Caring For Animals

HALO Rescue Organization is one of the videos below. HALO stands for "Helping Animals Live On". They are an Animal Rescue Organization founded by two women Heather and Michel.

As I was going through their web site: HALO Rescue I found a lot of great information. They also have a place on the site where you can subscribe to their newsletter, animal adoptions and so much more! I hope you enjoy the site!

Hello I am Rosie; I am in the UK and work as an unpaid volunteer for a wonderful organization called Cats Protection. our aim is to re home unwanted cats and to find homes for strays. We neuter and spay any cat in our care and will also aid with funds anyone who cannot afford to do this. All cats re homed are blood tested, health checked, flea and worm treated, vaccinated and micro chipped, they also come out with 4 weeks free pet insurance cover.

Whilst in our care we have to feed them sometimes up to 7 cats at a time and make sure all pens have heating. Not one of us is paid and we do not claim back any expensive. We home check every prospective home .This also involves going out and scanning cats found, trapping in some cases and can be very overwhelming especially in the spring with all the un neutered and unsprayed roaming and then all the kittens coming in. I also run the lost cats register.

We have a very large Headquarters with its own catteries but I belong to a local sub group, and have a small cattery in my garden which of course is subject to inspection at any time by the RSPCA without prior notice.

All of this costs money, being a local group we are responsible for raising our own funding which we do by fund raising Fayres, where we sell books and bric-a-brac, crockery, linens and all sorts of things donated by the public. We have to transport to and from location in a series of cars and spend hours on our feet with collection boxes in the pouring English rain.

I do hope you enjoy reading some of our success stories. Rosie has sent me some more that I will post soon. The web site to this organization is: Cats Protection there is a place on the page to make a donation or if you are lead to, you can send one to:

The Coordinator
Horsham & District Cats Protection
PO Box 466
Horsham
West Sussex
RH12 1XN
UK

This is Elvis and he was handed in by his owner as sadly a relationship breakdown and the lady was moving into accommodation where they did not allow pets.

Elvis moved in and was re-christened Oliver, we just could not get a handle on Elvis LOL. He was adorable, sweet natured and a very laid back cat, we sorted out vaccinations and gave him a micro-chip, the nosiest cat ever to transport but too cute!

He had many viewings but due to that thick long fur was overlooked for a while, he was in care for about 2 months before a lovely retired lady came to see him, just what he needed someone to have the time to brush that coat every day and to give him a lap to sit on. We recently heard from her to say he had settled well and sleeps on her pillow.

Introducing Merlin, our odd eyed puss!

Found wandering in town and had been seen for over two months, he was fed by people passing by and when it got cold we were informed. Now Merlin's story was a sad one. I scanned him and discovered a microchip, contacted the owner who was very vague about him , almost talking in a whisper, she told me that she was so glad that he had run away as her partner was a heavy drinker and used the cat as a punch bag. She asked if we could please find him a new home. I asked her to forward any microchip paperwork she had. However the next day we got a very nasty call from the partner demanding the cat back, talking to our legal department. At this time we did not have any paperwork OR a sign over form, so we had no choice but to leave Merlin.

A month later we picked him up a second time; this time we had some ammunition to aim at the partner, there on him were fleas , ticks and a nasty abscess which were not new. Our legal department wrote to the owner and stated that in view of this cat's condition we would be seeking RSPCA help in prosecution if he was not signed into our care. He obliged and Merlin came in. That evening he had a viewing and was put on reserve until we could sort out his state. After two weeks he went to his new home.

Meet Pip! Pip was a great character, a little bit naughty and cheeky and a great escapologist LOL, strong boy too.

Once again he was a stray, we tried for 3 weeks to trap him but no joy, the finder lived on a farm and courageously managed to entice him to eat near the front door, one night just as I was going to bed the phone rang and she said; "got him he is trapped in my hall". I said courageous as this lady was badly asthmatic and very allergic to cats. I put on my coat over my pajamas and dashed off.

He was leaping all over the place and we thought one shot at this one or he will dash. I am hovering by the door with a towel to throw over him and my other half is doing a strange goal keeping type dance. The cat shoots upstairs, we decide to change roles and as he appears on the stairs I lunge and scruff him by then neck, he turned but having my winter coat his teeth did not penetrate, wow!

Once home and in the pen he was fine, settled quickly and was a lovely cat. He was here for a month and got re-homed to a rural setting. This was very good because he had been found on farmland and was probably not very street wise.

You know how everyone has their stories about their pets. Well, this is really cute so I thought I would share.

When my husband and I were homesteading, my little Danu LOVED chasing lizards! Yes, every time we turned around he was running his tiny little legs as fast as he could trying his best to catch a lizard. No, he never did but man did he get a giant "A" for his effort!!

As I mentioned above, he is older now and blind, but the second you mention anything about a lizard, he will run although the living room and kitchen trying to find one. He is so funny!!

Now this is Bobbie! A stray, nasty scratched on his nose and very underweight, his hip bones were showing.

Once again a stray and was sick when the finder called us. I met her at the vet, they were very concerned, he appeared on investigation to have an enlarged liver, told me to feed him up and bring him in for a scan, one or two weeks later.

Bobbie had a voracious appetite and eagerly ate every morsel we gave him! Two weeks later he is free of fleas and de wormed. He has gained weight and is on his way for his scan. I sit here all day in a real state of anxiety, firstly what will show up, and is there a future for him. The dreaded phone call comes through and he is fine!! The vet has taken a good look and his liver is back to normal, on the down side he is showing the first signs of kidney disease, but as the vet said he is about 10 years old so that is in line with his age. He just needs to be blood tested every six months to check progress, the first action they will take is a low protein diet, so great news!

Bobs is sadly still here. At 10 years of age, most do not want to adopt. But I know somewhere out there, there is someone who will, we just keep trying.

Meet Fleur! OOH this little darling came along from her owner because the infant in the family has asthma.

From day one this little one won all hearts, ok not the prettiest cat on the block but surely the daintiest or not as it was proved!! Those tiny paws were just not the right size for her. She managed to knock over most things and was a real heavy jumper. I would be cleaning her pen and she would jump onto my back ouch! She would not move until I reversed and stood up so she could sit on a shelf. Well needless to say she went very fast, she was only here for a week, and a lovely couple adopted her.

Now she is called Porche.

Lucky such a kind cat!

Lucky was sent through from another local branch; that did not have the room for him. His background is so funny, as a stray he took to living in some flats, sometimes in a box outside no.26 and other times on a small table outside no.30. The tenants were so used to him they would let him in and out at his will. He eluded us for a while; every time someone went to get him, he had vanished. So when we caught him I said that was lucky, so "Lucky" he became.

He is a gentleman cat, very solid and quite, regal in his nature. He had only the very best brands of cat food and biscuits and would not lower himself to eat anything else. Lucky was about 7 years old and just recently has been re homed to a family nearby with an 11 year old granddaughter who lives with them. The granddaughter adores Lucky and Lucky adores her.