Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette

Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett

Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column

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I’M living the dream. It just happens to be the dream where you’re driving a car down what you thought was a narrow lane but then looks as though it’s petering out to nothing.

We made the mistake of not looking closely at the chosen satnav route beforehand. We’re still camping and are on our way to the Rhodes Minnis Cat Sanctuary near Canterbury. This Sanctuary is different to the rehoming centres I normally feature as most of the cats for rehoming here are kept communally on a large piece of land rather than in pens or in foster care.

The Sanctuary was founded by Veronica Huthwaite and, when she died, she left it to the Trustees who have continued her work. I’ve met Veronica on several occasions as she used to have a stall for the Sanctuary at the Ealing Animals Fair. They also take cats from London.

There are about two hundred cats on the site which is divided into sections. Firstly, there’s the boarding cattery where cats are accommodat­ed individual­ly in large chalet-style pens. The boarding cattery helps to fund the Sanctuary. Then you go through double gates to the area where the cats for rehoming live.

This is an extensive area surrounded by high fencing. Just inside the perimeter are large pens for individual cats. When a cat arrives, they go into one of these pens for three weeks while they receive veterinary care. Then, if all is well, the door to their pen is left open so they can go out into the communal area (but only if they want). As time goes by, most leave their pen which then becomes available for someone else.

In the communal area, there are several different “houses” each containing shelves with cat beds so there is plenty of choice over where to sleep. I was there on a hot day. Some cats walked over to meet me but most, like Cleo, were lying in the shade. Many had chosen to be under a hedge, including Thumbelina.

There are also individual chalets for cats with special requiremen­ts and a large area for feral cats.

Different ways of accommodat­ing cats for rehoming have advantages and disadvanta­ges. Many aspects have to be considered. The cats here, at Rhodes Minnis, certainly looked content with what was on offer for them.

If you want to know more, go to rhodesminn­iscatsanct­uary.com or pay them a visit. They are open every day and you can get there avoiding the way I came.

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 ?? ?? Thumbelina
Thumbelina
 ?? ?? Cleo
Cleo

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