
deman
Raffle • Tombola • Anim-Mates craft stall
All in aid of Anim-Mates Animal Rescue
Registered Charity No. 1098252
Page 4
BEST OF FRIENDS AT LAST
Last July Scratchy was adopted by Paula
Turner to be a companion to her cat Teddy.
Sadly, the pair didn’t get on and couldn't
stand being in the same room together.
Fast forward six months, to when Paula
arrived home from hospital with her new son.
She was surprised to see Scratchy and Teddy
w a i t i n g
together at
the door to
greet her.
Since then
the cats play
together,
sleep near
each other
and
eat
their food
side by side.
Anim-Mates’ animal welfare news
New inclusive logo for Anim-Mates
Y
ou may have noticed from the front page or from our Facebook posts that Anim-Mates
is, as they say, rebranding with a new logo – all done in-house, at no cost.
Or rather, not quite
Anim-Mates provides sanctuary for a diverse
‘new’ – canny readers
collection of abandoned and unwanted
will have noticed that
animals of all shapes and sizes, young and old.
this logo was previously
While the previous logo featured just a dog, a
used for our Care for
cat and a rabbit standing alone, the new logo
Life section. It was felt
reflects the wider range of animals that we
that it was a better
rescue, as well as our role in their care.
representation
of
Some charities spend thousands of
Anim-Mates’ work and
pounds for a logo design. Our logo came
principles, so our old logo was dropped, and
with the compliments of student Christie Inns,
this has taken Centre Stage.
who donated it as a lover of animals.
BE ONE OF THE FIRST TO BUY THE NEW ANIM-MATES
T-SHIRT AND WEAR IT WITH PRIDE
Sporting our new logo, the T-shirts are priced at £11 each,
plus a delivery charge, and you can choose from a
range of styles and sizes.
You can only buy your T-shirt direct from tboom, a website
that hosts charity clothing campaigns at no cost to the charity.
For every shirt sold, Anim-Mates will receive around £3, along
with any extra donations supporters may wish to give.
TBoom T-shirts are manufactured by Fruit of the Loom,
who adhere to the Worldwide Responsible Accredited
Production code of conduct.
Please go to www.tboom.co.uk/anim-mates-t-shirts
and help Anim-Mates rescue abandoned animals.
OLIVER THEN AND NOW
Do you remember Oliver, the injured stray
found in a terrible state a year ago?
Seen as he was on the left, Oliver needed
an operation to fuse his badly infected
shattered lower jaw together. He spent a
month at the vets and we had no idea if he
would make it.
Look at him now, on the right – not at
all like a cat who so narrowly escaped
death. A year on, his fur has grown back
and he looks so happy and majestic in his
Bromley home with adopters Nicola and
Gareth Allen.
Page 5
Some of the animals that have recently been rescued
o
Now reh
med
Now reho
med
DAISY A stray found in a park
crying in distress. Her owner
was traced, but was
adamant that she didn’t
want this friendly girl back.
BLUEBELL and PRIMROSE These
sisters were advertised as
being free to anyone who
would take them off their
owner’s hands. See page 7.
BILLY A very gentle, soppy
and affectionate stray who
had an eye infection,
broken teeth and abscesses
when he was rescued.
Now rehomed
Now rehomed
Now rehomed
GERTRUDE and MABEL When
a young girl lost interest in
her indoor guinea pigs, they
were put into a shed and
neglected.
FELIX This stray was filthy,
thin, covered in cuts and
very hungry when he turned
up at the back door of a
Gillingham hairdressers.
JOEY After he’d been a stray
for six years, we found this
nine-year-old lad’s owner,
only to find she didn’t want
him returned to his home.
Now rehomed
PEPPER and KITTENS Found in
a Sittingbourne garage, this
stray mum was with her five
kittens, to whom she had
given birth just days earlier.
Page 6
PINKY and PERKY This pair of
cockatiels were the pets of an
Anim-Mates supporter who
died recently. Read about
them on the next page.
SIMBA A stray for 15 years. By
day this tabby wandered
around the streets of
Chatham, by night he slept
in a lady’s porch.
CARE for LIFE news
Care for Lifers thrive in their new home
O
ur volunteer photographer Bobbie Bajwa has recorded how our Care for Life animals
have settled into their new sanctuary.
Our feral cats have a much larger B&B at
Olivers Farm, with the freedom to come and
go as they please. Can you spot the six cats
asleep in the house when the picture below
was taken?
Three-year-old sisters Primrose and
Bluebell recently arrived at the sanctuary
and were greeted by resident goats Edward
and three-legged Simon (above). After
being tethered in the Gillingham garden of
an owner who lost interest in them, they are
enjoying their newfound freedom.
Cutiepie
loves
her
new
hen
house (left).
Being
a
v e g a n ,
Teresa gives
the eggs to
volunteers,
neighbours
and family.
Cockatiels Pinky
and Perky (right)
were rescued when
Friend of AnimMates Roy Davidson
passed away. They
are our newest
arrivals and are
already now happily
chirping to each
other perched in
their new aviary.
We are sad to report the passing of Muesli
Muesli was one of
two Care for Life
cats fostered by
Denise Buckley since
2007. Once feral,
Muesli
eventually
settled
into
a
domestic life. He
leaves behind his
life-long pal Mozart.
Denise said: “12-yearold Muesli was such a little
character. He was the
one I could stroke and
cuddle.
Mozart
still
remains timid, and seems
a bit lost at the moment.
They both slept at the end
of my bed and were
together 24/7.”
Animals who cannot be rehomed because of age, infirmity or care needs live
permanently at the homes of our fosterers, where they are cared for as their own pets
Page 7
Fundraising news
Anim-Mates chosen as Charity of the Year for MBM
M
edway Bridge Marina (MBM) has adopted Anim-Mates as its Charity of the Year
for 2016.
In previous years they have
Vicki said: “The event will
raised many thousands of
take approximately 10
pounds for the Kent Air
hours, and is extremely
Ambulance, a Kent hospice,
hard
work.
We
are
and a well in Uganda.
expecting bad backs,
On Saturday 25 June Vicki
blisters and intense fatigue.
Cordina, MBM’s charity
“You can sponsor us at
coordinator, is organising a
crowdfunding.justgiving.
Charity Paddle. Vicki and 20
com/vikki-cordina. Any
other canoeists will take part
support on the day, such
in a 20-mile journey from
as cheering us on, would
Tonbridge to the Malta Inn,
be a boost and be hugely
by Allington Lock.
appreciated.”
MORE AFTERNOON TEA
LUSH EVENT
The Afternoon Tea fundraising event held in
March in High Halstow was a great success.
It attracted a full house and raised over £500.
So many of those attending asked about
the next Tea, we’re delighted to say that this
will be on Saturday 20 August.
Lush, the fresh, handmade cosmetics company,
have created a Charity Pot hand and body
lotion specially to be sold to raise money for
charities. In April, their Canterbury branch held
a Charity Pot weekend in aid of Anim-Mates.
Shoppers paid over £400 for the pots, all
of which Lush gave to Anim-Mates.
Volunteers Sarah Williams and Lisa Inns said
the store had a party atmosphere, with the
lovely
staff,
seen
in
the
photo,
enthusiastically promoting Anim-Mates.
LIVING HISTORIAN TALKS
Friend Leslie Allman is a living historian who gives entertaining
talks to societies and clubs, dressed in the period costume
of a London character from 1849. Leslie kindly donates his
fees to our charity. To obtain his services please contact him
on 01634 582726.
Leslie and his wife Carole have adopted a number of
Anim-Mates cats. The latest is Tilly, seen here poring (or is that
pawing?) over some paper coming out of their printer – we
think she’s appointed herself as Leslie’s script editor.
Page 8
Photos of your Anim-Mates pets
TOP LEFT Maria Lambkin snapped her young
cat Taz studying his entry on the Anim-Mates
Facebook page.
BOTTOM LEFT Eleven years ago Irish Setter
Maggie was a bag of bones, suffering from
mange and at risk of being put down. Once
rescued she became a loving companion
who has brought untold happiness to Mary
Laney and her husband. They couldn’t
imagine life without her.
TOP RIGHT When the Mills family adopted
Jake Jnr they were happy to discover that
he was an excellent tree climber.
However, they were horrified one day
when they saw him climb out of an
upstairs window, walk along the narrow sill
and jump (safely) into the next window.
BOTTOM RIGHT Huggles and Freddie love
being cuddled by Joshua Pooley, 11, and
his sister Millie, five, in Horton Kirby.
Page 9
Your letters and emails to Anim-Mates
From Anne Lowe and David Lockyer, Walderslade
We are happy to say Sammy Snugglebug is
now firmly a true member of our ever-growing
family.
We cannot believe how brilliantly he fits into
the household and how much he has changed.
His confidence grows daily; Sammy is no longer
scared of the other cats or the dogs. In fact, he
seems to love the lively atmosphere.
He is an absolute star, and has become very
verbal and demanding at times, asking for
cuddles, doors to be opened for him, food, etc.
He’s an all-round happy cat and we are very happy
owners. Things could not have worked out more
perfectly with him.
From Kirsty Meakings, Dover
From Debra Ray, Aberdeenshire
After adopting Meg in January I
successfully bonded her and my rabbit
Eddy. This photo of them was taken in
my kitchen while they were bonding
(Meg’s on the right).
Meg has settled in really well; she and
Eddy are now great friends. They live
outside and love to disrupt my attempts
to take sweet photos of them snuggled
together by jumping apart as soon as
they see the camera.
Kizzie, now 12, came to us when she was
just nine months old. She had been found
close to a traveller’s camp near North Cray
and was very nervous of men.
Kizzie’s been a very important part of
our family and continues to be really
loved. We moved up to Aberdeenshire a
while ago, for a quieter way of life with
Kizzie and our two horses, and she loves
being a rural doggie up here.
We love receiving photos and news of your Anim-Mates pets, so please email them to:
[email protected] or post them to our address, listed opposite on page 11
Page 10
"
Multi-use form: New
Friends/Donations/Sponsor an animal
Please tick relevant box(es) below
I wish to become a new Friend of
Anim-Mates,
by
giving
a
donation, to support animals in
need, and to receive the
quarterly newsletter.
I wish to make a donation to
Anim-Mates to help animals in need.
(Donations to the charity are
always acknowledged by letter
or email.)
I wish to sponsor a Care for Life animal for a year, for a minimum donation of £10.
I will receive a certificate, a report, and a photograph of my chosen animal.
I wish to sponsor …….….....….…......….….….…….…….…….…….…….……………..
(Please go to anim-mates.org.uk/sponsor_an_animal.html to choose an animal to
sponsor. Alternatively, if you’re not sure who to choose, we can call you to discuss.)
I enclose a donation of £………………… payable to Anim-Mates
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Name .................................................................................................................
Address ...........................................................................................................................................
…..….…..…..…..…..…………….….…..…………………. Postcode ..............................................
Tel ……………………………….….….… Email ...............................................................................
Signed .…………………………………….……………… Date .......................................................
Make your donation worth an extra 25% to Anim-Mates
Please tick the box if you would like Anim-Mates to reclaim tax
on the above donation and any future donations.
Anim-Mates will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 you have donated. By ticking the box,
you are also confirming that you are a UK taxpayer and understand that, if you pay/have
paid less Income and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all
charitable donations in a given tax year, it is your responsibility to pay any difference.
Please post this form to: Anim-Mates, Olivers Farm, Ash, Kent, TN15 7HF
Contact Anim-Mates
Post
Anim-Mates
Olivers Farm
Ash
Kent TN15 7HF
General enquiries / Care for Life animals
Teresa 07743 331397
Our sanctuary is based in a private home,
all visits must be arranged in advance
Rabbits and Guinea Pigs
Lisa 01634 578258 / 07796 368243
Email [email protected]
Website www.anim-mates.org.uk
Cats
Bobbie 07808 625519
Page 11
Some of the animals recently found new homes
HUGGLES and FREDDIE
are in Horton Kirby
BATMAN
has settled in Wrotham
BRUCE
gets cuddles in Bexleyheath
BUG
appreciates Maidenbower
CHARLIE
likes the look of Strood
ELSA
resides in Wainscott
FRED
enjoys life in Northfleet
GIMLI
likes being in Bristol
JAKE
is tops in High Halstow
MOLLY
loves posing in Gillingham
PIPPA
is comfy in Faversham
BARNEY and WILMA
are big in Carshalton
Saving just one animal won’t change the world,
but it will surely change the world for that one animal