Stray Cat vs Cheekie Pet – How to spot a cat in genuine need of rescue help

At this time of year the number of reported ‘stray’ cats increases daily. Whether this is because there are genuinely more around or just that people are spending more time outdoors, I’m not entirely sure.

Now, when I talk of stray cats I need to be clear. To me cats loosely fall into 3 groups and we ask a number of questions of each caller to try to identify whether it is a cheeky neighbours cat, a stray cat in need or a feral cat.

So what’s the difference?

Your cheeky neighbours cat will generally be friendly, often bolshy and will come looking for tasty bits of extra food. Their appearance will be generally clean and may have slight dirty paws and with the exception of nervous pet cats (who generally don’t approach strangers) will approach freely on the mooch.

Stray cats are generally very unkempt. Dirty all over and more often filthy, as they have stopped cleaning themselves through depression and lack of care. They often appear unwell or sick looking and matted. They look tired and worn and often will sport various injuries or ailments. Stray cats are NOT feral cats. Stray cats were at 1 time a family pet and for whatever reason whether abandonment or getting lost they have found themselves without a home or someone to care for them and struggle with life on the streets.  If you are approached or see a possible stray it is likely they are looking for help so please don’t ignore them. Also fearful stray cats can be rehabilitated successfully to enable them to once again live a comfortable life. So please remember this next time you see a “dirty wee” cat at the bottom of your garden. They are far from happy.

Benson on arrival at Sunny Harbour, dirty, miserable and sick.

The myth that all cats eventually turn feral is also, in the most part, and certainly in our experience, untrue.  Stray cats over time through lack of social interaction with people or due to the encounters they have while living on the streets makes them fearful of humans.  In the case of un neutered male cats in particular, once they are brought in, neutered and given time to relax and settle in they are often the sweetest, most loving little cats you could ever wish to meet.  So please, before you label a cat as a Feral and restrict its immediate options consider all the facts and ask for help.

Lastly the feral grouping. You are highly unlikely to see feral cats during the day when people are around. They will keep their distance, are very flighty around people and will appear generally very clean and tidy unless they are sick.  You will never coax a feral cat to you, a stray yes, but not a feral cat. We use humane traps for feral cats to catch them, have them neutered and then returned to site. Commonly referred to as TNR Trap Neuter Release.

Tortie a feral cat from Sunny Harbours Colony. Clean, very wary of people and not happy to have been Trapped ready to be neutered and returned to the colony.

Generally speaking cats who fall into the cheeky neighbourhood cat & feral cat group very seldom need your help (if neutered) . Stray cats on the other hand rely on you, especially when sick or injured as that is often when they appear most frequently.

If you find you have a friendly though very grubby or thin new addition, then consider doing the following:

• The first thing to do is put its details on as many lost and found sites as you can and contact all local rescues to let them know you have found a cat.
• Put notices in your local shop, notice boards and go door to door asking residents in the area.
• Lost cats are generally within ½ mile of their own home so do make sure as a minimum you have gone door to door at least 3 streets in any direction from your home.
• Also, place a paper collar around the neck of the cat you have found if it will allow you to approach.  A paper collar is a strip approx 2cm wide from a sheet of A4 paper which you secure firmly but loosely around the cats neck with cellotape. You should be able to get 2 fingers between the cats neck and the paper collar.
• Write on the piece of paper – “ I believe this to be a lost cat if your cat please call me on ###### “
• If the cat already wears a collar an option is to create a paper tag in the same way and attach it to the existing collar with the same information.  You should leave the paper collar on for at least 7- 10 days.
• Continue to monitor and check lost and found websites and notify rescue’s if you find the owner.
• If the cat you have found is injured and in need of veterinary care due to an open wound or very poor condition then contact the SSPCA or your local rescue as soon as possible.
• If you are able to catch said cat and have a secure cat carrier you can also take the cat to a local vet to be scanned for a microchip which will hopefully allow the cat to be returned home much quicker.
• DO NOT – just pick up said cat, keep it indoors or take and leave with a rescue immediately without having attempted the steps above first.

If you believe you have a genuine stray call for advice if the paper collar technique, speaking to neighbours and local notices have resulted in no information about a potential owner.

Please be aware that at this time of year a large number of people still put their cats out on the street when they go on holiday for a couple of weeks so we always suggest you keep trying for 2 – 3 weeks before calling rescue. The exception to this obviously being if they are clearly sick or injured or have a litter of kittens so that we can ensure all get appropriate veterinary care, nutrition and medication.

Typically 1 out of every 3 cats we have reported to us belongs to a neighbour within 2 – 4 streets from the finders location. So always ensure you cover a reasonable area with your enquiries. In fact some have been from the same street or half a dozen doors away!!  Dealing with these calls wastes valuable costly resources, time and ultimately upset and anxiety for both the cat and owner needlessly

Too often we hear “but its in the same garden all night”. But is it really? When you sleep at night they can be off doing lots of things, even going home again.  Cats are after all nocturnal animals. So yet another reason to make thorough local enquiries.  If these steps aren’t taken then don’t be surprised if you are advised to do so before any action is taken.

You wouldn’t like it if we lifted your pet cat would you? So please consider other owners in your decisions and how you would feel if it was your cat that someone had carted away to a strange place without you knowing why and when and when you would see your furry comanion again.  It is always wise to let people know you have found a cat in case it is lost, just don’t be hasty in your actions but always be neighbourly.

By learning how to spot those cats genuinely in need we hope by us all working together we can spend more time working to help these sick street cats rather than wild and often costly, goose chases for neighbours cats that could have been very quickly resolved if the finder had asked further afield than over the fence!

For help or advice please feel free to contact Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue. Full details can be found on our Sunny Harbour main website

Help Sunny Harbour Kitties win £5K award in under 30secs

Hello fellow cat fans I know I’ve asked for your help before but I’m asking, well ok, begging for your help again for Sunny Harbour Cat & Kitten Rescue in the vote to win £5K for our cat rescue this month. We need all the help we can get from the rescue / cat community to have a chance to win as the puppy dogs are shooting waaaaay in front. Could I possibly ask if you could vote for us and share with your friends? We would be ever so grateful and a win would help us secure the future of our cat rescue!

Thank you so much in advance for reading my message. The link to vote is here: http://www.facebook.com/FeelGoodPark

You have to Like the page and then click on vote for a charity and then choose Sunny Harbour and the submit button.
Thank you so so much xx

Copper – a cat in grief

Copper or Koppa as she was formerly known is yet another of our arrivals this year that breaks your heart.

She had no physical injuries or abuse to speak of and the very minor issues she had are already resolving with good nutrition.

So why you may ask does she evoke such feeling. To put it simply, the look in her eyes.  She is lost, doesn’t understand what she has done to be here and is essentially grieving for the owners who placed her here.

Thankfully it is a situation we have seen so many times before and we are well versed at helping them. Far too many times cats who are fit and healthy but no longer have a place in the home find themselves here or other rescue centres.

So what is Copper’s story?

Apparently her owners are moving abroad and so she and her 2 younger housemates have found themselves homeless.  Why, I don’t really know as the latest pet passport schemes make travelling with pets far easier than many years ago. But then people often tell us half truths to “get a space”

Whatever the reason it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that for cats like Copper of which there are thousands every day, they need to endure this emotional roller coaster full of fear and depression.

This shouldn’t be the case. These cats deserve far better and before you consider taking on a pet will you think of them as a throwaway object or permanent part of your family? By taking on a pet you make a life long commitment to care for them to the best of your ability, keep them safe and free from pain and sickness.

If your answer is the latter we would love to hear from you.

If it is the former, try a virtual pet but please don’t subject your whims on a sentient, emotional loving animal like cats, rabbits & dogs.  Far too many of them have their lives shattered because of you causing huge emotional distress as you put your furniture, wallpaper or holidays first.

As for Copper, we will care for her, bring her on and find her a wonderful new loving home, hopefully one day soon, where she will live out the rest of her life happy & spoilt never again to feel as she does now.

How to make a difference – make your vote count

To jump ahead and vote Please click here: http://www.facebook.com/FeelGoodPark

Simply LIKE the page and then click on Vote for a Charity. Choose Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue and click Submit.

To know more about how your vote will help please read on:

Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue is based in Fife and supports a wide geographical area encompassing Fife, Edinburgh, and the Lothians.  We typically care for approximately 50 cats and kittens at any one time specializing in the most difficult or complex cases and are very proud of our 96% save rate, as a strictly no kill rescue.

The majority of cats or kittens that come to Sunny Harbour are suffering from some form of physical or emotional trauma. At Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue we pride ourselves on helping to heal these cats on the inside and outside.  We will fix their broken bodies, heal their wounds and  show them that they can trust in humans and live a happy, loved life. Great care is taken in the rehoming process to ensure that both adoptees and cats are suitably well matched for the best chance of success.

We have saved many cats from being unnecessarily euthanised because they have been suffering stress or emotional trauma subsequently manifesting itself as unwanted behaviours or illness meaning owners no longer wish to keep them. Cats like Ash, Maya, and Angel who are now living wonderful, happy lives in their new homes.

SunnyHarbour cat rescue also specialise in the hand rearing of infant kittens and strive to maintain our 99% save rate.  We have raised dozens of babies from just a few minutes old until they leave us at 13 – 15 weeks as happy, bouncy kittens. Many tell us our hand rear babies temperaments are 1 of a kind, very special.

In addition to the hands on work with our feline charges we are also here to help advise and guide owners in all aspects of cat care. Grooming to feeding, behaviours and nutrition.

We provide all new cat owners with detailed care packs providing all the basic educational materials to get them started and operate an advice service to support all cat owners.

An injection of £5000 would enable us to clear our ever increasing veterinary bill, put a small pot of emergency funds aside for cases like Bruno or Alice and place some funding towards projects we would like to see over the next few years.

There are 3 key projects we would love to get off the ground, and it is our hope that by supporting us and the public voting for us in the Animal Friends Charity of the Month that we may be able to roll out 1 or more sooner than we could otherwise have hoped.

Please vote here: http://www.facebook.com/FeelGoodPark/app_225364430831689

1 – Animal Ambulance
A dedicated vehicle which will enable quick response to emergency calls and a means of transporting the cats to and from our vets in a more comfortable environment.   At the current time emergency equipment is stored if various locations and it can take some time to collect all equipment needed and respond.  A dedicated vehicle, fully equipped would mean we could respond far more quickly.

Our intention is to purchase a good quality used van and convert it ourselves by fitting out the interior to meet our specific storage and transportation needs.

2 – Community based advice centre.

Over the last few years it has become apparent that despite the many neutering schemes around there is still an ever increasing number of litters of kittens around which are now being sold for profit.  In line with this there are a number of impulse buys and in general a lack of basic knowledge in how to care for cats.

As a result we currently utilise tools such as our website, phone lines, Facebook, Twitter and our blog to help educate the public that cats are far more complex emotional animals that require thought and consideration and provide advice on basics such as feeding, grooming and reasons behind certain behaviours.

In light of this we would like to be able to start a fund to enable us to establish a community resource for our geographical area that will serve 2 purposes.

Firstly it will enable us to have the public ‘drop in’ for advice about non veterinary matters in a more relaxed, friendly environment.  We would like to run basic care sessions for new cat owners allowing us to demonstrate basic grooming and feeding and provide information on mental and physical stimulation and how to create a healthy relationship between owner, children and their cat, as well as offering low cost microchipping and neutering advice.

Secondly, in line with the above we would like to help fundSunny Harbour Cat Rescue by providing a much needed pet shop for the area, specifically cat orientated for the Fife andEdinburgh areas.   There is a huge lack of good pet stores with good ranges of toys and equipment for cats in particular and we feel we could fill a retail void and also helpSunny Harbour Cat Rescue become more independent financially and provide future stability by having a dedicated income stream with all profits from the shop donated to the rescue itself.
3 – Development & publishing of educational material for cat owners.

It is our goal to produce a range of leaflets and we hope, one day, a practical written guide for new cat owners on how to care and stimulate their cat(s).

Our aim is to produce a range of short leaflets that can be distributed via veterinary surgeries and rescue centres to help educate the public on key aspects of cat care such as feeding, play, grooming and how to maintain physical and psychological stimulus to help prevent negative behaviours through stress and boredom.

In line with this we would also produce a much more comprehensive book which covered items in depth which are touched upon in the leaflets but also providing real life examples, possible behaviours, how pets deal with grief.  We would also look to include ‘how to’ guides on a range of topics such as building scratching frames, puzzle feeders and home made toys.  Proceeds of the book would go directly toSunnyHarbour to help fund our rescue work.

Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue are a forward thinking rescue organisation and in line with our core principles of rescue and education we hope to build on our current services to enhance the support we can provide to new and existing cat owners.

We can however only achieve these things through securing our future with more independent funding and it is our hope that you will consider voting forSunny Harbour Cat Rescue to enable us to begin paving the way to secure our future and that of the hundreds of cats and kittens that will rely on us.

So please, consider taking just a few moments to vote for SunnyHarbourin this months vote http://www.facebook.com/FeelGoodPark/app_225364430831689

Its Just a Cat…. or is it?

its only a cat…
4 little words that can spark anger and upset into pet lovers. especially feline varieties, the world over.  So what is it about cats?

Most of the time you will hear this phrase they are muttered from a person who has probably never received the 2 way unconditional love of a cat.  These are the people who believe cats are always distant, aloof, lone creatures with no compassion or ideals of companionship. That cats are manipulative, selfish and ultimately disobedient and destructive.

Many, if not most, will have purely faded childhood memories of a cat which scratched them, though they won’t recall what happened at the time, but it wasn’t their fault, the cat was nasty.

Whilst many will say we are biased due to the very natter of being involved in rescue (so we must see cats through rose tinted glasses).  A degree of this may well be true but what we do see every day is a cats ability to show vulnerability, fear and through time and trusting one another, even the most aggressive, confused and emotionally scarred little cat can blossom into a tactile, loving and very caring companion.

Many of the cats we take in where they have been described as nervous, aggressive, lone animals turn out to be some of the most loving, tactile cats ever.  So why the change?  probably due to being misunderstood, anxiety in the home environment and possibly its just the wrong home!?

Too often people tell us that they must adopt a kitten so that they can bring it up ‘their way’ and so the kitten will fit into their home and family better.  But this is not necessarily so.  Cats are independent animals who think for themselves and have their own characters and personalities.  Yes, this cute little kitten is adorable and will grow up in your home but that does not guarantee that it will like or be happy there.  In fact in most cases we take cats into Sunny Harbour that are 2 – 4 years old that people have had from a kitten that are quite simply stressed and anxious in the home environment causing unwanted behaviours.   You have to realise that you cannot brain wash a cat into ‘your way’.  You must accept that cats are their own persona and it is you who must adapt to them to ensure that they are happy and settled in your home. 

Many times we rehome a cat where 1 in the couple is slightly reluctant. Typically due to lack of experience with cats or childhood experiences. The strange thing is that we often find it is this individual the cat creates closest bond to. Who melts at every show of the pretty please eyes and who, ultimately gives in to ask if the cat can join them in bed despite forbidding it under any circumstances when the cats first arrived.

Cats are complex, emotional animals and if you take just a few moments each day to get to know that little feline companion you share your home with and learn how to understand what he or she is trying to tell you, you will very quickly see that they are far from being “just a cat”

Cats know when you are sick, feeling down or upset.  They will sit by you and keep you company, give you cuddles unconditionally and provide companionship without demanding much in return.  Simply food, love and of course, a clean litter tray.

So, the next time someone tells you “its just a cat” remind yourself that it is them that is ignorant of the wonderful, loving relationship cats have to offer – and how can people comment on things they know nothing about?

Why do cats suffer with Stress and associated behaviours??

Throughout the hundreds of cats relinquished to Sunny Harbour every year there are very clear patterns to the core reasons why cats are relinquished.  Many of these include reasons such as a house move, new baby, aggression or unpredictable behaviour and even inappropriate urination possibly as a result of said house move or new arrival.

Whilst there are variables between each case one key element across most of these cases which is the same is stress.  Yes these are stressful times for you and your family. But have you stopped for 1 moment to consider the effect your stress or change in situation is having on your pets? in particular your cat?

Cats are complex beings who whilst yes, can think independently, they are also very intuitive and can sense how you are feeling. They will often know something is wrong before you do.

I know from personal experience that an old boy we had, JoJo (who happens to appear on the front cover of this years Calendar), knew several weeks before me that I was pregnant and would follow me everywhere and want to constantly lay on me, very out of character for JoJo.

There are many studies and many points of view with regards to stress in cats. Some accept their ability to feel stres, others not so much. Certainly from experience we know only too well that stress plays a vital role in why cats come INTO rescue.  It is not simply due to stress but the behaviour that the stress manifests as these cats become more and more anxious.
A large proportion of the cats we see arrive at Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue under these circumstances fall into 2 clear categories. Fear Aggressive & Stress Related Behaviours.

Our findings are that cats are not naturally outwardly aggressive. Certainly they will take flee over fight any chance they can. So what causes cats to become aggressive, distant and often erratic in their behaviours? 1 word Stress.
Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue specialise in caring for these unwanted souls because we feel they are essentially misunderstood. They have fed the information to their owners that they are fearful or unhappy and going un noticed  and therefore un treated for so long the cats anxieties increase and begin to manifest in behavioural or physical changes. The longer this continues, generally the worse the behaviour will become, until eventually owners see the cat as a problem and so rather than look for ways to help their pet they often see them as a lost cause and either put them to sleep, abandon them or give them to rescue.

We would like to see owners begin to see their cats as individuals and when you notice changes in behaviour take note, not dismiss.  Changes in behaviour especially drastic changes can also signal health issues and you should have your cat seen and assessed by your veterinary practice as soon as possible.

Based on the cases we have dealt with we feel 1 key element in a cats ability to cope with change well is often related to the age they were separated from their mother and siblings. Those taken below 10 – 12 weeks are more susceptible and even more so, are those taken too young to live as a single cat.

The reason?

Kittens only start to develop social skills and learn how to deal with exposure to new sights, sounds, etc from around 7 weeks when their fundamental senses such as hearing and eyesight is more developed. Between 8 and 12 weeks kittens learn how to develop their natural skills of socialising, hunting, psychological development and ability to adapt to change and new surroundings through play and reassurance from their siblings. 

Without the ability to learn from their siblings kittens lack the basic skills they need to develop into confident, well socialized adult cats.  It is predominantly these very cats that will find themselves in rescue for their unacceptable behaviour and really for no fault of their own.  Humans chose to remove them from their learning environment too soon because they have not taken the time to establish a cats basic developmental needs and the future impact their actions will cause. They have considered only that they want them as young, cute and fluffy as possible.

Think of it as taking your child out of school in nursery with no contact with other children or school education and expecting them to know how to read, write, and communicate with their peers. They would struggle vs those who continued to go to school wouldn’t they?

We really want the public to see more clearly the effects their choices can have and the misery it can cause for the cats but also for the owners. We want to see owners understand their cats needs more fully so that they can spot warning signs and take steps to help your cat before anxiety sends them into despair and they lash out or leave a deposit on your bed telling you they can’t cope.

What should you do?

Ask for advice from your vet, call your local rescue for advice, Sunny Harbour offer an advice service, or utilise your pet insurance and ask your vet to refer you to a local cat behaviouralist for help.

Pets don’t ask for much other than love, food, a warm place to sleep and most of all to feel safe in their home.  Consider them part of your family as they consider you part of theirs.

Please remember your cat feels fear, hurt, upset, anxiety as well as happiness. 

Next time you dismiss their behaviour consider how you would feel if you asked for help and it fell on deaf ears?

Sometimes Nature Fails – Ali’s Tale – kitten at the brink of death saved by Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue, Fife

Sadly there are times when nature takes its course and doesn’t quite manage to complete the cycle of life.  What am I referring to?  Little Ali and his mum.

Little Ali was born on Sunday night with 3 siblings. Mum cat who has had a few litters before had got the hang of things after 3 years in this world.  Typically small for a female cat who began having kittens when she was very young, she delivered her babies well on her own. Cleaning them up and separating them from their sacs and placenta.

This was as far as she could go. For some reason mums milk just didn’t come in.  We don’t know exactly what happened next but we do know that her little body couldn’t feed her 4 babies.

When Sunny Harbour learnt of their arrival nearly 24 hrs had already passed. Paul got to them as quickly as he could but on arrival found 3 kittens were already dead and the sole surviving kitten was barely alive.

Ali on arrival at Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue

Ali on arrival at Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue

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No time to stop and think and an hour away from the rescue Paul got in the car and headed straight back. This sole surviving kitten was exceptionally weak and freezing cold as well as starving.  In a bid to warm the baby kitten and stop him from dying of hypothermia Paul placed him next to his skin and got back to Sunny Harbour as quickly as possible where I was waiting with emergency supplies.

It was touch and go. Yet despite all the odds against this wee guy he was full of spirit and a will to live.  We desperately got fluids into him and warmed him up.  He was such a little fighter and so we called him Ali.

The first few days were the hardest and part of us was almost expecting to lose him. Ali had different plans and kept fighting on and thankfully at 5 days old and despite everything he remains fighting and full of spirit.

It is so sad when nature cannot cope with the strain on their little bodies and these precious, innocent little souls have to lose their lives.

Better still would be for cats like Ali’s mum not to have to bear the strain of multiple litters and her tiny body fail.

If ever there was a reason or case to have your cat neutered then Ali is it.

We just hope and pray he will survive and for as long as he keeps soldiering on we will continue to help him fight…

Found White & Black Cat Thornton, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Fife

This wee guy was found wandering lost on a busy dual carriageway on the 16th January.

He has been brought to Sunny Harbour by concerned passers by who were desperate to get him to safety.

We would like to trace his owners and if you have any information please contact Sunny Harbour on 01592 783732 or email us.

How much attention do we really pay to our cats diet?

Anyone who has adopted a cat from Sunny Harbour or spoken to us about food for cats will know that we are strong advocates of the most nutritious options available whether that be wet or dry foods.

We firmly believe in giving cats the best nutrition possible for the budget you have available.

But what is good nutrition really? After all supermarket brands state they are complete foods as well as cheap in price, so surely more expensive foods are a rip off…. not necessarily so.

If u were shopping for yourself at the supermarket you would generally check the ingredients, or you would take the fresh apples, not the bruised & battered brown ones. Then why do SO few people look at the ingredients that constitute your cats food?

If we look at this in the most basic form cats are carnivorous animals; meat eaters. So why do so many pet food manufacturers put cereals as the main ingredient in their pet foods? The answer is because it is a cheaper source of protein. The fact that it is harder for your cat to digest and can lead to issues such as IBS in cats seems irrelevant to manufacturers of these cat foods.

One of the reasons that I have decided to discuss this topic is recently discovering that one of our recently adopted cats has developed just such an intolerability to Cereals and grains causing IBS.

Unfortunately we didn’t pick up on this prior and so their home fell through. But I do wonder had we not known our cats so well and worked through a period of elimination would we have reached the actual conclusion…. food??

The reality is probably not as there seems to be a train of thought that feeding isn’t linked to health issues. In our opinion, yes it can well be and only through looking at the quality of ingredients in your pets food can you be really sure that they are obtaining the best from the food they eat.

Your cat will eat what you put in front of it. Your cat relies on you to make the informed choices about their feeding and to change it as their needs change.

So what should you be looking for?

Ideally you are looking for foods that state human grade or certainly good quality meat as the main ingredient. You are looking for no cereals such as wheat in the food and by getting used to reading pet food ingredient labels you will notice the stark differences in the pet foods available.

Don’t be fooled by price either. While I won’t lie there are good quality dry foods put there that are a little pricey but when broken down into daily feeding quantities will generally work out cheaper on a per day basis than cheaper foods as u feed less of it per meal.

There are however higher priced food available in pet shops and even vets which are exceptionally poor quality. So don’t just go by labels that say ‘veterinary’ or ‘prescription’ or have fancy packaging. Actually look at the ingredients and if you are taking these foods on vet recommendation why not ask for alternatives with better quality ingredients?

You have to make the choice of what to feed your cat and thinking of it as taking care of their health. With better nutrition your cat will thank you for a healthier lifestyle.

As for the kitty we have with food intolerance she is still going through food trials while we find the best possible food options for her so that she can go on to find a loving new home.

If you have queries regarding feeding please do contact us we are only too happy to discuss the options out there.

Volunteer in Fife – Opportunities

Like me and many tens of thousands of others come New years day many a resolution for change will have been made, but will we stick to it?

Every year I plan to be more organised & keep on top of filing & paperwork. I start off with good intentions but sadly usually falter after a few weeks.   This year however, more than ever I feel determined to get things back on track & into an orderly fashion.

What about you? What are your goals for 2012 ? January is often the time when people think of doing more for others whether neighbours, friends or organisations or charities.  A small yet significant change you can make is to volunteer for a local charity.

There are thousands of small charities throughout the UK and I would encourage you to visit small, local, grass root charities and offer your time or skills to help, where it is needed most.

Often these small charities like Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue are run on a volunteer basis only. They lack the large corporate size budgets to employ personnel and instead have to rely on utilising what skills they can from their small teams of unpaid volunteers.

Whether you can spare an hour or 2 a week or a couple of days please consider helping out either hands on, collecting donations in your spare time or helping with administration, fundraising or just cuddling a few cats. Every little bit helps and often far more than you realise.

So, if you are considering change in 2012 why not consider volunteering? Sunny Harbour are always looking for Volunteers to join the ranks. More information about our volunteer opportunities can be found on our website at http://www.sunnyharbour.org.uk/vol.html

Happy New Year!!