NEWS
Happy ending for stowaway kitten Paella
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Photo: CP Library
Paella the stowaway kitten will soon be on his way to a loving home in Britain after being found in a Spanish lorry at Portsmouth. The friendly tabby, thought to be around four weeks old, was spotted by border officials during a routine search of vehicles leaving a ferry at Portsmouth International Port. He may have been sheltering in the lorry with his mother before getting trapped in the vehicle alone when it started its journey to the UK. Portsmouth City Council, which runs the port, arranged for him to be cared for by Cats Protection, who gave him his name. When he was found, vets were not sure if he would survive. He has spent the last few weeks getting over his ordeal and recovering from an infection, and his future is now looking positive. He is in quarantine in Hampshire until early November, after which the charity will find him a new home in the local area. Zahir White from Cats Protection said: “When we were contacted about Paella we arranged for him to see a vet for a check-up before he went into quarantine. He was quite poorly, but after being given antibiotics and eye drops for an eye infection, he’s making good progress. Once he’s fully recovered and past his quarantine period, he’ll be taken in by one of our nearby branches or centres and found a new home in the Hampshire area. “Cats Protection is paying for his quarantine and vet costs, which are likely to reach around £1,300, so we’d be grateful for any donations towards this. “Anyone keen to make a donation towards his care can call our national Helpline on 03000 12 12 12.” Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am– 5pm. All funds raised in excess of the Paella appeal will be used to help other cats in the charity’s care.
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The Cat Winter 2015
Tickets, please!
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Long term readers may remember an article we had in The Cat back in 2010. The topic was railway cats and in it we included mention of two station cats, Jill and Louis, at Tonbridge station in Kent. So popular were they with staff and passengers that plaques were placed in the station when they sadly died. Well, Tonbridge station has a new member of the team, Sapphie, a beautiful black-and-white cat. Sapphie has become a big hit with the Southeastern employees and the passengers alike. A 90 second film has been made showing just how much her claws are well and truly under the timetable. Steve Davies, who works in the Sales Ticket Office at Tonbridge station, says: “She goes wherever she likes basically.” Sapphie cat naps in the Station Manager’s office – the only place where litter is allowed. She has developed a penchant for flowing tap water and scratch-satisfying coconut matting at the café. Fans of Sapphie have taken to tweeting pictures of her. Commuters like her so much they even leave her treats and presents. Jamie Good, Station Supervisor, said: “She’s like our little extra helper. She makes herself known out on the platform and brings people together because everyone’s talking about her, getting treats for her, feeding her, buying her new beds and all sorts of stuff like that.” ‘Sapphie’s tail’ (http://bit.ly/1GuIbL8) is the first in a series of short films by Southeastern tagged #AmazingJourneys. They will be available on YouTube and show some of the more quirky stories from across the network.
Teen’s boots were made for walking
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Sixteen-year-old Jasmine Witt completed a 16 mile sponsored walk for the Cambridge Branch of Cats Protection and raised nearly £400. Jasmine helps her mum to foster cats for the branch and says: “I did the walk because my mum is a fosterer and I know how much time volunteers spend caring for the cats and they don’t get paid. All the people involved with the branch work hard and give up a lot of their time for the love of cats and their welfare.” Jasmine walked approximately 16 miles on 8 August from Cambridge Regional College to Swavesey along a guided bus route and back, with her boyfriend Billy.