Cats' Whispers

For the supporters of the

Malcolm Cat Protection Society

Issue 19 - Winter 2015

Keeping healthy around Keeping healthy around Keeping healthy around

pets when having a baby pets when having a baby pets when having a baby ---

Marianthy AvraamidesMarianthy AvraamidesMarianthy Avraamides---

Pospiech’s story on page 3Pospiech’s story on page 3Pospiech’s story on page 3

2

Cats' Whispers is published by

The Malcolm Cat Protection

Society

PO Box 53759

3314 Limassol

Cyprus

Website: www.malcolmcat.org

e-mail: catsanctuary@hotmail.com

Editors: David and Valerie Forster

The sanctuary is open every day

from 0900-1100 and 1400-1600.

© MCPS, 2015

Find us on our official

FB page, Malcolm's

Cat Protection Society

My Pregnancy, Pet Cats and Toxoplasmosis

3

Marianthy

Avraamides-

Pospiech

gives some

simple

precautions

you can take to keep healthy

around your pets when having

a baby

5 2015 A year in the Sanctuary

Caron

Meadley's

observations

on her visits to

the Sanctuary

Mowgli, a very special kitten

8 When Kate

Greenhow

arrived in

Cyprus, she

fell in love with

a very special

kitten from the

sanctuary and took him home.

9 Macduff: a case solved by a veterinary detective

It took a very

special

detective to

find the cause

of Macduff’s

very embarrassing problem.

Story by Duncan Peacock

In this issue Beware of Coffee Morning Invitations

10

Hilary Stafford

got more than

she bargained

for when she

accepted a

friend’s

invitation to

coffee.

11 Sadly missed

We report on the passing of

two much-loved cats at the

sanctuary

A warm welcome at the sanctuary

12 Valerie Forster

was thrilled to

meet the cats

and the

helpers on her

visit this year

13 Open day a big success

John Sage reports

Do cats believe in Christmas? (or do they hate it?)

14

A heartfelt

seasonal plea

from John

Sage

16 Sponsor a Cat Scheme

There are two new cats in the

scheme, Boston and Cassidy.

3

W hen I became pregnant,

many friends and relatives

were quick to jump onto the topic

of my two cats. For years, cats

have been assigned with a cruel

stigma when it comes to pregnan-

cy and toxoplasmosis. I recall rela-

tives warning me in the past that

my child would be more important

and heartlessly advising me that I

would have to get rid of my be-

loved cats if I ever decided to be-

come pregnant. I ignored them for

the most part as I did not see any

problem with my cats. I had lived

with felines most of my life; one of

my current cats I had for fourteen

years and getting rid of her was not

an option. I had also spent several

years as a volunteer at Malcolm’s

Cat Protection Society caring for

their sick and healthy cats. Without

too much research into the subject,

I was almost sure through my ex-

posure as a volunteer I had al-

ready contracted toxoplasmosis at

some point in my life and that my

immune system already had the

lifelong immunity which would pre-

vent me from ever passing it to my

unborn child.

Low immune systems

I have been pretty much healthy

for most of my life and therefore if I

ever did contract the disease I

probably would not have noticed I

had it or most likely I would have

developed symptoms in the form of

of blood tests. To my surprise, de-

spite my exposure to hundreds of

cats during my life time, I never

contracted toxoplasmosis and

therefore my system did not have

the antibodies to protect me. I ex-

plained to my doctor that I had two

cats at home and enquired if this

would be a problem. There was no

way I would ever get rid of my cats

the common cold. I

was aware that if a

person previously

had it they could no

longer contract it

again from any oth-

er cat infected with

the disease.

However it must be

noted that the case

is the opposite for a

person with a low

immune system

such as HIV/Aids,

is receiving chemo-

therapy treatment,

taking steroids or

other immunosup-

pressant drugs be-

cause the infection

can be reactivated.

Nevertheless, most

pregnant women

do not usually re-

ceive chemo or are

HIV/Aids positive

so such should not

really be much of a

worry in those circumstance. Re-

gardless, one who does have a low

immune system can still of course

continue to live with their pet cats

by adapting and implementing

basic hygiene procedures.

Blood tests

Upon confirmation of my pregnan-

cy, my doctor conducted a series

My Pregnancy, Pet Cats and Toxoplasmosis Many women are worried that, when they become pregnant, their pet cats might

pose a health risk to the unborn child. Marianthy Avraamides-Pospiech

discusses the problem and finds there is little to worry about if you take a few

simple health and hygiene precautions.

Marianthy with Stefan and baby AndreasMarianthy with Stefan and baby AndreasMarianthy with Stefan and baby Andreas

3

4

but I needed to know what kind, if any, protection I needed so we could

all co-habit happily together. His only reply was “Wear gloves when deal-

ing with the litter”. That was it; he showed little concern about my cats.

Just to give you a brief background of my doctor, he is one of Germany’s

top obstetric/gynaecological doctors and chief surgeon of my local hospi-

tal. I trusted him.

Indoor cats

Of course knowing my cats’ full medical history was an advantage. They

were strictly indoor cats with the occasional balcony visit; they never ate

raw meat nor killed and ate a wild animal. I knew exactly what entered

their bellies and had always been careful not to touch their poo when

cleaning their cat litters. Therefore even if I did not carry the antibody I

would still feel confident of being pregnant and living with my cats.

In the box on the right is an interesting list taken from www.mayoclinic.org

which explains how anyone, whether male, female or child, can catch

toxoplasmosis - a disease caused by the T-gondii parasite. It should be

brought to light that one can become infected with it from never even

coming into direct contact with cats. Every pregnant woman should take

safety measures whether they have a cat or not.

Don’t part with your pets

After a more in-depth study into this disease through online research, dis-

cussions with my general practitioner and my cats’ vet, I have come to the

conclusion that it is important to understand that pregnant women should

not have to part with their beloved pets just because they are afraid of

toxoplasmosis. They could become exposed to the disease even if they

do not have cats. The only way a pregnant woman could contract this

illness from her cat is if somehow, through some odd obscurity, she in-

gested her cat’s faeces.

Throughout my prenatal period I lived with my cats as before I became

pregnant. I petted them, groomed them, gave them their meds and they

slept as usual with me every night on my bed. Occasionally I cleaned

their litter box using disposable latex gloves and then washed my hands

immediately after, but for the most part my husband was assigned to this

chore. We continued our daily kitchen hygiene practices and it was busi-

ness as usual with no extreme precautions.

One can avoid contracting toxoplasmosis whether pregnant or not by un-

dertaking a simple procedure called Wash, Wash, Wash. Wash your

hands; wash your meats, veggies and fruits; wash your kitchen utensils

and avoid eating raw meats, raw fish, raw eggs and unpasteurized dairy

products. Mind you, having said such, postnatal I shall look forward to

eating after a nine-month abstinence, at my favourite Japanese-sushi

restaurant.

With just a bit of research, anyone can learn that having an indoor or out-

door cat as a pet and being pregnant is not as terrible as some people

make it out to be. If you love and adore your pets, then do what you can

to keep them. My babies are important, both feline and human, ‘till death

do us part.

Things to avoid to prevent infection with the parasite Coming into contact with cat

faeces that contain the parasite.

You may accidentally ingest the

parasites if you touch your mouth

after gardening, cleaning a litter

box or touching anything that has

come in contact with infected cat

faeces. Cats who hunt or who are

fed raw meat are most likely to

harbour T. gondii.

Eating or drinking contaminated

food or water. Lamb, pork and

venison are especially likely to be

infected with T. gondii. Occasional-

ly, unpasteurized dairy products

also may contain the parasite. Wa-

ter contaminated with T. gondii

isn't common in the United States.

Using contaminated knives, cut-

ting boards or other utensils.

Kitchen utensils that come into

contact with raw meat can harbour

the parasites unless the utensils

are washed thoroughly in hot,

soapy water.

Eating unwashed fruits and veg-

etables. The surface of fruits and

vegetables may contain the para-

site. To be safe, thoroughly wash

all produce, especially any you eat

raw.

Receiving an infected organ

transplant or transfused blood.

In rare cases, toxoplasmosis can

be transmitted through an organ

transplant or blood transfusion.”

(Extract above from

www.mayoclinic.org)

5

I have had two trips to the sanc-

tuary this year; my first being in

May of this year and the second

being in September. What a year

the sanctuary has had this year!

It’s been a year that has had some

very sad and tragic events. When I

arrived in May I was sadly in-

formed of the loss of poor Floss,

one of our sponsor cats, a couple

of days before I arrived. Floss had

been losing weight for quite some

time and blood tests revealed she

had liver failure and was sadly put

to sleep. Floss had seven happy

years at the sanctuary. She is now

at Rainbow Bridge with some of

our other beloved furry friends that

will live on in our hearts.

close to my heart. Open Day in

September was not the same with-

out her. Benny and Jinx never got

to wear their posh Open Day col-

lars that Sue always got for them

and I really missed putting the ga-

zebos up without her; she had a

real knack of knowing how to put

them up in an orderly and organ-

ised way. I am sure though that

Sue was watching over us all in

heaven especially on Open Day.

Sue maybe gone from this world

but she will never be forgotten at

the sanctuary, especially for all the

work she did caring for the sanctu-

ary cats.

Doreen and Rita leave for UK

I also learnt on my visit in May that

another couple of our valued sanc-

tuary team were planning to leave

Cyprus to return to the UK -

Doreen and Rita. They had both

been at the sanctuary for many

years and spent many of their free

hours there. Doreen organised the

feeders/helpers sanctuary rota for

many years and they both often

covered shifts at short notice when

people could not attend. Rita took

care of the shop and did various

other duties. As well as being a

committee member, Doreen was

also the site manager and took

care of organising various mainte-

nance projects around the site.

They both always helped out at

Sue Dobson

I also got to learn that my dear

friend Sue Dobson, or Sue D as

she was known at the sanctuary,

was terminally ill. Sue was a val-

ued helper for 10 years and a

member of the Health Team and

also helped out at various fundrais-

ing events. On June 21st 2015 Sue

lost her battle with cancer and sad-

ly died.

Sue loved all the sanctuary cats,

but Benny and Jinx were definitely

her favourites. Sue would take

them treats down on her shift and I

can still hear her voice calling them

today. They would both immediate-

ly come running to her. I will al-

ways hold that memory of Sue

2015 A year in the Sanctuary Caron Meadley has visited the sanctuary

twice this year and these are her

observations.

Gill with Sue D at the Open Day in 2010

Doreen and Rita

6

fundraising events and Doreen

was also part of the car boot team.

Sadly I never got to see them be-

fore they left the island in early

September, but I do know they are

missed dearly at the cat sanctuary

by friends and the cats. The valua-

ble work they did at the sanctuary

will live on and I do hope they will

not be strangers to the sanctuary.

Michael Michael

I was also very saddened and

shocked to hear of the sudden

death in September of another of

my friends and colleagues, Michael

Michael. He was such a lovely

gentleman, who wasn’t so much

hands on with the sanctuary cats,

but with his wife Tina helped raise

funds for the sanctuary with nu-

merous book sales and always

attended MCPS fundraising events

with the books and bric-a-brac;

another friend gone but never for-

gotten.

Improvements

On a lighter note, the sanctuary

continues to improve every time I

visit. In May improvements had

been made to the hospital area. All

and I know the cats are grateful

even though they don’t always

show it.

The cats always love to see visi-

tors and it’s a real pleasure watch-

ing them. I have always been a

people watcher, but watching cats

is something different, especially

when you have so many to look at.

You can never be bored. There is

always something different hap-

pening. Another character that you

may have seen before that did

nothing will come out of nowhere

wanting a fuss or pet. I have a per-

fect example of Georgina, a beauti-

ful grey, who has lived in the

scaredy cats’ area for years. This

year she was up front and wanted

personal attention. The new teen-

agers in the main area who play

together and try to interact with the

big boys sometimes have slight

disagreements but it never really

comes to much: an odd growl or

hissing fit can be heard every now

or then.

Kittens

The kittens are adorable but I have

never known so many as we have

had this year. It’s always a pleas-

ure to have a cuddle and fuss with

them and it can also be heart-

breaking to see the ones that are

dumped at the sanctuary having

been taken away from their mums

far too young and don’t make it. I

really do wish people would under-

stand how cruel they are doing

this.

Open Day

Open Day was a great success

despite the sadness of some of our

colleagues not being with us. As

always it was a pleasure meeting

the supporters, especially the ones

I have been writing to for many

years but never met. It’s also a

the cages have been modified to

make them so much cleaner and

the cats seem so much more com-

fortable in them. It’s like a 5-star

hotel now in the hospital pens.

They are tiled throughout, which

makes cleaning them so much

easier.

In September it was a real pleas-

ure to see the new sleeping area

that the cats have. I must say it’s

very posh and makes life so much

easier for the helpers to clean. The

cats seem to love looking out from

the beds in there; it is so much

better than the roundhouse they

used to sleep in. The roundhouse

is still one of the features at the

sanctuary. Its roof is still intact so

the cats can sleep in a shaded

area.

Helpers needed

The sanctuary is very short of help-

ers and it’s sad to see the regular

ones covering more and more

shifts. I really wish more people

were available to help out. We

seem to be appealing for helpers

all year round these days. I must

say the helpers do a sterling job

Tina and Michael at one of their many booksales

7

great day to meet the helpers: a

real MCPS Team effort for the spe-

cial day. We had a lovely surprise

this year: Sue P, Health Team and

committee member actually did a

Latin Dance with Jonathan, who

has been teaching her to dance.

She had kept it secret from every-

one. She was a real star and

looked amazing in her dress. The

Cyprus Morris Dancers were also

on site to entertain and they al-

ways amaze dancing something

different every year. As usual the

cats seemed to enjoy the day; they

love being among the stalls and

spending time with the visitors.

New website

We have a new re-vamped website

this year thanks to Mark Shelley,

our web designer. Mark launched

the new site on 3rd July. It is so

much more user-friendly and you

can share any of our pages on Fa-

cebook, Twitter and other social

media sites if you should wish to.

It’s much easier to navigate round

and you can search the site for

news old and new. None of the

previous information from the old

website was lost during the re-

vamp, so we will still be able to see

our favourite cats and stories on

the new site. A huge thanks must

go to Mark for doing this for the

MCPS.

The new sleeping area

Van Gogh Jackie Craig posted this update on Van Gogh on Facebook

in September – lucky cat!

Some of you may remember Little Van Gogh (now called Sammy), who

was rescued in 2005 with a burnt ear and homed by my mum. This pic-

ture was painted by my friend for a milestone birthday (I'm not saying

which one) which was a lovely surprise. Sammy is now 10 years old, still

enjoying life and his roast chicken dinners, and is still a kitten at heart.

Tracy Wadmore

Last time Tracy Wadmore was

featured in our newsletter was a

few years ago when Gill visited her

in New Zealand. She has now

moved back to Cyprus and often

makes visits to the sanctuary.

Unfortunately she lives too far

from the sanctuary to come back

as a helper but is still a loyal sup-

porter along with her mother Doris

Jobson in the UK.

Tony has a stall at Akrotiri

Many thanks to Tony Briggs who

once again had a stall for us at the

Akrotiri Open Day this year.

Gill and Tracy in August 2015

Tony and his stall

7

8

A s my family arrived in Cyprus

earlier this year we had bare-

ly even stepped a foot (or a paw in

the case of my English cat, Tilly)

on the island when we heard about

the Malcolm Cat Sanctuary. As a

cat lover myself I knew I would

have to visit. As we pulled up to

the Sanctuary site we were greet-

ed by many happy cats. We spent

almost two hours sitting, stroking

and playing with all the cats and

kittens. That was when I saw him:

a tiny little tabby kitten barely fitting

into his collar scampering towards

me. He looked at me almost prom-

ising he’d grow into his ears. I

picked him up and he fell asleep in

my arms purring. That’s when I

knew I’d have to take him home

with me, despite how much I

thought my cat Tilly would detest it.

The thing about kittens and cats

One of the volunteers, Dave, took

him home in the hope that he

would be given a chance at life

with some extra love and attention.

I thank Dave for giving him this

opportunity because look at him

now! He’s the most cheeky, lively

and loving little boy that quickly

became part of the family. Even as

I sit and type this article he is sit-

ting by my side. He’s like my little

shadow.

My very own experience inspired

me to join the volunteers at Mal-

colm Cat Sanctuary and help all

the stray cats and kittens live hap-

pily and in some cases find homes.

I initially visited the cat sanctuary

to see what it was all about. I left

with a kitten, a volunteer job and a

sense of achievement every time I

finish a shift. And, I must say I am

very happy with my purchase.

from Malcolm Cat Sanctuary is

that they are exposed to humans

and handled quite a lot by the

loving volunteers. My kitten set-

tled in straight away and he was

the most loving little kitten I have

ever met. Even my cat Tilly, who

usually hates other animals,

warmed to him eventually.

Scampering cheekily

We decided to call him Mowgli

after the little boy from ‘The Jun-

gle Book’ as he scampered

around in the same cheeky way.

Soon enough Tilly and Mowgli

were best friends, when she felt

like it.

However, we are very lucky to

have this special little kitten.

When he arrived at the Sanctu-

ary he was very poorly, as he was

too young to be without his mother.

Mowgli, a very special kitten When Kate Greenhow arrived in Cyprus, she fell in love with a very special

kitten from the sanctuary and took him home. This is their story.

Kate with Mowgli

Mowgli with Tilly

8

9

Y esterday, I took the lad to the

vet, and stood him the very

best in annual jabs (5 different ail-

ments to avoid.) The vet also cut

Macduff’s nails on the basis that it

was better that he took the blame

than I. I have to say that MacD is

much more patient than the Mighty

One was under such circumstanc-

es.

So the verdict is that the Lad has a

healthy appetite but is not being

over-fed. Even at over 14 lbs (6.3

kg), he is not overweight or fat

(there’s a lot of muscle there.) He

is a peculiar shape, but fit and

healthy with a heart like a trip ham-

mer.

feed him in your absence?” “Well

Holmes,” I responded, “maybe the

odd crisp at the Kafeneon, or from

the kids down the lane who like

him.” “Hmm ..” said Holmes,

“contributory at most, but is there a

real source of methane gas any-

where? Pasta with tomato sauce?

Greasy takeaways?”

And then the awful truth dawned

upon me: “My word, Holmes, there

is a dear old lady nearby who puts

out such dainties, and even cake,

for the stray cats!” However did

you deduce that?”

“Alimentary, my dear Watson!”

So for the rest of yesterday and up

to mid-day today, Macduff has

smelled as sweet as a rose, but it

does leave me with a problem:

how do I keep him away from this

dear old lady’s appalling feast?

Then we came to the delicate is-

sue. The vet listened carefully and

almost put on a deerstalker hat.

Then, like Sherlock Holmes, and

with me playing the part of Dr Wat-

son, he solved:

The case of the Flatulent

Feline.

“There is,” Holmes said, “nothing in

the food you give him that should

cause this phenomenon, but go

easy on the cat treats. Buy whatev-

er food he likes: there is no need to

waste money on high-faluting

stuff.”

Then he asked: “Is anyone likely to

Mowgli, a very special kitten When Kate Greenhow arrived in Cyprus, she fell in love with a very special

kitten from the sanctuary and took him home. This is their story.

Macduff: a case solved by a veterinary detective by Duncan Peacock

Macduff out on the tiles

Macduff with Duncan

It took a very special detective to find the cause of

Macduff’s very embarrassing problem.

9

10

I went along to an MCPS coffee

morning at a friend’s house,

expecting to have a lovely slice of

home-made cake, plenty of chat

and to make a donation to a worthy

cause. Wrong!

Within minutes I was washing up

cups and helping at the tea and

coffee serving area. I think it was

around that point that I realized I

was now officially an ‘MCPS volun-

teer’.

Wasting no time, my friend

whisked me off to the Cat Sanctu-

ary on her next shift there. She

introduced me to the cats by name.

of us almost half an hour to com-

plete the procedure and we were

battle-scarred, weary and in awe of

the above-mentioned feline. Glad

to say, he is now fully recovered

and is really quite an affectionate

old moggy. In general the inmates

of Unit 1 (sick bay for cats) are

very well behaved and accept their

treatments with equanimity, even

with greedy gratitude where ‘pill

poppers’ are proffered (magic,

tasty little inventions made to en-

case bitter tasting tablets).

Friday routine

Debs and I have settled into our

Friday afternoon routine at the Cat

Sanctuary and we both agree that

it is a great way to end our week –

especially if it has been a particu-

larly stressful one. Debs heads

straight to the Kitten Area to do her

‘mothering’ bit – cleaning little fac-

es and making sure they have sa-

line eye baths where needed. I get

re-acquainted with the more adult

cats and see if we have any urgent

things to do in ‘Sick Bay’. Thanks

to a very well organized and dedi-

cated team of volunteers, it is a

real pleasure to spend time caring

for our feline friends, and they do

so appreciate it. Even Smokey Joe

has been known to call ‘time’ and

come looking for a cuddle now and

again.

I was impressed to see that every

cat has been given a name as well

as an ID number. Needless to say I

was hooked and have made many

feline friends during my weekly

visits.

Treating Smokey Joe

I must confess to one ‘OMG’ mo-

ment when I wondered what an

earth I had let myself in for. It was

the first time that myself and fellow

‘new girl’, Debs, were left to do a

shift without supervision. Amongst

our usual duties we needed to ad-

minister a tablet and eye treatment

to Smokey Joe. I think it took both

Beware of Coffee Morning Invitations Hilary Stafford got more than she bargained for when she accepted a friend’s

invitation to coffee.

Smokey Joe

11

Benny

M any supporters will be

deeply saddened to hear

that the MCPS lost Benny to Rain-

bow Bridge in November this year.

It was discovered after tests at the

vets that Benny had nose cancer

and the only option the MCPS had

for our beloved Benny was eutha-

nasia. A heart-breaking day was

the 2nd November.

Benny lived at the sanctuary for 10

years and was one of the main

sanctuary mascots along with his

best mate Mr Jinx. Together they

caused mischief and mayhem to-

gether. Benny was much loved and

was one of the cats on the sponsor

Floss

F loss, another of our sponsor

cats, sadly died in May 2015.

Floss had lived at the sanctuary for

seven years. She was originally

brought in as a kitten in 2008.

Floss was a very loveable affec-

tionate cat who loved spending

time with visitors. She would often

be seen sunbathing and rolling

about on the paving slabs, such an

adorable little girl. Floss began

losing weight and lost interest in

her food. She was taken to the

vets where it was discovered she

had liver failure and had to be put

to sleep.

Run free sweet girl, we miss you.

All at the MCPS would like to say a

big thanks to everyone for their

heart felt messages after the sad

loss of Benny and Floss; they real-

ly are appreciated at such sad

times.

scheme. He was adored by many

visitors, helpers and supporters

from all over the world. He loved

drinking from the sanctuary foun-

tain, and whoever said cats didn’t

like water, Benny proved them

wrong. He was always getting him-

self wet under the fountain and

could often be seen by various

helpers who allowed him in the

kitchen sitting in the kitchen sink.

As for the baby cats’ biscuits, an-

other of his favourite pastimes was

taking the lid off them and helping

himself; quite a clever boy our

Benny was.

RIP Sweet Boy. You are already

sorely missed but we are sure you

are in good hands at Rainbow

Bridge.

Sadly missed We report on the passing of two much-loved cats at the sanctuary

A big Benny fan

Carmen Tam, a supporter from

Canada

12

T his year we went to see the

cats early at 2 p.m. as last

year, when trying to find the sanc-

tuary, we got lost in the woods.

When we arrived this time there

was Gill with her smiling face wait-

ing for us. We arrived to a warm

welcome from Warren and his

mother Ann. Warren had a cat sat

on his shoulder and they all made

us very welcome. We sat on the

swing and right away the cats

came to welcome us. We enjoyed

watching them going busily about

their home, chatting to each other

and having a nibble at the cat bis-

cuits that had been put on the trays

for them.

Gill had to go as she was taking a

cat to the vets, so left us in the ca-

pable hand of Warren, who was a

fountain of knowledge about the

cats. He also told us how to ap-

proach an Alsatian and what he

told children of how to keep their

hands closed so the dog could first

smell them and I will remember

this to pass onto others. This was

very good advice.

We couldn't believe how quickly

the time had gone by, and soon it

was time to go. Ann said “I love

being here and could stay longer. I

am always sorry to go. It has a

calming effect on me.” I knew just Warren and his mum, Ann

A warm welcome at the sanctuary Valerie Forster was thrilled to meet the cats and the helpers on her visit this year.

Warren and friend

A new baby for

Jonathan and

Hayley

Congratulations to our helpers

Jonathan & Hayley on the birth of

baby Hugo in June. A potential

new volunteer?

what she meant as cats are such

wonderful creatures - they know

everything that we need. If we

have problems they sit and wait

and keep us calm. They are also

very good at getting their own way,

and if anyone ever says to me they

don't like cats, I always know that I

will find something that is not good

about them.

Love to all, Valerie

David and Valerie enjoying the

attentions of the cats

13

W hen I volunteered to step

in and help with the fund-

raising functions for MCPS, little

did I realise the amount of organi-

sation and planning which went

into this, especially for the Open

Day event, which is the biggest

singular fundraising venue of the

year.

That having been said, the sheer

amount of dedication and effort put

into this by the whole team of vol-

unteers left me very impressed.

Grace has been organising and

planning the fundraising events for

MCPS almost single-handedly for

years, and we all now know how

much this demands of a person.

Well done Grace, and I am glad to

have joined the team. Thanks for

all your guidance.

Willing hands

As to the Open Day event itself,

the day started very early (in fact

the preparation of the site started a

week earlier) but with many willing

hands we put up the various per-

golas for the stalls, set up the

sound system for announcements

and moved the cats’ bedding and

other things to make room for the

tombola and the book stall. (The

cats were very laid back about this,

without the teams of volunteers,

from manning the stalls, to the la-

dies who produced gallons of tea,

coffee, soft drinks and other re-

freshments for the visitors.

Thanks to you all, although space

does not permit me to name you

all, you know who you are, and

thanks to all our friends and sup-

porters who gave generously and

we hope you all enjoyed it.

Finally, it was time to pull down the

pergolas, fold the tables, and put

all the cat houses and gear where

it will stay until next year. We all

sat down, a little exhausted but

pleased that we had once again

done our best to give these furry

friends the comforts and surround-

ings they deserve.

I might add).

As the time got closer to the 10.00

a.m. opening, we were getting a

little anxious as some of the pergo-

las refused to co-operate with the

team of people erecting them, and

we still hadn’t fully decided where

all the tables were going to be

placed. However, we did it, and

thanks to David for managing the

work and to Jonathan for his ster-

ling work on fixing the counter to

the kitchen, which threatened to tilt

at an alarming angle.

All right on the night

The first visitors to arrive had no

idea that only a few moments be-

fore it seemed like Bedlam, but just

like rehearsals for a play it was ‘all

right on the night’ so to speak.

Entertainment was put on by our

long standing friends the Cyprus

Morris Dancers and also Jona-

than and wife Hayley who put on

a very professional demonstra-

tion of Latin American dances,

with a surprise appearance by

our own Sue Parker. (We all

saw a very different side of

Sue.)

The weather was predictably

kind to us, and the whole day was

a resounding success,

thanks to the huge num-

ber of visitors who came

to see the event, and of

course the cats were

pleased to see so many

people.

Thanks to everyone

The success of the day

could not have happened

Open day a big success John Sage reports

Rosemary and Jan on the cake stall

Steph

The Open Day group relaxing

14

cats, with or without the gravy.

Everyone buys those Poinsettias

but they forget that these are poi-

sonous to us cats, as are ivy, hol-

ly, and mistletoe, but we are all

allowed unrestricted access to

them. We become sick and may

even die of we chew just a small

part of these plants.

A cat is for life, not just for

Christmas

And why do the humans keep us

in at this time of the year? Are

they afraid that we will disappear if

they let us out? Don’t they know

we just want to get back to some-

thing normal, away from all the

noisy parties and those children

A s many cat owners will con-

firm, their pet does not be-

have any differently at Christmas –

the owners do.

There are many new temptations

put in front of Kitty which are not

normally present during the year –

tinsel, Christmas trees, decora-

tions, colourful parcels, tempting

food, and plants which they don’t

see the rest of the year.

Christmas trees and turkeys

Just imagine, if you can, that you

are a cat. Suddenly, your normal

world and routine has become an

alien environment. There are

Christmas trees in the house that

you are not allowed to climb, doz-

ens of gift boxes under that same

tree, all sealed up so you are not

able to get into them, shiny round

balls hanging down that you are

not allowed to swing on, tinsel all

around and your owners get cross

if you play with it, sweaters made

of wool but you mustn’t chew on

them and socks by the fireplace

that you can’t get into.

And don’t forget the tempting smell

of roast turkey – why can’t you let

us get near it? Don’t you know

that meat is our prime source of

food? Remember ‘four calling

birds, three French hens, two turtle

doves and a partridge in a pear

tree’ constitutes a reasonable

Christmas dinner for most of us

that keep teasing us? We are used

to a routine and follow the same

daily activities that stop us from

becoming bored, so when the

Christmas season arrives, these

humans think that we should be-

have differently.

And don’t forget that cats are for

life, not just for Christmas – this

has been said many a time about

dogs, but I have not heard it said

about cats. Yet many people get a

kitten for Christmas for the chil-

dren, but when we cats show our

natural reaction to being teased,

tickled or generally annoyed by

scratching or biting their tormen-

tors, we cats get the blame and

often get abandoned. Here at the

Do cats believe in Do cats believe in Do cats believe in Christmas?Christmas?Christmas? (or do they hate it?)(or do they hate it?)(or do they hate it?) A heartfelt seasonal plea from John Sage

Can anyone spot the cat?

15

Malcolm Cat Sanctuary, we are

aware that cats need constant

feeding, care and love all year

round, and at Christmas time there

is no exception.

A safe environment

We provide a safe and secure en-

vironment to all those cats (and

unfortunately the kittens that are

the product of an uncontrolled cat

population) who are abandoned.

We try to re-home as many of them

as possible, and will never eu-

thanise a healthy cat, but this plac-

es an enormous strain on our re-

sources.

We always need helpers

We are constantly in need of car-

ers and helpers, even if you can

only spare a few hours a week. It is

rewarding work, and there is noth-

ing more soothing than to see, feel

and be near to these elegant,

beautiful, inscrutable creatures.

Each one is an individual character

and you will get to know them as

you work with them.

The Sanctuary is manned by vol-

unteers and does not receive any

government financial assistance,

so we are constantly seeking new

ideas to raise funds. This is

purring and brushing up against

everone. Yet at Christmas and the

New Year most people are too

busy with their festivities to think

about visiting the cat sanctuary,

and the cats feel very isolated and

let down. Even if you can’t find the

time to help, please spare a little

thought for the felines and pay

them a visit. We are open seven

days a week, 365 days a year

(except Christmas Day and New

Year’s Day), from 9.00 am till 11

am and again from 2.00 pm till 4.00

pm. You will never be turned away

and will be most welcome.

achieved by holding various fund-

raising events throughout the year,

ranging from lunches, quizzes, raf-

fles and bazaars to which we invite

the public at a modest price. Come

along if you can, and see what is

being done for the cats and kittens

that ask only to be fed and cared

for, something that we humans

take for granted.

The cats at the sanctuary are very

tame, and look forward to receiving

visits from the public all year round,

and they show their gratitude by

MCPS helpers celebrate Christmas 2014 in the Sanctuary.

Pat and Kim at the Christmas Craft Fair in December 2015

16

T he MCPS Sponsorship

Scheme (formerly Adopt-a-

cat) not only raises money for the

sanctuary but also keeps sponsors

updated every 6 months with infor-

mation on their chosen cat and a

chance to renew year after year

helping to continue the running of

the sanctuary. A sponsorship pack-

age can be purchased as an ideal

present for any cat lover and all

proceeds go towards the upkeep of

the sanctuary.

If you would like to sponsor a cat,

the cost is €15 in Cyprus or £12.50

sterling in the UK. We have made a

small price increase to cover the

cost of postage and photo paper.

PayPal is available but there is an

administration charge for using this

service. There are 9 cats to choose

from: Pippi, Pugh, Boris Amy, Mr

Jinx, Cassidy Hopscotch, Boston

and Sophie.

As a sponsor you will receive an A4

glossy print of your sponsored cat

with some information about the

cat, an official sponsor certificate,

and a 6-monthly update on the cat.

(Generally sent by email)

If you would like to sponsor a cat,

for further information please con-

tact catsanctuary@hotmail.com,

call in at the sanctuary or write to

Caron Meadley, (UK Coordinator)

c/o 21 Brentwood Ave, Bamford,

Hope Valley, S33 OAF, UK.

MCPS Sponsor a Cat Scheme

PIPPI PUGH BORIS

AMY MR JINX CASSIDY

HOPSCOTCH BOSTON SOPHIE

17

STANDING ORDER MANDATE

TO……………………………………………………………………………..……… Bank

(address of your bank) ……………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………….……

Please pay Bank of Cyprus UK, Account No. 52062511, sort code 30-00-42

for the credit of Malcolm Cat Protection Society

The sum of ……………………………………..…………………….…. (amount in figures)

………………………………………………………………..………….. (amount in words)

The first payment to be made on …………………………………… (date)

and thereafter ANNUALLY / MONTHLY (please delete as appropriate), until cancelled by me / us

in writing.

Name of account to be debited……………………………………………….…………...………

Account number ………………………….……………………………………..….……...

Signature(s) ……………………………………………………………….……….….

Name(s) ……………………………………………………………..…….……....

Address …………………………..……………………………………………….

……………..……………………………………………………..……...

…………..……………………………………………………....……….

Post Code ……..……………. E-mail ……………………………………………..

Date …………………………………

17