Lenny needs a quiet understanding home without children.

December 1st 2010 another three kittens in all black and white and ready for homes soon.

Lenny now has a Home.

FeFe and Squeak two brothers

Two of Cats Protection Wear Valley & Darlington branch kittens at play.

Cats Protection Cat Trap Gone

19th October 2010

Am absolutely gutted to report one of our Cat traps has been taken/stolen from Storm king windows south church Bp Auckland maybe by accident scrap wagon has picked it up or may have been stolen either way we need it badly so please keep eye out on scrap wagons etc and repost to your profile if you are local. it was brand new like one in this pic except it had to be strengthened on end after a huge tome broke it last Saturday. only used twice :-(

Penny

Wear Valley & Darlington Cats Protection/
Found in a garden one of a feral litter of five which alas we didn't catch the rest as they seem to have moved on though we are still trying, Penny obviously got left behind as due to a congenital defect her eye was swollen and becoming infected.
Today she had the eye removed and is now recovering.

Sick Kitten

Wear Valley & Darlington Cats Protection just picked up very poorly kitten from Spennymoor. vets this afternoon then isolation pen :-(may well lose an eye.http://yfrog.com/2hzo2j

Bottle fed kittens happy and content

Cats Protection Wear Valley & Darlington Cats Needing Homes October 2010

Bottle kittens doing well so far 05 October 2010

Bottle feeding babies

Latest arrivals three babies to bottle feed.

Three legged and blind cat

A short film about Cats Protection

Venting :-) Wonder why I bother sometimes !

Cannot believe how rude people can be just because they don't receive an instant response which is partly because they have failed to listen to what the answerphone says. Hmm well as for the question will we ever get to adopt a cat from you answer is probably not with that attitude as our cats need understanding homes!
I volunteer to help the Cats not to placate people who have got old nos or old website address .

Attitude like theirs is really disappointing as we would hope most people would realise that we are so stretched and that even though we give 24/7 365 days a year their are times we just cant be two places at once.
If anything it makes us more prone to decide to follow other branches example of having volunteer holiday weeks.

Facebook | Cats Protection Wear Valley & Darlington Branch 's Photos - Kittens

Facebook | Cats Protection Wear Valley & Darlington Branch 's Photos - Kittens

Anyone interested should email catwomanmaz@gmail.com with details of address, other pets, children etc and we can short list those best matched to kittens particular needs then arrange a home visit etc . As these are kittens is you have cat already they will need to be fully up to date with vaccinations and of course neutered.

Coronation Street cat Frisky’s ashes auctioned for £700 | News1st Online News Updates

Coronation Street cat Frisky’s ashes auctioned for £700 | News1st Online News Updates

Bionic feet for amputee cat

BBC News - Bionic feet for amputee cat

Bionic feet for amputee cat

Oscar gets to try his new feet

A cat that had its back feet severed by a combine harvester has been given two prosthetic limbs in a pioneering operation by a UK vet.

The new feet are custom-made implants that "peg" the ankle to the foot. They are bioengineered to mimic the way deer antler bone grows through the skin.

The operation - a world first - was carried out by Noel Fitzpatrick, a veterinary surgeon based in Surrey.

His work is explored in a BBC documentary called The Bionic Vet.

The cat, named Oscar, was referred to Mr Fitzpatrick by his local vet in Jersey, following the accident last October. Oscar was struck by the combine harvester whilst dozing in the sun.

The prosthetic pegs, called intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics (Itaps) were developed by a team from University College London led by Professor Gordon Blunn, who is head of UCL's Centre for Biomedical Engineering.

Professor Blunn and his team have worked in partnership with Mr Fitzpatrick to develop these weight-bearing implants, combining engineering mechanics with biology.

Mr Fitzpatrick explained: "The real revolution with Oscar is [that] we have put a piece of metal and a flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone."

"We have managed to get the bone and skin to grow into the implant and we have developed an 'exoprosthesis' that allows this implant to work as a see-saw on the bottom of an animal's limbs to give him effectively normal gait."

Professor Blunn told BBC News the idea was initially developed for patients with amputations who have a "stump socket".

"This means they fix their artifical limb with a sock, which fits over the stump. In a lot of cases this is sucessful, but you [often] get rubbing and pressure sores."

The Itap technology is being tested in humans and has already been used to create a prosthetic for a woman who lost her arm in the July 2005 London bombings.

"The intriguing thing with Oscar was that he had two implants - one in each back leg, and in quite an unusual site," Professor Blunn told BBC News.

He said that the success of this operation showed the potential of the technology.

"Noel has some brilliant ideas," he added. "And we're continuing to work closely with him to develop new technologies."

Big Brother

Oh I do so like watching this no matter how trashy or annoying i find it fascinating and what always strikes me is no matter how different we all are personality wise when it gets right down to it we are all the same.
We all have our little insecurities our little episodes of doubt in ourselves and of course our ego which never seem to match what other people think of us.
We all want to be accepted and all think we are likeable yet lets face it we all know at times we are bitchy, arrogant and downright obnoxious.
The Big Brother house brings out all that and more in an exaggerated form of personalities which we love to hate.
I love to follow there relationships develop whether it be of love or hate, love all the clashes too.

Yes i will be hooked for the summer !

Teddy the kitten aged 9wks

(mazza53) on Qik | 4 videos recorded with mobile phones

Some videos of our kitten Teddy, he of course is usually much to fast to video LOL

What would you be to shy to give to a charity

I was reading a blog about making a million from a pound and it reminded me how i have often thought if everyone who said they thought the Wear Valley & Darlington Cats Protection was a great charity and how they loved what we did gave just 50p or a £1 it would make such a huge difference.

Oh dont get me wrong I think the people who do donate to our branch are fantastic, I just wonder why some people who would like to support a good cause, any good cause it doesn't have to be Cats Protection often say they just cant afford it.

People are almost embarrassed to just give a pound, they will put it in a collection box but say when it comes to face to face or in the post its as if £1 isn't worth bothering with.

Now i think that's is totally not true as if they all just gave that £1 it would soon add up to a great amount. I dont think we should underestimate even in todays high prices just what a pound can do.

Then I think well what about me what do I give, apart from my time that is, then of course would I be embarrassed to say here is a £1 for Cats Protection ?

I also know i get heartily sick of all the adds asking for £2 a month direct debit so I am not suggesting that just say a £1 a yr off 52 people = a months food and litter for a Kitten

What do other people think ?

The Week

Well its been an odd kind of week but then aren't they all ;-)

Monday and was still waiting for my new grandson to be born, he was due 17th May and still isn't here but come Saturday my daughter goes into hospital to be induced so he will hopefully arrive this weekend.

Monday also saw me go out on a Cats Protection mission, we had got a call from a community support worker saying one of her clients had a cat and newborn kittens in the garden, apparently the cat had just laid in the garden and given birth, no shelter or hiding place and some of the kittens had already died. So after phoning the woman and getting all details including her telling me the cat was friendly not wild etc off we went.
On arrival I discover the cat was feral but not crazy feral as some are, she was quite curious but wouldn't let me pick her up and darted off when i approached, so a cat and mouse game ensued where I placed kittens in open cage and waited for her to go in, closer and closer she got but didn't quite make it.
As we stood there the neighbour told me how a man in the street fed all the strays and I saw around 6 young cats myself, this mum cat was only about 6mths too. The street backed onto a railway embankment which was dense with trees and undergrowth which told me this inexperienced mum cat had been caught by surprise when the kittens came otherwise she would have made a nest elsewhere.
After about 20mins the woman decided she was going to see the guy who fed them to see if he could pick mum up.
Well this guy arrived and was aggressive from the word go, he asked me what i was doing etc and told me to leave them alone, then proceeded to say i could neuter them if i liked. Well we don't need go looking for kittens which i told him as he berated me for even touching them. So a long story cut short I left, no other thing for it, he was adamant he knew more than me so I had no choice but to go. I must say i was a bit sickened off as I do this voluntary and was responding to a call for help giving my time free. I did tell him we would neuter them all and the kittens needed handling but he was adamant mum would abandon them if they were touched, which is rubbish, as he had read it on the Internet. Well time will tell what happens with that one but i suspect we wont hear anymore till around next year when this 8 cats have become 80 and suddenly they aren't so cute anymore.

Come the end of the week though and Thursday saw us take in this little one
isn't he adorable ? he was heard crying at the back of a bus stop and further investigation by the finder revealed this feral kitten but young enough to be tamed and he is already making good progress. Infested with fleas and quite thin we are sure some TLC will see him on top form soon.

Instructions for Administering CPR to your Cat

We all hope it will never happen but sooner or later some of us may be faced with a collapse in our pet and how those first vital few minutes are managed can make all the difference to survival just as it does in Humans.
I have many a time had to use these techniques during my animal rescue work and there is nothing more rewarding than breathing fresh life where there was none.

Do you know what to do to try and save your cat or Dog ?
"Artificial breathing is an emergency procedure used to exchange air in the unconscious cat. Heart massage is used when no heartbeat can be heard or felt. When heart massage is combined with artificial breathing, it is called cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). As cessation of breathing is soon followed by heart stoppage and vice versa, cardiopulmonary resuscitation is most often required in the life threatening situation. The following emergencies may require artificial breathing or CPR: Shock Head Injury Poisoning Electric Shock Prolonged Seizure Obstructed Airways (choking) Coma Sudden Death

IS THE CAT BREATHING? Observe rise and fall of the chest. Feel for air against your cheek.

If YES, pull out tongue, clear airway. Observe.

If NO, feel for pulse.

DOES THE CAT HAVE A PULSE? Feel for the femoral artery located in the groin.

If YES, employ Artificial breathing.

If NO, employ CPR

ARTIFICIAL BREATHING (MOUTH-TO-NOSE BREATHING)

1. Lay the cat on a flat surface with its right side down.

2. Open the mouth and clear secretions. Check for a foreign body. If found, remove. If impossible to reach, execute the Heimlich manuever.

3. Pull the tongue forward and close the mouth. Place your mouth over the cat's nose. Blow gently into the cat's nostrils. The chest will expand. Release to let the air come back out. Excess air will escape through the cat's lips, preventing overinflation of the lungs and overdistension of the stomach.

4. If the chest does not rise and fall, blow more forcefully; or if necessary, lightly seal the lips with your hand.

5. The breathing rate is one every four to five seconds (12 to 15 per minute).

6. Continue until the cat breathes on its own, or as long as the heart beats.

CPR (ARTIFICIAL BREATHING AND HEART MASSAGE)

1. Continue with mouth-to-nose breathing.

2. Prepare for heart massage. Place the fingers and thumb on either side of the sternum, behind the elbows.

3. Compress the chest firmly six times; administer a breath. Then repeat. Massage rate is 80 to 120 compressions per minute.

4. If possible, do not stop heart massage while administering a breath.

5. Pause every two minutes for 10 to 15 seconds to check for pulse and spontaneous breathing.

6. Continue until the heart beats and the cat breathes on its own, or until no heartbeat is felt for 30 minutes."

Lady in Waiting

Well my new grandson was due to be born on the 17th May but so far no show, I just want to meet him but he obviously isn't ready to meet us all just yet LOL

Watch Cats Attack Babysitter Video | Break.com

Cats Attack Babysitter - Watch more Funny Videos

Young deer bathing kitty

About EMDR

This is fascinating follow link for full info.
About EMDR

How Does EMDR Help to Resolve Problems?

People have the inborn ability to process disturbing events and feelings. In most instances, the brain reprocesses painful information over time so that it is stored in our normal memory system without any symptoms. In normal circumstances, the individual can access memories without being unduly stressed. However, there are instances in which the brain becomes overwhelmed and isn't able to process the memory in an adaptive way. The memory seems to become frozen" in our mind, and the painful images, thoughts and feelings associated with the event seem to be "locked" in the nervous system, often out of conscious awareness. These memories then have a lasting negative effect; influencing the way we see the world, react to everyday situations, and relate to others.

Whether the traumatic experience is physical or psychological, if it is so overwhelming, you may freeze or disconnect from the experience. This protects you from the terror you feel, but it also prevents you from moving on. These feelings stay outside of your conscious awareness in their original intensity.

EMDR helps to unlock painful and negative memories, and helps the brain to more effectively reprocess old information so that it becomes less debilitating. The use of bilateral stimulation of the brain via eye movements and sound allows for a resumption of the normal reprocessing so that images, sounds, thoughts, and feelings can be experienced without undue upset and disorganization.

Study: Chocolate and depression go hand in hand - CNN.com

Study: Chocolate and depression go hand in hand - CNN.com

Health.com) -- When Dina Khiry is feeling a bit down, she reaches for chocolate. "I like Reese's peanut butter cups, Hershey's bars, and chocolate cake batter," says the 24-year-old public relations associate. "I feel better in the moment -- and then worse later on, when I realize that I just consumed thousands of calories."

Khiry's emotional relationship with chocolate isn't uncommon, new research suggests. According to a study published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, people who feel depressed eat about 55 percent more chocolate than their non-depressed peers. And the more depressed they feel, the more chocolate they tend to eat.

Although gorging on chocolate and sweets to beat the blues has become a cliché thanks to sitcoms and romantic comedies, there's been "little prior scientific literature linking chocolate and depression," says the lead author of the study, Dr. Beatrice Golomb, a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine. The study, she says, provides evidence to support "the popular perception that when people need a pick-me-up, they pick up chocolate."

It's unclear, however, whether depressed people eat more chocolate simply because they crave it, or whether chocolate consumption itself somehow contributes to a depressed mood.

In the study, Golomb and her colleagues surveyed more than 900 people about their weekly chocolate consumption and their overall diet. They also gauged the moods of the participants using a standard questionnaire used to screen for depression. (People who were taking antidepressants were excluded from the study.)

Health.com: How to make chocolate a healthy indulgence

The men and women who were considered to be depressed ate 8.4 servings of chocolate per month, while their counterparts who weren't depressed consumed just 5.4 servings each month.

Study participants who scored higher on the depression scale ate even more chocolate, nearly 12 servings per month, the researchers found. (An average serving was defined as one small chocolate bar or one ounce of chocolate candy.)

To zero in on the chocolate-mood connection, the researchers took into account a range of other dietary factors, such as calorie, fat, and carbohydrate intake. These measures were similar in the depressed and non-depressed people, which suggests that the link between chocolate and depression is unique in some way, according to the researchers.

Health.com: 10 free ways to fight depression

While popular culture usually depicts women as emotional chocoholics, the study shows that men, too, may reach for chocolate when they're down and out. Seventy percent of the participants were men, and the results were similar in men and women.

Explaining the apparent link between chocolate and depression is a classic chicken-or-egg question, says Golomb. Eating chocolate -- which has been shown to improve mood in animal studies -- may be a form of self-medication for depressed people, she and her colleagues suggest, or chocolate may simply be a comfort food.

Health.com: America's healthiest superfoods for women

The link may run in the opposite direction, however. Like alcohol, chocolate may make depressed people feel better in the short term, but eating it regularly may have a negative effect on health and mood in the long run, the researchers say -- especially if the chocolate is in products such as candy bars that are filled with saturated fat and other unhealthy ingredients. Indeed, as Khiry suggests, overindulging in chocolate when you're down can sometimes leave you feeling even worse.

"There is some relation between chocolate and depression," says Scott Bea, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio. "Chocolate could be a fix for depression or it could work the other way, meaning that people who overly use chocolate could be prone to depression."

Susan Albers, a psychologist and colleague of Bea's at the Cleveland Clinic, says that chocolate raises levels of the brain chemical serotonin -- as do some antidepressants -- and also boosts blood-sugar levels, which can make you feel more energetic.

Health.com: 15 ways to breathe easier when eating

"Emotional chocolate eaters may be looking for an immediate change that exercise or antidepressants can bring," she says. But, she adds, a chocolate rush is often followed by a crash, and "The crash will make the depression worse."

Albers teaches chocoholics to stop and smell the chocolate -- literally.

"When we eat chocolate, we tend to think about the next piece before we finish the one we are eating," says Albers, the author of 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food. "I teach people to slow down the process by opening up the chocolate slowly, listening to it crinkle, and slowing down the whole process so they actually taste it and realize that a small amount can make them feel a lot better."

Khiry uses a similar strategy. To keep herself from eating too much chocolate, she sometimes tries to suck on each piece so it lasts longer.

The study had some important limitations, as the researchers note. It was not initially designed to investigate chocolate and mood, and the data was taken from a larger study on the effects of cholesterol-lowering statins. Furthermore, the study didn't distinguish between different types of chocolate (such as dark and milk chocolate, which contain different amounts of cocoa).

Health.com: Foods to boost your mood

And because the study simply took a snapshot of the participants at one moment in time, the results don't show how chocolate consumption and mood may change or interact over time.

Still, Bea says, the findings could serve as a red flag for people who may be drowning their sorrows in Hershey's.

"If you're depressed and eating lots of chocolate, look for more direct solutions such as psychotherapy and/or antidepressants," he says. "If you crave chocolate a lot, examine your mood state and deduce if depression is a factor in your life."

RSPCA will reject unwanted pets to cut costs - Telegraph

RSPCA will reject unwanted pets to cut costs - Telegraph

Croatian storks Rodan and Malena reunited after 8,000 mile winter flight | Metro.co.uk

Croatian storks Rodan and Malena reunited after 8,000 mile winter flight | Metro.co.uk

Thanks to Rose for sending me this

"How to Sleep in a Box"

Use the box side as a pillow...



Start from simple sleeping on your back...



or on your side...



If you are longhair, use the benefit of your coat and tail...



Remember that you and your box must nearly amalgamate...




Use your imagination: try S-like positions...



or C-like positions...



or even L-like ones...



If you totally trust your humans, relax your back legs to the maximum...



Sometimes O-like positions do not fit the box well, but you can?always
experiment...



If the box is rather small, try sticking your paws & tail out of it...



or stretch just one paw out, like this (back paw)...



or like this (front paw)..



Invite your friend to join you...



and enjoy it...



Your humans may wonder how you can sleep like that...



.ignore them and enjoy...



Perhaps they will not even notice you...



Try disguise to avoid unwanted attention..



or you can hide in an absolutely unexpected box...



This position is for experienced yoga cats...



as well as this one...



Even small boxes can do...



Be creative...



Practice makes perfect. To get more experience use any structure you
can find...