If you missed the announcement on my social media, for Christmas this year, I`ll be collaborating with Cats Protection on a Christmassy series of posts for the 12 days of Christmas (more info December 13th). And I was lucky enough to be invited to the Cats Protection Tyneside Adoption Centre
for a private tour and the opportunity to meet some of their cats and kittens.
The
branch’s Customer Engagement Advisor; Chris, took me to all of the different
rooms first, to see where they do the food, water and – in my opinion, the worst
job ever! – clean the litter trays. I thought it really exceptional that they
consider cross contamination so highly that they go our of their way to ensure
there’s no mass outbreak of any illnesses. It was obvious from the outset that
the staff and volunteers have an abundance of knowledge on cats and are really,
very well equipped at caring for them. 
Next was the exciting part… when my Mum heard I was having a private tour at the Adoption Centre the first thing she said was “you better not take any home!” I knew from the offset that if I fell in love with any of the cats and heard their sob stories, I’d be tempted… and I wasn’t wrong! I met two cats who’d come from a home with more than 80 cats in it, another with a suspected tail amputation, and there were several whose owners had either died, or moved to a home where the Landlord doesn’t allow pets. Chris explained that relocation/moving home is often the reasoning behind a cat coming into the Centre and we talked about how hard it must be when the move is necessary. It’s important, though, that people bear in mind that some Landlords don’t allow pets and so – where possible – you should always check before signing a tenancy agreement so as not to be parted from your furry friend!
Proof
that you’re allowed a pet (for those living in rented housing) is one of the
few things that Cats Protection require you provide before adopting a cat from
the Centre. There’s also a ‘Homefinder’ questionnaire to complete which asks
about your own personality, what qualities you’re looking for in a cat, whether
you’d want it to be an indoor or outdoor cat, and information on your current
living situation such as whether there’s any children or other pets living in
the property. It’s all just further proof of the passion behind Cats Protection
to rehome their cats into a lovely home that they deserve.
I
was also really lucky to meet a lady looking to adopt two cats and she kindly
let me come along with her and her friend to look at the two cats she’d
initially been interested in but they were too shy and after looking at another
two (one is pictured to the right) she fell in love!
One
cat I’m convinced they won’t have trouble rehoming though, is Minnie! As
soon as we set foot in the enclosure her pen was in she was at the door! She
was so friendly and had such a loud purr. Not going to lie; I got a bit emotional
because she not only looked like Dolly (my cat that was put to sleep a few
weeks ago) but she had the same mannerisms, temperament, personality…
everything! And the fact she loved me made it even harder to leave her!!
To
adopt a cat from Cats Protection Tyneside Adoption Centre, visit their site (link below)and
immerse yourself in all of the info and take a peek at the cats they’ve got in
to see if anyone appeals to you!
Note: Cats Protection generally does not home cats over Christmas, as many cats do not settle well into a new home during this very busy time of year, but cats and kittens can be reserved for adoption so that they can be collected early in the New Year!
https://twitter.com/CatsProtection
https://www.cats.org.uk/
https://www.cats.org.uk/tyneside
https://www.facebook.com/CPTynesideAdoptionCentre/
https://twitter.com/CPTynesideAC