Snow in Cambridge

Mr Grumpy wondering whether a cat might be able to get a grant to retrain as a polar bear.

Tiger showing off her smart new splint

Tiger went up to the Veterinary Hospital to have her leg checked today, and she now has a smart newly bandaged splint instead of the old one which had got pretty grotty where she'd been digging in her litter tray. She also had an X-ray which showed the main lower leg bone is healing nicely, but the thinner one still needs support to keep the broken ends positioned together. It should be able to come off for good in another 10 days; then three more weeks cage rest while the bones are still in a weakened state.

Tiger isn't a stray, but was signed over to us because her owners didn't feel able to cope with a cat with a broken leg. She'll be up for rehoming once she's fully recovered.

Volunteering with the branch

Maisie, one of our injured strays

Volunteering opportunities with our branch probably don't fit the ideal image most people have of "helping at the RSPCA". Most of the animals we have up for rehoming are boarded at a private kennels, so we can't allow volunteers to just drop in and help out with dog walking etc. because this would mean disruption to the kennel owners' work caring for the private boarders.

A typical rescue case for us generally manifests via a call to the branch emergency phone from a private vet who has just received an injured stray with a log number from the RSPCA National Control Centre. This log number guarantees that the RSPCA will pay for emergency first aid. The Control Centre (NCC) is staffed 24/7 and responds to emergency calls from members of the public (or vets who have received injured strays directly). Sometimes an inspector or animal welfare officer will be sent out to deal with the situation (e.g. if the injured animal is dangerous), but if the finder has transport and can handle the animal they are usually requested to take it direct to a vet so that treatment can begin as soon as possible.

The National RSPCA pays the first £60 + VAT to get first aid started and the vet will then contact their local branch to fund continuing treatment and (hopefully) to rehome the animal once he or she is fit again.

This inevitably means that our rescues start off scattered all over our branch area, and we need to move them to our clinic for further treatment; to foster homes for recuperation, or to kennels for rehoming. Inevitably everything is guaranteed to happen at the most inconvenient time possible.

This is why we don't have many opportunities for people to come in and help with caring for the animals, but we always desperately need more foster homes and volunteer drivers.

If you might be able to help with either of these, please email: rosemary@rspca-cambridge.org.uk

Resolutions

"Raise more funds," has to be our motto going into 2010. Without money we can't pay vets to treat animals, or kennels to board them so that they can be rehomed.

You can help us by:

• Buying items from our charity shops at 61 Burleigh St, Cambridge, 188 Mill Road, Cambridge and 156 High Street, Newmarket.
• Donating items to our shops (textiles and shoes can be sold for recycling even if they are worn out, but other items need to be in saleable condition).
• Volunteering in our shops.
  
• Volunteering to help with our yearly collection in RSPCA week at the end of April.
• Adopting animals from us so that they spend a shorter time in kennels, costing us boarding fees.
• Donating a percentage to us when you sell items on eBay.
• Buying second hand books online from our Abebooks store
  

New Year reading suggestions

Happy 2010!

Happy Christmas!

Many thanks to everyone who helped during 2009. Have a wonderful Christmas and we hope to see you in the New Year.

Opening Times and Phones

The National Control Centre will still be working 24/7 over Christmas: 0300 1234 999

Branch emergency contact number will be answered (but please, as we are all volunteers, only ring if something is genuinely urgent): 07742 658 086

The clinic will be closed on Saturday 26th and Wednesday 30th December, otherwise open as normal between Christmas and the New Year. For emergencies, phone the number on your clinic registration card as usual.

The Cambridge shops will be closed from about 3 pm on Christmas eve. 188 Mill Road will reopen on 4th January; 61 Burleigh St will reopen on the 5th.

Obligatory begging message—don't forget our shops can make good use of unwanted presents and any clothes you've discarded from your wardrobe to make space for new ones.

Dawn over Coldham's Common from the path to the clinic

Mistletoe on Saturday

This was the last of the donation of mistletoe and we'd sold out by mid-afternoon. Very many thanks to the imaginative donor for a fantastic addition to our Christmas fundraising.

Path to Cherry Hinton last night

Took this on my way back from dropping off some pet food to one of our fosterers. It was even more spectacular looking back up the hill from the railway bridge end, but by then the wind had got up too much for photography.

Please remember that cats and rabbits can cope with this kind of weather provided they have food, dry shelter and their water is kept unfrozen, but guinea-pigs come from South America and need to be brought indoors—either into the house or at least inside a shed or outhouse where their hutch is protected. Avoid bringing animals into your garage because of the danger from fumes.

Wild Animal Casualties

Statement from the national RSPCA:

"There is no truth whatsoever in the alarming rumour that the RSPCA has changed its policy regarding wildlife animals and that due to the credit crunch it automatically puts every animal it picks up to sleep.

Wildlife counts for a huge proportion of calls made to the RSPCA every year. Our inspectors and officers regularly respond to calls regarding injured or sick wild animals and birds. Every effort is made to ensure that these are taken to one of our own specialist wildlife centres, to a vet or one of the independent organisations that we work with and that they are rehabilitated and released where possible.

The RSPCA takes the decision to euthanise wildlife on a case by case basis, with the welfare of the animal in mind and to alleviate suffering."

On the current situation concerning non-native wild species, see DEFRA's review and the government's non-native species website (neither of these is controlled by the RSPCA).

Webshop newsletter

Last chance to buy your Christmas gifts Christmas is just around the corner, but if you haven’t bought your gifts yet you still have time to buy them through our online shop. Use any of the links in this page and RSPCA Cambridge & District Branch will receive a percentage of what you spend. Alternatively take a look at our online shop. Find the last order dates for Christmas delivery below, please use our webshop whenever you can. Last Order Date for Standard Delivery Last Order Date for Nominated Day Delivery Clothing, Homeware and Beauty Midday December 20th Midday 22nd December Wine Cases Midday December 20th Midday 22nd December Gift Cards & Vouchers Midday 18th December Midday 22nd December Hampers 17th December 19th December Flowers Not available 5pm 22nd December Postcode exceptions apply see M&S for full details. Last Order Date FREE Super Saver Delivery December 18th Express delivery 2pm December 23rd One day delivery with Amazon Prime 2pm December 23rd See individual sellers at Amazon for other options. UK First Class Express Delivery Midday 21st December Midday 23rd December Midday 21st December Midday 23rd December UK 1st Class UK Courier 3pm 19th December 3pm 21st December Other Popular Retailers Last Order Date for Standard Delivery Mothercare 20th December The Hut 18th December Sendit.com 18th December Zavvi 18th December Chipsworld 18th December Games4u 18th December Play.com 19th December Republic 22nd December Additions Direct 8pm 23rd December Choice 8pm 23rd December Empire Stores 8pm 23rd December Great Universal 8pm 23rd December Kays 8pm 23rd December Littlewoods 8pm 23rd December Marshall Ward 8pm 23rd December Very 8pm 23rd December Woolworths main site 8pm 23rd December Kiddicare.com 23rd December All Saints 17th December Visit www.buy.at/RSPCA.Cambridge for more great offers from over 150 top retailers.

Purchases made through www.buy.at/RSPCA.Cambridge are made according to the information and terms provided by the company making the sale to you. Further details on using the buy.at shop are provided on the site.

Christmas closing dates

The Cambridge RSPCA Animal Clinic will be CLOSED on Wednesday 23rd, Saturday 26th and Wednesday 30th December. Other times open as normal.

Shops will stay open until about 3 pm on Christmas Eve, then close until 4th January (5th in the case of E61 which is always closed on Mondays anyway).

The National Control Centre will be open throughout as usual: 0300 1234 999

Our branch emergency contact number will be answered, but please remember it is staffed by volunteers: 07742 658 086

If your pet is on medication PLEASE make sure you order enough to get you through the holiday.

Deputy Shop Manager Post Available

Our present deputy manager at 61 Burleigh Street is moving away from Cambridge in the New Year, so we are recruiting a replacement.

The post involves working a total of 24 hours per week, with some additional cover for the manager's holidays. Starting salary is £6.21 per hour (review after 6 months).

As Emporium 61 works at the vintage/retro end of the charity shop market any applicant will need an interest in fashion and willingness to learn.

You can download a full job description from our website.

Get your organic Christmas decorations here!

Many thanks to the kind donor of a load of mistletoe at our bookshop at 188 Mill Road. It's adding a wonderfully festive element to the shop and is a nice addition to our stock of Christmas cards, mugs, pictures and bags.

Roll up and get your bio-degradeable decorations!

After Christmas, have a go at propagating the seeds—mistletoe is an important native plant with benefits for wildlife.

Christmas Hat Tree

If you can't think what to get your mum, why not try a nice, warm hat from 61 Burleigh Street? Smarter than the average bobble.

Argghh!

Completely disastrous clinic session on Saturday. For security reasons we don't leave internal keys on the premises — which would have been fine except that the nurse due to bring them in broke down just outside Mildenhall, which is a 45 minute drive away.

Animals who needed to be admitted as inpatients could be sent up to the Veterinary Hospital as normal, but anyone who just needed medicines had to be content with a prescription to take to an ordinary chemist. Clients who'd phoned in advance to order repeat prescriptions were really out of luck, because all of those had been pre-dispensed and were sitting with the nurse in her ominously smoking car.

Everyone was impressively philosophical about this, and the only really angry client was a new referral from the PDSA who had been told treatment would be free and hadn't brought her £7 consultation fee.

So — thank you to everyone attending on Saturday for being so understanding. We're going to be discussing with the Vet School how to set up some better emergency arrangements without compromising security.

Webshop newsletter

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without M&S Marks and Spencer's Christmas 3 for 2 is back! This offer includes beauty gifts, toiletries, cards, wrap and decorations; it's a great way to get more for less this festive season. Stocking Fillers Perfect for Secret Santa gifts M&S has lots of gifts for £10 or less, their fantastic range of stocking fillers is full of top gift ideas for men, women and kids. Toys and Entertainment At M&S you'll find lots of gifts for kids from the latest iPod, laptops, portable DVD players and gaming consoles. Find the entire selection here. Hampers Christmas hampers are a wonderful festive gift. Hampers include gourmet foods and specially selected wines that are sure to delight food lovers and bring Christmas cheer. All Christmas hampers include standard UK delivery. Every purchase you make via the links in this email will raise funds for RSPCA Cambridge & District Branch. Alternatively find our online shop here. Visit www.buy.at/RSPCA.Cambridge for more great offers from over 150 top retailers.

Purchases made through www.buy.at/RSPCA.Cambridge are made according to the information and terms provided by the company making the sale to you. Further details on using the buy.at shop are provided on the site.