News items updated 18th May 2019

And now for something completely different!

A while ago we were asked to take in six rats. We do take rats in from time to time but they usually go out in one's or two's. On this occasion we were fortunate to find a new home for them all together with a lovely lady who sent us some superb photo's of them. They have really landed on their feet. The photograph shows two of them cuddling up together. How sweet!

Cattery Open Days.

We had a steady flow of visitors to our cattery over the weekend. Some folks just came to see the cats and the cattery but we reserved seven of our cats for people pending home visits. Three people also offered their services as volunteers as well which was really great. Pictured below are two of our cattery girls. Hannah is pictured with Jasmine, a delightful little girl aged 1-2 years & Chloe is pictured with Dior, a very friendly and lively boy aged 14! Our jolly fundraisers, Barbara, Marlene, Carole and Rita are all pictured with toy cats for people who could not have the real thing!

Kitten season is here!

We have now taken in 15 kittens so far. Two pregnant mums had four each, an RSPCA Inspector has brought in four that are only 2 weeks old, we have had one unclaimed stray and two that were signed over that had the worst flea infestation we have ever seen! The infestation was so bad both kittens ended up with anaemia and heart murmers. These have now cleared up and both kittens are back to full health.

Mum and Kittens

This is an updated photograph a mummy cat and her four kittens who had a very scary start in life. The mum cat was in labour when she came into our care and thanks to the quick thinking and expertise of our fosterer they all eventually were safe and well. Two of the kittens weren't breathing when they were born but Sarah, our fosterer, managed to get them breathing. Here they all are now at a healthy 7 weeks old. The kittens will be looking for new homes when they are 9 weeks old and mum cat will be put up for adoption once she has been neutered. For more information on the kittens, please see our Cats and Kittens page.

Sooty & Sweep

Sooty and Sweep were adopted from us a few months ago and shortly after a workmen left a door open at their new home and Sweep got out. It was panic stations all round while Sweep went on his adventure for 2 whole weeks! Tracy, one of our volunteers managed to get him in one of our traps and he was returned to his very relieved mummy and daddy who were so happy to have him home. Sooty greeted him at the door as well! We got this lovely photo of them today to show how well they have settled in.

A happy ending for George ( now Kanute)

George looks like a different cat to the one who came into our care as a stray. He now loves his forever home and he likes to get up to mischief and drink out of the bird bath in the garden.

When he went for his second vaccination the vet felt a lump in his tummy. This turned out to be a fibrous mass which is thought to have been caused by eating rubbish when he was living rough. His operation and the before and aftercare cost over £1,000 but because he had been adopted from the RSPCA the owners registered him for the 4 weeks free insurance so all his vet fees minus the excess were refunded.

We recommend all animals should be insured to cover them against the cost of veterinary treatment but the 4 weeks free cover provided by the RSPCA is a bonus!

Happy Ending for Bagheera

Bagheera went all the way to Peterborough for his new home! His new owners contacted us to say they have now had him 6 weeks and he coped really well with the 3 hour car journey to his new home. He has settled in very well and he is very comfortable around the house. He has ventured outside for the first time this week. It took a bit of time to get used to his character as he is our first cat but he his our little shadow now meowing for a fuss. We are so happy to have hime as part of our family.  Bagheeras new owners asked us to pass on their thanks to both Hannah's at our cattery for answering all their questions and for the great advice.

Bagheera is pictured sitting in his favourite place, the kitchen island, so he can see what is going on everywhere

Feral Cats Neutered.

Six feral cats were tested and neutered in March. One of the "Carnaby" ferals was released back on to the site, four that were brought in by an Inspector from the house outside our area where the owner had passed away were re-homed together and one was also micro-chipped before being given back to the lady who cared for him at her home as she was worried about getting the cat back if it was ever picked up by anyone as a stray. There are still a couple to be caught at the property outside our area but we have places for them to go when they are.

Fake news regarding the RSPCA

A Facebook post  regarding 5 dogs supposedly from the RSPCA in which all the dog breeds were wrongly identified and not checked for micro-chips is in fact not about the RSPCA at all! The person who posted the original post has removed it saying they got the wrong charity! Although the original post has been removed shared posts are still circulating.

The RSPCA Headquarters  have issued an official response and they are sharing it as much as possible.

We are also putting a post of our Branch Facebook page regarding this and we hope that people who have shared this post now knowing it is false will remove it.

Forthcoming Events.

May

Monday 6th - 11am onwards - Stalls at Barmston Caravan Park

Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th 11am - 2pm - Open Weekend at 

      the RSPCA Cattery, Carr Lane, Nafferton, Driffield

Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th - 11am - 3pm - Pets at Home Bridlington

Sunday 19th - 11am onwards - Stalls at Park Rose cafe

Saturday 25th - 10am onwards - Stalls in Flamborough Village Hall

Saturday 25th - 10am onwards - Stalls at The Links Craft Fair.

Rabbit fosterer Needed

We are in need of at least one new rabbit fosterer. A long standing fosterer has had to give up as a member of the family is ill and needs a lot of care.

We provide all equipment, food etc. For more information please ring Caroline on 07850190397

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs in gardens can be fed on dog food and given water to drink until they hibernate. Under no circumstances should they be given milk as this can make them really ill or worse. Piles of fallen leaves and small twigs are ideal for them to hibernate over winter in gardens.

Hedgehogs should not be out and about in daylight. It is a sign that they are in trouble. Hedgehogs can be taken to our local vets for checking over and given any necessary treatment. They will then go to Jane, our hedgehog volunteer, or another hedgehog rescue.

Please see our designated hedgehog page for more information. 

Every cat that comes into our care has a full health check including being tested for FELV if appropriate. This is really important and especially so if going into a household that has existing cats. All cats are treated for worms and fleas. Our cats are given treatment for fleas and ticks that last for 3 months. With the exception of young kittens all cats are neutered and micro-chipped prior to adoption. Adopters of young kittens are given a voucher to cover the cost of neutering when the kitten is old enough. All this treatment costs our local branch over £100 for a male cat & £140 for a female. We keep cats in our care for a minimum of 3 weeks until they have been given both vaccinations. It costs £37 a week to board a cat so add that to the veterinary care makes the total cost in excess of £200 even if a cat is lucky enough to find a new home straightaway. Sometimes cats can spend many months in our care before they find their forever home. Many cats also need extra veterinary care, (not many come in in tip top condition!)such as dental treatment.

The adoption fee for a cat in our care is £65 so we think this is a very reasonable fee.  We do NOT charge more for kittens!

If you are looking to adopt a cat please look at the lovely pictures on our cats looking for new homes page. Ring 07712459857 for more information on cats and kittens.

Volunteers needed at our charity shop.

We have lost a few volunteers recently because they have either moved away from the area or due to ill health so we really need a few new ones now. We only ask people to work one shift a week which is either from 10am to 1pm or 1pm to 4 pm. Our Shop Manager will go through the preocedures with new volunteers and there is a straightforward application form to complete. We have a very simple till system which is easy to use.

If you are interested in helping us please call in our shop, ask for Julie and she will show you round and give you the form to complete and return to us. 

RAFFLE & TOMBOLA PRIZES NEEDED

We have got a lot of raffles and tombola's organised this year so we would be really grateful for any unwanted gifts or other items for these. They can be taken to our charity shop on Quay Road or we can arrange to collect them. 

We really need new subscribers to our Lottery now as our number is well below 100 members.If you would like to join our Lottery and have a chance of winning cash prizes then click  the link below to download a Lottery application Form.

It costs just £1 a week (£4.34 a month) and there are three cash prizes every month. The top prize is £50. Second & third prizes are £20 each.

The winning lottery numbers for Aprilare

1st  043

2nd 111

3rd 033