http://www.yourcat.co.uk 53▲
and I were really stretched.
She was being called out
to help those stuck in their
homes, so we both had two
hats on during that time.”
It’s safe to say the team
was put through the wringer
saving their fellow neighbours
and their cats.
“Everything was just turned
upside-down; the roads and
bridges were closed and some
roads were just washed away.
We were an island for a while,”
explains Christina.HAPPILY REUNITED
As a lot of temporary
accommodation wouldn’t
allow pets, not only was there
the problem of finding missing
cats, there was also the
question of where they could
stay once they were found.
“What made our job difficult
was that the cats needed to
go somewhere, but we only
had four pens, and they were
needed for our cats in care,”
explains Liz.
The branch put out an
appeal for foster homes
and the response was
overwhelming, with many
people coming forward to
offer a temporary home for
a flood-stricken cat — some
from as far away as Aberdeen!
“We have a small
community here and the way
everyone pulled together to
help was amazing. People
were volunteering and
helping their neighbours,
and just got on and did what
they could,” says Christina.
“They were having to leave
their homes without even
an overnight bag; they had
lost everything.”
Incredibly, Liz and the
team managed to rescue
25 cats and reunite them
with their owners. On top
of their rescue efforts, the
branch also started a social
media campaign, appealing
for cat food to be sent in to
help feed the homeless cats.
Liz says that donations came
into the area by the lorry-load.
She explains: “People
were sending in everythingof the cats had taken refuge
high up, away from the flood
water. The brave volunteers
had to wait until the water
had subsided and it was safe
to get in, after the fire service
confirmed it had turned off
the electricity.
“In some cases, we really
had to think on our feet about
how we could get the cats to
safety. It was tough going.
I was wet through for about
six weeks!” recalls Liz.
Fellow team member
Christina Forsyth was
juggling her cat-rescuing
with people-rescuing, as she
works as a social worker and
was trying to help elderly and
vulnerable people trapped in
their homes by the storm.
Liz explains: “We were cut
off by the storm and Christina ▲.
How can
you help?
As with many of
Cats Protection’s
branches, the
Deeside branch is
run by volunteers
who, alongside their
own full-time jobs, provide help
and care for homeless cats in the area.
The cats in the branch’s care are all looked after by foster
carers in their own homes, and the team is always on the
lookout for new volunteers, foster carers, and donations, to
keep the cats happy and well fed.
In particular, the branch needs some new scratch posts to
keep the cats’ claws shipshape, and to entertain them while
they are in care. You could also help Deeside out by buying
one of their cats a new enrichment toy.
The Deeside team also has two pairs of indoor cats who
have been in care for some time and are looking for loving
new homes together.
The first are sisters Fizzy and Tink, who are seven years
old. They will be best suited to an indoor lifestyle where
they will have a cosy home.
Then there are two-year-old brothers Inky and Binx. Liz
says these lovely, black, short-haired boys can be timid until
they get to know you, but have fantastic personalities.
As with all Cats Protection cats, they are all fully
health-checked, neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated.
Find contact details for the branch on page 54.Image: Cabro Aviation.rovide help
t i thCHARITY
Tink (top) and Fizzy.Inky and Binx.52-54 YC Charity CS(am) EW(SW) CC.indd 53 29/09/2017 13:27