Christmas Fundraiser

We hope to see you all there. We are in need of home-made cakes and goods to sell to raise money for our wonderful little shelters refurbishments.

Ruby & Azazel Desperately Need Loving Home(s)

Gorgeous Ruby & Handsome Azazel have almost been with us for a full year! It's unbelievable that nobody has opened their home & heart to these stunning siblings.

Azazel

Ruby

Ruby & Azazel are 6 year old siblings. Azazel is a short-haired, black & white neutered male, very friendly and playful. Ruby is a long-haired, black & white spayed female, a little nervous but very loving once she gets to know you.

We are hoping this gorgeous Brother & sister can be homed together but we can separate if necessary.  Please contact us if you think you can give them the home they deserve.

Our Currently Available Cats & Kittens

Azazel - 6 years old, short-haired, black & white neutered male - very friendly and playful, Ruby's full brother.

Ruby - 6 years old, long-haired, black & white spayed female - a little nervous but very loving once she gets to know you, Azazel's full sister. Ruby has a slight stress habit of pulling her fur out occasionally.

Meli is a stunning 3-4 month old DSH, He is a bit nervous so we aren't sure if he's a boy or not.

Baby is a gorgeous 4 month old girl, the last of the last lot of Wendy house kittens desperately needs a loving home

Katie, & George are gorgeous 10-12 week old siblings, looking for a loving forever home

Belle, Duke & Willow are gorgeous 4 week old babies, currently living in the Wendy house Isolation Unit with their Mum: Misa. We are unable to home these kittens until they are 10 weeks old, but they are available to reserve now

Misa is our absolutely stunning Mummy cat, she currently resides in the Wendy House Isolation Unit with her 3 babies: Belle, Duke & Willow. Little more than a baby herself at under a year old, she is doing a wonderful job with her babies. She is very much a lap cat and would cuddle all day if she could.

Meraki is a stunning 3-4 month old DSH, He is a bit nervous.

Dumpling is a stunning 3-4 month old DSH, He is a bit nervous.

Fudge is an elderly torti (10+), no chip, found at Riddings, maybe owner died, with a severe flea allergy which is being treated.

If you think you can offer any of these gorgeous babies a home, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

(Regretfully, we cannot offer homes to kittens under 6 months to homes with children under the age of 5)

Woodland Nook's Annual Summer Fundraiser

Drum Roll!! What an amazing day! We made £1,169.46!!

Jane says "Thank you everyone for your support and love and care"

Picture by Glenn Dearman

Picture by Glenn Dearman

Picture by Glenn Dearman

Picture by Glenn Dearman

 

Picture by Kayleigh Brown

 

Picture by Kayleigh Brown

Picture by Glenn Dearman

We thank you all for continuing to support us to help all the cats that come our way

x

It's that time again! 2 weeks until our annual Summer Fundraiser.

THIS YEAR'S SUMMER FUNDRAISER IS SUNDAY 16TH AUGUST 10am - 4pm! All lovely volunteers and supporters of Woodland Nook, family and friends all welcome. All proceeds will help Woodland Nook continue in its works to rescue abused and abandoned cats and kittens that need us!

We are still in need of stuff for tombola, bric a brac stalls and the raffle! Please donate and help the kitties!

Woodland Nook Cat Rescue's Summer Auction

Hi there everyone! We have an online auction to raise funds for the shelter going on Facebook at the moment. Please come along and have a look and help some babies. Please click the link below to have a browse!

Woodland Nook Online Summer Auction

Woodland Nook & Azazel Need Your Help!

Jane has just returned from taking Azazel to the vets to try and find out why his skin is bad on his back. £47.24 later, he has had a Convenia anti-biotic injection and Carole the skin expert at Alfreton Park Vets wants to see him again in two weeks, he has a bacterial infection going on as well as some sort of allergy. The anti-biotic injection will sort out the bacterial infection but for the allergy, there is a new product out called Atopica which he will have to go on short term, the first course, he will need the largest size bottle which is £80 then a few treatments here and there as and when. The vet did remark on how beautiful he is! If anyone would like to donate towards his Atopica and his cost for today, Azazel and Jane would be very grateful! We are still really struggling for money and are all really hoping our Summer Fundraiser (16th August 10am-4pm) will bring us some much needed funds. If you would like to donate, please visit Our Website. Thankyou x

Paddington & Puzzle

My name's Kayleigh, you may know me from my various postings on the Woodland Nook page on Facebook. I'll be taking over the blog for a little while.

I'd like to start off by announcing that our gorgeous Paddington & Puzzle have finally found their forever home together!

Paddington & Puzzle had been with us since Summer 2014, when they came in with Mum: Pollyanna and sister Porsche. We are all so glad that these gorgeous boys are finally in a home of their own after being with us for over a year.

We wish them all the best in their new home.

Summer Fundraiser

Summer Fundraiser

Woodland Nook Cat Rescue

27 Delves Bank Road, Swanwick

Sunday, 16th August, 10am-4pm

All lovely volunteers and supporters of Woodland Nook, family and friends all welcome. All proceeds will help Woodland Nook continue in its works to rescue abused and abandoned cats and kittens that need us!

Paddington's new look

This is what happens when you chase bees into dusty corners of the cat shelter; you end up with a fetching mask of cobwebs.

You’ll be delighted to know that the bee was released, both for its safety and for that of the naughty cats who were trying to eat it! And, although we decided that the new look made it much easier to distinguish Paddington from his cobweb-free brother, Puzzle, he did sit still long enough in the end to have his face wiped.

Beautiful Paddington and Puzzle both need loving homes. They are adorable and friendly... so why are they still at Woodland Nook?

Join our mailing list

Just a quick one to say you can now join our mailing list by completing the form on the right. Just type your name, email address and a quick “hi!” or short note and your details will be forwarded to Woodland Nook owner Jane Lynegar.

Please join us and you’ll kept up to date with all the Woodland Nook News.

Oh, and if you can’t see the form, this is probably because you’re viewing the site on a mobile device. Scroll to the bottom and click “view full site” and you should see it. Alternatively, simply email Jane by clicking here.

A wonderful day of tea, cake and fundraising

Picture: Jane Lynegar

Today was a glorious day in Derbyshire and a wonderful one for Woodland Nook and the cats. It was our tea party on the lawn, with lots of lovely home-baked goodies and lots of happy visitors, all keen to support our great cause.

We’re delighted to report that the total raised was a wonderful £604! On top of this, a kind lady has donated £300 in memory of her husband (not using her name as I don’t have permission).

Picture: Emma Fisher

Huge thanks to everyone who supported this event. Jane and the cats are truly grateful!

Woodland Nook Cat Rescue Centre: A Tour

I'm going to let the video do most of the talking for this post. 

Our wonderful little shelter is run entirely by donations and staffed by volunteers. We need your help to keep running. Please visit www.woodlandnookcatrescue.com for information on how you can help by donating/sponsoring/adopting/volunteering.

Fundraising for Woodland Nook

Huge thanks to volunteer Jane Bryson for holding a car boot sale stall and raising around £100 for Woodland Nook! It's thanks to volunteers like Jane that the shelter can continue helping neglected and abandoned cats and kittens.

Our next fundraising event is on Saturday, 30th May, 11am-2pm - tea and cakes on the lawn at 27 Delves Bank Road, Swanwick DE55 1HA. There will be a few stalls and a raffle, all in aid of Woodland Nook Cat Rescue. You may even get a tour of the fabulous shelter! Tell your friends and bring them along to help raise much-needed funds!

Wonderful news for Loki!

Hi, I'm Kayleigh, you may know me from my photo's and video's on The Woodland Nook Facebook Page. I am very pleased that my very first blog post is to announce that the little special needs boy that worked his way into everyone's heart has finally found his forever home!

Loki has been with us since 13th November 2014, coming from The Cats Pyjamas Rescue in Crete, Greece. Loki's beginnings were heartbreaking: He was found crying on the side of the road in Kalyves (Crete) roasting in the midday sun his eyelids stuck together by pus. He had pneumonia, eye ulcerations, parasite overload, dehydration & was starved sadly his rescuer saw half a dozen people walk by him. We suspect he was thrown out of his litter either due the fact he is black or because he was sick. The condition he was in is indescribable but after antibiotics, nursing lots of care from his foster mummy Isobel and from the Staff at Cats Pyjamas and Woodland Nook Cat Rescue. He was soon back to full health and full of energy, even though he can barely see past his own paws, but we don't think he's noticed that, as you've seen from my video's of him on the Woodland Nook Facebook Page.

He has been reserved by one of The Nook's own volunteers, and we know he will have a very loving and safe forever home with her. We will all be sad to see him go, but this is the reason we do what we do, to see cats and kittens like Loki have the best possible chance at a life where they don't have to be scared and hungry all the time. Thankyou to everyone involved in Loki's care, we couldn't do it without you 

x

A new name for Snowie

Beautiful Snowie has been given a far more fitting name. Because she is so striking and panther-like, she has been renamed Panthea! Much more suitable...

Panthea needs a home. If you’re interested, please contact Jane.

Funds urgently needed

It’s been a bit quiet on the blog lately... and a little quiet at Woodland Nook, too. Unfortunately we can’t take any more cats in until we have more funds; it’s too risky in case there’s an unexpected vet bill.

Right now there are just a few cats needing homes – and they’re all colour co-ordinated! They are:

Paddington & Puzzle

These are adorable brothers. Puzzle is quite shy but would soon come out of his shell in a quiet home.   They are neutered males of about 10 months old. 

Ruby & Azazel

Brother and sister, these are a good-looking pair. Ruby is quite shy but is growing in confidence lately. Azazel is a man-about-town, quite dapper and enjoys a fuss.

Snowy

A shy black cat is particularly hard to home but we’re sure you’d find life with Snowy very rewarding. She’s getting more confident by the day and would love a forever home where she can truly relax.

Loki

Loki needs a special home as he has had a very tough start to life. He is blind in one eye and has limited vision in the other... but this doesn’t stop him chasing tiny stones – far more fun than cat toys! He has very sleek fur and an unusually thin tail, so you won’t mix him up with any other black cat. He also requires a special diet but this is quite simple – speak to Jane for more information.

So, as you can see, there are just six cats needing homes from Woodland Nook at the moment... but we know there are many more cats who need our help. It’s frustrating that we can’t do more until we have a financial buffer. If you have any fundraising ideas, please do get in touch with Jane!

Ruby... and the photobomb

It’s not often that shy Ruby comes out into the open (at least it’s not when I’m at Woodland Nook) so I was eager to get a photo of her enjoying her breakfast at the weekend.

I was merrily snapping away, trying to get the best shot, when who should perform the perfect photobomb but...

... Felix! And not  just a photobomb but an almost total eclipse!

Ruby is looking for a nice quiet home where she can rebuild her confidence. Could she find that home with you? If so, please get in touch with Jane.

Progress on the Isolation Unit

Progress has been made on the Isolation Unit! This draughty section of the shelter will soon be a toasty warm conservatory, with mesh doors behind the opening doors, so that the cats don’t cook in the summer!

With a new roof, too, this formerly dank section of Woodland Nook will soon be smart, draught-free and much more suitable for those cats who cannot mix with the others. 

There are many reasons a cat may need to be isolated. For example: 

• Newcomers aren’t always ready to mix straight away
• If a female cat is not spayed and there are young unneutered males in the main shelter, we can’t risk a pregnancy
• Some cats simply don’t get on with other cats and fights can break out
• Sick cats need to be separated so that illness doesn’t spread

So, as you can see, an isolation unit is a really important part of Woodland Nook and it’s even more important that the accommodation is suitable. 

We just need £500 to complete the job, then the cats can move in! 

If you can donate, please use the Paypal button or you can donate direct into the Woodland Nook bank account:

Woodland Nook Cats Home

Yorkshire Bank

Sort code: 05-07-15

Account no: 47127069

Thank you so much! And big thanks, too, to everyone who has donated so far!

An appeal for donations - can you help?

Winter is a difficult time at Woodland Nook. People are feeling the post-Christmas pinch, plus the shelter needs heating 24/7, regardless of how cats are living there. 

This is why Jane is making an urgent appeal for donations. She says: “Lack of funding is now a problem which is why I've only got seven cats in the shelter. It’s so sad because I know there is a desperate need out there and I could take more babies as I have the room but not the money.”

Averaged out over the year, the shelter’ s weekly costs are £362, which includes £150 for consumables such as food, litter, medications and cleaning supplies, £40 for electricity, £15 for an extra large wheelie bin... the list goes on. 

Any repairs to the shelter are on top of this, which is why Jane is so grateful for a fantastic £1,000 towards repairs to the isolation section of Woodland Nook, but the bills keep coming in.

For this reason, Jane is inviting supporters to donate £5 a month (or whatever you can afford) to help keep Woodland Nook financially afloat. This can be set up through your bank as a standing order. If you are able to do this to help a wonderful cause, the bank details are:

Woodland Nook Cats Home

Yorkshire Bank

Sort code: 05-07-15

Account no: 47127069

If this is not possible for you, for whatever reason, Jane is always grateful for donations of consumables, such as cat litter, cat food pouches (not biscuits while Loki is at Woodland Nook, due to his dietary requirements) and cleaning materials. The shelter even has an Amazon wishlist, so you don’t even have to lug heavy items around... you can have it delivered straight to where it’s needed. Go here for details. 

Thank you so much for anything you can do to help.

Chaos in the kitchen!

Look at the mess which greeted our Sunday volunteers yesterday! Kitchen roll everywhere, the roll completely emptied and and shredded!

Of course, we can’t be sure who created this mess but the finger of suspicion is pointing towards...

... Bob!

The story of Felix

Felix is one of Jane’s ‘special’ cats, having been brought over from Crete to live with her at Woodland Nook.  He’s everybody’s friend and, while he may be a little (ahem) overweight, that’s nothing compared to the problems he had early in life. Here Jane tells his remarkable story.

Felix is in my heart and my soul. He found me, he needed someone to help him, he was desperate and clever enough to search for me.

It’s just so amazing and mind-boggling that he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and sat right next to me on the bench.

The next day we found a local veterinary practice and bought Frontline, Drontal and ear cleaner! Felix had really dirty ears and so he was wormed, treated for fleas and had his ears sorted! Good job Jane, just like being at home. He was so gentle with me doing all this to him although he did grumble a little but he knew I was helping him. 

For the whole of the holiday, he never left my side and we became best friends. I could feel the need in him, I just wished that I could get him home to the UK.    

When we had to return home, I was distraught at the thought of having to leave behind beautiful Cretan King. I left him as much food as I could on the last morning before we left for the airport. 

Months went by until finally we were back in Crete. We landed at night but, as soon as we got to the villa, we began our hunt for Felix. “Please God, let him be alive,” I thought. But nothing. I called for him all night, I couldn't bear it. I stayed out until midnight even though we were tired from our flight,, but there as nothing. 

We spent most of the next day at the villa, venturing out only for a little shopping. Still there was no sign of Felix at all. We explored the whole seven acres of the plot and felt awful.

Night-time came again and we put cat food out; wet meat, biscuits, thinly sliced ham, too. Half an hour later I went back to inspect the bowls of food just outside our French doors. 

I stood over them, feeling very tearful, then… a faint cry! Oh my God, he was here! 

“Felix is here!” I shouted to Paul. 

Felix came right up to the bowls and started noshing away at the food furiously; he was absolutely starving, so thin, he had seconds and started to slow down with his eating. He polished everything off as I watched with such happiness in my heart… and relief that he was alive. 

I was so grateful, so very grateful. If there is a higher being in the clouds, well, I thanked them several times over and promised always to do my utmost to help any cat and kitten I could.

We stayed for a month and Felix was my shadow, my companion, my friend, my soulmate. 

Again that dreadful time came and we had to leave. 

By this time we had made friends with a wonderful couple who lived on the island and were involved in cat rescue. Paul and I had been helping them whenever we could. 

But I knew how stretched they were and, sad to say, nothing could be done at that time to bring my Felix home. 

So Paul and I made Felix a shelter from a cardboard box, we strapped it down to one of the chairs outside and bought thick, comfy towels to line it. Felix loved it and must have felt loved and that he ‘belonged’ at last. 

A few months went by and we returned to Crete.

Felix was there at the villa; thin again, his nose was a mess, looked bitten and scratched and sore. I treated him for fleas and worms, this time I’d gone prepared, taking products from home! 

Normal people take towels, swimming costumes, clothes… well I had the same with the addition of cat meds. I was glad I didn’t have to do any explaining at the airport!

We were staying for a month again, so straight away I asked my friend to help me find a flight for Felix, or a space with a van man. But she told me flights were few and far between and there was not a van man in sight! 

But I didn’t give up, I thought ‘We have a month, let’s pray for a miracle’. 

I got Felix neutered and micro-chipped so that was two things less to worry about as these are requirements for travel. 

The end of the holiday loomed and with just five days to go Paul and I sat outside the villa, Felix on my knee. I was close to tears at the thought of leaving him again. I just couldn’t bear it. I watched him sleep on my lap, so happy to be with me, fed, warm and loved; he didn’t know that he would soon have to fend for himself again! 

Then, a miracle. The phone rang.

It was my friend from the island and she said, “I’ve got a flight for Felix, but it’s expensive…” 

I interrupted her: “Book it, book it! IT doesn’t matter how much, thank you, I can’t tell you how much this means to me!”

Tears duly arrived, dripping onto Felix which made him meow in his sleep. If only I could explain to him that he’d never be hungry or lonely again because he was coming home!

And so, on the morning of our flight, my friend took Felix in at her cattery, had him vaccinated, including the rabies vaccine he needed for travel. He soon has his own passport, too. 

She cared for him and loved him for me. She arranged absolutely everything for him; vet trips, passport, transport. She took him to the airport for me and made sure he was safe and on the plane!  She was so tired and worn out with helping others but she did all this for me. 

I will never forget how my friend helped me in my desperate time. As I’m normally the one helping other people with their cat situations, this was a new experience for me - to be the one in need of help. 

This is why I will always help The Cats Pyjamas Rescue whenever and wherever I can, by sending crates full of food, meds, carriers and litter trays with the help of the lovely volunteers of my shelter, Woodland Nook. I will never forget what she did for me that day… and for Felix, of course!

Felix arrived at Gatwick and Paul and I went down to fetch him. It was raining hard but I hardly noticed, I was so excited to be reunited with Felix again.

This was two years ago. Felix now lives at Woodland Nook; he loves being in the shelter and is grandad to all the kittens; he grooms them and tells them off when they are naughty. He is quite ‘chunky’, shall we say, but he is still in the mindset that each meal may be his last. He is mine and can come into the house when he is good and ready; at the moment, though, he is so content at being in the shelter with the others.

Hard to home... easier to love

Ask any cat shelter volunteer and they will tell you that some cats are harder to rehome than others. Needless to say, it’s the cute little kittens which are snapped up first. Any cat older than 12 months is going to find it more difficult... and elderly kitties really struggle. Throw in a bit of bad temper and they barely stand a chance unless somebody very special comes along.

But lately we have had three very special cats find very special owners and all three are doing extremely well. Let’s take a look...

Loulou
Nobody could have predicted that Loulou would turn out to be so hard to home. Brought over from Crete at a fairly young age, she was pretty, playful, affectionate and fun. But she did have an unfortunate tendency to lash out, often with no warning. One attempt at rehoming failed and Loulou looked destined to become a long-term resident at Woodland Nook.

Loulou

But just look at her now! Still playful, still affectionate... and now so much more relaxed. She is also totally adored!

Kitty
Poor Kitty did nothing wrong but fate dealt her a tough hand. She was rehomed from Woodland Nook several years ago but then, on Christmas Day in 2013, her owner died and she was returned. Her age was against her, and her discomfort at being around so many other cats made her irritable. For over a year she watched as other cats came and went, but she was left behind, sitting on top of the cupboard, not particularly happy.

Kitty

But look at her now – she looks like a different cat. She’s not ready to sit on laps yet but enjoys sleeping on her new mum’s bed, watches the birds through the patio windows and is happy to be stroked.

Ceefur
A terrible background of abuse led Ceefur to become unpredictable and frequently aggressive. But years – and I mean YEARS – of love and care in the safe hands of Woodland Nook really calmed her down. After an operation, she was allowed to recuperate in the quieter environment of Jane’s cattery, Top Cat ’n’ Tails at Hilcote, and thrived so much there that she stayed for over a year.

Ceefur (now Polly)

Ceefur is currently enjoying a trial period in a new home. We don’t have any pictures of her yet but the trial is going extremely well. Ceefur has a new, more dignified name: Polly. She now loves being stroked and even sits on her new owner’s knee! This is incredible progress for a cat who had just a hard time.

So next time you’re in the market for a cat, please don’t feel it has to be a cute little kitten. The rewards are huge if you can taken on a hard-to-home cat and give it the love and security it deserves.

Zoe... a litte bit crazy

Zoe has settled in well to Woodland Nook and is proving just as bonkers as her Cretan predecessor, Loulou. She’s a sweetie really, though, as long as you’re not a cat toy!